Let’s just start with this, nobody nowhere has proved one way or another either the safety or the danger of anything.  So let’s take the below with a grain of salt and as always consult a professional, like… your doctor!

Tattoos

Tattoos involve needles, and if you’ve ever had a tattoo or known someone who has, then you’ll know that blood is involved.  Not a lot is known about the side effects of the ink dyes on your fetus’s growth except that the risk is greater just for having exposed your blood to outside influences.

Rarely, some inks are known to cause allergies leading to dangerous reactions.  It is also thought that if you should ever undergo laser treatments to remove an unwanted tattoo, some ‘azo’ dyes may become carcinogenic in the bloodstream.

Henna

I let my mother doodle on my arm with this tube of brown goo that looked a lot like melted chocolate.  I don’t know why I assumed that it was fine, and it mostly is, but I should have done a little research.

Use only natural henna, if your henna is black it is a synthetic chemical, para- phenylenediamine (PPD) and isn’t safe for anyone let alone pregnant people.

Spray Tan

We know that overdoing the real thing can be harmful, but now we also know that the primary ingredients in a spray on tan may be just fine.  They interact with the outermost layer of skin, the one that’s going to flake off anyway, and isn’t absorbed into the subcutaneous layer.

Bath Products – Go Cheap!

Apparently the expensive bath products have the most harmful chemicals. Chemicals that can cause allergies and even cancer.  The cheapest products are comprised of safer ingredients.

Nails

Nobody knows the damage that could be done by the toxicity of having your nails done at a salon.  There is no known safe amount of dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde and toluene (a.k.a. the toxic trio).  But given that the word ‘formaldehyde’ is pretty much a big no-no, we should all just go ahead and avoid having our nails done while pregnant, unless of course our doctor advises us that it’s ok.

What is best, if you can’t stay out of the salon, is to request pregnancy safe products like Zoya, Acquarella Water Color, Dr.’s Remedy, Go Natural, Honeybee Gardens, No-Miss Nail Polish, Nubaar Nail Lacquer, Peacekeeper Cosmetics, Polished Mama, Refreshingly Free, Safe Nail Polish, Toxicfree Boutique.

And here is a little list of the above polishes who produce Non-Toxic Nail Polish Removers: Acquarella, Go Natural, Honeybee Gardens, No-Miss Nail Polish, Nubaar Nail Lacquer, Peacekeeper, Polished Mama, Safe Nail Polish, Toxicfree Boutique.

Hair Dye

Studies always seem to suggest drastic links between hair dyes and birth defects, like the childhood cancer neuroblastoma.

On a side note, some chemicals banned in Europe are still to be found in American dyes.

Though it seems that deformities may, in fact, occur mostly to people who are working full time in the profession.  So an hour or so in the chair (after the 1^st trimester is over) may not be as drastically bad for you as once thought.  Discuss the safest options with your colorist as well as your doctor.

Here is a list of articles you might want to check out!

• Laser Hair Removal and Pregnancy
  http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/hairremoval.htm
• Non-Toxic Nail Polish 
  http://www.inspirationail.com/non-toxic-nail-polish/
• Non-Toxic Nail Varnish Remover 
  http://www.inspirationail.com/non-toxic-remover/
•  Top 10 Beauty Products to Avoid During Pregnancy
  http://parentables.howstuffworks.com/health-wellness/top-10-beauty-products-avoid-during-pregnancy.html
•  Essential Oils During Pregnancy
  http://www.fitpregnancy.com/pregnancy/fashion-beauty/essential-oils
• Safe Skin Care During Pregnancy 
  http://www.babycenter.com/0_safe-skin-care-during-pregnancy_1490031.bc?showAll=true
• Are These Things Safe While Pregnant? part 2
  http://www.compulsivecreative.com/things-safe-pregnant-part-2/