Bottom line — as long as you care for your tattoos and body piercings while pregnant, the likelihood of them being ruined or becoming infected is slim!
"How much of a lasting effect pregnancy has on your body art depends mostly on genetics," says Dr. Rokhsar. Lotions and creams won't prevent distortion, but if your skin happens to bounce back, your tattoo may look the same way it once did after your baby arrives.
Existing tattoos, whether pregnant or not, do have a tendency to fade and their rate of discolouration does depend on each woman's skin condition as it ages. Colour tattoos usually fade sooner than tattoos with purely black ink, and may need re-inking after a few months.
When a woman's body expands with the developing foetus, there is quite a change to body and muscle weight that can impact the appearance of the tattoo ink. The impact on the tattoo may be temporary or permanent depending on the type of body changes and effect on the skin's ability to adjust.
The main concern with getting a tattoo during pregnancy is the risk of contracting an infection, such as Hepatitis B and HIV. Although the risk is small, it is recommended that you wait to get a tattoo until after your baby is born.
Older tattoos may be raised due to scar tissue
Thicker lines, and more pressure applied during tattooing, can cause some scarring. It's nothing to be concerned about, but it can sometimes raise up, and this is generally caused by changes in body temperature or weather conditions, as well as general health.
Overall, the health of your growing baby should be of the upmost importance to you. And for that reason, we strongly discourage anyone from getting tattooed while they're pregnant or breastfeeding. Even though the risks of complications are small, why take any chance at all?
There aren't any known cases of getting tattoos before pregnancy affecting your baby or your health while pregnant. There has been a study into tattoos and fertility by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), which suggests that some of the ingredients of tattoo ink could impact your reproductive health.
"While there is currently no scientific evidence that suggests that the ink used in tattoos can cross the placenta, there are still some risks associated with this procedure," says Dr. Nisarg Patel, MBBS, MS (Obstetrics & Gynecology) at ClinicSpots.
Low quality ink can fade tattoos
The quality of your tattoo ink will have a big impact on the look of your tattoos, particularly when it comes to fading. Good-quality tattoo ink should look bright and stay vibrant for many years. On the other hand, poor-quality tattoo ink will fade quickly, maybe even with the year.
Tattoo ink is too large a molecule to make it into breast milk, so your baby has no way of being exposed to it.
It is suggested that mothers wait at least until 9-12 months after birth, when the child is no longer dependent solely on breastmilk before getting a tattoo. Reputable tattoo artists will have a waiver for the client to sign that asks about pregnancy and breastfeeding.
This can change the color of the plasma, but it won't damage its healing properties. A tattoo ink sack is a buildup of ink-stained plasma fluid underneath the clear protective sheet (called Saniderm) that your tattoo artist applied to your tattoo at the end of your appointment.
If you have a medical problem such as heart disease, allergies, diabetes, skin problems like eczema or psoriasis, a weak immune system, or a bleeding problem, talk to your doctor before getting a tattoo. Also, if you get keloids (an overgrowth of scar tissue) you probably should not get a tattoo.
"Because of the many potential risks for mother and fetus, my advice is to avoid tattooing for women trying to conceive, throughout pregnancy, and until completion of breastfeeding," noted Dr. Tsur. Transmission of disease and infection are the primary concerns.
The short answer is yes… with some caveats. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, coloring your hair while pregnant is highly unlikely to be toxic to your fetus. Animal studies show that even high doses of the chemicals in hair dye do not cause birth defects.
If you want to get a tattoo while pregnant, do your research and find a reputable shop before booking an appointment. Many artists won't tattoo on pregnant women, so be sure to inform the shop and your artist ahead of time to avoid any last-minute issues.
Risk of Infection
Infection is the most significant risk of getting a tattoo before plastic surgery since tattoos are made by depositing ink into the skin via needles. An active skin infection can create complications leading to more severe conditions and needing revision surgery.
Examples include: Accutane, tetracycline medications (minocycline, doxycycline, etc.) Acne medication makes your skin extra sensitive. Skin sensitivities while receiving a tattoo can lead the tattoo process to feel more pain during the tattoo than normal.
Because tattoos breach the protective layer of the skin, skin irritation or a full-blown condition can develop months, years, even decades after the initial tattooing process.
Allergic reactions to red tattoo pigments happen most often. If you're having an allergic reaction to your tattoo, you might get a rash that's red, bumpy, or itchy. These symptoms can crop up in the days after you first get your tattoo or can appear months or years later.
“Your tattoo will get a bit lighter or slightly thicker depending on how your body heals it,” Kim says. “Go with your artist's suggestion regarding placement, size, and detail. They're the expert and are there to make your tattoo experience as fun, informative, and seamless as possible.