Is it safe to use depilatories/hair removers when I’m pregnant?

Skin may absorb depilatories and bleaches. Tweezing, waxing and shaving are your best bets for removing hair while you're pregnant. More permanent measures, like electrolysis, are probably safe as well.

If you really want to use a depilatory:

  • Try it on a patch of skin first to see how you react to the product. Even if you've used depilatories in the past, your skin is more sensitive during pregnancy so it's best to double-check.
  • Keep the room well-ventilated.
  • Don't keep the product on your skin any longer than necessary.

January 2007


  
  © 2009 March of Dimes Foundation. All rights reserved. The March of Dimes is a not-for-profit organization recognized as tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3). Our mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.