Piercings & Your Social Life: What to Consider Before Getting Pierced
- Brian Moeller
- May 16
- 3 min read
Getting a new piercing is exciting, but have you thought about how it might affect your daily activities? Whether you’re an athlete, love to swim, or have a busy social schedule, it’s important to plan your piercing at the right time. Too often, we see clients who don’t consider how their plans for piercings and social life such as sports, vacations, or hobbies might interfere with healing, and unfortunately, there’s no shortcut around proper aftercare.
If you want your new piercing to heal quickly and without complications, here’s what you need to keep in mind before booking your appointment.
Swimming and Fresh Piercings: How They Affect Social Life Activities
One of the biggest piercing mistakes people make is getting a new piercing right before a vacation or summer swim season. Whether it’s a pool, lake, ocean, or hot tub—bacteria thrive in water, and exposing a fresh piercing to it can quickly lead to infection.
Chlorine in pools can dry out and irritate healing tissue.
Lakes and oceans are full of bacteria that can cause serious infections.
Hot tubs? The absolute worst. They’re warm, filled with bacteria, and a perfect storm for irritation and infection.
If you’re planning a beach trip or swim-heavy vacation, you should get pierced at least a few months in advance—or better yet, wait until after your trip. This is why winter is one of the best times to get pierced. You won’t have to worry about missing out on swimming, and your piercing will be well on its way to healing by the time summer rolls around.
Why Piercings and Social Life Activities Like Sports Don’t Mix
If you play sports or do any contact-heavy activities, a fresh piercing might not be the best idea.
We always have clients who say, “I’ll just take it out for the game and put it back in,” but here’s why that doesn’t work:
Taking jewelry out too soon can cause your piercing to close almost immediately—sometimes within hours.
Even if it stays open, reinserting jewelry can be painful and can damage healing tissue.
Clear glass retainers or plastic jewelry won’t protect you from impact. They can still break, shift, or cause irritation.
Worse than all of that? Accidents happen. We’ve seen plenty of clients come in with torn piercings because a ball, an elbow, or a helmet hit them in just the wrong way. Having a fresh piercing in a high-impact situation puts you at serious risk for injury.
If you’re in a sport that requires helmets, facial contact, or frequent movement, consider waiting until the off-season or a time when you can avoid unnecessary risks.
How to Plan Your Piercings Around Social Life Activities
So when is the best time to get pierced? It depends on your routine, but here are some general tips:
✔️ Winter and early spring are great seasons for piercings since you’ll have time to heal before summer activities.
✔️ Avoid getting pierced right before a big trip, sports season, or event where removal or exposure to water is unavoidable.
✔️ If you’re an athlete, consider getting pierced during the off-season so you have time to heal without risking impact injuries.
At the end of the day, piercings require commitment and patience. If you plan wisely, you’ll have a much better experience and avoid unnecessary complications.
Final Thoughts
Getting a new piercing is exciting, but don’t let poor timing ruin your healing process. If you’re unsure whether now is the right time for a new piercing, we’re happy to help you figure out the best option based on your lifestyle. A little planning now can save you a lot of frustration later!
Have questions? Drop by the studio, and let’s talk about your next piercing the right way.
You can find more info at www.safepiercing.org
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