Pregnancy can change a lot about a woman’s life. She starts watching what she is eating to make sure that she is giving her baby the best possible nutrients possible. She makes sure that she doesn’t live too much, and she attends all of her prenatal appointments. This is because her priority has become the health and wellbeing of her unborn baby. This does not mean that she has to completely forget who she is and what she likes, and it may be more important than ever to make sure that mom does things that make her feel happy while she is pregnant.
There are a lot of women out there who enjoy getting their hair and nails done, it helps them feel great and it is a bit of self-care when life is getting rough. Since pregnancy can take a toll on a woman, it may be more important than ever to keep up with things she does that make her feel good. However, there are concerns about if it is safe to get your hair and nails done while you are pregnant, and today we are going to tackle the acrylic nail debate during pregnancy.
Why?
There may still be some who wonder why a woman has to get her nail done during pregnancy, and there are a lot of reasons. According to Baby Center, during pregnancy, nails can become weaker and may be prone to breakage, and fake nails can help this problem. A woman also knows that when the baby does come, she may not have the time, energy, or money to treat herself as often, and this is a great time to treat herself.
Precaution #1
While the general rule is that it is completely safe to get your nails done when pregnant, there are some things that mom-to-be should know ahead of time. According to First Cry Parenting, one of the biggest concerns with getting your nails done while pregnant is the fumes that are involved with acrylic nails. You are exposed to higher levels of acetone and other ingredients, so the best thing to do is to make sure that you are in a well-ventilated area while getting your nails done. You also want to invest in a higher quality salon, because their equipment is going to be of a higher standard, and won’t contain as many of the chemicals you want to avoid. It is best to find a salon that uses the ingredients ethyl-methacrylate (EMA), instead of methyl-methacrylate (MMA), according to Parents.
Precaution #2
Another precaution that you want to take is to look at the state of your current nails. While some nails get stronger during pregnancy, some get weaker. If you notice that your nails are a bit weaker now than you are expecting, you may want to try a normal manicure where they shape and paint your natural nails. That is because to apply acrylic nails, they need to file down the top of your natural nail to get them to stick. This means that your already weak nails can get even weaker and sustain some damage.
Sources: Baby Center, First Cry Parenting, Parents