Hair Dye, Nail Polish, and Skincare While Trying to Conceive: What's Worth Changing

Trying to conceive tends to turn the bathroom shelf into a source of worry. Every label becomes suspicious, and lists online make it sound like everything from shampoo to lip balm is a fertility hazard. The real picture is calmer. A handful of products have specific evidence behind changing them, and most of the rest come down to sensible handling.

Contents

• At a glance: what to change and what can stay
• Skincare: retinoids are the big one
• Hair dye
• Straighteners, keratin treatments and relaxers
• Nail polish and salons
• Phthalates and "toxin-free" claims
• If you work in a salon

At a glance: what to change and what can stay

Skincare: retinoids are the big one

Oral isotretinoin

Isotretinoin (sometimes still called by its old brand name, Accutane) is the clearest case on this list. MotherToBaby states it can cause birth defects in 35% or more of exposed pregnancies, and the chance of miscarriage can be as high as 40% with use in early pregnancy. It's prescribed under the iPLEDGE safety program, which requires two forms of birth control from a month before treatment until a month after. MotherToBaby recommends waiting one month after the last dose before trying to conceive.

If you're taking it now, don't stop on your own mid-course and don't start trying early; plan the timing with your prescriber. For a broader look at acne medications, howtohaveababy.com has a dedicated guide to acne medications while trying to conceive.

For male partners, MotherToBaby notes that studies haven't looked at whether a father's isotretinoin use raises birth defect risk, and that paternal exposures are generally unlikely to increase pregnancy risks. It also mentions reports of changes in sperm shape and size, so it's worth raising with his prescriber if you're trying.

Retinoid creams

Topical tretinoin (Retin-A and similar) is absorbed in only small amounts when used as directed, and studies haven't found a greater chance of birth defects with proper use on the skin. Still, MotherToBaby says the safest approach may be to avoid it during pregnancy, and suggests it may be stopped one month before trying to get pregnant. Absorption can rise if you use it on irritated skin, over large areas, or more than directed.

Many over-the-counter "retinol" and anti-aging products belong to the same family. The guidance summarized by UNM Health, citing ACOG, lists topical retinoids among products to avoid in pregnancy. If your routine includes one, it's the product most worth asking about at your preconception visit.

Acne alternatives

If you're dropping a retinoid and worried about breakouts, the same ACOG-based summary lists topical benzoyl peroxide, topical salicylic acid, azelaic acid and glycolic acid among options considered safer in pregnancy. Oral tetracycline, hormonal therapies and retinoids are on the avoid side. A dermatologist can help you build a routine you can keep from trying through pregnancy, so you're not switching products at the last minute.

Hair dye

This is one of the most common questions, and the answer is mostly reassuring. MotherToBaby's hair-treatment fact sheet says the amount of dye absorbed through healthy, unbroken scalp skin is small when products are used as directed, and that getting or giving hair treatments as directed isn't expected to greatly increase the chance of birth defects. Lab animal studies at doses 100 times higher than human use didn't suggest a greater chance of miscarriage.

Ways to keep exposure lower without giving up color:

• Choose highlights, lowlights or balayage-style techniques where the color goes on the hair, not the scalp.
• Wear gloves and work in a well-ventilated room if you color at home.
• Follow the directions exactly; don't leave products on longer than instructed or use them on broken or irritated skin.

The fact sheet does note a few findings worth knowing: studies outside the U.S. have linked frequent hair dye use to some pregnancy outcomes, and two studies have linked hair dye or straightener use to possible trouble conceiving. Differences between countries and products make these hard to interpret, which is why sensible handling, rather than avoiding dye altogether, is the usual advice.

Straighteners, keratin treatments and relaxers

Formaldehyde smoothing treatments

Some hair smoothing and straightening treatments contain formaldehyde or release it when heated. MotherToBaby notes that some studies of people who work around formaldehyde have suggested an increased chance of miscarriage. The FDA describes formaldehyde as a toxic gas that's hazardous when inhaled or on the skin, and the agency announced plans to propose banning it in hair straightening products. As of the most recent reporting we could find, that rule had been repeatedly delayed. Don't count on a product being formaldehyde-free unless you can verify it, and treat these salon treatments as a "skip" while you're trying.

