pregnancy safe skin care
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| pregnancy safe skin care |
What skin care is safe for pregnancy?
With hormones that are shaking everything up, you no longer know very well how your skin, your body and your hair react. The point on the care that pregnant women can keep or on the contrary, forget temporarily.
Is it okay to use a scrub when pregnant?
Terribly mobilized during these nine months, the body's epidermis really needs to be "supported" to cope in the best conditions with a distension... Impressive! Of course, you help it by moisturizing and nourishing your skin more scrupulously than ever. But you will give it a serious additional boost by getting into the habit of exfoliating your body at least once a week. By getting rid of the dead cells that have accumulated on the surface, exfoliants allow the active ingredients in creams - particularly anti-pregnancy stretch mark products - to penetrate better. As for the action of massage, it improves oxygenation and stimulates cell renewal : ideal for helping the skin's support tissues to better resist distension. Be careful, however, with too energetic friction! Gentle, circular polishing is just as effective and completely respects the epidermis.
What are the prohibitions regarding sunscreen for pregnant women?
Brown line on the belly and/or hypercoloration of the areola of the breasts: while waiting for the baby, the pigment cells are capable of going wild... and the hormone-UV cocktail is almost explosive. To fight against ugly spots and the pregnancy mask step by step, expose yourself as little as possible, only during very mild hours and protected with an SPF 50 +, and never go out, winter or summer, without serious protection against solar radiation. That's good, almost all day care products, even the most "glamorous", now have powerful filters. As long as you reapply them during the day as soon as the first fine days appear, you will be perfectly protected. Always check that your sunscreen is authorized during pregnancy by the presence of a pictogram on the pack.
Can you have beauty treatments while pregnant?
Dull complexion, minor acne breakouts? Depending on the different hormonal flows, certain stages of pregnancy can cause slight skin disorders. If you are used to having your skin cleansed at a salon , you can of course treat yourself to this moment of pleasure and relaxation. As long as you remind your beautician that you are expecting a baby. This way, she will be able to adapt her actions and products to your condition. Because for nine months, the skin needs softness above all else.
Are AHAs (fruit acids) allowed during pregnancy?
Alpha-hydroxy acids, or AHAs, are generally very low doses (up to 5%) in cosmetic formulas and provide a very superficial moisturizing and exfoliating action . They therefore present no risk of toxicity for the fetus. So, if you are a fan of this type of product and if you continue to tolerate them well, there is no reason to stop. On the other hand, if you have never used a cream with fruit acids before your pregnancy, this is not the time to try this type of treatment, which can be slightly irritating . Because hormonal impregnation often causes greater fragility of the skin: it tends to become red and more reactive. It is better to "cocoon" it with very moisturizing creams also rich in soothing active ingredients.
Is it a good idea to use self-tanner when pregnant?
It's not always fun to be deprived of a healthy glow during your entire pregnancy. As long as you don't overdo it on your face so as not to risk clogging your skin, self-tanners are excellent weapons against the blues! You can even cover your legs and décolleté with them without the slightest danger because DHA, the only tanning molecule used to date, does not penetrate the dermis but simply causes surface coloring. This is also why you have to reapply it approximately every three days to maintain a tanned appearance .
How to wax safely while pregnant?
The fragility of the vessels and the unpleasant feeling of heavy legs are the almost inevitable consequences of the increase in blood volume. So, forget about hot wax hair removal for a while , which can also be very irritating on your fragile skin. Also avoid razor burn as much as possible , which accelerates and strengthens hair regrowth... The ideal? Warm wax hair removal, practiced today in most institutes, and increasingly easy to do at home thanks to all the oriental waxes that are warmed for a few moments in the microwave... and which have the good idea of rinsing with water. Once you get the hang of it, the result is worthy of the "pros" and lasts about three weeks. Also impeccable: electric epilators , which epilate very safely and in record time.
Can you get a perm and/or coloring while pregnant?
