Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Procedure Safety Reference

Why are tattoos generally avoided during the first trimester of pregnancy?

The first trimester is the period of highest organogenesis risk, when fetal organs are forming. Any systemic infection or exposure to chemical substances during this period carries a disproportionately high risk.

Tattoo inks contain pigments and carrier substances that enter the dermis; the long-term systemic distribution of tattoo pigment nanoparticles is still under investigation.

Additionally, the risk of localized infection at the tattoo site creating a bacteraemia is of greatest concern in the first trimester when immune adaptation is most pronounced.

Is it safe to keep an existing piercing during pregnancy?

Retaining existing, fully-healed piercings during pregnancy is generally low-risk. The key consideration is that many piercings, particularly navel piercings, will need to be replaced with a longer BioFlex® retainer as the abdomen expands in the second and third trimesters.

Navel piercings left with a rigid metal barbell that cannot accommodate growth will create progressive mechanical tension leading to rejection or tearing. BioFlex® flexible retainers are the clinical standard for retaining navel piercings through pregnancy.

What is the risk of permanent make-up (PMU) during pregnancy?

PMU procedures, including microblading, lip blushing, and scalp micropigmentation, are generally avoided during all trimesters of pregnancy. The primary concerns are: infection risk and bacteraemia from an open dermal wound; the limited safety data on PMU pigment systemic absorption during fetal development; and the fact that hormonal changes during pregnancy can significantly alter how pigment heals and settles, often leading to unpredictable results that require correction later. Most professional PMU practitioners require written confirmation that a client is not pregnant before proceeding.

Can I keep my existing piercings during pregnancy, or should I remove everything?

Fully healed piercings generally do not need to come out, so a blanket "remove everything" is usually overcautious, but a few specific ones need managing. The navel is the main one: as the abdomen expands, switch to a longer, flexible PTFE or BioFlex® retainer before it gets tight and uncomfortable, because a rigid metal barbell that cannot accommodate growth creates progressive tension that leads to tearing or rejection.

Nipple piercings are a personal comfort decision through pregnancy, but plan to remove them before the birth, both for the choking risk to the baby and because retained jewelry can interfere with latch and milk flow during breastfeeding.

For any piercing that gets irritated as your body changes, treat it conservatively with sterile saline rather than removing it in a panic, and run anything you are unsure about past your midwife or OB, since they know your individual pregnancy in a way a general guide never can.