One of the major concern of every sportsman or woman is safety. Participating in any sporting activity is only fun if is devoid of injuries and stress. Add these two to the sporting mix and what you’ve got is combat training. For everybody piercing enthusiast with a knack for sporting activities, the issue of safety is even more prominent, since piercings by their very nature are delicate and susceptible to injuries. But that’s not to say the two don’t go together, a matter of fact they complement each other and provided you stick to the following dos and don’ts of piercings as it relates to sports you should be on the safe side.

  • First things first, proper piercing healing is key.

Taking a healing piercing into any sporting activity is a recipe for disaster. Not only do you retard the piercing healing process, you also run the risk of inflicting damage to the healing piercing. And depending on the severity this could mean extra healing time or worse still a deformed piercing. Like any other process that involves incision into the skin (surgery for instance), piercings need adequate time, extra care, and an excellent diet to heal completely. So while that urge to join your mates in a game of basketball or football might come off as irresistible, it probably isn’t in your best interest, now is the time to sit back relax (and maybe Netflix and chill… #winkwink).

  • Remove all body jewelry

Cardinal rule, if your piercing is completely healed, the best practice is to remove its accompanying body jewelry when participating in a sporting event. I know you might think ‘but my gorgeous earring is too small to cause any harm,’ but trust us, no body jewelry is too minute to constitute a hazard. Your earrings might escape entanglement with your dress or shirt, but what about those of other players. Likewise, that nose ring, imagine falling face down with your nose ring in place – so much pain to be felt. That said, endeavor to replace your jewelry back to its piercing immediately after sports. This is to prevent any case piercing shrinkage or closure. If your body is the type that rapidly closes up piercings, then you might want to consider using a piercing retainer. These lack the brittle and fragile parts of a body jewelry that make them hazardous but work to cover up your piercings so that they don’t get closed up.

  • If you must for any reason leave your body jewelry on, then Tape It!

Sometimes the urge to join your sporting compatriots might be too great to resist (yes, we all have our weak moments), and the piercing too new remove. In such scenarios, your best bet would be to tape the piercing. This way the jewelry in question is covered and securely held in place. In theory, this should drastically cut down the risk of entanglement and other hazards, Note, however, that this is not a foolproof procedure, there are still some risks (like irritation) attached.

  • Finally, always maintain proper hygiene

With sporting comes profuse sweating, dirt, and exposure to harmful organisms, all essential ingredients in the recipe for infections. It then goes without saying that you should pay due diligence to your hygiene and piercing aftercare regimens. Remember to always douse your piercing with a sea salt solution to wade off pathogens and all crusty buildups. If you, however, notice any signs of infection (pus, redness, and soreness) on your piercing be sure to consult your doctor or a piercing professional.