All-Star Competing With New Piercing

[UK Cheer Girl]

Hey guys, I'm hoping some of you have experience with this and can help me.
A month ago I thought I had retired from cheer and got my tragus pierced. Turns out I couldn't stay away and now I have a competition in 2 weeks and I know I will have to remove all jewellery. What have others done who have this piercing? It's supposed to be 8 weeks before I can change the jewellery, and a year to 18 months before this type of piercing is considered "healed".
I think under normal circumstances I'd just take my chances with taking it out to compete, but the piercing has a bump (an infection of sorts) and I've been advised that it's not wise to remove jewellery when the piercing isn't healthy as the infection can get into the piercing canal.

Just thought I'd ask in case anyone has any tricks I can use to keep some sort of jewellery in the piercing that can't be seen to compete and is safe from getting pulled/snagged during stunting. At training I put a plaster on it, but I don't think I'll get away with this at a competition.

 

[seein_starz]

Whenever team mates got new piercings they would just get one of those small square band aids and put those over it, it was close enough to their skin tone so it couldn't be seen far away and they got to keep their piercing in

 

[KPep]

Is there any inspection done before going on the mat? If there is, I don't think a band aid will help...

I had an athlete who had a piercing made a few weeks before competition. She took it off before inspection and I gave her back right after the performance. She had trouble putting it back in. I was surprised when we got to see the physiotherapist backstage, she had everything to clean up the hole and put it back in. I felt like they were kinda used to it!

 

[WinstonsGirl]

I have seen athletes compete with a thicker line of clear wire (similar to fishing line) in piercings. I think they knotted the end or something, so it wouldn't fall out, and it wasn't looped either, just a straight line. Maybe there were no knots though, and it was just there to keep the hole open. But if you're concerned about infection, putting anything in there could bring bacteria. Honestly, I'd say take it out right before you hit the floor and put it back in 3 mins later. When I first got mine, I would clean the jewellery and then cover it in a water based lubricant to put it back in. Don't forget to wash your hands too before putting it back in to minimize the chance of getting bacteria on it

 

[Helen uk uni cheer]

I see you are from the uk if its a UKCA or BCA comp you won't get away with it but might with future cheer, legacy or ICC

 

[vannahlexis]

This is probably really bad thing to do and may or may not be against the rules so take this with caution. I wore a retainer in mine. A little, clear, flexible plastic stud that you can't see. It's not hard so it couldn't hurt anyone and won't get ripped out, and unless someone is specifically looking for it, they won't see it because it's clear. I pulled a piece of hair over my ear to camoflauge it and once I put a small bandaid over it too. I've heard of people using fishing line for cheer comps too & were fine. Also, tea tree oil will take the bump away really quickly


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[Mamarazzi]

One of "my" girls had about 20 piercings and I held a handful of jewelry every time she took the floor. She used retainers in her angel bites and it was never an issue.

 

[Ems]

Just a random question, do piercings really close up as fast as people say? Because I didn't wear earrings for at least 5 years straight and they never closed. So when people say "I can't take it out! It will close up!" I'm skeptical. Normally I hear it with belly button piercings, even if they've had them for a few years. But even if it's brand new, does 2:30 really make a difference? Just curious!

 

[Alexx]

Just a random question, do piercings really close up as fast as people say? Because I didn't wear earrings for at least 5 years straight and they never closed. So when people say "I can't take it out! It will close up!" I'm skeptical. Normally I hear it with belly button piercings, even if they've had them for a few years. But even if it's brand new, does 2:30 really make a difference? Just curious!

I had my nose piercing close half way after a couple minutes. I essentially had to re-pierce it. Now that I've had it done for over two years I can leave it out for hours but I prefer not to.

 

[omgitssydthekid]

Just a random question, do piercings really close up as fast as people say? Because I didn't wear earrings for at least 5 years straight and they never closed. So when people say "I can't take it out! It will close up!" I'm skeptical. Normally I hear it with belly button piercings, even if they've had them for a few years. But even if it's brand new, does 2:30 really make a difference? Just curious!

When I first got my second piercing done in my ear lobe, I had to take them out a week after for my NCA staff meeting and every time I went to put them back in I had to pretty much re-pierce my ears. Now I waited 4 weeks to take out the third piercing in my ear lobe and it still would start closing up if I left it out for a couple hours. Now I've had them both done for about two years and I can leave them out of months and it's not a big deal. But I know ears are probably different than other piercings.


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[seein_starz]

Just a random question, do piercings really close up as fast as people say? Because I didn't wear earrings for at least 5 years straight and they never closed. So when people say "I can't take it out! It will close up!" I'm skeptical. Normally I hear it with belly button piercings, even if they've had them for a few years. But even if it's brand new, does 2:30 really make a difference? Just curious!

I took out my earring for 12 years because of cheer and recently put them back in and my holes were still open.

 

[cheermuse]

Everyone's body reacts differently to piercing. I have several ear & other piercings and have gone 20 years without wearing jewelry for 2 of my ear piercings and piercings still open.

My BFF got her tongue pierced years ago and most recently her nose and cartilage and took out piercing out for a few hours and they all closed up. She is also one who doesn't heal well from scars, which i think has something to do with why her body reacts this way to piercings.

 

[shawtyyBHADDx3]

I've had my belly ring close in a few hours, nose ring close in a hour, an tongue rung close in a few hours. While they were mostly healed. My nose closed up almost immediately when it was still new. My ears have been pierced for close to 10 years though for my second and third holes and I never wear earrings in them and they're still open


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[cheerKT]

I have a nose stud that I got done the summer going into my senior year of high school. I only cheered school that year and wore it during practice. It was TINY and I just assumed the risk of it wearing it (but never had a problem).

I took it out the practice before our first competition just make sure I could do it and couldn't get it back in afterwards. That was only two hours or so. I don't think it closed up as much as I just wasn't used to getting it back in. I went straight from practice to the piercing studio and they put it back in and gave me tips on how to get it in and out easily. I think this was RIGHT at the end of the healing period or just before I was allowed to take it out.

I took it out for every competition. It really ended up being longer than 2.5 minutes out, since I removed it and put it away in my bag before warm ups. Sometimes I had to force it a tiny bit to get it back in (usually in a bathroom since it made my eyes water so bad) but it always worked. I'm 24 now and still have it, I take it out every day before work. I don't even flinch putting it in or out now.

So all that being said, my advice would be to wait as long as you can before removing it. Then practice a few times before you actually need to take it out, and preferably have access the studio or someone who can help you put it back in just in case you can't get it. That can save you some pain and reduce the time out to a few hours as opposed to all day.

 

[cheeryjust]

I think that ear lobes (the first holes anyway) don't really close up, I've had mine done for like 16 years now and I haven't worn earrings on a regular basis for at least 10 of those and I can still get earrings in fine?

However with other piercings- the cartlidge for example, I had it done for 2 ish years, took it out for an hour and it closed up? It just depends on the body and where the piercing is I guess