Can You Swim After Ear Piercing

What If My Piercing Gets Infected

Right after an earlobe piercing, your ear may be red or swollen. That should go away after a day or two.

If it continues, feels itchy, or has a discharge, try this three times a day:

• Wash your hands with soap and water.
• Put 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water and stir.
• Don’t remove the earring. Soak a cotton ball in the salt water and place it on the infected area.
• Pat it dry with a tissue or clean cotton ball.
• Put a little bit of over-the-counter antibiotic cream on the area.
• Rotate your piercing a few times.

If it’s still not better, or if a different part of your ear is infected, see your doctor.

Show Sources

Why Do You Have To Wait So Long After Piercing To Swim

Piercing any part of the body essentially means creating an open wound in the region. Thus, any piercing needs to be treated as an open wound and one has to take the same precautions as applicable to a wounded region of the body.

This implies that the area of the piercing will be more susceptible to infections. Inability to keep the place dry during the days or weeks it takes to heal will cause severe infections to form in the region. Water is known to cause the formation of pus and infest the region of an open wound with bacteria. Therefore, one must avoid contact of the pierced area with water- thereby avoiding swimming until the area heals completely.

Different pierced regions heal within different time frames because of the thickness of the skin and cartilage present in the region. The thicker the pierced region, the more time it will take to dry completely. Thus, pierced regions like ones ear lobe and nose need more time to heal.

When you opt for swimming with a fresh piercing you are essentially surrounding the wound with bacteria-infested waters. The chances of contracting an infection in such a situation will be higher than normal.

Moreover, if the person opts for swimming in a pool, the possibility of contracting a bacterial infection may be lower as pools use chlorinated water. However, places like the oceans, lakes, and streams do not have clean, chlorinated water. They are often the breeding grounds of various microbial contaminants.

Looking After Your New Piercing

Whether you decide to go swimming or not, it is imperative to look after your piercing properly once youve just had the procedure completed. Looking after your piercing mainly requires only two things keeping the area dry and keeping the piercing clear of any germs and bacteria.

Whenever you get a piercing, you also get a bottle of .09% saline spray to clean the piercing. To clean your piercing, you simply need to spray the solution around the jewelry and your skin. If there is any crusting around the jewelry or on your skin, dont work it out. Instead, let the spray loosen the crusting up and it will fall off as the day goes on.

The best aftercare product Ive personally used is the After Inked Piercing Aftercare Spray. Not only is it vegan, but its also completely alcohol and additive-free. The solution works well on all skin types including sensitive skin, and it comes in a generously-sized mist-spraying bottle for easy application. When using it from the very start of the healing process, the spray helps to decrease healing times and aims to eliminate any lingering pain or soreness.

Sometimes you can use a Q-tip, tissue or cotton swab to work the crusting off, though if you do that, you risk introducing bacteria to your fresh wound. Try and clean your piercing with the saline solution at least three times a day. Soon enough, your piercing will heal.

Recommended Reading: Wilmington Ear Nose And Throat

Also Question Is How Do I Cover My Ear Piercing To Go Swimming

You can purchase a water-resistant bandage to cover your piercing during swimming activities. If youre worried about a bandage falling off, opt for a swimming cap or waterproof band that covers the ears. Whatever you choose, make sure your ear piercing is completely covered so that water does not get inside.

Dopiercingprevent

How Long Will It Takes For Ears Pierced

Ear piercing is a common practice that has been performed for hundreds of years. The holes in the earlobes are created by inserting a needle and tapping another piece of jewelry into the hole. It can take quite a bit of time before your earrings feel like they are not there anymore. The complete process takes about 10 20 minutes, with at least that much time for the earlobe to completely heal. It does not matter which method is used for creating these piercings, but it all takes time before you can start wearing earrings again.

Recommended Reading: Burning In Throat And Chest

What Are The Risks

Piercing breaks your skin and opens the door to problems like:

• Allergic reaction. Jewelry made of nickel or brass can trigger it.
• Infection. People sometimes have redness, swelling, pain, and a discharge after a piercing.
• Skin trouble. You may get problems such as scars and keloids .
• Blood diseases. You can pick up hepatitis B and C, tetanus, and HIV from equipment contaminated with infected blood.

How To Care For Your Piercing After Swimming

As you know, most of the water bodies people like to swim in can contain harmful bacteria, which can cause infection to your piercing. To avoid this:

• Ensure that you shower before and after getting in the pool or ocean.
• After swimming, ensure that you use shower gel or any other liquid soap to clean the area thoroughly.
• Ensure that you dry your body thoroughly as well before taking a piece of cotton or Piercing Aftercare cleansing swabs.

