Being pregnant is a wonderful thing; it’s the time most women genuinely feel like goddesses. After all, you’re literally growing life inside of you.
Despite your goddess status, though, you may not feel as beautiful as you usually do because of the changes your body is experiencing, and you may want to do a little something – like an eyelash lift – to help you feel more confident.
Eyelash lifts are considered safe for pregnant women. However, you probably shouldn’t have one done during your first trimester, as you’re more likely to experience allergic reactions or have unexpected problems. Additionally, lash lifts may not work as well or last as long on pregnant women.
In the rest of this article, I’ll talk more about lash lifts while you’re pregnant and why they’re likely safe. Keep reading to find out more.
Can You Get a Lash Lift While Pregnant?
Every salon and technician will perform a lash lift a bit differently. However, the basic process for it goes something like this. Pregnant women often worry about one or more of these steps, but there’s no need to:
- The technician will cover your lower lashes with something to keep them out of the way.
- Then, s/he will place silicone pads or rods on your eyelids. Note: The adhesive used on the back of these rods/pads is the only glue that will touch your skin. You can see the ingredients for it below.
- The tech will lift your eyelashes onto the silicone rod and brush them in place with more adhesive glue or a specific type of serum to hold them in place.
- Either one or two additional serums are then placed on the lashes one at a time, allowing them to sit in place for ten minutes each.
- The technician wipes away the final serum and removes the silicone rods from your eyelids.
- At this point, some salons opt for adding eyelash tint to your lashes to make them bolder and darker; others don’t.
- The tech will brush out the lashes and go over aftercare procedures with the customer (source: Town and Country).
For a step-by-step example of what this process looks like, check out this Youtube video by Refinery29:
Since the only thing that touches your skin is the adhesive glue on the back of the silicone rods, that’s the thing about which most pregnant women worry. Still, the ingredients in the lash adhesive are usually safe for pregnant women unless they have allergies to one of them. The ingredients include:
- Amp-acrylates copolymer
- Copolymer
- Distilled water
- Ethyl alcohol (source: Lash Box LA)
You can get a lash lift while pregnant as long as you do so in a clean salon and don’t have allergies to anything in the lash adhesive. Ask your salon technician for an ingredients list for the adhesive prior to the procedure. You’ll also need to be able to lie on your back for 45 minutes.
Since your body goes through the most significant changes in the first trimester and you’re at the most significant risk of miscarrying, you should wait until the second trimester to undergo the procedure (source: Nicky Lashes).
Remember: you may not be able to lie on your back comfortably for 45 minutes during your last, third trimester, so keep that in mind as well, before scheduling your appointment. This amount of time on your back is OK – but it’s more whether you think you’ll be comfortable. You can also read how long can I lie on my back when pregnant?
You can talk to your salon technician and see if you can get up and walk around at times during the procedure to keep you from lying flat on your back for nearly an hour.
One final thing to remember is that your body is going through some major hormonal changes while you’re pregnant, and your lashes will likely grow at a much faster rate than usual. That means that lash lifts may not work as well or last as long for pregnant women.
Can I Use Lash Serums and Boosts During Pregnancy?
You can safely use organic and natural lash serums while you’re pregnant. However, you should avoid using Latisse or any serums that contain bimatoprost, prostaglandin analogs, isopropyl cloprostenol, or other similar ingredients (source: Dr. Rupa K. Wong).
Prostaglandin analogs are primarily used to treat glaucoma; however, people using it – and doctors prescribing it – also found that it had the fortunate side effect of growing eyelashes, making them longer and fuller. Now, many people use that same medication for that purpose.
Unfortunately, prostaglandin analogs are categorized as Class C medications, which means animal studies have shown that they can harm a developing baby. While human studies aren’t conclusive, there’s no reason to take that risk for a purely cosmetic purpose.
If you’d like to learn more about these types of eyelash serums, check out Dr. Rupa K. Wong’s video on eyelash serums and pregnancy here:
That doesn’t mean you can’t still use organic serums containing coconut oil, biotin, and other natural products. Those should be totally safe, although, unlike Latisse, they haven’t actually been proven to boost eyelash growth.
Plus, the good news is that most women have insane lash growth while pregnant anyway, so you may not need the extra boost, whether natural or not.
So, what’s the final verdict on lash lifts and lash serums? Lash lifts are generally safe for pregnant women, but you should avoid all but the most natural eyelash serums until after giving birth!
