What an idiot! Just got fake tan (Sunfx) done!!!

Ok, I know I sound like a COMPLETE dimwit but here goes anyway... I just got a very very light fake tan applied earlier today (I'm 4w6d). I did a quick google beforehand to check it was ok and read the following on the NHS website: Fake tanning lotions and sprays are a popular and safer alternative to spending time in the sun to get a tan. [i:3fbdoe6u]The active ingredient in fake tan is Dihydroxyacetone (DHA). It is a non-toxic substance that reacts with cells in the outermost layer of the skin and produces a brown pigment (colour) called melanoidin. The outer skin cells are already dead, and are shed as the skin constantly renews itself. This is why fake tan needs to be regularly re-applied to maintain the colour. The DHA doesn't go beyond the outer layer of skin and therefore isn't absorbed into the body. Although there are no known dangers of using tanning lotions, they can sometimes cause an allergic reaction. For this reason, it's advisable not to use fake tan during pregnancy, as changes in hormone levels can make the skin more sensitive than normal. If you do use fake tan, always test the product on a small area of skin first to see if you have a reaction.[/i:3fbdoe6u] So off I went happy as Larry. I now realise I should have checked it with the lady doing it. As I was leaving I observed the tan was called SUNFX so when I came home I did a quick google (talk about locking the stable door after the horse has bolted!) and to my horror discovered the following on the SunFX website: [i:3fbdoe6u]Though our tans are the world's most natural, SunFX still adopt the point of not recommending that women use a spray tan of any sort during their pregnancy.[/i:3fbdoe6u] I'm on the verge of going up to wash it off....Is it possible they don't recommend it because your skin may react badly to it during pregnancy or is it because the chemicals can harm your baby? Should I wash it off just in case??? I know, I should have checked first. I'm a complete idiot.

i've had it done at 8 weeks pregnant and 6 months later my beautiful ds2 arrived. think its nothing to do with endangering the baby but more it not turning out right on the skin during pregnancy,dont worry bout it, you'll be fine. we've all had those eureka moments of omg what have i just done

hi Jabberwocky, I'm no expert but I'd be VERY surprised if you had anything to worry about. I've yet to hear about something going wrong because of a spray tan! On my last pregnancy I got one at around 15 weeks and had no problems. I'm going on hols in a few weeks and fully intend to get another one.

I think, like hair dye, its more to do with how we react to it, not the baby we are carrying, so dont be worrying!

I agree with The others, I know you're worried but most of these things are only avoided because your skin may not tale the colour properly or cause irritation. I got a tan doneca few weeks ago and I just made sure I got my first ever patch test done. Honestly I wouldn't worry. I'm just reading over my pregnancy book and it mentions not storing milk in the fridge door (why I don't know) but that's where the milk lives and I haven't moved it and so far so good..

Cheers for responses girls...and thanks for not making me feel silly. My poor hairdresser has spent the last few days trying to source ammonia-free colour in my shade for me and then I go off and get a tan without doing very much research. Kala, was it a SunFX one you had done or another? Interestingly St Tropez say theirs is safe to use during pregnancy but SunFx say they don't recommend it.

I am sure you will be ok. Maybe check with the salon as to the name of the tan they used as what they have on display and what they use maybe different. A friend of mine (she wasn't pregnant) had a reaction to a tanning lotion which she had done in her regular salon. She got her spray tan done and had to drive to the wedding venue which was 3 hours drive from her home place. An hour and a half into the journey her skin came out in a rash and the itch was unbearable. She phoned her salon only to be told that they used a different product to what they always used before on her. She had to get into the shower the minute she arrived in the hotel and thankfully it had no after effects. It was very upsetting for her as it was a family wedding she was going too. So as with most things buyer beware.

Don't worry - I asked my consultant about getting fake tan done while pregnant and he said its totally fine. I don't think the brand matters at all. They are all basically the same. The reason some brands may be ultra cautious and say its best not it, is usually just that they haven't specifically tested it on pregnant women (because its illegal to test anything on pregnant women).

Seriously, don't worry about it!! If you haven't had an allergic reaction by now, you probably aren't likely to. We pregnant ladies can't possibly not have opportunities to glam up - if that was the case, I'd be pasty with roots down to my elbows ... have been getting my highlights and tan done for the past two pregnancies, and continue to do so in this one. In my opinion, if it wasn't dangerous to me when not pregnant, I see no reason for it to suddenly become dangerous now! I also checked this with my consultant on my first pregnancy and he said that there's no definitive research on specific dangers of tan / highlights, but that salons etc always tend to err on the side of caution, just to absolve themselves of any responsibility in case something went wrong (which could also go wrong for non-pregnant people too!)

Firstly, congratulations on your BFP Jabberwocky, I'm delighted for you. I've had sunfx done a few times - I checked with my GP and she said that (as other posters have said), the reason why the salon/internet would say not to get a specific tan is not because of any link between the tan and the pregnancy but because if something were to go wrong, especially in the early weeks of the PG, then you'll assume it was the tan (or hair colour or whatever) that caused it, even when it's just one of those awful things and nothing to do with the tan, and the second reason is that your skin might be more sensitive when pregnant, especially in the early stages (i know mine was).