Your aftercare routine should remain the same, whether you are swimming or not, until the area is completely healed. Dont forget to clean your hands before disinfecting the piercing. Dont get carried away with the cleaning because too much cleaning can cause skin irritation, which can lead to a more significant wound.

To reduce the risk of infection, do not go swimming immediately after getting a piercing. Wait at least a week. Think of your new piercing as a fresh cut on your finger or hand. If you put it in water immediately, it might continue bleeding, and the bacteria from the water can make it swell and form puss. If you have done all the above and the pain persists, see your general practitioner immediately for further assistance.

In summary, it is best to avoid the waters immediately after your piercing at least for a few weeks. But if it cant be avoided, do your best to be mindful and take proper precautions described. Afterall, dont they say beauty comes to those who wait?

Recommended Reading: Sore Throat From Post Nasal Drip

The Summer And Especially The Summer Break Is The Ideal Time To Have Your Ears Pierced

Removed from the daily grind its easier to not only become accustomed to the new earrings, but to the necessary care routine. Its especially convenient for parents whose children have the time to learn how to care for their new ear piercings. This care requires very little time, but two minutes more or less in the morning can often be the deciding factor in whether your child catches the bus to school or not.

Many parents choose the summer break on purpose because they want to grant their childs wish for earrings for their first day of school. Many encourage their childs sense of responsibility in this way, allowing their children to take over the care of their ear piercings according to their instructions. Longer earrings should be removed during physical activities. Sometimes even small earrings should be removed for safety reasons. Since new piercing studs must remain in place for six weeks without removing them, summer break is an especially good time for new ear piercings, just in case earrings are not permitted during physical education classes or in sports clubs.

The following summer tips provide answers to questions we are often asked:

Can we go on a vacation with newly pierced ears?

Can I go swimming with my new ear piercings?

How do I protect my ears from getting a sunburn?

Note: As mentioned in our Terms of Use, these tips should not be viewed as medical advice. If you have medical questions or concerns, please consult your physician.

Image credits

How Young Is Too Young For Ear Piercing

This is up to you. In some cultures, parents have their baby’s ears pierced hours or days after birth.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says there’s no health risk at any age, as long the setting and procedure are safe and sterile. But they also suggest that you wait until your child is old enough to handle the care involved afterward.

If you choose to have your child’s ears pierced, start small. Round, flat earrings are best. Avoid anything big or dangly that can catch on clothing and tear your child’s earlobe.

Also Check: Throat Herpes Vs Strep Throat

What To Do If You Can’t Avoid A Gym Day

If you must hit the gym, keep your tattoo covered with a gauze bandage and try to choose exercises that won’t result in working the muscles close to the tattoo, or flexing a joint that has a new tattoo. Figueroa says her advice is a recommendation, and its ultimately up to the client to follow it or not. Will the tattoo definitely be ruined or infected if a client goes to the gym afterwards? Not necessarily. But the more the aftercare deviates from the recommendations of the artist the lesser the chances of having an easy and successful healing process, she says.

If youre still unsure and not willing to skip a gym day, don’t be shy about asking your tattoo artist for guidance.

How Long Do Ear Piercings Take To Heal

There are different types of tissue in different parts of your ear, so how long it takes to heal depends on your body and the place youve pierced. Earlobes usually take 6-8 weeks. If you pierce the cartilage on the side of your ear, it can take 4 months to a year. Ask your piercing professional for an estimate.

You Should Wait Before You Swim Anywhere After A Piercing

Several health professionals say swimming directly after getting your ears pierced is not recommended.

First of all, the U.K.s NHS suggests waiting at least 24 hours after an ear piercing before you swim.

This is to reduce the possibility of an infection. After all, oceans can be hives of bacteria depending on your vacation location.

In the U.S., the Mayo Clinic says waiting until a piercing is healed is a better course of action. Better safe than sorry, according to them.

Riley Childrens Health, a well-known childrens hospital in America, says swimming in any setting especially in the ocean only increases the possibility of an infection.

According to the EPA, certain bacteria live in oceans that cause illnesses, such as viruses. Protozoa or parasites are also present.

Those can go into your bloodstream especially at the point of the new piercing. Scientific American reports an increase in a specific form of bacteria called Vibrio in oceans worldwide.

Vibrio is a bacteria that can cause cholera, a particularly devastating diarrheal disease.

