As a Professional Piercer, I only use the best quality equipment and jewellery for body piercing. 316L surgical steel is now illegal for initial piercings due to the higher nickel content which does not conform to the new E.U nickel sensitisation law (E.U. directive 94/27/EC). It may be used in healed piercings only. Instead, we use medical grade titanium Ti 6AL 4V (used since 1950 for medical implants), niobium (less nickel than titanium, Implantanium (low nickel surgical steel), P.T.F.E. and titanium nitride coated over titanium (as used in hospitals to coat pacemakers, and orthopedic implants etc). All metals conform to the new E.U. nickel directive.

Our studio has been approved by the local Environmental Health.FULL AUTOCLAVE STERILISATION Each piece of jewellery is individually sterilised in a sealed packet prior to piercing. A new needle (sealed packet) is used every time. All equipment i.e. clamps etc are also individually sterilised in separate packets. We have monthly spore tests to guarantee the autoclave is performing 100% sterilisation. New surgical gloves are worn every time.

We give very comprehensive aftercare advice and all after-sales service is free, including the fitting of jewellery , whether or not it was purchased from ourselves. Above all, you are guaranteed the highest level of customer service. Any questions? See Jackie. We offer a huge range of piercings. There's not much we can't pierce, so if you don't see what you want, please ask!

Does it hurt?

Most piercings are over in a second, and a small pinch is usually all you will feel, if anything at all! Don't believe me, see our customers comments book in the shop, or view some comments in our forum.

You must look after your piercing every day until fully healed, or infection can occur. We use fully sterile equipment and jewellery for all piercings, but once you have left the studio, the rest is up to you. Below you should find all relevant information regarding your piercing If there is ANYTHING you don't understand, or if you have any problems, please don't hesitate to contact us.

A Piercee's Bill of Rights

Every person being pierced has the right.....

to a sober, friendly and knowledgeable piercer who will guide them through their piercing experience with confidence.

to the peace of mind which comes from knowing that their piercer knows and practices the very highest standards of sterilisation and hygiene.

to be pierced in a scrupulously hygienic, open but private environment, by a clean, conscientious piercer wearing a fresh pair of disposable latex gloves.

to be pierced with a brand-new, completely sterilised needle, which is immediately disposed of in a medical sharps container after use on the piercee alone.

to be touched only with freshly sterilized, appropriate implements, properly used and disposed of or resterilised in an autoclave prior to use on anyoneelse.

to know that ear-piercing guns are NEVER appropriate and are often dangerous when used on anything else than earlobes.

to be fitted only with jewellery which is appropriately sized, safe in material, design, and construction, and which best promotes healing. Gold-plated, gold filled and sterling silver jewellery are never appropriate for any new or unhealed piercing.

to be fully informed about proper aftercare and to have continuing access to their piercer for consultation and assistance with all their piercing related questions.

AFTERCARE OF YOUR PIERCING

All equipment is sterilised & disposable. Hygienic surroundings, premises inspected regularly by environmental health. Anaesthesia used with every piercing.

All jewellery is E.E.C compliant, with regards to the directive on nickel which has now been passed and approved by law.

The healing period for all piercings can vary greatly from person to person. Expect between 6-12 weeks on average. Remove dressing after approximately 2 hours, clean thoroughly (but gently) 3 times a day using SALINE SOLUTION obtainable from a chemist or opticians OR use warm salty water (using sea salt and boiled water). Soaps containing strong perfumes, deodorants & other additives should be avoided during the healing process. Matter secreted from the piercing will dry/crystallise on the jewellery and around the exits of the piercing. This is what you are cleaning and removing. Bathe the area thoroughly moving the jewellery back and forth through the piercing (with clean hands) to prevent the inside from getting infected. Put some solution in a clean egg-cup & place over piercing, swill around for a minute then remove egg-cup. Dip a cotton bud into solution and gently clean around piercing. For oral (lip, tongue and cheek) piercings, rinse the inside of your mouth with an antiseptic mouthwash (such as Listerine) at least 3 times daily (diluted with water 1:1). For the outside of facial piercings use the saline/salt solution. You can take anti-inflammatory tablets to reduce any swelling that may occur (ibro-profen/nurofen) or apply ice. Keep practicing these exercises until piercing is totally healed and once a week thereafter.

