Summer may seem like one of the best times to get a piercing. There are festivals to attend, barbecues to shine at and Instagram photos to be posted.

It’s the season to show off, making it the perfect month to get a new body modification. However, the sunny period can also be harmful to new body art, so it’s important to know how to take care of your piercing in the summertime.

Sun, Sun, Sun

Summer is the time for holidays, which means two things – sun and water. The sun can seriously affect both healed and new piercings. It’s important to wear sunscreen with a high SPF, especially on the areas that you’ve gotten pierced. There are sun creams that are suitable for pierced skin, so you don’t have to worry about the impact of the UV rays. Try to keep the area covered from the sun as much as possible and stick to the shade when you can. For example, a big sun hat would be great for shielding new ear piercings from the sun.

Swimming

Although you may be surrounded by water, it’s vital you avoid swimming in public pools or in the sea, especially if your piercing hasn’t healed properly by the time you’re away. If you do decide to go for a swim, make sure you clean the pierced area immediately after, ensuring the wound is dry too.

Sweating

During the summer season, you are prone to sweat, even if you’re just lying in the sunny rays. Sweating can make your piercing irritant and inflamed. It can also make your piercing smell funny! Although sweating is pretty unavoidable, taking the extra steps to look after your piercing are not. Make sure you clean the area after you’ve been out in the sun with an aftercare solution, even if your piercing has fully healed. Remember that sweating may also make sunscreen ineffective, so reapply sun cream to the area regularly.

Cleaning

As it’s the summer holidays, there’s a lot going on. Therefore, you may be distracted and forget to look after your piercing properly. On the other hand, you may get your piercing while away and be unable to give the body modification the proper care it needs.

Remember it’s a wound, and like any other surface cut should be treated with care. Ensure you are cleaning the area regularly with a solution and keeping an eye out for any signs of infection or swelling. Keep your hair out of the way and eliminate as many obstructions that could pull on the piercing as possible.

Unfortunately, if the area gets too dry, it cracks and bleeds, and the piercing doesn’t heal properly. After body modification, you should be well rested and avoid drinking a lot of alcohol, which can be hard if you’re enjoying yourself on holiday. Thus, the harsh elements of summer can be really bad for your piercings, so they should be taken extra care of.