Welcome to our expanded FAQs

There are so many questions when preparing for body modifications.

Whether it’s your first tattoo or piercing, or your familiar with the process, times change, and new questions (and solutions) always arise. Tribute Studios is here to help you from choosing your procedure to caring for your investment.

Finding an artist or shop.

Most new clients come from a referral. Ask your friends where they got the work done. (that may be what spurred your interest.)

You can also ook online (the gift of social media) can be a great resource.

If you’re searching online and you see art you on an artist’s page you can use a resource like Image search on Google to see if the image is their own.

Check the shop or artist’s reviews. This is simple as well by searching the artist or shop’s name.

Remember, you can also walk into a shop and look through the artist’s work. This also lets you get the “vibe” or feeling of the shop. Are they friendly and approachable? Is the shop clean and well ordered? Time spent in this phase yields the greatest results.

Now you’ve decided on a shop

Lets get prepared! Preparing for your procedure (tattoo or piercing) is important.

Get good rest the day before. The day of, make sure you eat and hydrate. If it’s a long procedure like a tattoo, bring water and snacks with you. Consider bringing something to distract you such as a good book or headphones for your favourite listening. (Some people say sour candies are a great distraction!)

So let’s get down to specifics: Tattoos or Piercings?

Tattoo Specifics

So you have your tattoo. Your artist will tell you how to best care for your new art. “But I still have worries!”

“It looks weird!”

A new tattoo is going to be tender. It will be red. It will swell and be raised. This is all normal, but if these worsen as time goes by it’s not normal. Go to your doctor or urgent care.

“My tattoo looks gross and weird under the Saniderm. Is this normal?”

The first 24 hours or so your tattoo is leaking a lot of plasma and ink that's collecting under the wrap. This is normal. When you' remove the Saniderm, wash it with soap and water, you'll see your tattoo is fine.

Time to get “undressed” (!)

Three days later and its time time to remove the dressing. Don’t remove it dry. The best method is to take a shower or a long soak in the tub and saturate the wrap with water. Peel the Saniderm from the corners slowly until you've removed it. Don’t peel it fast, and NEVER dry. This risks pulling out some of the ink.

“What do I wash with?”

Unscented anti-bacterial soap and wash gently. Any soap will do as long as it’s anti-bacterial and unscented.

Moisturize?

Yes! Use anything unscented. Keeping your piece lightly moisturized as it heals means you will have a perfect healing process.

Repeat this process gently gently with antibacterial soap & water 3 times a day. Apply a thin layer of unscented lotion 2 – 3 times a day for at least two weeks

“After I removed the Saniderm bandage I have a red square where it was!”

It means you had an allergic reaction to the Saniderm wrap. This is uncommon, but not the end of the world. Keep an eye on it and monitor to make sure it gets better. You should stop moisturizing until it goes down, but keep washing with antibacterial soap until the rash goes away.

“I want to protect my tattoo. Can I wear sunscreen?”

Not for one month. Sunscreen is great in the long run, but while you are healing it will block pores and keeps you from healing.

“I need to get back to the gym!”

If your workout involves you sweating a lot like heavy cardio, avoid this type of activity for a week or two.

If your weight lifting, it’s best to wait at until the plasma has stopped leaking from your tattoo & it seems to be healing well, This will only usually be 3 or 4 days. Please remember to be cautious and keep your tattoo away from any gym equipment the best is to keep it covered until it is fully healed.

Looking after your work for the future.

Good skin care practices are the best. Washing with mild soaps and keeping good moisturizing practices are a good bit of advice for anyone of course, but the real killer of course is the sun. Sunscreen (50 SPF or higher) helps, but no direct sun at all is best. Moisturizing regularly also helps, and is a good idea in general even if you don’t have tattoos.

Piercing Specifics

Thanks for choosing Tribute!

We pierce with LVM 316 Stainless steel. It is a low nickel Stainless Steel that is often used for implants like knees and other joints. It is chosen for its durability and hypoallergenic traits.

Our primary concern for initial piercings is that the jewelry needs to be made from inert, bio-compatible and durable materials. For this reason we also offer implant grade titanium options at an additional cost. These metals can be safely high pressure steam autoclaved on site in our Ritter autoclave. This allows you to be assured the piercing you receive will have simplest and most trouble free healing. Other metals can result in a variety of adverse reactions like allergies, infections, and rejected piercings.

