(Fun To Read!). It is therefore necessary to know how to take care of the piercing. When you get a new piercing, youre welcoming a foreign object into your body. The full breakdown, according to NHS, is that ear piercings take six to eight weeks, belly button piercings take six months to a year, and nose piercings take up to six months. In case you have none. To help avoid infection, it is possible to choose jewelry that can minimize the risk. Later on, you can follow the tips so as prevent an infection and enjoy your splash in the pool. Byrdie takes every opportunity to use high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. top of the ear - 6 to 8 weeks belly button (navel) - 6 months to 1 year nose - up to 6 months tongue - 2 to 4 weeks Swimming after a piercing It's possible to pick up an infection from any body of water, so while your piercing heals you should avoid swimming in: swimming pools streams, lakes and rivers the sea You should also avoid using hot tubs. Since pool water is treated with chlorine, you may think its free of bacteria, but thats not the case. When you are having an infected piercing, it is unlikely for it to go unnoticed. Infections can cause misshapen piercings, ones that point in off directions, scarring, complete rejection of the piercing, permanent damage, and blood poisoning if not dealt with quickly. Transmission of hepatitis C virus infection through tattooing and piercing: A critical review. The initial jewelry should not be changed until such a time that the piercing is deemed healed. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Typically featuring a curved barbell, this style has a plethora of options and adornments like stones, jewels, or charms hanging off the end of the ring. Let the establishment be a clean one to minimize the likelihood of infection. There is no timeline for this since the healing durations for each individual vary. Piercers recommend you wait a month after your piercing to go swimming in chlorinated pools. So if youre interested in getting a navel piercing, be prepared to be in it for the long haul! Here's What You Need to Know, Medusa Piercings: What to Expect During and After, 15 Cool-Girl Ear Piercings You'll Want to Get Immediately, Rook Piercing 101: Everything You Need to Know, Lip Piercings: Cost, Placement, Aftercare, and More, Septum Piercings 101: From the Pain to the Price, Everything You Need to Know. After the procedure has been carried out, the piercing will take at least six months to heal. Michael is heavily inclined towards traveling to natural places and documenting cultures/people from different parts of the world. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Some studios may even have you pay a separate fee entirely for both the piercing itself and the jewelry. Wow! How Long Does It Take a Tattoo to Fully Heal? You'll most likely find 14- and 16-gauge offered for this style, which hugs the navel and lays outward, so the side of the ring is showing. Cozmo Faris is a professional piercer with more than 12 years of experience who teaches for the Association of Professional Piercers. This is because piercings can be susceptible to infection, and hot tubs and baths can create an ideal environment for bacteria to grow. Taking care of your general health can help you heal faster and reduce your risk for developing complications. Remember, a piercing is something for you to enjoy for years to come. Generally, theyll recline your chair until youre lying in a relaxed position. Apply a small amount of soap on the new piercing and the area for about 30 seconds. We look at belly button piercing aftercare and how to deal with any infections that may arise. The symptoms of an infection can include: If you develop an infection or other irritation, be sure to speak with your piercer or doctor before applying any ointment or other topical treatment to the area. He has good research skills, and thats why you can see why his articles are packed with info that is factual and not readily available. Alternatively, soak a clean cloth in the solution and apply to the area. Considering the piercing is fairly painless due to a fleshy placement and easy to take care of since you dont have to look in a mirror to see it, theyre a great choice that has endured the test of time. So it's best to wait until the piercing has . (Everything You Need To Know), Can You Swim After Getting Ears Pierced? While body piercings are no longer restricted to hippies and fashionistas, you can find many teens and and even elderly ladies getting the most happening body piercings to show off their sense of style. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. The odds of infection are significantly less than 25%. Soaking the area with saline solution should go on even when the area seems healed. This involves observing cleanliness with the aim of keeping the piercing clean and avoiding passing microorganisms to the area. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Soak the piercing 2-3 times per day in a mixture of warm (not hot) water and non-iodized salt. While sweat is naturally produced by the body, and is just a sign of your body taking care of itself, "make sure to take a shower after exercising as a clean body tends to be a healthier body." Brooks says. Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full pricewine, food delivery, clothing and more. Better to wait until fall or miss a dip in the ocean rather than suffering with an infection. Now put a few drops of antibacterial liquid soap on the belly button. If someone recommended cocoa butter for tattoo aftercare, you might want a second opinion. While sweat is naturally produced by the body, and is just a sign of your body taking care of itself, make sure to take a shower after exercising as a clean body tends to be a healthier body. Brooks says. Its a super quick process which makes it very manageable.. With any fresh piercing we generally recommend you avoid swimming for the first month, though the risk to your piercing depends on where you're swimming. The healing time for a body piercing can vary depending on which part of your body is pierced and how well you look after it. Disclaimer: This article is for informative purposes only and does not in any way attempt to replace the advice offered by an expert on the subject. (Explained). As a general guide, healing times for the most common body piercings can be: It's possible to pick up an infection from any body of water, so while your piercing heals you should avoid swimming in: If you have any signs of infection, see a GP. Because of that, most piercers recommend waiting the full year-long period before switching it out, but if you cant wait, your best bet is to go back to your piercer to get it changed out. Ear piercings among others can get you in trouble at school, with parents, or while [Read More] about Want to Know How to Hide Ear Piercings? The piercing could secrete fluids that crust around the belly button piercing. Those who sport the reverse/top-down style of jewelry typically showcase the larger part of the jewelry above the navel and the smaller part inside it. "This was super helpful as I recently got a piercing and I am so lucky I stumbled upon this website! There are two reasons for it: The pierced area needs oxygen to heal and if you wear form-fit clothes then the cut of oxygen will delay the healing. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Neosporin is an antibiotic product that is used to prevent infections and speed up the healing of wounds. You can effectively change out a belly button piercing yourself, but you have to be completely sure that your piercing is fully healed before doing so. This ThoughtfulTattoos article tells you how to swim with a belly button ring. Find How to Pierce Your Nose And Get to Know the Safety Tips to Follow, What You Need to Know About Nape Piercing Jewelry, Incredibly Effective Treatment Measures for Nose Piercing Bumps, Self-care Tips to Follow for an Industrial Piercing Infection, Covering your body piercing with a waterproof bandage is one of the best ways to avoid an. If swimming is inevitable, I warn clients that chlorine will hurt their piercings and they will need to shower immediately after to rinse the chemical off the recently pierced area, Brooks says. Opt for a belly button ring made of 14- or 18-karat gold, titanium, surgical steel, or niobium. If you still want to swim before the healing period is over then please at least get a waterproof bandage from any pharmacy to cover your navel piercing. This means that it will take time before swimming after you have had a belly button piercing. Thoroughly rinse afterward. Weird Things Asked About Swimming? These are: This is the first stage of the healing process. Stay out of pools, hot tubs, rivers, lakes and other bodies of water while your piercing is healing. It may have a lot to [Read More] about Do Nose Piercings Leave Scars? Plus, Figueroa says its not good to submerge an open wound in water, especially because the chemicals in a pool will irritate a healing tattoo. If youre still interested in a belly button piercing, the best place to start is to find a licensed, experienced piercer who will work with your anatomy to give you the best piercing. Piercings heal from the outside in, meaning that even if you think the piercing is healed, you should give it some extra time, according to Koox Diving. Use saline solution to clean up the area every day. Swimming lasts a couple hours, infections last weeks of pain, a misshapen piercing scar lasts a lifetime. But if signs of infection are present, seek medical treatment. If thats not possible, make sure that its the right time to change it, and [that you] have good quality jewelry to replace it.. (n.d.). Halloran L. Body Piercing: Avoiding Complications. At this phase the body normally seals the piercing channel. I have had my belly piercing for about 4-5 months now. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. This is because of the constant movement associated with the location. Saltwater and chlorine may be okay for your piercing, however, other bacteria in the water may be problematic. I did tried neosporin but like you said it didnt work. While it's not doctor-approved, there are precautions and aftercare tips that you can take if you can't avoid submerging your piercing in water. Below are the healing stages and various aftercare procedures. They can also cause local tissue damage during the piercing process. Although they disinfect the area, they do not promote healing. By the time this phase comes to an end, the piercing is considered almost healed. When you get a piercing, youre at risk for catching a bloodborne disease, such as hepatitis C. The degree of risk depends on where you go to get the piercing and the standards of the place and person performing the piercing. so ideally, you should not swim for 6 months to let it heal to 60 to 100%. According to Healthline, you should at least cover your piercing with protective bandages when working out and must clean it afterward to avoid infections and irritations. 