Facial Piercings and Diving

[RayJayJr]

Hey guys - this is a really interesting inquiry I got from a potential OW student a couple of days ago at the shop - shes got a labret piercing ( Wikipedia - Labret) and wanted to know if it would leak, during diving - I told her I didn't know, but would get back to her with an answer.

I've been wracking my brain about it and figured a great "polling" audience would be scuba-board. I did a little reading, and I understand that if the piercing is take care of, it shouldn't stretch, and leaking, while drinking a glass of water for example, is unlikely, what about under-pressure? I don't have any facial piercings, nor does anyone at the shop. Obviously the easiest way to test this out would be to throw a bunch of people with facial piercings in the pool - but I don't really have those kind of resources at the moment.


For those of you with facial piercings, or those of you with experience with it, does it affect diving, and if it does, to what extent?

 

[digndeep400]

well if your second stage is working rite the pressure should be about the same,we don't have a problem with the seal that our lips make on the mouthpiece

 

[rrjc5488]

Usually a piercing other than the hear, done with a body jewelry piece should be fine. The skin usually is tight enough to create a seal.

...if not, just tell her its another reason to stay horizontal in the water.

 

[John L.]

I personally do not have any piercings, and I am a new diver but I seriously doubt she will have a problem. As DignDeep said above the presure should be about the same. If there is any problem at all I imagine it would be air leaking out rather than water in.

Btw you could always offer a SCUBA "introduction" that was free for potential students,like a short pool session. That way she could try it and if there was not a problem at this depth there shouldn't be any problem deeper.

 

[kilo_fox]

I have a facial piercing, but it's a nose stud so maybe I don't really classify for your enquiry because it's safe inside the mask, kept under constantly equalized conditions....
Anyways, in the beginning, when I started diving, I was a bit worried to loose the nose stud but I never did and it never caused any other trouble when pinching my nose for equalizing or exhaling forcefully through my nose for clearing the mask.

 

[Zoomer]

I wouldn't think she would have an issue with it. Only concern I would have is if it wasn't completely healed and diving salt water..... lots of little nasties in the marine environment and an infection would be likely.

 

[espenskogen]

Hey guys - this is a really interesting inquiry I got from a potential OW student a couple of days ago at the shop - shes got a labret piercing ( Wikipedia - Labret) and wanted to know if it would leak, during diving - I told her I didn't know, but would get back to her with an answer.

I've been wracking my brain about it and figured a great "polling" audience would be scuba-board. I did a little reading, and I understand that if the piercing is take care of, it shouldn't stretch, and leaking, while drinking a glass of water for example, is unlikely, what about under-pressure? I don't have any facial piercings, nor does anyone at the shop. Obviously the easiest way to test this out would be to throw a bunch of people with facial piercings in the pool - but I don't really have those kind of resources at the moment.


For those of you with facial piercings, or those of you with experience with it, does it affect diving, and if it does, to what extent?

I've got one of them bad boys, and I can assure you, it is not a problem.

E

 

[Ber Rabbit]

One of my students last quarter had a pierced lip. Not quite what you're looking at but he doesn't have any problems with it leaking. I was more concerned with the big honking ring he's got in there getting hung up in the regulator if it was kicked out of his mouth.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Web Monkey]

Hey guys - this is a really interesting inquiry I got from a potential OW student a couple of days ago at the shop - shes got a labret piercing ( Wikipedia - Labret) and wanted to know if it would leak, during diving - I told her I didn't know, but would get back to her with an answer.

The pressure inside and outside the mouth should be very close to being the same, so water shouldn't be an issue unless it's a big open hole, however I'd absolutely remove any jewelry, since it would really suck to get it caught on something, or have a fish with shape teeth take a shine to it. (puns intended)

Terry

 

[Doc]

watch the personally directed attacks. you don't know who already on the board might have piercings, and you just called us morons.

No... your piercing was from a bad fishing accident.