Can I wear mascara to a knee or back MRI?

Usually yes. Radiology guidance says to remove cosmetics with metallic particles only if they are on the area being scanned. Mascara matters for head, face, and eye scans, not for a knee or spine scan. Follow your center's instructions if they differ.

Can I wear a nicotine patch during an MRI?

Tell the staff before the scan. The FDA warned in 2009 that some medicated patches have aluminum or other metal in the backing that can overheat and burn the skin. The staff can tell you how to remove the patch and when to put on a new one.

Will sunscreen or moisturizer affect my MRI?

We found no study showing that ordinary moisturizer causes MRI burns or image problems. In a 2013 test of 38 cosmetics, the body lotion tested did not cause artifacts. Some centers still ask for clean skin, so follow their prep sheet.

What happens if I forget to remove eye makeup?

Tell the technologist before the scan starts. They can give you a wipe to remove it. If the scan is not of the head or eyes, it may not matter at all.

Can I wear my own clothes during an MRI?

Many centers ask you to change into a gown. Athletic wear, socks, and other clothing can contain metallic threads or antibacterial metal compounds that can heat up and burn the skin. Clothes with zippers, snaps, hooks, or underwire also need to come off.

Should You Skip Deodorant, Makeup, or Lotion Before an MRI?

The short answer: For most MRI scans, ordinary deodorant, lotion, and everyday makeup are not a safety problem. Eye makeup is the main exception. Dark eyeliner, mascara, and some eye shadows contain iron oxide, which can blur images of the head and eyes. Medicated skin patches with metal in the backing are a real burn risk, so tell the staff about any patch before the scan.

What does radiology guidance say about cosmetics before an MRI?

The patient safety site run by the American College of Radiology and the Radiological Society of North America, RadiologyInfo, gives one clear rule. You should remove "makeup, nail polish, or other cosmetics that may contain metallic particles if applied to the area of the body undergoing the MRI examination."

Two parts of that sentence matter. The concern is metallic particles, not cosmetics in general. And it applies to the area being scanned. Mascara matters for a brain or eye scan. It does not matter for a knee scan.

A radiologist at Columbia University puts it in similar terms. Benjamin Navot, MD, MRI medical director at NewYork-Presbyterian's Milstein Hospital Building, says "makeup is generally safe for an MRI." He adds that "mascara and some false eyelashes have enough metal that they can distort the image on a scan of the head." His advice is to skip makeup on the day of a head scan.

Which makeup products actually show up on an MRI?

Researchers have tested this directly. A 2013 study in Magnetic Resonance Imaging placed 38 common cosmetics on a test object and scanned them at 3 Tesla. Of the 38 products, 14 (37%) caused image artifacts:

All 5 eyeliners tested
All 3 mascaras tested
3 of 10 eye shadows
2 of 16 nail polishes
1 hair loss concealer, which caused the largest artifact

The body lotion, lip gloss, and body glitter in that study did not show artifacts. The authors linked the artifacts mostly to iron oxide or other metal-based ingredients.

The finding is not new. A 1987 study in the American Journal of Roentgenology showed that dark eye makeup can severely distort images of the eye sockets. The cause was iron oxide in the pigments used for dark shades. The authors noted that this usually does not affect routine head scans. When the eyes themselves are the concern, though, the images may become useless for diagnosis.

A 2024 Japanese study tested single cosmetic ingredients. Only black iron oxide was pulled by the magnet, and it caused the largest image loss. The authors concluded that eye makeup high in black iron oxide should be removed before an MRI.

Can makeup or lotion burn your skin in an MRI?

Burns are a real MRI risk, but everyday cosmetics are not the usual cause. The FDA says it receives around 300 adverse event reports for MRI scanners and coils each year. Most describe heating or burns, and second-degree burns are the most common patient problem. The radio waves used in an MRI can heat metal and the tissue around it, and the risk rises with longer scans.

The items most often named in safety guidance are metal in clothing, tattoos, and medicated patches. RadiologyInfo warns that athletic wear, socks, and other clothing can contain metallic threads or metal-based antibacterial compounds that "can heat up and burn the patient during an MRI." This is why most centers ask you to change into a gown.

Tattoos and permanent makeup can also heat up, because some inks contain iron oxide. Our guide to MRI with tattoos covers that risk in detail. Regular makeup that you can wash off is a much smaller concern.

Why do medication patches have to come off?

In 2009 the FDA warned that certain medicated skin patches contain aluminum or other metals in the backing. These patches "can overheat during an MRI scan and cause skin burns in the immediate area of the patch." The metal can be invisible, so you cannot tell by looking.

The FDA asked referring clinicians to identify patients who wear a patch before the scan. Patients should get instructions on removing and disposing of the patch, and on putting a new one on afterward. Patches used for nicotine, pain, hormones, and motion sickness can all come in this form. Do not simply stop a prescribed patch on your own. Ask the prescriber or the MRI center how to handle the gap in your dose.

Why do mammograms have a stricter deodorant rule?

Much of the "no deodorant" advice people remember comes from mammograms, not MRI. RadiologyInfo's mammogram guide says not to wear deodorant, talcum powder, or lotion under the arms or on the breasts on exam day. The reason is specific to X-rays: these products "can appear on the mammogram as calcium spots." Calcium spots can look like an early sign of breast cancer. You can read more about screening on mammogram.md.

We did not find a published study showing that ordinary antiperspirant harms MRI images or causes MRI burns. The MRI safety pages we reviewed focus on metal particles, not on deodorant as such. That said, some imaging centers ask all patients to arrive with clean skin. If your center asks, follow its instructions. It costs nothing and removes any doubt.

What should you do before your scan?

A simple plan covers nearly every case:

Read your center's prep sheet. Its rules come first, even when they are stricter than the general guidance.
Skip eye makeup for a head, brain, face, or eye scan. This includes eyeliner, mascara, dark eye shadow, and false eyelashes.
Remove glitter or metallic nail polish if that area is being scanned. Hand and wrist scans are the main case for nail polish.
Tell the staff about any skin patch. Ask before your appointment how to remove and replace it.
Tell the staff about tattoos and permanent makeup. They may place a cold pack on the area.
Wear the gown if offered. Metal threads in clothing are a known burn source.

Food and drink rules are a separate question. They depend mostly on whether you get contrast or sedation. See our guide on eating or drinking before an MRI, and our walkthrough of what to expect at your first MRI. If you feel warmth or burning during the scan, use the call button right away. The technologist can stop the scan.

The bottom line

You do not need to arrive bare-skinned for most MRI scans. Deodorant and plain lotion are not a known MRI hazard. Eye makeup is the one cosmetic to skip for head and eye scans, because iron oxide pigments can blur the images. The items that can actually burn you are metal-backed medication patches, metallic clothing, and some tattoo inks, so mention all of them to the staff.

Last updated: September 2026. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Follow the preparation instructions from your imaging center and ask your care team about any medication patch before your scan.