No matter who you are or what you do, hot tubs are a great way to relax and unwind. They’re loved by people of all walks of life and all ages. Because they’re often used on a daily basis, it’s possible for life decisions to impede your ability to enjoy your hot tub. One of these life decisions is getting a belly button piercing.
If you have recently gotten a belly button piercing, you’ll have to take some time away from your hot tub. Hot tubs are full of bacteria, chemicals, and other nasties that are capable of infecting your navel piercing area. Your piercing runs the risk of getting infected if you enter a hot tub too soon after getting one.
If you love hot tubs and piercings, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll look at the risks involved with swimming after a piercing as long as how you should wait to enter a hot tub. We’ll also look at how to safely swim and hot tub after getting a piercing if you simply can’t wait.
What are the Risks of Entering a Hot Tub After Getting a Belly Button Piercing?
Hot tubs are hubs for bacteria and pathogens that are harboring potential diseases and infections. Piercings, especially belly button piercings, provide the perfect entry point for a possible infection. Everyone’s body fights infections differently, but the navel area is notoriously difficult to protect.
An infection from a hot tub will usually manifest itself with redness, itching, swelling, and pus-filled pockets. No matter how careful you are about protecting your belly button piercing, you’re always putting yourself at risk for infection when you enter a hot tub too soon.
In addition to pathogens and bacteria, hot tubs are also full of chlorine and other cleansing chemicals. While chlorine is highly effective at keeping your hot tub water clean, it will do the opposite to your piercing and could possibly infect the pierced area.
How to Know if Your Hot Tub has Infected Your Belly Button Piercing
The symptoms of infection are discouraging to say the least. They are uncomfortable and painful when the infection gets bad enough. Here’s what you should be on the lookout for.
- Redness around the piercing
- Rash or bumps in the navel area
- Redness and swelling
- Pockets of pus and fluid around the belly button
- Itchiness
- A dull, aching sensation
How Long Should I Wait to Enter a Hot Tub After a Belly Button Piercing?
Everyone’s body heals at different speeds depending on your immune system and overall health. On average, however, a belly button piercing takes anywhere from 6 to 9 months to completely heal. Most hot tubbers have a hard time waiting this long to re-enter a hot tub. At a minimum, however, you should wait at least 2 months to enter a hot tub after a belly button piercing.
How to Clean Your Belly Button Piercing Before Entering a Hot Tub
For starters, make sure that you always wash your hands before touching your piercing area. Contaminants and bacteria on your hands can get into your wound and infect it. After washing your hands with soap and warm water, use warm water and a rag to clean the belly button area. You should also occasionally apply a dab of soap to the piercing for 30 seconds to a minute once or twice a day. Do this for the first several days after getting the piercing.
You should also use a sterile solution of salt and water to soak the area for 5 to 10 minutes each day. Always use sterile waste products to wipe the area dry and clean it. You should also perform this ritual each time before entering a hot tub during the first month of hot tub use.
How to Safely Go Hot Tubbing With a Belly Button Piercing
If you’re determined to get into your hot tub after getting a belly button piercing, you should take protective measures. Make sure to wrap your piercing in a waterproof bandage and make it as air-tight as possible. Even the slightest gap or seam can allow contaminated water to seep through your bandage and infect your piercing.
In addition to safety measures before you enter the hot tub, aftercare is just as important. Proper aftercare for your piercing should be the exact same as the method you used before entering the hot tub.
Wipe the area dry with a sterile, throwaway cloth. After wiping yourself dry, wash the piercing with warm water and once again wipe it dry. Once the navel area is dry, soak it with a saline solution for five to ten minutes. Very carefully, wipe the area dry for a final time being careful not to irritate the piercing. Irritating and ripping at the piercing can be just as damaging as going into a hot tub too soon.
