The process of getting a tattoo has enjoyed a measure of popularity for a number of years. Breastfeeding is also enjoying a measure of popularity these days. The safety of having a tattoo and breastfeeding, as well has getting a tattoo and breastfeeding, and having your tattoo removed while you are breastfeeding has come into question in recent times.

Tattoos are made when ink is injected into the second and third layers of your skin. A tattoo machine is usually a hand-held electric device that has a number of needles attached that insert the ink under the skin. These needles will enter the skin more than one hundred times per minute. They will penetrate the skin a few millimeters in. The ink used in a tattoo has been regulated by the Food and Drug Administration as a cosmetic product. However, none of them are actually approved to be injected under the skin. Luckily, though, the molecules of ink that will be injected under the skin are far too large to get into the breast milk supply.

The fact that the ink does not enter the breast milk does not make the tattoo process completely free of harm for nursing mothers. There are many serious risks associated with tattoos, both for nursing mothers and those who are not nursing. Infections can occur if you do not follow the right procedures after you get your tattoo. You must clean it often with soap and water. You cannot pick at the scabs that have formed. Moreover, you must avoid the sun. These kinds of mild skin infections, though, are not the only risks from tattoos. Serious infections like hepatitis, tetanus, and HIV can occur if the shop you choose does not follow appropriate cleaning procedures. As a result, it is essential to choose your tattoo artist and tattoo shop carefully to avoid serious risks. Be sure that the tattoo machine is sterilized. You might also be sure that have single-use inks, ink cups, and gloves. Also, hand washing is essential. Many tattoo shops will not tattoo a pregnant or breastfeeding mother, as research has suggested that mothers wait until a child's first birthday to get a tattoo.

If you would like to have your tattoo removed while you are breastfeeding, research show that it seems to have no effect on breast milk. Most tattoo removal involves the use of lasers. The lasers are shot at the tattoo ink, and it causes that ink to break into small bits which are picked up by the body's immune system. Those bits are eventually filtered out of your system. The process has few side effects, and the care you must take after the procedure is the same as the care you must take after you get a tattoo.

There seems to be no link between existing tattoos and breastfeeding problems. If you choose to get a tattoo or have it removed during breastfeeding, the bulk of the research shows that you have nothing to worry about.