Can you get your nails done while pregnant?
Can you get your nails done while pregnant?
Before getting pregnant, you may have been used to getting a manicure regularly and now you’re left wondering whether you must cancel all your booked appointments for your favourite beauty treatments as you explore things that could cause miscarriage in your pregnancy .In this article, we will discuss if this is the case and what extra precautions you can take.
It is understandable that you may be questioning and worrying about things a lot more than your used to, with people saying you should be doing this, but you can’t do that. But getting your nails done is possible with the correct measures put in place, which means that you can carry on with your regular pamper. Getting a pedicure can even be very helpful while pregnant, because soon your bump will get in the way of things!
Some generic advice
If you’re doing your own nails at home and simply wondering if the chemicals in your nail polish will cause you harm, it’s simple to ensure the safety of you and your baby by taking the right precautions. However, going to a salon may feel more daunting as you’re not the one in control.
As a rule, when choosing a salon, always ensure they are well trusted and can inform you of their health and safety regulations if you ask. Air quality is another thing important to consider when going to a salon. If the salon lacks ventilation, you may find that although the products being used on you are harmless, some other products being used in the salon can give off fumes that aren’t good for you and your baby.
If you aren’t sure whether a salon for nail treatments is trusted, especially if it’s new to you, we advise you check the licensing board and read up on reviews.
Can you go to a nail salon while pregnant?
The short answer is yes! But there’s some important things to understand and check before-hand.
Cleanliness of salon
Before sitting down for your nail appointment, it’s important to take notice of the cleaning procedures your salon takes to therefore make your experience as safe as possible. Your nail technician should always wear gloves for good hygiene and to reduce your risk of developing a skin infection that could potentially effect your baby.
Ventilation
While pregnant, it is important to be extra mindful of any potential toxic fumes you may be inhaling, and in a salon, there can be many. Although you may have checked the products you have chosen are safe, others around you may be using strong chemicals in abundance.
This is an issue that can easily be avoided by asking to be seated at the station nearest to an open window or door, and as excluded from other nail desks as possible. Most professional salons should have no issue with this and will understand your concern.
A common symptom in pregnant women, especially in the first trimester, is a heightened sense of smell and in a nail salon, there are a lot of strong odours. This could affect your overall experience of getting your nails done so could be important to keep in mind also.
Another thing to ask is whether they have a fan to provide air circulation. If they do, keep this in mind when choosing where to sit.
Chemicals to avoid while pregnant
The main thing to look out for when going to a salon is some ingredients used in the nail products used by your nail technician. Because of this, you should check if any of the following are present:
- Triphenyl Phosphate
- Xylene
- Camphor
- Dibutyl Phthalate
- Ethyl Tosylamide
- Parabens
- Tert-butyl Formaldehyde resin
- Toluene
Now, although these chemicals aren’t the best for your health, there has been no study to prove they should be avoided. This means that they are generally safe and okay in moderation.
Some nail polish companies may advertise “10 free” on their bottle which means the polish is free from 10 chemicals like those listed above. In this case, the nail products are completely safe to use. Other pregnancy safe nail polish brands may list their polish as “7 free” or “5 free” which are still reasonably safe to use. However, nail polishes that are anything less than “3 free” become slightly less safe to use but they still shouldn’t bring you any harm. Despite this, we still advise you to opt for a company that is free from as many listed chemicals as possible.
Other ways to spot pregnancy safe nail polish
Another way to tell whether the nail polish is full of harmful chemicals, is to check whether it is “water-based” or “non-toxic” which is normally advertised very obviously on the bottle. Companies take pride in being non-toxic so this should stand out to you when checking quickly in the busy nail salon.
Child safe nail polish will also be very safe for you to use, and usually free of anything remotely toxic, but is not always available in nail salons. However, it could still be worth asking your nail technician whether it is an option.
Are acrylic nails safe in pregnancy?
You may be used to getting your acrylics infilled every few weeks before becoming pregnant and now worried whether it’s safe to continue. Now, there is no study to show acrylic nails causes your unborn baby any harm, but for other reasons some doctors may advise you to stick to regular nail polish.
When pregnant, the thickness of your nails’ changes due to the surge of new hormones, so the buffing process before getting acrylics can sometimes damage your natural nails and nail beds if they’ve become thinner. However, most of the time, your nails will be a lot thicker and stronger so it may be worth considering if you even need the acrylic after all.
Ingredients in the gel overlay should also be checked for toxic chemicals in the same way mentioned earlier. Another thing to be wary of when getting acrylic nails is the acetone used when soaking off the acrylics. Acetone can be toxic if used too much like in the soaking process. Another method you could try instead is using a small amount of acetone on a cotton pad to gently wipe away the acrylic. And when doing your nails at home, you could avoid using acrylic so that an acetone-free remover can be used. It may be a more tedious process, but some doctors advise this is much safer due to the acetone being very strong.
Another reason you may not have considered is the fact that once your baby is here, long acrylic nails may not be the best choice because becoming a mum means there are lots of new and fiddly jobs, such as trimming your new-born’s nails. A fresh set of acrylics can also be reasonably sharp and could potentially scratch your baby’s fragile skin if you’re not careful. Another thing to remember is also the fact that your nails will become longer and stronger with pregnancy hormones anyways so you may find the acrylic isn’t really needed in the late stages of your pregnancy.
Are gel manicures safe in pregnancy?
Although gel manicures may have seemed like one of the better beauty treatments when you weren’t pregnant, you may be surprised to know that sometimes, harsher chemicals are used in the process, such as acetone during the removal process.
However, with this being said, gel nails are still okay to get as long as you use a non-toxic product and avoid acetone in the removal process.
Manicure and pedicure procedure
An aspect you may not have considered that could cause any harm during a manicure or pedicure could actually be the relaxing massage portion that your technician gives you. Although it isn’t exactly backed by science, sometimes during massages, pressure points in your hand and foot can be activated which can supposedly induce labour. It may seem far-fetched, but it is still best to avoid by asking your technician to use a gentler rub or simply not touch those areas entirely during the hand and foot massages.
On your hand, the pressure point lies deep in the webbing between your thump and index finger and on your foot, between the ankle and Achilles tendon. The massaging of these areas is sometimes used to help induce labour but if these pressure points are used unintentionally, labour may be too early which could cause many complications, although not proven.
So, can you get your nails done while pregnant?
Yes, it is okay to treat yourself during pregnancy as long as you are careful to avoid potentially harmful chemicals getting a manicure shouldn’t cause any harm. A water-based nail polish at home is the safest option but going to a salon for the extra pampering experience in your pregnancy beauty routine may be enjoyable. In a case like this, it is completely each to their own which they choose and neither option will cause any great harm to you or your baby.