Can I go to a tanning salon when pregnant?

Will it hurt me? Or my baby?Can I go to a tanning salon when pregnant?
while it's not proven to be dangerous, i suggest you don't tan in a bed while pregnant. i just had a baby in july, and to stay tan in the summer i used the mystic spray-tan, loreal sublime glow spray, and/or jergens natural glow lotion. you don't want to put your baby in any risk of danger so just stay away from the tanning beds. plus you get really hot, which probably isn't the best environment for baby. if you feel pale try the options i listed above, and if you still feel too pale, remember: people are going to know why you're pale..they don't expect you to go tanning with a baby inside of you! i work at a tanning salon and we highly highly recommend that our pregnant tanners only use the spray on booths (the mystic and versa spa). the mystic spray booth works really well as long as you keep your skin hydrated and exfoliate before your session. and it makes you super dark so i don't think you'd have a problem achieving your color. everything in the spray is perfectly safe for you and baby :)


i hope this helps! and good luck being a mommy! congrats!


(OH and i definitely don't think that asking this question means you're not ready for the challenges of being a parent...maybe it means you're CONCERNED for your baby's SAFETY!! some people on here are just so rude..)Can I go to a tanning salon when pregnant?
Using a tanning bed during your pregnancy can potentially have serious consequences for your baby and overall health. In addition to skin damage, premature aging and increased risk for skin cancer, tanning lamps can also contribute to several birth defects such as spinal bifida and other spinal malformations. Although research has not yet proven a direct correlation between the two, it is probably wise to avoid the tanning salon while pregnant.





Ultraviolet light contributes to the breakdown of folic acid in the body, which protects against neural tube defects. Although research regarding the effects of indoor tanning on pregnancy is preliminary, extended exposure has been linked to folic acid deficiency. It is difficult to say what type of effect a tanning bed will have on the organs of a developing baby.





Certain women develop increased sensitivity to the sun while pregnant. Some women develop a condition called chloasma during pregnancy, of which the main symptom is irregular dark patches on the skin. Chloasma is an indication of higher level of photosensitivity than normal, which increases the risk of melanoma and other forms of skin cancer. This occurs because pregnancy elevates the level of hormones which produce excessive pigmentation. Excessive exposure to ultraviolet light can aggravate the severity of this condition. Since tanning beds can emit a dose of ultraviolet light two to three times higher than natural light, tanning beds are probably not safe for pregnant women. Tanning beds can also raise body temperatures to unsafe levels for the baby. This is a serious health risk, as elevated body temperatures during pregnancy have been linked with spinal malformations. Your baby is particularly vulnerable to these types of complications during the first trimester.





If you have specific concerns about indoor tanning, you should address them to your doctor. Some physicians recommend that tanning beds should be avoided altogether, while others maintain that limited use is acceptable. With the controversy surrounding indoor tanning, it is advisable to choose another tanning alternative.
The research that I have done (this includes speaking with my doctor and tanning salon owner as well as internet research) says that tanning is not particularly harmful during pregnancy. The radiation does not reach the fetus, thus causing it no harm.





The only risk you have if you choose to tan while pregnant is overheating. For this, you can use a lower level bed that doesn't cause you to overheat (usually the level 1 or 2 beds are much cooler), put the fan at full blast, and look into purchasing a cooling lotion. They make lotions purposely for you to feel cooler in the tanning bad, which may prevent you from overheating.





The agreement my doctor and I reached is that I can tan, but I use those methods to reduce the risk, and I only go in for 10 minutes at a time instead of 15. The last few minutes are usually the hottest, so I try to avoid them by not staying in the full time. If I feel myself starting to get hot, I get out and call it a day.





Also, staying on top of your prenatals is very important. Obviously it's important if you're not tanning as well, but heat can deplete the amount of folic acid in your body (which is why overheating is worrisome during pregnancy). Taking your prenatals will prevent this from happening.
There is some debate on whether or not use of a tanning bed during pregnancy is harmful. While there is no scientific evidence that the UV rays can harm your unborn child, the excessive heat may cause some damage (this is also true with sun tanning). Some tanning salons refuse to even provide service to pregnant women based on liability issues alone.





It would be best to avoid tanning while pregnant and using an alternative like tanning lotions or spray-on tans for the remainder of your pregnancy. And, it's always a good idea to talk it over with your doctor to get his/her opinion on the matter.
I had a doctor that said she would give people notes saying they could go to the tanning bed! And the owner of the tanning salon I use to go to said that tanning is not harmful while pregnant. I think the thing they are concerned with is your body temp. getting to high. They both said that if you tan first thing in the morning, when the salon first opens and the beds/bulbs are still cold, it would be fine. However, I never went to the tanning bed while pregnant. Get some of the Jergen's lotion that gradually increases your color. Just remember to wash your hands after you use it or your hands will end up ORANGE!
I researched this tons of times in the beginning of my pregnancy since i was tanning every day (NOT Knowing i was pregnant) SO i freaked %26amp; goggled everything, apparently there is no study's if it is harmful or not, but obviously not recommended. My doc said it was harmless that early on. But I wouldn't do it if i were you!
YES, you can. i know, its surprising, but I'm pregnant and I asked my OBGYN (who is also a high-risk OBGYN) if it was okay and he said it was perfectly fine and wouldn't harm my baby. Of course, he also pointed out that I still could possibly get skin cancer but that is a known fact. No, it won't harm your baby. Until someone has actual proof that it's harmful and not just their random opinion, I'd say go for it.
don't even think about it! It will cause alot of harm to you, and most importantly the baby. If your in need of getting tan, try somewhere that has a spray tan. Or a self tanner for at home. I used one while i was pregnant. dont remember the name but it had a lotion in it also and you turned the knob to how dark you wanted to be. worked very well, no streaks and is also not harmful.
no dont do it. it's too dangerous. your body gets really hot inside the machine and can raise ur temperature. not worth the risk. a friend of mine did mystic tan while she was pregnant. her dr said that was ok b/c you're not overheating. just remember to hold ur breath when the spray comes out. of course, it will depend on the tanning institution whether or not they want to take that risk....
NOT RECOMMENDED. It gets too hot in there. You dont need to be in there sweating while you have a baby growing inside you.





You can use a lotion like ';Loreal Gradual Glow'; or something if you feel too pale.






tanning salons pg or not, are a bad idea... Dermatologists love them... you are the next candidates for basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma and in office procedures even, are expensive.
NO. It will literally cook your child. If you want to just put your legs in, thats possible, but cover up your abdomen with a towel.





EDIT: Hey Amber, UV radiation doesn't cause you to ';glow';.
The tanning salon told me they had proof that is causes no harm to mother or baby while pregnant, but my dr said absolutely not!
No, you can't, it will raise your internal temp to a dangerous level.
well a tanning salon is bad for you to begin with. But I wouldn't be going while pregnant.
Noway! The high temps will hurt or kill the baby.
no its very dangerous
No...No spray tanning either


Gotta be pale just like the rest of us preggos!
ARE YOU COMPLETELY STUPID? OR DID YOU JUST ASK THIS QUESTION TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD RESPOND??


NO, you can't go to the tanning salon unless you want your baby to come out glowing due to radiation!! Or even if it comes out looking like a baby at all! So, if you have to ask this question, are you sure you are ready for the challanges of motherhood? Good Luck in life, hope ya make it!!