2-3 months before the piercing can be submerged. If you want to swim at least cover it with a waterproof bandage that can be bought from a pharmacy. You can afford to skip one bath or swimming session to protect that. The oozing of pus, general discomfort and at times lumps around the area can be discouraging. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. You need to clean the piercing daily using a sterile cotton bud or other disinfected material. Last Updated: January 29, 2023 Wow! They may contain bacteria that could cause infections on the piercings. It is also used as retainer jewelry for belly button piercings in pregnancy. At this point, the piercing is an open wound. He also loves hiking and camping and is spirited toward all outdoor activities. Avoid handling the area unless you are cleaning it. A belly button piercing will most likely take anywhere from six months to a year to fully heal depending on how you care for it and your day-to-day lifestyle; however, the most common time frame is between six and eight months Regardless, its important to check with your piercer when you believe its healed before stopping aftercareif it's still healing, the site could become infected. While many simple piercings, like the ears, take only around 6-8 weeks to heal, the healing period for a navel piercing is much longer a belly button piercing takes 6 months to 1 year to heal completely[ source]. (For Beach Lovers). Keep scrolling to find out more, and remember, its your choice whether you hit the gym, but the facts dont lie. Are your earrings or body piercings causing a nickel allergy? Make sure that you avoid spas and hot tubs until the piercing heals completely to avoid infection. For more info, read on for everything you need to know about the popular piercing. Hi! Wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap and water before you touch your piercing with your fingers. But it turns out, piercing aftercare is a lot more in-depth than that. The important thing to keep in mind is that a fresh tattoo is an open wound, therefore it should be treated as such to ensure a good healing, she says. Jewelry for initial piercings. Sweat [carries bacteria from your skin] and so does exercise equipment at the gym, so I would say take a few days off the gym and exercising [for] a better healing process, she says. Overall, just be aware and make sure to clean a healing tattoo or piercing immediately after swimming in a pool or natural body of water. Can I wash my hair in the tub after getting an ear piercing? These tend to delay the healing process. When you make a decision to have your belly button pierced, the thinking is that it will heal soon and you will be in a position to flaunt the new body modification art within no time. Isabelle has been contributing to Byrdie since 2020. A belly button piercing, also known as a navel piercing, is a piece of jewelry thats typically inserted through the skin, directly above the belly button. Avoid straining the area and get enough rest. The first thing to note is that you should wash your hands before touching your piercing to ensure youre being as sterile as possible and to avoid passing any bacteria. Aftercare: Wash the piercing two times a day with a sterile saline solution and pat dry with a paper towel. There will also be production of pus in the initial phase of infection. Laser Tattoo Removal Can Cause Blisters Here's Why and How to Treat Them. Plus, try to keep in mind that body fluids shouldn't be shared with others. Every body is different, but you need to give yourself at least two to three months to let your previous belly ring heal completely. As tempting as it would be, crusts should not be picked with our hands. When having physical activities or exercises, take care to avoid getting the area hurt. Keep it moist with a mild disinfectant such as Bactine. Then, its recommended to clean your piercing twice a day with a sterile saline solution. Generally, piercers use an autoclave to kill any possible bacteria or other pathogens on the equipment. We've got the details on its benefits and how to use it. Ask the 1 piercing u: Be sure to go to a licensed and highly qualified expert on piercing, and ask them how long to wait before swimming in the ocean. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. When an infection occurs, do not be tempted to remove the jewelry. For first time piercings, choose rings made of gold, stainless steel or titanium. Tohme RA, et al. Healing time: 6-8 months, fully healed by 12 months. Piercing is one of the oldest and most practiced forms of body modification. Tips To Heal Belly Button Piercing Faster? Not quite. Keep reading to find out! What Jewelry Material Is Used for a Belly Button Piercing? This means they havent been used on anyone else. I got very little aftercare advice/tips after I got my piercing today. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/8\/84\/Take-a-Bath-with-a-New-Piercing-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Take-a-Bath-with-a-New-Piercing-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/84\/Take-a-Bath-with-a-New-Piercing-Step-1.jpg\/aid7373968-v4-728px-Take-a-Bath-with-a-New-Piercing-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"