Is It Safe To Get A Tattoo While Breastfeeding?

If now you have a child and you used to be more rebel when you were young, or simply liked tattoos, you most likely now ask yourself: “Is it safe to get a tattoo while breastfeeding?”

One of the most controversial topics is breastfeeding and tattooing, but without any resolution. Many women get tattoos before and during pregnancy. This practice has been in some cultures thousands of centuries old.

As it`s well known, a tattoo is created by injecting a quantity of ink into the skin. Using an electric car (with needles), the ink is “implanted” a few millimeters beneath the skin.

Major world organizations have abstained from making statements about tattooing during breastfeeding. However, the few tests performed until now show that the tattoo on the chest or other area has no effect on breastfeeding.

Even if no effects are mentioned, you should also keep in mind the following precautions. Avoid getting infections or diseases like hepatitis, AIDS or other blood diseases.

• You may be allergic to ink.
• If the ink gets into the blood, it can “migrate” into milk and finally to the baby.

Is It Safe to Get a Tattoo while Breastfeeding?

If you choose to use the services of a professional tattoo artist, you shouldn`t have any concerns the ink that is used or blood related diseases. However, newly mothers have a low immune system during breastfeeding, and if it happens for them to have an open wound, it may very easy lead to bacterial infections that in turn can easily pass to the baby through the breast milk. – More similar info!

That being said, however, there`s no evidence to support the idea of a tattooing affecting breastfeeding or breast milk. Most likely, if you decided to get a tattoo while breastfeeding your baby, you should feel comfortable you`ve taken the right decision – again, as long as there are no opened wounds to interact with the ink or any infections involved.

Can You Get a Tattoo when You Are Pregnant?

The only concern you should have about getting a tattoo while expecting a baby is the risk involving a bacterial infection, like HIV or Hepatitis B. Although there`s no high risk, it may be best to get a tattoo after having your baby.

How Long Do You Have to Wait to Get a Tattoo after Having a Baby?

Although there`s no research data to outline an exact period that newly mothers should wait until getting a tattoo after having a baby, it`s recommended to wait at least 6 months after delivery before getting a tattoo. No matter if you are breastfeeding or not, it may be best to offer your body some time to recover completely from a period during which it suffered a lot of transformations. – Read more!

Can I Eliminate the Tattoo during Lactation?

Statistics indicate that about 50% of women took the decision to remove the tattoo later. Medical research offers very few details about tattooing and breastfeeding.

The tattoo can be removed with lasers, which creates short bursts of intense light. It passes through the epidermis and absorbs the ink. This procedure does not leave blood and is very fast. To relieve the pain, it`s administered an analgesic.

Following removal of the tattoo, side effects such as skin pigmentation, local infection, and skin allergy may occur.

Experts doubt that the removal of the tattoo will have effects on breastfeeding. There is no clear evidence that tattooing affects breastfeeding.

What about Tattoos on Breasts?

Scars can obstruct nipple secretion or reduce the sensitivity of the mammary gland. If the nipples are not damaged, piercings and tattoos do not influence breastfeeding in any way. However, if any earrings are present in the nipples during this period, they must be removed before starting to breastfeed.

Even if tattoo paint does not get into milk, it is not advisable to make tattoos while you are breastfeeding. The procedure is painful and might cause a reduction in milk.

Measures of Precaution

• Attention to tattoos with black henna – it can cause allergies! – More info!
• Also, employees of beauty salons are generally not allowed to make piercings and tattoos to pregnant women or nursing mothers.
• Employees of beauty salons aren`t generally allowed to wear rings, bracelets, clocks or other decorative hand tools while performing piercing or tattooing procedures.