Life

Will Pregnancy Ruin My Tattoos?

by Mishal Ali Zafar

Pregnant moms face a lot of changes. From lifestyle logistics to a new pant size, the changes are significant. The most obvious thing you'll notice is your growing belly and your skin stretching over it. If you're a mom with a tattoo, you might wonder, "will pregnancy ruin my tattoos?" Turns out, it really just depends.

According to Skin Artists, pregnancy can change the appearance of your tattoos depending on where they are placed, because in areas where your skin stretches more, you'll note more of a change. Tattoos on your hands, feet, wrists, or ankles would be least affected, Skin Artists noted, while tattoos on your hips, belly, thighs, or breasts may change due to stretching caused by weight gain or weight loss. Their website also mentioned that smaller, more symmetrical tattoos may look more distorted than bigger asymmetrical ones.

It's important to remember that everyone is different, and some moms will see more skin changes than others. Medic8 explained that the changes to your tattoo will depend on your skin's ability to stretch and adjust, so some women may find no change, while others may get stretch marks over their tattoos, leaving a permanent distortion to their ink.

Stretch marks aren't the only thing that can ruin your tats. According to What to Expect, common skin changes in pregnancy, including chloasma, where melanin hormones cause brown patches of pigmentation to show up on the face, neck, and belly, and rashes and spots due to irritation of the skin, could also distort the appearance of your tattoos.

If you do have a tattoo that you are concerned about, it's a good idea to talk to a tattoo artist about maintenance and touch-ups. You should also keep your doctor in the loop, in case you experience skin sensitivity or irritation to your tattoo. While there is a possibility that your tattoo could get distorted, there's always the option of getting it fixed afterwards.