It is often said that the products used for perming can "pass into the bloodstream" or even that the curls do not take because of hormones. This is false! If you have healthy hair and are used to doing root lifts or perms, there is no reason to suppress your desire for volume or curls under the pretext that you are pregnant. Of course, only the expert hands of hairdressers will be able to find the ideal technique and dosage for you. But it is better not to try your first perm during this period of increased sensitivity to various chemical reactions. As for coloring, experts do not all agree on this subject. Some say that you should continue to care for your hair as before . The basic rule: anything that has always been well tolerated up until now has no reason to pose a problem. Especially since carefully applied "tone-on-tone", highlights or oxidation colors do not touch the scalp at all. However, a radical change of look, such as stripping your hair to white to try polar blonde for the first time, is not recommended. Given our physiological state, there is no point in taking the slightest risk of allergy at the moment! As for other health professionals, they prefer to apply the precautionary principle and encourage their patients to favor plant-based colorings , with which the risk of allergy is really more minimal.
Doing lymphatic drainage while pregnant, risky for baby?
Provided of course that they are carried out by competent practitioners, these gentle and repeated pressures present no risk and even act as deep relaxation maneuvers, which is very important when expecting a baby. During this period, the ideal is to insist on particularly congested areas, especially legs and ankles. To find the right practitioner, do not hesitate to contact the French Association of Manual Lymphatic Drainage Practitioners .
How to avoid stretch marks when pregnant?
While waiting for the baby, the priority, of course, is to fight against skin distension by pampering it morning and evening with creams rich in nourishing oils, elastin, collagen and vitamins.
UV in the cabin
If even the pale winter sun poses a risk of hyperpigmentation for expectant mothers - and for all skin types that do not want to age prematurely - there is no question of exposing yourself to maximum radiation! Even more so in an overheated cabin, where your legs can double in size and where you risk having real blood circulation problems.
Beauty supplements during pregnancy
The most urgent thing while waiting for your baby: get your obstetrician to prescribe medications that compensate for iron and folic acid (vitamin B9) deficiencies. As for the many capsules intended to beautify the skin or hair, the vast majority of them have not proven their safety on pregnant women. A little patience, because these little capsules are, on the other hand, perfectly adapted to revitalize your beauty after baby.
What about vitamin A when pregnant?
All anti-acne or anti-wrinkle treatments based on "real" acidic vitamin A are prescribed only by dermatologists and require regular medical monitoring. The law even requires that the patient be put on the pill so that the patient does not risk becoming pregnant during the treatment. Because even when applied locally (cream, lotion, etc.) and in very small quantities on the face, this substance could cause malformations in the fetus. Also be careful with all new facial treatments based on retinol : even if they are distributed everywhere and do not mention on their instructions that they are prohibited during pregnancy, we do not yet know the exact repercussions of this molecule, which transforms into vitamin A on contact with the skin. It is therefore better to refrain from taking it.
Hammam and sauna when pregnant, is it ok?
Under the effect of the enormous quantities of hormones traveling in your blood, your veins are already very dilated: they can only become even more vulnerable if you impose extreme heat on them, such as in a hammam or sauna. (This does not prevent women from northern Europe, who "fell into the sauna" at birth, from continuing almost until they give birth!) If you are a fan of this practice, do not continue without talking to your doctor, who will assess the state of your circulation as well as your heart rate.
Can we practice aesthetic medicine?
If you are expecting a child, you must absolutely abstain from any injections of products , peels , electric or laser hair removal sessions . Indeed, your skin is not in its normal state: it can have bad reactions such as pigment spots, unexpected inflammations, and in general, it heals less well. This is the consequence of the sexual hormonal upheaval, the modification of the hormones of the adrenal glands. Finally, any products injected to fill wrinkles for example have never proven their safety for the baby. It is therefore mandatory to wait at least three months after birth to consider all these aesthetic treatments.
Essential oils for pregnant women
Even if there are no scientific studies on aromatherapy and pregnancy, one thing is certain: pure essential oils are very active... so not at all harmless! No risk, however, when they are mixed with vegetable oils and incorporated in small quantities in cosmetic formulas or even in perfumes. Their relaxing, soothing or sometimes invigorating side can then prove particularly beneficial and pleasant if you are expecting a baby.
Can you use a horsehair glove while expecting a baby?
No need to be pregnant to forget this definitely too aggressive gesture! More than ever at the moment, it risks breaking the support fibers of the epidermis and aggravating the risks of varicose veins on the legs. Be careful too, because rubbing too hard can cause spots to appear on your body (this is a common pathology among Asian women, who are maniacs of the horsehair glove) or lead to dry skin . A recent dermatological study shows that many eczema attacks occur during pregnancy. Cosmetic scrubs (see scrub) or very light massages with a glove or a loofah strip, woven with sanitized plant fibers, are much gentler, and therefore better suited.
