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The short answer is not until it has healed. A new piercing is an open wound, and the water in pools, hot tubs, lakes and the sea is not a place to put one. The Association of Professional Piercers (APP) allows one workaround, and it comes with limits.
What the sources say
| Source | Advice |
|---|---|
| APP, aftercare | Avoid submerging the piercing in bodies of water such as lakes, pools, oceans and hot tubs, or protect it with a waterproof transparent film dressing |
| APP, oral piercings | Avoid submerging in lakes, pools, oceans and even the bathtub |
| Cleveland Clinic | Stay out of pools and hot tubs until it is healed |
| CDC | With an open wound, stay out of saltwater or brackish water if possible. Open wounds include recent piercings and tattoos |
| NHS | Do not go swimming for the first 24 hours after a piercing |
The NHS line is much shorter than the others. We follow the longer advice, since a piercing is still a wound long after the first day.
Why water is a problem
The CDC’s guidance on preventing Vibrio infections, which are linked to coastal waters and raw seafood, lists recent piercings and tattoos as open wounds. Its advice for open wounds is to stay out of saltwater or brackish water if possible.
Pools and hot tubs are a different worry. The CDC says hot tub rash is caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a germ commonly found in the environment, and that it can develop if contaminated water stays on the skin for a long time. The rash is itchy, red and bumpy, sometimes with pus-filled blisters around hair follicles. That page is about intact skin and does not mention piercings, so it does not tell you what the germ would do to a wound. It is a reason to keep a healing piercing out of the water, not proof of what will happen.
Place by place
- Pool. The APP lists pools among the water to avoid, and the Cleveland Clinic says to stay out until healed.
- Hot tub. The same advice applies, and hot tubs are the setting the CDC’s Pseudomonas page is about.
- Sea. The APP lists oceans, and the CDC says to stay out of saltwater with an open wound.
- Lake or river. The APP lists lakes among the water to avoid.
- Bath. The APP says showers tend to be safer than baths because bathtubs can harbor bacteria. If you bathe, clean the tub well first and rinse the piercing afterwards. For an oral piercing, the APP lists the bathtub among the water to avoid.
- Shower. The safer option, and the one the APP prefers. Dry the piercing with clean disposable gauze. The APP says cloth towels should be avoided because they can harbor bacteria and snag on jewelry, and the NHS says not to use a towel to dry a piercing.
“But sea salt is good for piercings”
It was standard advice for years to soak a piercing in sea salt and water, and that is where the idea comes from. The APP has dropped it: mixing your own sea salt solution is no longer a suggested practice, because it commonly ends up far too salty and strong. Sterile saline from a can is what a healing piercing needs. Swimming in the sea is a separate matter, and the CDC advises open wounds to stay out of saltwater. See piercing aftercare products.
If you have to get it wet
The APP’s alternative to staying out of the water is a waterproof transparent film dressing. It says they are available at most pharmacies and are ideal for nipple, navel and surface piercings. The CDC also advises covering a wound with a waterproof bandage if it could come into contact with coastal waters or raw seafood.
The APP presents a dressing as an alternative to avoiding the water, not as a guarantee. Our view is that for an ear, nose or face piercing, where a dressing is harder to keep sealed, waiting is the simpler and safer choice.
If it gets wet by accident
The CDC’s advice for wounds that touch coastal waters is to wash them thoroughly with soap and clean running water straight away. The APP advises avoiding antibacterial soaps and harsh products on a piercing, so if you are unsure, rinse it with clean water, dry it with clean disposable gauze, and go back to your normal saline routine. Then watch it over the next few days. Irritated or infected piercing has a symptom table, and how to treat an infected piercing covers what to do if it turns.
When can I swim again?
When the piercing has healed, not when it stops being sore. The ranges below come from this site’s piercing guides.
| Piercing | Typical full healing |
|---|---|
| Tongue | 4 to 8 weeks |
| Earlobe | 6 to 10 weeks |
| Septum | 8 to 12 weeks |
| Nostril | 16 to 26 weeks |
| Helix | 24 to 52 weeks |
| Belly button | 24 to 52 weeks |
| Nipple | 24 to 52 weeks |
The Cleveland Clinic gives a similar picture: about six to eight weeks for an earlobe, and up to six months to a year for cartilage. Your piercer can tell you when yours is ready. Ear piercing healing time and belly button piercing healing time go into more detail, and the healing time hub covers every placement.
Planning around a holiday
A piercing done the week before a beach holiday will still be healing on it. Book it after the trip, or early enough that it will have healed before you go.
Not medical advice
This page is educational. If a piercing is hot, has spreading redness, thick coloured discharge or red streaks, or you feel unwell after being in the water, see a doctor the same day.
Frequently asked questions
Can I swim with a new piercing?
Not until it has healed. The Association of Professional Piercers (APP) says to avoid submerging a healing piercing in lakes, pools, oceans and hot tubs, and the Cleveland Clinic says to stay out of pools and hot tubs until it is healed. The APP's alternative is to protect the piercing with a waterproof transparent film dressing.
How long after a piercing can I swim?
The NHS's page on infected piercings says not to swim for the first 24 hours. The APP's advice covers the whole healing period, which runs from weeks to a year depending on the piercing. We follow the longer advice, because the piercing is still a wound long after the first day.
Can I go in the sea with a new piercing?
It is best not to. The CDC says that if you have an open wound, you should stay out of saltwater or brackish water if possible, and its definition of an open wound includes recent piercings and tattoos. The APP also lists oceans among the water to avoid.
Can I use a hot tub with a new piercing?
No. The APP lists hot tubs among the water to avoid, and the Cleveland Clinic says to stay out of them until the piercing has healed. The CDC says hot tub rash is caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a germ commonly found in the environment, when contaminated water stays on the skin for a long time.
Can I take a bath with a new piercing?
The APP says showers tend to be safer than baths because bathtubs can harbor bacteria. If you do bathe, clean the tub well before each use and rinse the piercing when you get out. Its oral piercing aftercare goes further and lists the bathtub among the water to avoid, so skip baths with a mouth piercing.
How do I cover a piercing to swim?
The APP suggests a waterproof transparent film dressing, available at most pharmacies, and says it is ideal for nipple, navel and surface piercings. It offers this as an alternative to staying out of the water, not as a guarantee, so for an ear, nose or face piercing, waiting is the simpler choice.
Sources
- Association of Professional Piercers - Suggested aftercare for body piercingshttps://safepiercing.org/aftercare/
- Association of Professional Piercers - Oral aftercarehttps://safepiercing.org/oral-aftercare/
- CDC - Preventing Vibrio infectionshttps://www.cdc.gov/vibrio/prevention/index.html
- CDC - Preventing hot tub rashhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthy-swimming/prevention/preventing-hot-tub-rash.html
- Cleveland Clinic - Ear piercing 101: healing, hurting, cleaning and morehttps://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-to-expect-when-getting-your-ears-pierced
- NHS - Infected piercingshttps://www.nhs.uk/conditions/infected-piercings/
This article is for education only and is not medical advice. If a piercing is hot, swollen, spreading redness, oozing yellow or green discharge, or you have a fever, see a doctor today.