Can I get my hair colored or my nails done during my pregnancy?

Can I get my hair colored or my nails done during my pregnancy?

Jay Goldberg (Obstetrician/Gynecologist, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center) gives expert video advice on: Can I have artificial sweeteners while I'm pregnant?; Can I get my hair colored or my nails done during my pregnancy?; Can I smoke during my pregnancy? and more...

With respect to getting their hair coloured, I recommend my patients not do it in the first trimester and then from there on to do their best to avoid touching the roots and to avoid the chemical dyes. There are vegetable dyes; natural dyes that are about 98-99% chemical free that can be used, and your local hairdresser should know about this. With respect to getting your nails done, there are some pressure points that Eastern medicine healthcare providers know more about that can sometimes bring on contractions. Although personally in my practice I haven't found it to be a problem if women were to get pedicures and manicures, I know that patients have anecdotally described situations in which they immediately went into labour following a manicure. I don't know if there is scientific proof to that, but know fair well that people have said that has happened. I do not restrict people from getting their nails done or getting their hair dyed in pregnancy after the first trimester.