Firstly – always check with your insurance company or state regulations, as this may vary where you are in the world.
My insurance company does allow me to lash pregnant ladies, however I have always taken the personal decision to not lash pregnant ladies and I will explain my reasons for this decision.
Lashing pregnant woman has always been and continuous to be a controversial topic in this industry. The team at Eyelash Excellence stand by our decisions to never lash pregnant ladies and we encourage you all to consider the following when you are presented with a pregnant client so that you can make an informed decision whether you lash pregnant clients or not.

What is anaphylaxis? It is a severe allergic reaction, caused by the release of allergic chemicals, histamine. It is defined as a serious, systemic, allergic or hypersensitivity reaction that can be life‐threatening or fatal.

Anaphylaxis in pregnancy may trigger maternal hypotension leading to maternal haemorrhage, asphyxia and the risk of severe foetal brain damage. All of which are potentially life‐threatening to both mother and foetus.

The usual treatment for acute anaphylaxis during pregnancy is the same non-pregnancy. Adrenaline is the treatment of choice, intravenous fluids, and other medications to maintain blood pressure. Low blood pressure in the mother can lead to low blood flow to vital organs in the foetus, especially the brain.

The best treatment of anaphylaxis during pregnancy is the prevention of anaphylaxis in the first place. Patch testing for products should be avoided during pregnancy to minimise the potential for anaphylaxis as a result.

When pregnant ladies lay on their backs the weight of the uterus can compress a major blood vessel called the vena cava, disrupting blood flow to their baby which can cause nausea, dizziness, and shortness of breath. When blood flow is reduced to the foetus for more than 5 minutes brain injuries can occur. It can also be extremely uncomfortable for a pregnant woman to lay flat on her back for any length of time and as we know lash treatments are not quick.

Unfortunately because the industry is unregulated and insurance companies are not lash specific there are no real laws or rules or even guidelines given to us to follow. Therefore we must use the facts given to us by the medical professionals and come to the best conclusion possible to ensure the safety of our clients and their unborn babies.
Also every pregnant woman will be experiencing major changes to her body during the pregnancy and for several months after and this can cause a real imbalance of hormones in her body and, as such, she may struggle with retention of her eyelash extensions.
Lastly (by no means least) if anything were to happen to that unborn child, then I would not want to be held responsible for that or have any doubt that I may have caused something to happen. Maybe I have become far too cynical towards the ‘compensation culture’ that we now live in, but I will always protect, not only the client, but also my business and reputation – and this is one of the biggest reasons why I enforce this policy in my salon.
Of course, there will be pregnant women that want to feel beautiful and feminine during her pregnancy and there are many techs that lash pregnant ladies day in day out, and I have no problem with that, but ultimately the decision must be down to you – it’s your business and your rules.

I do recommend that if you choose to lash a pregnant client, then you sit down and thoroughly discuss all of the above with any pregnant client before you go ahead with the treatment.