Can You Get Gel Nails While Pregnant? Pedicures, and What to Watch Out For

By Nanny Nails, nail salon in Nakhon Phanom | Updated 27 Sept 2026

Your bump is big enough now that reaching your own toes is awkward, and a family event is coming up. You would like your hands and feet to look neat. But the moment you think about booking, a question pops up: is it OK to get gel nails while pregnant? Can the fumes reach the baby? This article tells you what we know, without scaremongering and without false reassurance, and tells you our own salon policy honestly.

When it comes to pregnancy and nails, you hear warnings from older relatives on one side and posts saying it is totally fine on the other. It only gets more confusing. The truth is that some questions have clear evidence behind them and some simply have not been studied yet. Knowing which is which helps you have a focused conversation with your doctor and make a decision you feel good about.

Can you get gel nails while pregnant? The short answer

For regular nail polish, there is no evidence that painting your nails from time to time harms you or your baby, as long as you do it somewhere well ventilated.

For gel nails, the most honest answer is that nobody has studied gel manicures and pregnancy specifically. There is no evidence that they are harmful, but no data confirming they are safe either. That is why we suggest pausing gel until after the birth. If you really want to have them done, ask the doctor who looks after your pregnancy first.

Belief 1: pregnant women must never paint their nails

Where the belief comes from

Nail polish and remover have a strong smell, and during pregnancy your sense of smell is sharper than usual. The smell alone can make you dizzy or queasy, so many families pass down the rule that you should not touch nail polish at all once you are expecting.

What is actually true

The chemicals in nail polish, such as solvents and the ingredients that stop it chipping, become a concern at high, long-term exposure. Painting your nails now and then exposes you to very little, and there is no evidence that it harms the baby.

The people who need to be more careful are pregnant nail technicians, who breathe in the fumes every day throughout their pregnancy, not customers who have their nails done once a month.

Even so, strong smells really can make pregnant women feel unwell. Our advice is to apply or remove polish somewhere with good airflow, sit near a window or door, and stop for a break as soon as you feel dizzy.

Belief 2: gel is just regular polish, so there is nothing to think about

Where the belief comes from

It looks the same and goes on in layers the same way, so many people assume gel is simply longer-lasting polish, and that whatever applies to polish applies to gel too.

What is actually true

Gel differs from regular polish at several steps. It has to be cured under a UV lamp, removing it means soaking in remover for longer, and the gel contains (meth)acrylate chemicals that some people become allergic to.

Nobody has studied the effects of gel manicures on pregnancy, so it is worth doing them less or skipping them for now. Not enough safety data is also why we advise avoiding gel during pregnancy.

The key point: no data does not mean dangerous, but it does not mean safe either. If you had gel nails done before you knew you were pregnant, there is no need to panic. Just mention it to your doctor at your next check-up. If you want to know more about the light from the lamp, read Are UV nail lamps dangerous?

Belief 3: everyone's nails grow faster in pregnancy

Where the belief comes from

Plenty of mothers say their nails grew fast and their hair got thicker while they were pregnant. It is said so often that it has become an assumption that every pregnant woman's nails grow faster.

What is actually true

About 34% of pregnant women notice changes in their nails, compared with about 13% of women who are not pregnant. But most said their nail growth, thickness and brittleness had not changed.

What pregnant women notice more often than other women are white spots on the nails and ingrown nails. These are common, harmless changes. To learn more, read what causes white spots on nails and what causes ingrown toenails.

Can you have a pedicure while pregnant?

Toenails are the question expectant mothers ask about most, because once the bump is big you can hardly reach your feet, and your feet swell easily. What we worry about with pedicures during pregnancy is mostly not the colour, but hygiene and massage.

• Infection from tools or foot baths. Unsterilised tools and foot tubs that are not cleaned after every client can pass on bacterial or fungal infections, a risk we always point out to customers.
• Pressure-point massage on the feet and ankles. There is a belief that certain points can trigger contractions. We suggest asking the technician to avoid pressure points, or skipping the massage entirely, to be on the safe side.
• Cutting toenails properly. Ingrown nails are more common in pregnancy. Cut toenails straight across, do not curve deep into the corners, and do not cut them too short. See how to cut nails to prevent ingrown nails.

If bending down is hard, ask someone at home to trim your toenails. Use clean nail clippers and sit in a comfortable position so you do not strain your belly. Clean, neatly trimmed toenails already make your feet look well cared for.

Do you need to remove nail colour before giving birth?

Many people only find out on the day. Mothers who wear nail colour are usually asked to remove it completely before a caesarean. There are two reasons:

• During surgery, the medical team measures blood oxygen with a clip on your fingertip. Nail polish, gel or nail extensions can interfere with the reading.
• The colour of your nails is one of the signs doctors use to spot problems in the body, and polish makes it harder to see.

Regular polish comes off in a few minutes, but gel has to be soaked and removed gradually. If your due date is close, or your doctor has scheduled a caesarean, ask where you are giving birth how to prepare your nails so you are not rushing to remove gel once labour starts.

If your doctor says nails are OK: what to watch for

Some mothers talk to their doctor and are told painting their nails is fine. Here is our checklist, based on everything above.

• Always ask your doctor first, especially about gel, which has not been studied, and if your pregnancy needs extra care.
• Good airflow. Sit near a window or door. At home, open a window and do not paint your nails in a closed air-conditioned room.
• Clean tools. Choose a place that sterilises its tools, or bring your own.
• Skip shared foot tubs unless you are sure they are cleaned after every client.
• Skip pressure-point massage on the hands and feet.
• Keep it short. Sitting for a long time can cause back pain and swollen feet; get up, walk and stretch.
• Stop as soon as you feel unwell. Dizziness, nausea or a tightening belly: tell whoever is with you straight away.

Our policy at Nanny Nails: we would love to look after you after the birth

Nanny Nails does not do nails for customers who are pregnant. This is not because we believe gel is harmful to the baby; nobody knows that for certain. It is about keeping mothers safe while they are in the salon.

The owner's reasoning is simple. If an emergency happened in the middle of a manicure, it would be hard to handle, because a doctor needs to check your fingertips. If your nails were half painted with gel, or had just been cured, the colour could not be taken off straight away. It is the same reason you are asked to remove nail colour before surgery, as described above. So we choose the option that is safest for you.

For now, let your hands and feet rest. Keep your nails short and clean, moisturise around them when you can, and save the designs you like on your phone. Once the baby is born and you feel ready, we will be here. Family members who are not pregnant are, of course, welcome as usual.

After the birth: which nails work best?

With a newborn, your hands are busy all day: bathing the baby, making bottles, doing laundry. The styles new mothers tend to choose are the ones that keep their hands practical.

• Short, rounded nails. They do not get in the way when you hold, bathe or change the baby, and they will not scratch delicate skin.
• Nude, soft pink or nude cat-eye. They look clean, and as your nails grow, the gap at the base barely shows.
• Gel colour on your toes. Toes do less work than hands, so the colour lasts longer and looks neat in sandals.

For more short-nail ideas, see gel nails on short nails.

Every set includes shaping, base coat and top coat, and is covered by our 7-day care period, so your first set after the birth comes with peace of mind. See the full menu on our services and prices page.

Pretty nails will be back once your little one arrives

Pregnancy is one of the hardest-working times for your body. Pretty nails can wait. If you really want to paint your nails, talk to your doctor first, choose somewhere well ventilated, and avoid the things that have not been studied. Once your baby is here, the day you get to sit back and have your nails done again will be a small moment that is just for you.

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