A belly button piercing is ideal for bikini season and a great way to show off at the beach. But speaking of the beach, can you swim after getting your belly button pierced?
No, you shouldn’t swim for at least 24 hours after getting your belly button pierced. Ideally, you shouldn’t swim for the entire healing period. Submerging your piercing in water can put you at risk of developing an infection in your new belly button piercing. 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.
So now that you know that swimming isn’t recommended until your piercing is fully healed, you may want to take a deeper dive into why that is. How else can you protect your new piercing from water and infection? Keep reading to find out!
Read Also: Can You Swim After Getting Ears Pierced?
How Long Does It Take For A Belly Button Piercing To Heal Before Swimming?
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]. Wow! so ideally, you should not swim for 6 months to let it heal to 60 to 100%.
These piercings take longer to heal due to the constant movement of the area where the piercing is and the fact that clothing can rub against it nearly all the time. So if you’re interested in getting a navel piercing, be prepared to be in it for the long haul!
Tips To Heal Belly Button Piercing Faster? (For Beach Lovers)
As you now know that proper healing of belly button piercing can take 6 to 12 months and these numbers look quite big for beach lovers so here are some tips that you should start to follow from the very first day of piercing to ensure that you’re ready to rock in your bikini.
- First and foremost, hide the navel from the direct hitting sun. There’s no problem going in the sun, just don’t face your navel directly to it to avoid sunburns.
- Do not wear tight-fitting clothes instead wear a relaxed fit – clothes that sit loosely on the body. 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.
- Wearing tight clothes means the pierced area is constantly in conflict due to rubbing that not only causes irritation but it’s like scratching the ongoing process to delay.
- Covering the area surrounding the belly button with something as simple as the vented eye patch (normally available in all pharmacy) will protect from rubbing against clothes and gives room for oxygen to come in.
- Follow as clean a routine as possible like:
- Cleaning the hands with hot water before touching your belly button piercing
- Showers are safer than bathtubs because they can harbor germs[source].
- Your beds and linens should be clean
- If you want to swim at least cover it with a waterproof bandage that can be bought from a pharmacy.
- Please wear clean clothing that has a soft-to-skin fabric when you got a belly button piercing.
- 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.
These are very important things because it’s not like buying jeans in a shop, it’s a process that you need to be aware of.
In Swimming: Weird Things Asked About Swimming? (Fun To Read!)
When Is The Best Time To Get My Belly Button Pierced?
Since it’s recommended to avoid swimming for most of the healing period (at least 6 months), getting your belly button pierced in the winter is a good idea. That way, it’s healed and ready to be shown off at the beach, the lake, or by the pool!
Why Is Swimming So Risky?
Bodies of water, especially stagnant ones like lakes, harbor tons of microorganisms that can cause infection in your new piercing. An infection can be painful, cause scarring, and increase healing times. In very serious infections, it can also be detrimental to your overall health. Of course, the best way to avoid these is to not go swimming at all!
Is It Okay To Swim In A Pool?
If the concern with swimming around lakes and rivers is developing an infection, is it okay to swim in a pool? Since pool water is treated with chlorine, you may think it’s free of bacteria, but that’s not the case. Some infection-causing bacteria can still linger in pools even after treatment, so it’s not wise to swim in a pool after piercing, either.
Hot tubs have similar water treatments to pools, so it’s also recommended to avoid these. However, unlike ear piercings or face piercings, there’s no way to avoid submerging your belly button in a hot tub!
How Can I Clean My Belly Button Piercing After A Shower?
There may be some times when it’s necessary to expose your piercing to water, like taking a shower. In that case, pat your piercing dry to avoid retaining moisture (bacteria love moisture and need it to grow!) and gently clean your piercing with sterile saline. Be sure to wash your hands before cleaning, and don’t rotate the piercing!
Wrapping It Up!
So, you can swim after getting a belly button piercing if you take all the measures mentioned in this post however for the best of your well being, I truly recommend that you should not swim at least for a few weeks after the navel piercing but it would be much better that you wait till the complete healing before jumping into a pool, river, or lake.
Michael is heavily inclined towards traveling to natural places and documenting cultures/people from different parts of the world. He also loves hiking and camping and is spirited toward all outdoor activities. He will share his passion for outdoor life and brands or products we use outside our homes. He has good research skills, and that’s why you can see why his articles are packed with info that is factual and not readily available. He also has the vision to travel the whole world and share it with all readers of Outdoor Favor.