Relaxers

A 2023 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology from the PRESTO cohort, which follows people in the U.S. and Canada who are planning pregnancy, analyzed more than 11,000 participants. Hair relaxer use was associated with a slight reduction in the ability to conceive. Fertility was lowest among those who had used relaxers for at least 10 years or at least five times a year, though the study didn't find a clear dose-response pattern. Relaxer use was most common among Black participants.

The researchers pointed out that full ingredient lists are rarely on relaxer labels, and they suggested that chemicals such as phthalates, phenols and parabens might play a role, while noting more research is needed. This is a single observational study, so it doesn't prove relaxers cause lower fertility. But if you use them regularly, pausing while you try, or stretching the time between treatments, is a reasonable step to discuss with your stylist and clinician.

Nail polish and salons

The FDA's page on nail care products lists the ingredients people usually worry about:

• Formaldehyde and formaldehyde resin (sometimes labeled as formalin, methylene glycol or toluenesulfonamide/formaldehyde resin), used as nail hardeners. These can cause irritation and allergic reactions.
• Toluene, a solvent the FDA says is being phased out of nail products.
• Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), a plasticizer. In the FDA's 2010 survey, DBP was found in only a few nail polishes.

For customers, the exposure from an occasional manicure is brief. The FDA's main practical advice is to have good ventilation when using nail products and to follow label warnings. A polish that skips these ingredients is a reasonable choice if it gives you peace of mind, but you don't need to treat a manicure as a fertility risk.

Artificial nails are different: the FDA notes that the monomers used in acrylics can cause reactions in people who become sensitized, and that skin contact should be avoided. That's a skin-safety issue rather than a known fertility one.

Phthalates and "toxin-free" claims

Phthalates come up again and again in fertility discussions. The CDC says they're used in hundreds of products, including soaps, shampoos, hair sprays and nail polishes, and that most exposure comes from food and drink that's been in contact with containers. Some phthalates have affected the reproductive systems of laboratory animals, but the CDC states that human health effects from low-level exposure are unknown.

That's an honest "we don't know," not a reason to panic or to buy an expensive "clean" line. If you want to reduce exposure, the simplest step is using fewer products overall, and paying attention to food and drink packaging, which the CDC identifies as the main exposure route. Food packaging matters too; our guide to ultra-processed food and fertility covers a 2025 trial in which a phthalate marker trended up on a processed diet.

If you work in a salon

Exposures are different for people who do hair or nails all day. MotherToBaby notes that a review of 19 studies of hairdressers and cosmetologists found a small increase in the time it took to get pregnant, and that working in these jobs might increase the chance of preterm delivery or a smaller baby, though it's hard to tell whether the job itself is responsible. Recommended protections include good ventilation, gloves, handwashing, frequent breaks, not eating or drinking at your station, and asking your employer for Safety Data Sheets. MotherToBaby also points out that a strong smell does not by itself mean you have a high level of exposure.

For a fuller look at on-the-job exposures, howtohaveababy.com's guide to workplace exposures while trying to conceive covers salon work alongside other jobs.

And for male partners

MotherToBaby says it isn't known whether hair treatments affect a man's ability to make healthy sperm, and that paternal exposures are generally less likely to raise pregnancy risks. If he uses hair dye or a prescription acne medication, it's still worth listing on your supplement and medication list for doctor review.

Sources

• MotherToBaby. Hair Treatments (fact sheet). mothertobaby.org
• MotherToBaby. Isotretinoin (fact sheet). mothertobaby.org
• MotherToBaby. Tretinoin (Retin-A) (fact sheet). mothertobaby.org
• U.S. FDA. Nail Care Products. fda.gov
• NPR. The FDA misses its deadline again to propose a ban on formaldehyde in hair products (July 20, 2024). npr.org
• Boston University School of Public Health. Hair relaxer use may affect ability to conceive (on Wise LA, et al. Am J Epidemiol. 2023). bu.edu
• CDC. Phthalates Factsheet (National Biomonitoring Program). cdc.gov (PDF)
• UNM Health. Pregnancy acne: top questions answered (summarizing ACOG guidance). unmhealth.org