Tanning
Can you use a sunbed when pregnant? Our honest answer
By Stuart · Co-owner of Beautano, 15 years in the tanning industry
We get asked this often enough that it deserves a proper answer rather than a shrug at the front desk. Usually it comes from someone with a holiday booked, or a wedding, or who simply feels better with a bit of colour and does not want to give it up for nine months.
So here is where we stand, and why.
No. We will not book you onto a UV bed while you are pregnant. It is on our list of reasons to say no, alongside being under 18 or having type 1 skin, and we would rather lose the booking than take it.
The reason is not what most people assume. The UV is not reaching your baby. The problem is what pregnancy does to your skin and your body temperature, which makes a sunbed a worse idea for you than it was six months ago.
Why we say no
Every UK salon works to the same list of people who should not use a UV bed, and pregnancy is on it. You will find it on our disclaimer, in our guide to sunbed safety, and in the advice the NHS gives about sunbeds generally.
We could hide behind that list, but it is more useful to explain it, because the reasoning changes what you do next.
What the risk actually is, and what it is not
This is the part that gets muddled online, so it is worth being clear.
UV does not reach your baby. UVA and UVB penetrate the upper layers of skin and stop there. They do not pass through muscle, they do not pass through the womb, and there is no mechanism by which a tanning session exposes a baby to UV. If you have used a sunbed before you knew you were pregnant, that is worth knowing, and worth mentioning to your midwife rather than worrying about on your own.
The risks that do apply are to you, and pregnancy makes each of them worse than usual.
- Your skin burns more easily. Hormonal changes in pregnancy make skin noticeably more reactive to UV. Times that were comfortable before can burn you now
- Pigmentation goes haywire. More on this below, because it is the one nobody warns you about
- Overheating. A sunbed is a warm, enclosed space. Raising your core temperature is discouraged in pregnancy for the same reason saunas and hot tubs are, particularly in the first trimester
- Lying flat gets uncomfortable. From the second trimester onwards, lying flat on your back for any length of time is generally advised against, and a lie-down bed is exactly that
None of that is dramatic. It is just four reasons pointing the same direction, and together they are enough for us to say no.
Melasma, the one most people have not heard of
This is the one that catches people out.
Pregnancy hormones drive melanin production, and a lot of people develop melasma, sometimes called chloasma or the mask of pregnancy. It shows up as patchy darker pigmentation, usually across the forehead, cheeks, upper lip and jaw.
UV is the main trigger. Sunlight will do it, and a sunbed will do it faster because the exposure is concentrated.
The frustrating part is that melasma does not always fade when the pregnancy ends. It can hang around for years, it is stubborn to treat, and it comes back with further UV exposure. Someone who tans through a pregnancy chasing an even colour can end up with the opposite: a patchy face that takes far longer to sort out than the nine months would have.
Melasma is one of the more common skin changes in pregnancy, and it responds to UV whether that UV comes from a sunbed, a beach or a walk to the shops on a bright day. If you are already noticing patches, high-factor sunscreen on your face every day will do more for you than anything else, pregnant or not.
What about breastfeeding?
Different question, and a slightly different answer.
Sunbed UV does not affect your breast milk. It does not get into it, and there is no waiting period afterwards before you can feed. That is the worry people usually arrive with, and it is not the one that matters.
What does matter is that your skin often has not settled back to normal yet. Hormone levels take time to level out after birth, melasma that started in pregnancy is still sensitive to UV, and if you are up through the night your skin is not in its best condition either.
There is also a practical point. Whatever you put on your skin before a session, tanning lotion included, ends up on your chest, and your baby’s face ends up there too. Worth thinking about which products you use and giving your skin a proper wash afterwards.
Our position is that we are happy to talk it through with you rather than give you a flat yes or no. Come in, tell us where you are, and if you have any doubt, ask your GP or health visitor first. We will not be offended by you checking.
What about red light therapy?
We get asked this a lot, because red light is UV-free and people reasonably assume that makes it fine.
We treat it the same way we treat it for everybody: it is a cosmetic and wellbeing experience rather than a medical treatment, and we ask you to check with your GP first if you are pregnant. That is the same answer on our red light therapy page and it does not change because someone would rather hear yes.
We are not going to tell you red light is pregnancy-safe in order to sell you a session. If your GP is happy, come and talk to us.
So what can you do instead?
Honestly, the easiest answer is to wait. Nine months is not long, and your skin will thank you for it later.
If you want colour in the meantime, the usual route is a self-tan or spray tan, since neither involves UV. Check the product and have a word with your midwife if you are unsure about anything you are putting on your skin, because that is a fair question and they would rather you asked.
We also have a beauty suite alongside the tanning rooms. Some treatments are suitable during pregnancy and some are not, which is exactly what the consultation is for. Tell us what you are after and we will tell you straight whether it is something we can do now or something to book for later.
And when you are ready to come back to the beds, come and see us. We will do a fresh skin assessment rather than picking up where you left off, because your skin will have changed.
Common questions
I used a sunbed before I knew I was pregnant. Should I worry? The UV did not reach your baby, so try not to lose sleep over it. Mention it to your midwife at your next appointment for peace of mind, and leave the beds alone from here.
Is it different in the first trimester? The overheating concern is taken most seriously early on, but our answer is the same throughout. We do not tan pregnant clients at any stage.
Can I use a stand-up instead, since I am not lying flat? That solves one of the four reasons and none of the others. The skin sensitivity, the pigmentation and the heat all still apply.
What about just a short session? Pregnancy skin can burn at times that were fine for you before, so a short session is not the safeguard it sounds like. There is no length we are comfortable with.
How soon after giving birth can I come back? There is no fixed number. Once you are recovered and settled, come in and we will assess your skin fresh rather than assume it is where it was before.
Will you ask me if I am pregnant? It is part of the consultation, and it is not us being nosy. Tell us, and we will point you at what does suit you.
Come and ask us
We are on the Southside in Nitshill, open seven days, with five tanning rooms and a beauty suite.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding and you are not sure what is sensible, come in and ask. We would far rather have that conversation than have you guess from a forum.
Book a session or drop in for a chat first.
Tanning is a cosmetic choice for over 18s only, and every session is supervised. Nothing here is medical advice. If you have any concern about your pregnancy or your skin, speak to your midwife, GP or pharmacist.