Many women have a concern about whether they can put henna during pregnancy or get tattoos done. Henna (mehndi) is commonly used in India to make a design on the palms and feet especially during weddings and festivals.
Women get Tattoos or permanent make-up done for various reasons, be it beauty, fashion, self-expression, or for an event. Tattoos can be permanent (last a lifetime) or temporary (last for few weeks). In either case, a needle is used to insert a colored ink into the skin. In permanent make-up, the needle is used to insert colored ink into the skin to make eyeliner, or eye-brow or highlight the lips or any other make-up.
Currently, there are no inks that are approved for injecting into the skin. It is not uncommon for women to ask in an antenatal consultation whether she can get a tattoo done or apply henna during pregnancy.
It is advisable to avoid tattoo during pregnancy for the following reasons
1. It involves the use of needles that have the potential of transmitting infections like HIV and Hepatitis if safe practices are not followed in the parlors.
2. One can have an allergic reaction to the ink, leading to rashes, inflammation, and scarring.
3. Removing a permanent tattoo can be quite tedious and expensive.
4. There is no clarity of the effect of the ink used on the foetus.
5. In pregnancy the skin will stretch, there is edema and one will put on weight. This will change the appearance of the tattoo. Further post-pregnancy after weight loss the tattoo will change in an appearance again.
Therefore, it is sensible to wait till after delivery and till the baby is weaned so as to avoid any health risk to the baby in case of infection and allergic reaction. The henna made from natural leaves is safe in pregnancy but unfortunately, it is nowadays contaminated by various dyes and chemicals to give darker and longer-lasting results. These chemicals are not safe and therefore best avoided in pregnancy.
