Many people wonder if it is safe to swim after a nose piercing. There are many factors that come into play with this, including the type of nose ring you have and how long it has been since your piercing.
This article will go over these considerations in more detail, as well as what can happen if you go swimming too soon after getting a new nose ring!
The general answer is to avoid swimming at least 24 hours after getting a piercing and ideally until properly healed. For a nose piercing this healing time can be bout six months and has a high chance of infection so it would be wise to wait until fully healed.
As with any time, your skin is broken and while not fully healed, it’s important to keep the piercing area dry and clean as there’s a risk of infection.
Let’s take a look into the time to heal and what happens when you swim before being fully healed.
Nose Piercings Growth In Popularity
The popularity of nose piercings has grown dramatically in recent years. For many people, especially teens and young adults, having a new piercing is an exciting experience.
Where the stigma used to make people stop and stare, nose piercings are now becoming more standard.
Many teens and young adults choose to get their nose pierced in hopes of expressing themselves or even starting a new trend!
How Long Will a Nose Piercing Take to Heal?
When you get a piercing you may want to know how long it will take to heal and since most start with an ear piercing they may think the time would be very similar but it is definitely not the same.
On average a nose piercing will take 6 months to completely heal, unlike your ears though it is functioning for you and prone to infection if not cared for well as you breathe in dirt and germs constantly all day so TLC must be a primary concern.
While this may be frustrating if you want to do things soon afterward it is good to delay them to ensure proper healing happens on your nose and face as they lead to bad infections if uncared for.
Can I Go Swimming After a Nose Piercing?
For the people who love to adventure out into, on, and just around the water though, going paddle boarding, jet skiing, or maybe just sunbathing in an amazing bikini may be at the forefront as to if they need to avoid activities that can end in swimming needs.
Aside from not being able to comfortably wear a snorkel mask (and avoid shared masks) for approximately six months, you can swim in a clean (more on this below) ocean within roughly two months with some care and wound management.
The bridge of your nose takes approximately 8 to 10 weeks to heal after a piercing, while the nostril can take up to 3 months, and the nasal septum can take 6 to 8 months.
After two months of healing, you should be in good shape if you’re only going for a leisurely swim on calm seas.
However, if you intend on diving deep where water pressure is intense, the wound may aggravate. This means that scuba diving and freediving are out of the question for eight months.
Is Chlorine Bad For a Nose Piercing?
If you plan to swim in a pool and want to use the fact that it is chlorinated as a reason why this is a safe practice since that will remove many problems from the water, chlorine can act as an irritant.
Chlorine has been known to act as an irritant which for a new piercing can cause an exceeding amount of discomfort in the area that is exposed without skin protection. So while it can help the pool be cleaner and safer it is best to avoid getting in while healing.
In addition to chlorine you will want to look at anybody of water as a source of infection possibilities which means avoiding the following bodies of water:
- Swimming Pools
- Running Water Like Streams, Lakes, and Rivers
- Bodies of Water Like the Sea
- Hot Tubs
Each of these contains different contaminants and varying issues that they can cause to your health.
Please take care of yourself and allow proper healing to finish to allow more enjoyment down the road.
Typical Signs of Piercing Infections
If you wait 48 hours before going into a pool, your chance of getting an infection from swimming decreases. This is because the wound starts to form a crust that protects it.
Even if you wait for 48 hours, you can still get an infection. Some of the most common signs of a nose piercing infection are going to be the following:
- Your piercing is visibly red and swollen
- The skin around your piercing is warm to the touch
- throbbing pain that seems to grow around the piercing
- Discharge or pus might ooze out from the piercing. The discharge can be anywhere from yellow to greenish in color
- There is a foul odor to the discharge
If you have any signs of infection, take it seriously and reach out to your doctor and get treatment immediately.
Avoid High Impact Ocean Sports
If you recently got a new nose piercing, avoid high-impact water activities like surfing, jet skiing, wakeboarding, waterskiing, cliff diving, wave skimboarding, kitesurfing, or other ocean sports that the Olympic committee deems “extreme.”
You will want to do this until your piercing has fully healed.
There’s too much danger in combining the force of crashing through the ocean’s surface during the healing phase and particularly if you have your piercing “in.”
Otherwise, low-impact ocean activities such as stand-up paddling, snorkeling, and tide-puddle-skimming are fine, assuming that you stay safe on the water and limit impacts.
Final Thoughts on Swimming After Getting a Nose Piercing
If you’ve just had your nose pierced, it is safe to swim after two months of healing.
If you plan on swimming in a pool or other chlorinated water source, avoid getting the area close to the piercing wet for at least 48 hours so that crust can form and protect the wound.
Otherwise, low-impact ocean activities are fine provided they do not involve high-intensity impacts like surfing or diving deep into waves.
After eight months (depending on where along the septum) scuba diving will be possible again if done safely without any intense pressure underwater.
No matter what type of activity you partake in while wearing a new nose piercing, make sure not to touch your piercings with dirty hands as this could cause infection!
Check out our selection of amazing gear to have a wonderful water play session next trip out!