It’s pretty common for women who have just made a huge change in their lives (as in, produced an entire human being!) to be eager for more changes. After all, if you are superwoman enough to have given birth, there is nothing you can’t handle! Maybe you have been considering removing an unwanted tattoo or two left over from the regrettable old days, and now feel that this – this is your moment. And yet – before proceeding, you want to know if laser tattoo removal is safe for you and the baby while you are breastfeeding. Somehow Dr. Spock never got around to writing that chapter in his Common Sense Book of Baby and Childcare. Here are the facts.

We prefer to err on the side of caution.

Ink concerns:

Before undergoing any kind of procedure (at all!) while breastfeeding, you should consult with your physician. During laser tattoo removal, pulses of light heat up the tattoo ink in your dermis, breaking them down into tiny particles. These are then flushed out of your body with the help of the lymphatic system. So far, there haven’t been any studies about the ink particles being flushed from the body during and after the tattoo removal sessions and whether or not they can pass into breast milk. 

Out of an abundance of caution, we recommend that you wait until 3 months after you finish breastfeeding before beginning your tattoo removal process. In fact, although we welcome you to visit us and ask questions at a free consultation, we would not begin to plan your sessions until you are no longer breastfeeding. You will find that this is the general consensus in the laser tattoo removal industry. The website and newsletter Breastfeeding Support (founded by International Board Certified Lactation Consultants) says “Due to the lack of research it is recommended that mothers wait until breastfeeding has ended before having tattoos removed by laser treatment.”

Infection concerns:

Another concern about breastfeeding and laser tattoo removal is the fact that there is a very low risk of infection after any kind of procedure. A few people develop blisters (fluid-filled sacs) under their epidermis after a session. This is nothing to be concerned about, but if the aftercare instructions aren’t followed, and the blisters are popped or scratched, there is a (very low, but still present) risk of infection. 

Some people have extremely sensitive skin which could blister, crack, or become infected. In the interests of transparency, we want you to know that laser tattoo removal is safe, but that the risk of infection is not nonexistent. 

Immune system concerns:

When you have laser tattoo removal treatments, you want to keep your immune system strong and healthy to promote healing. One factor in fostering a healthy immune system is getting enough sleep. And guess who isn’t getting much sleep these days? If you are waking up several times a night to feed a ravenous baby, your immune system may not exactly be in fighting shape! 

Trust the experts at Ink-B-Gone

We want to congratulate you on deciding to remove a tattoo that no longer brings you joy, and – more importantly– we want to congratulate you on the birth of your beautiful baby. We look forward to helping you along the tattoo removal process – at the right time for you and your baby. 

The best way to know is to ask!

When you’re ready to look into laser tattoo removal, it’s important to find a professional and expert technician you trust. Before you commit to anything, you can come in for a free consultation here at Ink-B-Gone, the leading laser tattoo removers in Colorado. We will be completely transparent with you every step of the way. 

Follow along for more helpful tips and guidance.

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