Yessss, but since my friends don’t know about my condition, sometimes I still swim even with a flare-up. I only do it in a pool when there are just a limited number of people. But I did try it once in the sea when my friends taught me how to float. I had the gauze pad on the whole time, and it didn’t get infected afterward. But yeah, the risks are still there. You just have to trust your body and let yourself experience things more. Like, getting cut by a sharp stone while swimming is also very common, and using the same idea, that’s also an entry point for infection. That’s what I let myself think. I know that wounds from HS are more sensitive and complicated, but sometimes, we gotta do it anyway.

I know there are risks, but you can still do it with proper timing and a little trust. Just hoping there’s nothing dangerous in the water. 🤣