Pregnancy Beauty Safety Tips

Nails: Manis and pedis are fine, but bring your instruments from home (to reduce infection risk), and "apply nail polish in a well-ventilated area so you don't inhale the fumes," suggests Joel Evans, M.D., assistant clinical professor of ob-gyn at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York. Say no to foot massages, which can stimulate fetal activity and contractions.

Hair: "There's no major data suggesting that hair coloring increases birth defects or miscarriage," says Joshua A. Copel, M.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University. But schedule peroxide pick-me-ups after your first trimester. By then, your baby's organs have formed.

Skin: Avoid Retin-A other topical retinoids, and salicylic acid. Creams with glycolic or azelaic acid are fine.