FAQ's
Piercing FAQ's
Lobe and oral web piercings are expected to heal in 3 months.
Most other piercings are expected to heal in 6-12+ months.
Avoid cleaning your piercing with anything other than 0.9% sterile saline. No-no’s like touching your piercing with dirty hands, not cleaning, swimming, snagging, playing with jewelry, etc will cause irritation and extend healing.
A jewelry downsize or upsize may be necessary due to swelling, please make a follow up appointment for a jewelry change if needed. Migration (change in angle of the piercing) and major irritation/medical issues can occur if jewelry length is not appropriate.
Clean 2-3x per day.
Do not use anything except for sterile saline made for piercings.
Do not use cotton balls/cotton products as it can shed and enter and irritate the piercing channel. Non shedding gauze is a better option.
Soak the gauze in saline then hold it to your piercing for many moments until build up/blood/scabbing softens and wipes away easily.
Oral piercing jewelry must be brushed daily or twice daily with a toothbrush as plaque builds up on jewelry in the mouth just as it does on teeth. Clean oral piercings by swishing saline or alcohol free mouthwash around the piercing channel.
Yes, but hoops have increased risks. The majority of a hoop lives outside the skin exposed to airborne debris, collecting bacteria. When a hoop rotates (as they do) any debris on the outside of the hoop is introduced into the piercing hole, increasing risk of irritation/infection. Thus hoops are not the easiest jewelry to heal in a piercing. With extra attention paid to cleaning, piercings with a hoop can be successful and heal like any other. But risk of irritation may be greater with a hoop. It is important to make an informed decision and be aware of risks if you want a hoop in your fresh piercing. Certain piercings that swell lots (like lips) cannot be pierced with a hoop.
Yes, the following:
- Always wash your hands before touching the piercing
- Do not sleep putting any pressure on a piercing
- Do not touch except for when cleaning (Do not play with it, rotate it, move it)
- DO NOT BUY JEWELRY OR CHANGE THE JEWELRY WITHOUT APPROVAL/HELP FROM A PROFESSIONAL PIERCER. Serious medical issues can occur from improper/low quality jewelry in a still healing (or even years healed) piercing.
- Use clean towels, and pillowcases
- Be careful using towels
- Tape your piercing if you are a “wild sleeper” or during activities you fear it could get snagged
- Don’t swim during the healing period
- Continue to clean your piercing even after you think it’s completely healed
- Piercing bumps/protrusions around the area may occur because of irritation, proper after-care can reverse this
- First 2 weeks: light bleeding, bruising, soreness, redness, and swelling is normal
- Up to 14 months: Discolouration, itching, secretions of white/yellow fluid, skin may tighten around jewelry, this is all normal
- Piercings may seem healed but not be. Piercings can close up after many years, and leave a scar
- If you are infected do not take the piercing out, SEE A DOCTOR if infection worsens
- Swelling may go down as the piercing heals and you may need shorter jewelry, or longer if swelling rapidly increases
- Don’t remove your jewelry to clean the piercing
- Tighten your piercing after each cleaning to avoid the balls falling off
Age 7 is the youngest I consider piercing someone. Feel free to book in for a consult with me and your child so I can meet and discuss piercing with them, without pressure to undergo the piercing that day.
Parental consent is encouraged but not legally required for minors. I do not do genital piercings for minors.
Piercing irritation bumps are a common sign your piercing needs to be cleaned more often with sterile 0.9% saline. Try adding hot towel compresses twice daily; continue for 2 weeks after the bump goes away. The heat will help draw what is in the bump out. I learned this tip at APP conference. Inappropriate jewelry could also cause piercing irritation bumps. Feel free to book in for an assessment if you’re worried about your piercing.
I am proud to use always implant grade sterile jewelry from reputable distributors that supply mill certification of the metals used. I have wholesale access to many fine jewellers like Infinite Body Vancouver locally made beautiful gold and titanium jewelry. Feel free to book in with me to check out jewelry
Cosmetic Tattoo FAQ's
A cosmetic tattoo is not for you if you have immune complications (HIV, cancer, etc), are epileptic, pregnant or nursing, have communicable disease, blood clotting issues. The use of retinol products must be stopped 6 weeks leading up to your appointment. If considering cosmetic surgery (eye lift surgery, face lift etc) it’s recommended to do those procedures first. I offer cosmetic tattoo for people over the age of 18. You must be prepared not to swim or use a sauna for 2 weeks following your cosmetic tattoo procedure. The use of retinols and acid skincare products will negatively affect cosmetic tattoo (alter pigment, make it fade, with extended use over time). If applied to the forehead for example, the brow area skin still absorbs these products.
