When you are pregnant your attention will shift more towards the kitchen in regard to what you consume every single day, talk about the glasses of wine, the churning sushi and other dishes that may be taken during pregnancy. You may tend to be more specific on different meals since what you consume may cause some adverse effects to your developing baby in the womb. However, it doesn’t only stop here, it extends to the beauty products that you include in your beauty regime, specifically, the ingredients that are used in these products. Most pregnant women will want to maintain their beauty even when they are pregnant. But can you get your nails done while pregnant? When it comes to nail services, it’s often questionable since most of the cosmetologists will use such substances as polishes, alcohols and other nail related products which will not necessarily have ingredient labels handy.
Can You Get Your Nails Done While Pregnant?
It’s probably okay to get your nails done during pregnancy, there has been no proven research or study suggesting or linking any defects to pregnancy especially in regard to the fetus in the womb. However, despite of this, caution should be taken in getting your nails done. Many high-end salons offer a chemical free nail service, in which they have labeled the nail service as Mom-I-Cure. There exists safer ways which pregnant women or those that ought to be moms soon can adapt in their beauty regime instead of their traditional pedicure and manicure services.
Be Informed of the Possible Risks
The only risk which may be associated with getting the acrylic nails may emanate from long term exposure to the fumes. Fumes from acrylic may be devastating if inhaled for a long period of time. Acrylic gives off fumes which most pregnant mothers are sensitive to even if they have worn acrylic nails before, causing nausea and sickness. It can even lead to miscarriage afterwards; however, the immediate effect with acrylic nails is that you may develop bacteria or fungal infection around the nail region as well as an allergy.
Precautions to Take When Having the Nails Done
You should make sure that you get your nails done in a well-ventilated surrounding or air conditioned room so as to minimize the chances of inhaling the fumes. Some other conditions such as a nail infection or skin cut around your nail might open up an entry for these chemicals into your blood system. As you know, you share pretty much of your blood with the fetus and due to that, it can facilitate easy cross transfer of the chemicals to your baby through the placenta.
Precautions to Take When Removing the Nails
Precaution should also be taken when removing the acrylic nails. Acetone is a chemical that is used frequently in this process, and may be left in contact with your skin for about 20 minutes. Although this may be unlikely to do you any harm, it’s advisable to maintain the safety rules such as ensuring you are in a well-ventilated room and wash your hands thoroughly after the process. Nails will often be stronger during pregnancy, in fact you can go natural if you don’t mind but in case you want your nails filed off, you go to a beauty salon.
What If I Work at a Beauty Salon?
Sometimes you could be working as a beauty technician. Mostly, you will be applying acrylic regularly to your customers. You should be aware not to compromise the health of the developing baby in any circumstance. Your employer must be considerate and ensure that the duties you perform do not put you and your baby at risk. When you apply acrylic nails regularly, you will most likely be inhaling those fumes daily. And with the risks which may come with these harmful fumes, it can be very dangerous sometimes and even lead to miscarriage or other birth defects.
So as a pregnant mother you should be sure to reduce the risks by avoiding long exposure to these fumes, which are dangerous both for your health and your baby’s health. In case you run the business on your own, it is safe to ask a friend to hold it for you during your pregnancy. However, if you must apply acrylic nails you can take the following precautions:
- Always wear a face mask
- Take regular or constant breaks for fresh air
- Work close to a window
Be Careful with Nail Products that You Buy
According to the March of Dimes, pregnant mothers should not use nail polish and nail polish remover. Most of the products will have chemical ingredients, which if absorbed in to the skin can cause harm or lead to harmful effects in your unborn baby. In addition, if you ought to get your nails done when you are pregnant, it’s always better to visit a good beauty salon.
