Pro piercer Janeese Brooks advises waiting until at least the end of your healing period before diving in. In the case of a helix piercing, that'll be anywhere from three months to a year, depending on the person. "Anything that is in the water is getting into your piercings, and even in the cleanest of pools chlorine is going to hurt your piercing as well,” Brooks says. If you simply can't avoid the pool, she says to rinse the area immediately after to wash away any chemicals.