The pigments are similar in coverage to low-to-medium-buildable-coverage makeup. Initially after tattooing the pigment will appear very dark. After the skin totally scabs over, peels off (like with any tattoo) to heal, the skin underneath will be a much softer colour.
Within 2-4 months of our initial session; I include a free mini touch-up session 6 weeks-4 months following our initial session. At this session, we can go over again to build the pigment in any areas that need it, make changes to the color if desired, adjust the shape, or fix any healing mishaps from the first session. (for example, accidentally scratching at the healing area can make the tattoo patchy and require fixing at a touch-up).
I offer removals done with a tattoo machine depositing a mixture of glycolic acid and camouflage pigment to the area. Takes 3+ sessions.
I recommend every lip tattoo client alert their doctor of the procedure and ask if they recommend antiviral medication. If you are prone to getting cold sores, a lip tattoo may prompt a bad outbreak. It is wise to go on preventative antiviral medication.
- Do not wear makeup, do not drink alcohol or caffeine
- Don’t do drugs the day you get your face tattooed
- Don’t wear any skincare products on the tattooed area
- Do not wear contacts during an eyeliner tattoo appointment
- Do clean your eyelashes, and remove eyelash extensions at least 3 days in advance
- Do eat an hour before you come to the appointment
Immediately after getting the tattoo try not to touch it at all. Allow the area to bleed/flood with lymph fluid for 2 hours, after 2 hours use gauze to blot the area dry every 1-2 hours. Do this for the first 2 days afterward
Prepare to sleep on a fresh towel or fresh pillowcase every night. Do not sleep with the tattooed area touching your pillow or sheet.
Starting on day 2 the area can get wet. However if showering longer than 5 minutes
When showering, keep the freshly tattooed area protected from the steam/water (which can lift the pigment out) by applying a barrier layer of Vaseline or ointment, and potentially Saran Wrap over the area. This will protect it.
Next remove ointment. Wash your brows the and gently wash the area with Unscented soap
Allow the area then to dry and breathe for 30 minutes.
Allow eyeliner to dry heal, do not apply moisturizers.
If you have oily skin, your brows may do well dry healing without moisturizers too.
Alternatively you may find relief applying bacitracin or other unscented ointment lightly and thinly. Lips do not self moisturize and require frequent moisturizer with bacitracin ointment, or a similar non irritating unscented lotion/ointment.
Continue this healing regimen. Remember for the first week the area is considered an open wound. Do not touch it and be mindful of introducing bacteria that could cause infection. Be mindful not to pick any scabs, the area is expected to scab and flake. Be prepared not to disturb it. During the scabbing process the pigment is pulled into the scab. As the scab naturally heals the pigment is reabsorbed back into the skin. Picking/ scratching your tattoo will take the pigment out. It’s crucial to allow the skin to heal undisturbed. Do not apply makeup to the area during the entire healing period (6-8 weeks)
For “wet” healing, after washing the area with unscented soap or showering, allow the area to dry/breathe for 30 mins then apply a thin layer of bacitracin ointment or polysporin or nonscented lotion multiple times per day.
*Especially for lips, reapply bacitracin/polysporin often and thinly.
The dry method of healing involves no application of moisturizers, if you have oily skin this method will be ok for you for brows/liner. I do not recommend anyone dry healing lips.
DO NOT PANIC! THIS IS NORMAL!
When the epidermis is renewing itself immune cells come to heal around the pigment. This can make the pigment appear light and faded. The pigment begins very dark and saturated and swollen; large, and most prominent immediately following the procedure, then as it heals it may appear to disappear as the skin renews and the dead skin peels around the area. Do not panic. The color will return after the dead skin cells come off.
It is important NOT TO TOUCH or pick off any peeling skin from the tattoo; allow it to come off on its own for the pigment to retain underneath. If you pick/scratch you might pick the tattoo right out.
After the skin fully heals in 2-3 months the true color, shape (without swelling) and prominence will show. Touch-ups are part of the process I recommend clients book prepared to touch up once every 1-2 years+
I have over 30 options for pigments, from Biotouch permanent makeup industry leaders since the 1980’s, and Waverly Color Co brow pigments founded and formulated by body tattoo artist Bill Waverly.
Disclaimer
These guidelines are based on professional experience, research, and practice, but everybody is different. These guidelines are not a substitute for medical advice. Infection is highly likely to occur if aftercare is not followed. If you have an infection do not remove your jewelry (skin could close sealing in pus becoming a cyst). Please see a doctor if you are infected.