Is it safe to do your nails while pregnant

It's fine to have acrylic nails applied during pregnancy, as long as the room is well-ventilated with open windows or air conditioning.

Acrylic nails give off fumes as they are being applied. If you are exposed to a lot of these fumes, it can make you nauseous or sick. This isn't pleasant, whether you are pregnant or not.

Also keep in mind that you may be more sensitive to acrylic nails during pregnancy, even if you've worn them before. You may be more likely to develop an allergy, or a fungal or bacterial infection in or around your nails.

Take precautions when having your acrylic nails removed, too. A chemical called acetone is often used to remove acrylic nails and can be left in contact with your nail for up to 20 minutes. This is unlikely to do you any harm, but it is a good idea to:

• have your nails removed in a well-ventilated room

• wash your hands thoroughly afterwards

If you are at all worried, you can either have your nails filed off at a beauty salon, or go natural. You may find that your nails are stronger and healthier during your pregnancy anyway, so you won't need false nails.

If you work as a nail technician and regularly apply acrylic nails, be aware that this may not be safe during pregnancy.

Your employer must make sure that the kind of work you do and your working conditions will not put your health or your baby's health at risk.

If you're regularly applying acrylic nails, you're likely to breathe in a lot of the fumes. As well as making you unwell, this may be harmful to your baby. Breathing in the fumes may increase your risk of miscarriage or having a baby with birth defects.

So make sure your employer does all that is reasonable to remove or reduce any risks you may face. Read more about your health and safety rights.

If you run your own business, you could ask a colleague to take over some of your work while you're pregnant. If you do apply acrylic nails, take the following precautions:

• wear a face mask
• work near a window
• take regular breaks for fresh air

Watch our video to see the top five pregnancy beauty dos and don'ts.

References

This article was written using the following sources:
ATSDR. 1994. Toxicological Profile for Acetone. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry – US Department of Health and Human Services. www.atsdr.cdc.gov [Accessed May 2013]

Garlantézec R, Monfort C, Rouget F, et al. 2009. Maternal occupational exposure to solvents and congenital malformations: a prospective study in the general population. Occupational and Environmental Medicine 66(7):456-63 oem.bmj.com [Accessed May 2013]

Halliday-Bell JA, Gissler M, Jakkola J. 2009. Work as a hairdresser and cosmetologist and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Occupational Medicine 599(3):180-4 occmed.oxfordjournals.org [Accessed May 2013]

HSE. 2008. Health and safety in nail bars - RR627 Research report. Health and Safety Executive. www.hse.gov.uk [pdf file, accessed May 2013]

John EM, Savitz DA, Shy CM. 1994. Spontaneous abortions among cosmetologists. Epidemiology 5(2):147-55

Khattak S, K-Moghtader G, McMartin K, et al. 1999. Pregnancy outcome following gestational exposure to organic solvents: a prospective controlled study. Journal of the American Medical Association 281(12):1106-9 jama.ama-assn.org [Accessed May 2013]

McMartin KI and Koren G. 1999. Exposure to organic solvents: Does it adversely affect pregnancy? Canadian Family Physician 45:1671-3 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov [Accessed May 2013]

Joanne Lewsley is a freelance copywriter and editor, and specialises in creating evidence-based parenting, health and lifestyle web content.

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Depending on who you ask, there are so many things you shouldn't or can't do while you're pregnant. But with all of the changes happening to your body, what's a gal to do to get some relaxation? Since your nails are growing like crazy, why not go relax with a mani/pedi... but can you?!

As a Maternity Concierge and Doula, I get asked this question all of the time. Getting your nails done is a luxury that almost all of our clients enjoy, but so often, this small act of self-care often comes under fire when you fall pregnant. But, is it really that bad? Are there alternatives? Can you take precautionary steps to lessen the risk? 

More: Can I Use CBD Oil While Pregnant?

Can I Get My Nails Done While Pregnant?

There's no question that the fumes and tiny particles floating around nail salons isn't ideal for our lungs, but can you keep pampering yourself well into your pregnancy? The short answer is, yes, don't skip out on self-care! You can continue to get your nails done while you're expecting a tiny human and it is generally accepted as a safe practice. 

However, in the recent years and more so in the last few months, the idea of "non-toxic living" has hit the shelves (and our wallets) like a wrecking ball. Every other product on the market is being advertised as organic or vegan, but is it all a hoax? I chatted with Tessa Bowman, founder of Balanced to a T, and mama-to-be herself, and she says yes. "What's really interesting is the more I've learned, none are "non-toxic," but some are "less toxic."

Tips for Getting Your Nails Done Safely While Pregnant

Choose Your Salon Wisely

Choosing a clean studio can lead to a decrease in bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. All of these are very common in salons and cause things like infected toenails (bacterial), athletes foot (fungal), and planters wart (viral). Avoid getting manicures and pedicures if you have any open wounds on your hands or feet. Since you are pregnant, your immune system will already be more susceptible and the last thing you want is antibiotics unnecessarily during pregnancy. You also want to look for well-ventilated salons for obvious reasons. Chemicals like Toluene (found in gasoline) and Dibutyl phthalate (causes fertility problems) are absorbed via the skin and breathing. There's no evidence that this brief exposure (although repeated exposure) is harmful for unborn babies.

Choose "Less-Toxic" Polish

Traditional nail polishes are filled with toxic ingredients like formaldehyde, resin, xylene, and parabens. I don't know about you, but if I can't pronounce it, I don't want it on my body. A few of our favorite less-toxic nail polish brands are Tenoverten, 100percentpure,Coteshop, and Zoya. This also means that you should be mindful of the amount of UV exposure. Often times, expectant parents will avoid acrylic, gel, and shellac nail polish that require UV light.

Say No Thanks to Foot Massages

Towards the end of the third trimester, be mindful that specific pressure points in your feet can stimulate labor or cause preterm contractions. Since most nail salons don’t double as an OBGYN office, it’s probably better to forgo the brief foot rub! 

BYOL (Bring Your Own Lotion)

Most of the time, salons bulk order lotion and they are filled with tons of toxins. Try bringing your own lotion. A great organic lotion is Primally Pure and it comes in a convenient little jar.

Tessa suggests that limiting your number of trips to the nail salon while pregnant may be the answer to finding that balance of self-care and safety. "Whether we are pregnant or not, limiting our trips to nail salons is in our best interest. From the fumes, ingredients in the nail polish to the lotion—all of them contain ingredients known to be harmful to our health. 

Thankfully safer nail polishes are on the rise and many are “5 free” or “10 free” meaning the ten most toxic ingredients aren’t used but none are perfect. They are making their way mainstream and even Target now carries cleaner brands like Ten Over Ten, Ella + Mila and Piggie Paint for kids. I usually do my nails at home using safer nail polish like Cote and only go into a salon a few times a year."

Here's the bottom line: enjoy! Kick up your feet and get that pedicure! Have someone else clip your toenails since you can no longer reach them. Pick a clean lotion with less-toxic polish and have a day at the spa.

Here are our top picks for an at-home manicure while pregnant:

Are the fumes in a nail salon harmful when pregnant?

Can I work doing acrylic nails while pregnant?