Is microblading safe during pregnancy?

What does the evidence say about microblading during pregnancy?

1. FDA regards the inks used in intradermal tattoos, including permanent makeup, as cosmetics, and although a number of color additives are approved for use in cosmetics, none is approved for injection into the skin. 1
2. Unsterile equipment and needles can transmit infections including HIV, hepatitis, and staph, and infections have also resulted from contaminated inks even when the artist followed hygienic procedures. 1
3. Between 2003 and 2004 FDA received more than 150 reports of adverse reactions to certain permanent makeup ink shades, and the practice of tattooing itself is regulated by local jurisdictions rather than federally. 1
4. Published pregnancy guidance for aesthetic procedures reserves them for cases that are both safe and necessary, and cosmetic brow work is neither urgent nor time-sensitive. 2
5. Pregnancy raises melanin production and commonly brings on melasma, dark patches across the cheeks, nose, and forehead that usually fade after delivery but can last for years in some people. 3

Is microblading safe in each trimester?

• First trimester. Reputable studios screen for pregnancy and defer. Infection is the practical concern, since the procedure breaks skin and the pigments were never approved for placement under it.
• Second trimester. Melasma is common now, and a pigment chosen to match your current skin tone can look wrong once those patches fade after delivery.
• Third trimester. Still on hold. Aftercare runs for weeks, and skin is more reactive and more likely to hold onto post-inflammatory color at this stage.