Taping your earrings is one of the best ways of protecting your earlobes from damage, the earrings from being a source of distraction, and it also protects the news piercings ensuring proper healing.
It is essentially a life-saving solution for most people, especially kids who are into sports and wouldn’t want to take out their earrings for practice. What this means is that you’d have to find the best taping materials for the earrings, and you also need to know how to use them for the best results.
So, what are the important tips and tricks that you need to know about taping earrings for sports?
Actionable tips for taping earrings for sports
1. When to use the Piercing Tape
Even before you get earring tape, you need to know that your dangling earrings will easily get caught up in the fitness or the sports equipment you will be involved in or using.
And based on the jewelry’s position, it could get a pinch or squeeze you as you twist and turn, which can be very uncomfortable while also putting you at a small risk of injury.
In unfortunate situations, the piercing channel may rip slightly, resulting in an infection, and you may never wear the earrings ever again.
So, you need to know when to wear dangle earrings and when not to, and also the best kind of taping for use.
2. Choose the right kind of taping.
Essentially, taping on the jewelry is a superficial solution that prevents the earrings from getting caught up somewhere.
It’s not foolproof, though, meaning that it may or may not work, depending on the body part you use it on.
The taping often works best with the stud earrings, but it may not be ideal or an adequate solution for other kinds of body piercings.
This is because the piercing tape is just a plain surface on which the piercings and jewelry are set up so that they aren’t all tangled up or get in the way.
3. Understand the rules of the sport first
There are many cases where the tape works great, and it’s even recommended, but piercing tape or jewelry might not be legal with all sports. In football, for example, it is illegal to wear body jewelry.
But you’d want to consult the rulebook for the sport first just to be sure.
The good news is that taping earrings is ideally acceptable during training and practice for just about any sport unless it is an aggressive one that may result in damage or going to the hospital because the earrings may be pulled out.
It’s important to note that one cannot play sports like competitive soccer with their earrings. The rules of the sport are also against wearing tape over the earrings, and in such cases, all jewelry must be removed before one participates in the sport.
So, if your child will be playing soccer in the next few months, work with this information to make sure that they can safely remove their earrings by then and that the piercings will be healed fully then.
The good news is that the athletic tape for jewelry is allowed in non-competitive sports; as long as the earrings are worn will not get in the way or increase the risk of injury. In other words, no dangle earrings, even with the taping for earrings.
4. Field disciplines that allow earrings
While anyone can wear earrings in just about any sport or track event, it’s important to stick to small stud earrings in the track and field disciplines like high/ long jump, short out, and track.
Whatever the sport, however, you cannot wear long earrings, even with tape. Tape is not 100% reliable, and it may come loose during vigorous activities, which is why it is important to exercise caution by avoiding long and heavy earrings.
5. Choose the right kind of tape for the earrings.
The best tape that you can use is the flexible and waterproof kind. These kinds of tape are essentially bandaids that are very stretchy and also water-resistant. They are made to stick to your skin, even in the sweatiest of sporting activities.
You also need to get the right bandaid side. Essentially, you cannot use the whole bandaid as is to tape the earrings. You will need the right-sized bandaid for the ear/ earrings.
To do this, you’d have to get the regular-sized long bandaid then cut it into the right size. Use a pair of scissors to trim the bandaid such that the sticky patch of the bandaid is in contact with the skin by just a few millimeters.
6. Folding the bandaid in place
Next, you need to fold the bandaid over the piercing, making sure that it is over the piercing and in contact with the rest of the surrounding skin by a few millimeters.
Doing this and making sure that the sticky part of the bandaid isn’t in contact with the piercing hole will make it easier to remove the bandaid after the sport, and it also prevents the risk of suffering immense pain or damage to the ear when you remove the taping later.
So, make sure that the piercing is not over the piercing itself.
7. Remove the bandaid carefully.
After the workout or sports session, you should remove the bandaid. The good news is that it should generally be easier for you to remove the bandaid than because you will be all sweaty.
Even so, you should be careful not to pull the bandaid out too fast because anything could happen, but the worst thing that could happen would be you risking a tear in the pierced area.
Once the bandaid is out, carefully and gently clean the pierced area, as well as the piercing and the jewelry – if healed.
Use the recommended cleaning solution like saline water and then dry the area well. And always monitor any changes that may take place, including swelling or small injuries that you may have missed.
8. Go for a cloth-flexible bandaid.
This is ideal for children, and it is recommended by pediatricians, especially if the ear piercings are unhealed. Ensure that the bandaid is very flexible and safe. You could also buy an athletic tape or sports tape that will go over the earrings easily and safely.
9. Safe earrings for sports
Besides the obvious – short and small stud earrings, and no long dangling earrings, you should also avoid earrings made of materials that may cause irritation.
We recommend sticking to the nickel-free and hypoallergenic options, such as earrings made of surgical stainless steel, titanium, or niobium.
You should also avoid earrings made of any other metals that you are or could be allergic to. With all the sweating, the risk of irritation is higher, and you should avoid cheap earrings at all costs.
That said, it is often safer to remove all earrings/ jewelry before a sport if you don’t trust the tape or if you don’t feel comfortable enough. It’s better to be safe than sorry, and this might be the best thing to do.
Conclusion
If you are thinking about taping your earrings for a sport, consider the tips above for your safety and comfort.
Read more useful tips here or visit our homepage!
Stephanie is a jewelry lover when she was a teenager. Her major was fashion design when she was in college. She is a jewelry designer at SOQ Jewelry and other design companies. Now she is also a writer for our website. She writes a lot of designs&brands posts with very actionable tips.