I use the most up to date methods known while piercing. All my equipment is sterile and disposed of at all times. I will therefore not be responsible for any piercing after you have left the shop. After-care is YOUR responsibility.

DO NOT PLAY WITH THE JEWELLERY WHILE HEALING IS TAKING PLACE.
DO NOT REMOVE THE JEWELLERY UNTILL IT HAS FINISHED HEALING.
DO NOT APPLY ANY OTHER SOLUTIONS TO YOUR PIERCING APART FROM WHAT IS
RECOMMENDED BY US!

If you have any problems or are worried about anything, please do not hesitate to contact us.

TONGUE PIERCING AFTERCARE

After having your tongue pierced, swelling will occur within an approximate 12 hour period. This can differ from person to person. Applying ice immediately after piercing will help to reduce swelling. This swelling will persist for 3-7 days. Again, this will differ from person to person.
DO NOT drink any hot drinks, but rather luke-warm or cold drinks as this is better for your piercing. AVOID ALL hot and spicy food and food that requires a lot of chewing (eat luke-warm soups, mash, energy drinks, milk-shakes, ice cream, etc).AVOID ALL recreational drugs as these will interfere with the healing process.AVOID ALL spirits i.e. whisky, vodka. Beers and lagers are fine in moderation. But not within 48 hours of piercing. DO NOT play with jewellery until the shorter bar has been fitted. DO NOT be tempted to remove the jewellery before the healing process has finished. Clean you're piercing using an antiseptic mouthwash (such as Listerine) diluted to a 50/50 solution using luke-warm boiled water from the kettle. Clean piercing by placing solution in mouth and swilling around. Do not swallow. You can clean piercing after eating and if you are a smoker you may want to clean it more often, but DO NOT over clean. To help swelling go down and also aid discomfort you may use ibuprofen or another anti-inflammatory drug (such as nurofen) or simply suck on ice cubes. It is quite normal for the tongue to become slightly "furry" looking during the healing process and to weep a whitish puss looking fluid, wipe this away with a cotton bud or rinse away with the solution. The "furriness" will go after a week or so on its own. After your tongue has reduced to a more normal size, return to the shop (usually 7-10 days) and we will exchange the bar for a smaller one. You may need to come back a couple more times during the 6 week healing process for exchange bars..

I use the most up to date methods known while piercing. All my equipment is sterile and disposed of at all times. I am therefore not held responsible for the piercing after you have left the shop. After-care is YOUR responsibility.If you have any problems or are worried about anything please do not
hesitate to contact us.

FEMALE GENITAL AFTERCARE.

Provided that it is cleaned and looked after properly, the piercing should heal within 2-4 weeks. Infections are very rare and the piercing heals very quickly because of the amount of skin pierced is very small and the vagina is protected from infection by a mucous membrane which is acidic; This
acidity makes it hard for bacteria to live.

You should refrain from sex for at least 2-3 days and you should be very gentle for the first week. If you feel a sharp pain whilst having sex (during the healing period) you should stop or you could tear the piercing. The piercing will not tear out, but just tear slightly, this can be painful and can lead to infections, however, in my experience tearing is rare. If this does happen you should wear clean, cotton underwear for 4 weeks as this allows the wound to breath and minimises the chance of infection. Clean piercing after intercourse, use a condom during the healing period. Oral contact should be avoided. Also certain lubricant and spermicides may irritate piercing. Cleaning is very simple, salt water baths help promote healing and prevent infections, you should try to have one at least every second day for the first 2 weeks. Simply dissolve some sea salt in a glass of hot water and add it to your bath. (One tablespoon should be sufficient)Under no circumstances should you use anything like surgical spirits, alcohol, Tea tree oil or any other chemicals as they can destroy the delicate balance of natural bacteria in the vagina and can result in a thrush or candida infection which can be very difficult to get rid of. Its best to try and avoid underwear made of synthetic fibres, natural cotton underwear will aid healing. If you have to wear tights for work, make sure you remove them immediately after a have a salt water bath. Occasional light bleeding may occur for the first few days after piercing and your first pee may sting a little. (Drinking a glass of water with some bicarbonate of soda dissolved in it may help.)

