To have acrylic nails put on during pregnancy

Getting acrylic nails during pregnancy is generally considered safe, as long as the salon is well-ventilated to minimize your exposure to fumes. However, some pregnant women experience heightened sensitivity to smells, so it's advisable to discuss it with your doctor and choose a salon with good ventilation if you are concerned.

If you're just having acrylic nails put on, you're probably not exposed to enough of any hazardous materials to create any significant hazard to your pregnancy.

Some of the chemicals involved can be absorbed through the skin, but you're not likely to be exposed to great enough amounts to pose a danger other than a possible allergic reaction and skin rash.

Nor would the fumes be a problem if you were just visiting the shop as a customer.

If you're applying nails all day as your job, your exposure is much greater, but even then the most likely problem is allergic reactions, which do force many cosmetologists to leave the industry.

The few studies that have looked at pregnancy among cosmetologists have shown mixed results: One study suggested an increased risk for miscarriage among cosmetologists, but several other studies found no additional risk.

It's not clear how to reconcile the differing results.

The studies didn't differentiate between women who work with hair care products and those working with nail products, so even if there is a hazard for workers, it's not clear whether it's from hair care or from artificial nails work.