With spring and summer sports right around the corner, it’s important to plan your first or next ear piercing around your athletic activities. So what exactly do you need to know? Continue reading to find out.
Ask Your Coach
First things first: before you get pierced, ask your coach if you’re permitted to protect a new piercing with a band aid or sports tape during games & practice. If not, you should plan to have your ears pierced in the off-season.
Healing Time
When planning your piercing, it’s important to know how long your piercing will take to heal. After any new piercing, you will need to wear your starter earrings 24/7 while your piercing heals. For an earlobe piercing, the expected healing time is 6 weeks before you can safely change your earrings. For a cartilage piercing, the healing period is 12 weeks. Be sure to keep those timeframes in mind if your season is about to start.
Removing Jewelry
If your new piercing is fully-healed, we recommend removing your earrings – as any other jewelry – before participating in a sport. This is especially true if you play a contact sport such as soccer or lacrosse. If you’re piercing is not yet healed, ask your coach if it is ok for you to protect your piercing with a bandage or athletic tape, and take care to avoid bumping your ear.
Cleanliness
Regardless of which sport you might play, keeping your piercing clean should remain a top priority, especially during the healing process. We get it: athletes get dirty and sweaty. That’s half the fun, isn’t it? But it’s important to remember that playing a sport can expose your piercing to dirt and other bacteria from shared by sporting equipment. Be sure to clean your piercing and piercing earrings thoroughly after every game and practice.
Our ear piercing aftercare chart for more healing tips and a timeline for keeping your new piercing clean and healthy. Now that you have the facts, you can safely plan your new piercing. Visit our store locator to find a location near you.