MALE GENITAL AFTERCARE.

Provided that it is cleaned and looked after properly, the piercing should heal within 2-4 weeks. Infections are very rare. The piercing heals very quickly because of the amount of skin pierced is small and the genitals are protected from infection by a mucous membrane which is acidic; This acidity
makes it hard for bacteria to live.

You should refrain from sex for at least 2-3 days and you should be very gentle for the first week. If you feel a sharp pain whilst having sex (during the healing period) you should stop or you could tear the piercing. The piercing will not tear out, but just tear slightly, this can be painful and can lead to infections, however, in my experience tearing is very rare. If this does happen you should wear clean, cotton underwear for a few weeks as this allows the wound to breath and minimises the chance of infection.Most men find that it is more comfortable to up size the jewellery to a larger gauge once the piercing has healed. Clean piercing after intercourse, use a condom during the healing period. Oral contact should be avoided. Also certain lubricants and spermicides may irritate piercing. Cleaning is very simple, salt water baths help promote healing and prevent infections, you should try to have one at least every second day for the first 2 weeks. Simply dissolve some sea salt in a glass of hot water and add it to your bath. (One tablespoon should be sufficient) Alternatively, you can just bathe your piercing in the glass of warm salty water daily. Under no circumstances should you use anything like surgical spirits, alcohol, Tea tree oil or any other chemicals. Its best to try and avoid underwear made of synthetic fibres, natural cotton underwear will aid healing. Occasional light bleeding may occur for the first few days after piercing and your first pee may sting a little. Drinking a glass of water with some bicarbonate of soda dissolved in it will help.

Surface piercings and “growing out”

Surface piercings are fairly extreme piercings. They require quite a bit of patience and care to heal. For this reason we often recommend that you have experience with other easier-to-heal piercings before getting a surface piercing.

There have been many methods over the years for trying to coax surface piercings to heal. The main obstacle has been that when flat skin surface is pierced, the body's natural reaction is to gradually reject the jewellery. The body adds new skin cells from the inside-out. As new layers of skin are added beneath the jewellery, the old layers are pushed toward the surface where they are eventually sloughed off. The jewellery is often pushed out with the layers of skin it transverses.

When normal piercing jewellery (e.g. ball closure rings, straight or curved barbells) are inserted into a surface piercing, the jewellery may begin to put pressure on the tissue between the jewellery and the surface of the skin, typically causing a "speed bump"-like rise. This pressure can cause problems during healing as it restricts blood flow to the tissue, and further encourages growing out. The less healthy the tissue, the more likely rejection is to occur. To avoid this outcome, our preferred method is the use of special barbells ("surface barbells") which are shaped like a staple. With a surface bar, there is minimal pressure on the piercing, allowing blood to flow to the tissue between the jewellery and the surface, facilitating easier healing and increasing the probability of the piercing remaining.
We now do a special “Micro Surface Piercing” which can be inserted virtually anywhere on the body! They are not usually painful, quite discreet, and can be placed singly or multiply for that extra-freaky look!

BODY PIERCING HEALING TIMES.

The following healing times are given as estimates only. Your body may take more or less time to heal. Your piercing will not be sore for the entire healing time.There are many factors that can affect the time it takes for a piercing to heal such as stress, diet, physical and personal health, clothing and of course how it is cared for. Remember to clean your piercing for the entire healing time and leave it alone when not cleaning it. We recommend that initial jewellery is kept in a piercing for at least 3 months before changing it.

Any problems call us on 01920 469721

or email jackie@nutztattoo.com