North York Food Harvest x North York Ink

Tis The Season for Giving!

This past thanksgiving North York Ink Teamed up with North York Food harvest to help them with their year end food sort!

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We were able to raise roughly about 70LBS of non-perishable food and sorted through about 7,000LBS of food! Thank you to all of our wonderful clients that helped make this happen!

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PSA: It is important to note that while giving over the holidays is great, the lack of access to food and basic resources is a year round epidemic for some. We should do more as a community YEAR ROUND to help change the narrative.

North York Ink x Autism Awareness

Autism Awareness 2018

We want to thank everyone who came out for this wonderful event, to support and share your stories. ​

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We were overwhelmed with the response. It was humbling to see how many people took the time out of their day to stop by and allow us to become a part of their journey. 

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Over the course of a few weeks we visited a two of clinics, Integrate Health Services and Cedar Heights Residential Living, and hosted play dates with them. 

This is some of the footage, hope you enjoy! 

Needles Vs Gun

Which one is better??

Over the years the piercing industry has seen a change in what is considered to be “industry standard”. If you are like myself or like the majority of people born before the year 2000, chances are; you probably had your ears pierced at Claire’s or at a random kiosk in the mall with a ‘piercing gun’.

Times have changed. Smoking on planes is a thing of the past as is piercing with a gun… needle is the new black. 

Needles are cleaner, more accurate, and far less painful than guns. Their sharp hollow point creates a clean hole that allows the jewelry to rest, giving room for the wound to drain and to heal.  

Don’t get me wrong, some people still prefer getting pierced by the gun rather than by a needle. It's often the more cost-efficient and speedy method - and for piercings such as the lobes, it's not all bad. 

One of the biggest disadvantages of piercing with a gun is that; guns are reusable and it is almost impossible to properly sanitize them. They're made out of plastic, which means they can’t go in the autoclave (the machine we use to sterilize all of our tools) or it will ultimately melt to goop. It’s also important to note that it is a closed unit device, which means you can’t take it apart to properly clean each individual compartment. During times like this (Covid 2020) that’s not a chance you need to take, there are options.

Needles are single-use. Need I say more? 

Once you are pierced with a needle it immediately gets disposed of, you will always be the first and last person to make skin to metal contact with that needle. As mentioned, the needle creates a hole, it does not break through the skin by applying pressure. It actually removes a small chunk of your skin (depending on the gauge) which then is filled in by the appropriate size jewelry. This process promotes healthier cleaning and healing habits. 

On the other side of the coin, guns actually cause the jewelry to squeeze tight against the ear making it difficult to clean. 

While earrings are technically tapered and sharp in appearance, they are not as sharp as the needles used by a professional piercer. Let’s go over the last two words in that sentence… ‘professional piercer’. This means; someone who has been trained, someone who has extensive knowledge on how to avoid cross-contamination and how to properly sterilize their tools. Someone who spent at least 12-18 months learning all of the afore mentioned before they can refer to themselves as a ‘professional piercer’. 

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You won't get this level of dedication to the craft at your local Claire's, no shade, just stating the facts.

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Saline Solution Vs Alcohol

Which one is better??

Saline Solution (Sea Salt Water) VS Rubbing Alcohol

There is never one single remedy that will be communicated to you when asking for advice on how to take care of a piercing… though there should be. Saline Solution or ‘Seasalt Water’ is the safest and least harmful method to promote fast healing times and the overall well being of your piercing.

Other remedies such as Rubbing Alcohol or Hydrogen Peroxide are harsh, painful, and not to mention they will dry out your piercing resulting in longer healing times. These products are antiseptics/disinfectants used on the skin to prevent infection of minor cuts, scrapes, and burns. For this reason, alcohol is used before the procedure to clean the area the piercer will be piercing.

Saline Soak

The single best thing you can do for your piercing is to keep up a regular regimen of saltwater soaks. These flush out the piercing, help to draw out discharge, stimulate blood circulation, and soothe irritations. We strongly suggest soaking your piercing at least twice a day—more often if healing is difficult.

How to make your own Sea Salt Water Soak: 

¼ Teaspoon + 1 cup (8oz) Water

Saline Spray

Sterile saline solutions are convenient, portable cleaning options. While rinsing with saline solution doesn’t promote increased blood flow to the area the way that a warm soak does, it does provide a quick cleaning fix if you’re at work, traveling, or someplace where soaking isn’t an option.

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Proper Cleaning Methods

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1. Wash your hands thoroughly prior to cleaning your piercing.

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2. Before use, spray a small amount in the air to test stream.
 

3. Spray after Inked Piercing Aftercare directly onto the pierced area and allow to dry.

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4. If desired, you can spray it onto a sterile gauze and place it gently over the area for 5-10 minutes.

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5. Repeat 3-6 times per day or as often as needed.
 

Suggested Saline Spray brands:

• After Ink