Then there are also the less-likely cases that can be just as devastating. According to the American Society of Microbiology, some bodies of water can also contain flesh-eating bacteria.

These include Streptococcus, Klebsiella, Clostridium, Escherichia, Staphylococcus, and Aeromonas.

These bacteria can wreak havoc on an infected part of your body. Amputations and tissue removal are likely in the worst cases.

Here’s What You Should Know

• EMAILSHARE

Stocksy

Choosing to get a new tattoo or body piercing is an exciting endeavor, and something to celebrate. Were all for embracing our individuality, but something weve been wondering lately is, can this modification affect our daily workout routine? We try to partake in some form of exercise on a daily basis but have been cautioned against doing so, as it can impact the healing process of any new body modification.

If you’re wondering what effects exercise could have on a new tattoo or piercing, you’re not alone. We spoke with tattoo and piercing experts to get all the essential info and learn if its safe to work up a sweat while a new tattoo or piercing is still in the healing process. While its ultimately your decision, and its a little different for piercings vs tattoos, the experts tend to agree when it comes to safe and effective healing.

Meet the Expert

• is the Head Piercer at Stone and Strand.

• Carmen Figueroa is a tattoo artist at Nice Tattoo Parlor in Brooklyn, NY. She has her M.F.A. Degree in Printmaking and a penchant for fine-line, neotraditional, and surreal imagery work.

Keep scrolling to find out more, and remember, its your choice whether you hit the gym, but the facts dont lie.

How Can I Protect My Piercing Around Water

Lets say you want to spend some time at the beach but arent planning on dunking your head underwater. Well, just to be extra safe, you can cover your new ear piercing sites with a waterproof bandaid to keep any moisture out! Once youve exited the water, be sure to clean your piercing with sterile saline to wash out any nasty germs that may have crept in.

When Choosing Earrings Which Material Is Best

While numerous materials are considered “safe” for healed piercings, very few are approved for new or initial piercings. The reason? “Initial piercings require jewelry with the best biocompatibility,” Infinite Body Piercing in Philadelphia writes. “This means jewelry that will not tarnish or oxidize, and will not react with the skin while your body works hard to heal your piercing.” So what materials can you use and/or choose? It’s best to stick with the basics: stainless steel, titanium, gold, niobium, and glass.

“Some metal alloys have been approved based on medical usage and have specific designations that represent a precise standard for the alloy and its quality as determined by the American Society for Testing and Materials Standard and/ or the International Standards Organization ,” a brochure from the Association of Professional Piercers states. “Other materials, such as gold and obsidian have a long history of use in piercings dating back hundredsand sometimes thousandsof years.” The material worn in a new and/or healing piercing should be sterilized, inert, and compatible with the body so it doesn’t cause irritation, allergy, or infection.

How Do You Go Swimming With A New Piercing

We recommend avoiding swimming for the first two weeks after a piercing. If you must go swimming, we recommend covering your piercing with a waterproof Band-Aid and spray with Sterilear Step 1: Clean after exiting the water and removing the Band-Aid. Piercings heal on the outside first and then on the inside.

Can You Swim And Snorkel On Holiday After Piercings Maybe But Why Not Go On A Mayan Adventure Instead

Yes, you can but its important to ensure that the piercing has healed to be safe against any germs living in the water getting into your piercing and causing infection. When you book your vacation snorkelling in Cancun with Koox you want your underwater experience to be amazing, relaxing, and without any concerns about your piercings. Simply follow the guidelines above for the adventures of a lifetime.

We would also recommend instead of snorkeling, you can still have lots of fun with Koox Diving & Adventures heres a special deal for all adventure seekers but willing to remain above water.

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.

No High Impact Ocean Sports

If you plan on surfing, wakeboarding, waterskiing, cliff diving, wave skimboarding, kitesurfing, or other ocean sport considered by the Olympic committee as extreme then you will need to wait until the piercing has fully healed. There is too much as risk when you combine the impact of slamming through the oceans surface during the healing phase and especially if you have the piercing in while participating in the activity.

Otherwise, low-impact ocean activities such as stand up paddling, snorkeling, and tide-puddle-skimming are fine, assuming that you abide by items number 1 and 2 above, and consider the notes below.

Presence Of Pool Water Chemicals May Cause Ear Irritation

Most clean swimming pools have chlorine and other chemicals added to the water. After having an ear-piercing, your ears will be pretty sensitive and may react to such chemicals.

These components can also cause you to suffer if you dont cover your pierced area while swimming. So, its recommended to wear a swimming cap or avoid swimming altogether for at least six to eight weeks.