“But what about solid 14 or 18 karat nickel-free white or yellow gold, and platinum?”

These have their own appeals, but have drawbacks as well. Silver and gold are softer and can be scratched and introduce bacteria into the piercing while you’re healing, In addition they do not always tolerate the pressures and temperatures in the autoclave. They also greatly increase the cost of the initial piercing as well.

Platinum meets the durability test, but like the pure gold or silver, greatly increases the cost of the initial piercing as well.

“How do you pierce?”

We use single-use hypodermic needles for our piercings, these produce a clean piercing with smooth edges which is important for fast, worry free healing.

“Why is your minimum age for ear piercing 5 years old?”

We take a bit of extra time with our younger clients to make sure that they are fully aware and prepared for the procedure, providing they demonstrate a willingness to get pierced, and an understanding that piercings are permanent body modifications.

Under no circumstances do we ever pierce babies. This is for the safety of the infant (should the baby squirm during the process) and also because we don’t like doing anything that the individual who is getting pierced can’t consent to.

“Why don’t you use a piercing gun?”

We’ve all heard about, and some may have experienced, “the gun”. Used everywhere, its based on the same devices used to tag livestock. They are made of plastic and metal and cannot be sterilized. They operate on the principle of forcing a blunt metal stud through flesh causing tearing and unnecessary trauma, not to mention creating blood micro-spray which, as mentioned above, cannot be properly sterilized.

“How do I care for my fresh piercing?”

For best results, clean your piercing until it is fully healed. This may take several months depending on your piercing and your own body’s ability to heal.

First, remember to wash your hands thoroughly before cleaning your piercing.

Use a sterile saline product on non-woven sterile gauze, and use it as a gentle compress for 5 minutes morning and evening. Wipe gently with a Q-tip to remove any visible blood. Don’t scrub, just remove what comes off after soaking.

Excess moisture can cause irritation, so dry your piercing well after cleaning using a clean paper towel or using the cold setting on a hair dryer.

Do not turn or rotate your jewelry. This is important, because anything that doesn’t come off after gentle cleaning can tear and irritate your piercing

Do not clean your piercing with agents such as alcohol or peroxide, or ointments like Neosporin, Polysporin, or Bactine. These products are not designed for piercings and in the case of harsh cleaners like alcohol and peroxide can actually hinder healing by irritating healthy cells.

Do not pull or pick the dried matter as it is attached to the healing tissue. Gentle cleaning after soaking only.

Try to avoid sleeping on the piercing. If you have an ear piercing, you can use a travel pillow to suspend ear in the middle of the hole while you sleep.

“I have a bump near my piercing!”

There are a couple of causes and most of them are not serious. The most common is Hypergranulation tissue / hypertrophic scarring. This is an over development of tissue that can form around your piercing.

Often mistaken for a keloid, they are mostly seen around nostril and cartilage piercings like helix, tragus, rook, conch, etc. They’re often caused by motion – if you’ve accidentally bumped, tugged on, or had your piercing jewelry caught on something, there is a good chance you may develop this kind of scarring. They should not ever be “popped, They can also be caused by playing, twisting and turning your piercing. (This is actually the most common cause).

The first step is to stop fiddling with the piercing while you treat the “bump”.

Two methods can be combined using easily available products. 100% undiluted Tea Tree Oil and camomile tea bags. Steep the tea bag in boiling water just until the water starts to colour then pull the bag and let it drip/cool (but keep it warm) Hold it on the bump for ten minutes. Apply a small drop of Tea Tree Oil and don’t work it through the piercing. Just on the bump. A couple of times a day should clear it up.

Infections are rare in body piercings performed by professionals and taken care of properly by the client. They do happen sometimes through no one’s fault and it is important to recognize the symptoms. Normal symptoms of a healing piercing can include minor bleeding, bruising, discoloration and swelling. Tenderness, soreness, stinging, pinching and burning sensations are common. Secretion of a liquid whitish-yellow substance which forms a crust. (This fluid contains blood plasma, lymph and dead cells.) Secretion of a semi-solid, white slightly malodorous substance commonly called sebum indicates a healing piercing. Finally you will experience tightness around the jewelry.

If you experience extensive redness and the area is warm to the touch or you experience extreme tenderness extending a half inch or more from the piercing. You should contact your physician.

Remeber that the friendly and knowledgeable staff at Tribute are always here to offer support and advice.