If you’re considering  getting  tattoo removal while pregnant, Rethink that!    We understand you are probably itching to have it removed before cute little bubba comes into this world. It’s imperative that you keep safety considerations top of mind.

So is it safe?  The short answer is that the risk to your baby’s health with laser tattoo removal is low, with no research to suggest there’s a risk. However, it isn’t 100% impossible for laser tattoo removal to be unsafe for you or your baby. For the risks explained below, we do not perform laser tattoo removal on pregnant women.

1. Ink absorption

The tattoo removal process requires the body to absorb shattered ink particles that are broken up by the laser. Then body then removes them naturally through the lymphatic system. At this time there is no definitive research to prove that treated ink particle do or do not cross the fetal placental barrier. This could mean the absorption of ink is completely harmless for both mother and baby.  Tattoo inks differ from person to person and it is difficult to know whether your specific ink contains any substances that could be harmful to the fetus. For this reason we also recommend that any new mothers finish breastfeeding before returning for tattoo removal.

2. Possible Infection

The risk of infection with our PicoWay laser is quite low. But not all skin reacts to the laser in the same way. For those who are sensitive to the laser light, there is a chance the skin could blister or crack after treatment. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, your body will require a lot of energy—we don’t want any wasted on fighting infection.

3. Photosensitivity

During pregnancy the body becomes naturally more sensitive to light and therefore more susceptible to react to the PicoWay’s laser light. The risk of scarring and hypopigmentation (lightening of the skin) is high on photosensitive skin. We are not willing to take that risk!

4.  Toxic

The process of tattoo removal, where lasers break down the tattoo ink into smaller particles, may be hazardous to pregnant people. Those tiny particles are considered toxic and could conceivably come into contact with the fetus as they’re broken down and absorbed into the body. 

We also take the “better to be safe than sorry” approach at Rethink Laser Tattoo Removal.  If you have any questions please contact us, we are happy to help