A very common question between people that have a new piercing is: “can you swim with a new piercing”? Even if it seems like an easy answer, the truth is that getting the new piercing is always going to cause challenges and concerns. And aftercare, along with the healing process, those things can add a lot of questions onto themselves as well.
The reality is that whenever you get a new piercing, it’s difficult to take good care of it. There are dangers and all kinds of problems that arise if you don’t focus on the healing process. Plus, we have to keep in mind that swimming itself exposes you to bacteria found in water. So yes, it’s a genuine concern, and it’s important to know, can you swim with a new piercing or that’s not ok. Let’s find out!
Why Is It Risky to Swim With a New Piercing?
We should compare piercings with a fresh wound. That means you need to protect your wound until it heals, and exposing it to waterborne bacteria or chemicals isn’t really a smart thing. If anything, it can -prolong the healing process, and cause a lot of potential issues. It might even complicate your health situation, since bacteria and unhealthy compounds enter your system via the piercing.
There’s a High Risk of Infection
When you want to know can you swim with a new piercing, you immediately have to think about chemicals and bacteria found in water. Natural water sources have algae, bacteria and many other pollutants. Even a pool will have chlorine treatments, so you always end up exposed to these things even if you don’t want to.
Chlorine can be good at killing bacteria, however it won’t remove any type of bacteria, some of them are much stronger. Plus, chlorine itself will lead to skin irritation and dryness, especially around the piercing. If you swim in a lake or a river, you are exposed to parasites and bacteria, along with various pollutants. And yes, hot tubs can be problematic as well, since high water temperatures will encourage bacteria to grow as well. All of these can lead to infections and various problems, so addressing those can be very useful.
Healing Delays
If you have a piercing, you shouldn’t ask can you swim with a new piercing, and instead you want to focus on healing. Swimming could lead to a delay in the healing process, since it’s an uncontrolled environment. It could potentially open up the wound and bring irritations or other problems.
Swimming can be challenging because:
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You end up with a prolonged inflammation process, caused by water exposure. Swelling is a byproduct of that, and it can end up being there for multiple days.
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Reinfection can also appear, since even the healed tissue can be irritated or you might even be infected again due to the waterborne bacteria.
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Think about tissue damage as well. If the skin gets damaged by any bacteria, it’s very fragile. When that happens, your skin can end up being prone to scars or a variety of other problems similar to that.
Professional piercers suggest to avoid any type of dangerous situations like swimming, at least until your skin heals properly. And that’s a problem for some people that enjoy swimming specifically. However, if you don’t allow your skin to heal, that will cause inherent problems in the long term.
But how much should you wait before you go swimming? It depends on the piercing location. For earlobes, it’s usually 6 to 8 weeks. In the case of cartilage or navel piercings, it’s 4-6 and up to 12 months. So it’s not something that heals right away. It takes time, along with a controlled environment in order to heal properly, especially from dermals or navel piercings.
Water Irritation Caused by Chemicals
Some of us might think that if we just go into a pool, the chances of dealing with problems are lower. Saltwater or chemicals can still cause damage. They will damage our tissue, lead to redness, especially around the piercing’s site. While it seems like a safe option, that’s not really the case. You always need to protect your piercing and ensure that there are no problems.
Yes, it’s easy to ask can you swim with a new piercing and assume it’s possible. But the truth is that these piercings can be inherently problematic if you love swimming. You want to protect yourself, avoid any uneven healing, keloids and any other problems. Staying safe and learning how to avoid any complications is of the utmost priority.
Swimmer Safety Tips if You’re Getting a Piercing
Piercings are great if you want to express yourself and enhance your look. But can you swim with a new piercing? Clearly, it’s not as simple as you might expect. While it can be very challenging and it exposes you to risks, there are some methods you can use to minimize any problems. Here are the things to keep in mind.
Try to use a waterproof bandage
There are waterproof bandages that can help cover the piercing, and they will seal the area. That means there won’t be any water entering that region. At least in theory, as you can imagine. Sometimes water can still seep through, so this is only suitable if you want to swim just for a little bit of time.
When choosing any waterproof bandage, make sure that you’re picking a very high quality product. Waterproofing needs to be your major concern. And if the bandage can be suitable for open wounds, it’s even better. The way you apply these bandages is just as important as well.
Limit the amount of time you are staying underwater
If you want to swim with a piercing, you want to take adequate protection and limit exposure time. That means you just want to stay in a shallow area and just swim for a very limited amount of time. That will protect you from bacteria and chemicals, while still allowing you to enjoy some swimming time.
Clean up your pierced area once you finish swimming
After you get out of the water and finish the swimming session, use lukewarm, clean water to rinse your piercing. A very common option is to use a sterile saline solution. That can help remove irritants and bacteria. Saline spray is very useful and it can protect your piercing and skin, while preventing irritation.
Make sure you swim in clean water sources
If you still want to swim, take the extra step of ensuring you only swim in clean water sources. Avoid any untreated, dirty water. A pool is always going to be the better option when compared to a river or a lake. We also recommend staying away from hot tubs, because those can lead to piercing damage, not to mention they prolong the healing process.
Aftercare Tips and Tricks for Healing Your Piercing
When you want to protect your skin and enjoy a gear piercing, one of the best ideas to focus on would be adequate maintenance. Protecting your skin is not always easy, and it certainly has its challenges. But at the same time, it also delivers incredible benefits.
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We recommend cleaning your piercing’s site at least 2 times a day. Stay away from stuff like hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, those are known irritants and they can bring in skin damage. Even simply cleaning the piercing site 2 times every day can help protect your skin.
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It might sound obvious, but you want to avoid touching your piercing. Remember, your hands are full of bacteria, so if you touch the piercing and skin around that area without washing them, that can expose your skin to dangerous bacteria and lead to infections.
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The type of piercing you choose also matters. If you have a hypoallergenic piercing, that means it’s less prone to infections or any irritation. That’s the reason why we recommend gold, titanium or surgical steel, as these are very good, incredible options.
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We also recommend to monitor the healing process and see if there are any issues. The more you study any symptoms and see if you have swelling or redness, the better. That way, if you have any side effects, you can go directly to a medical professional.
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As we mentioned earlier, having a saline spray can be extremely useful, and it can provide a much better result.
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It’s also a good idea to avoid swimming for a few months. It might seem inconvenient, but it’s totally worth it in the long run.
Conclusion
So, can you swim with a new piercing? As you can see, it’s a good idea to avoid swimming until your skin is fully cleaned. Swimming as the healing process takes place can be difficult, and it certainly brings various challenges. The last thing you want is to expose your pierced skin to bacteria, as it will only bring infections and other problems. The best approach is to stay away from swimming at least for a while, and clean the pierced area very often. You can also talk with a medical professional as well, just to prevent any complications!