Are Salon Treatments Safe During Pregnancy?

Author Name: Cyndra Neal Are Salon Treatments Safe During Pregnancy?There is nothing like a new haircut or hair color, or pedicure and manicure to make you feel like a new woman. Especially when a pregnancy can leave you feeling tired and changing hormones can make you feel not quite yourself. But are these treatments safe for your developing baby? Exposure to certain environmental agents called teratogens during pregnancy can cause birth defects. Experts are divided on how much exposure is too much but at this time there are no proven risks for most salon visits and there are many things you can do to help minimize any potential problems.NailsReducing your exposure to fumes is the most important thing you can do when getting a manicure. Ask your manicurist to do your nails in a well ventilated area and ask her to tightly cap all solvent bottles. Your nail polish should be formaldehyde and toluene free if possible. There is a small risk of blood-borne infections such as HIV or hepatitis being transferred by non-sterile equipment through nicks in the cuticle. When getting acrylic nails, make sure your nail technician is careful about minimizing the skin contact with the liquids used. Be most careful when in the first trimester.PedicuresPedicure massages, especially when focused on reflex points on the feet can trigger labor. Avoid any kind of foot massage during the first trimester. Also avoid ankle massages even during the second and third trimester. Blood clots are six times more common in pregnant women. Foot and leg massages can dislodge clots if the pressure of the massage is too deep. The temperature of your foot bath should not be too hot. Again, your polish should be formaldehyde and toluene free if possible.Essential OilsSome essential oils known as emmenagogues can encourage menstruation and should be avoided during the first trimester. Make sure your pedicure technician knows which herbal oils are safe.Hair DyeExperts disagree on how much dye may be absorbed by the body and there are many doctors who think it%26#8217;s perfectly fine to get your hair dyed during pregnancy. You might want to be on the safe side and just get your hair frosted, highlighted or streaked where there is minimal contact with your scalp. Be wary of natural dyes that can still contain synthetic chemicals. Pure vegetable henna can be an alternative but not everybody will want a red-orange hue. If you do choose to have your hair dyed, be aware that changing hormones can affect the way the dye affects your hair color.Tanning BedsYou should definitely pass on this salon treatment. Excessive heat exposure is dangerous for your pregnancy and over exposure to UV light can interfere with your immune system.There are salons and day spas that cater exclusively to pregnant women. For peace of mind, you may want to find a salon that understands your special needs during your pregnancy.

Essential Oils for Treating Common Ailments

This article discusses three commonly used essential oils along with their healing properties. Read this article to treat your common ailments and improve your overall health naturally.1. PeppermintThe peppermint oil is obtained from the leaves and flowers by steam distillation and varies in quality depending on climatic and soil conditions. It is very therapeutic oil which has a cooling effect on the skin and lessens pain. Peppermint is excellent for digestive problems. It also makes a great foot bath for hot, aching feet. It is not advisable to use this oil during pregnancy.Peppermint essential oil is helpful for:1. Bad breath: Add five drops to 300 ml of water and use as a mouthwash.2. Heartburn and indigestion: Mix into carrier oil and massage the stomach and rib cage.3. Hot, aching feet: Add ten drops to a large bowl of lukewarm water. Soak feet for at least fifteen minutes.4. Migraine: Use it neat on the temples.5. Sinus, catarrh: Inhale, or use to massage the face.6. Travel sickness: Inhale, or blend in carrier oil and massage the stomach and temples.2. RosemaryThe rosemary essential oils are distilled from the flowers and leaves. It is known as the herb for remembrance and clears the mind and stimulates the memory. It is an excellent hair tonic, improving circulation to the scalp and is helpful for dandruff.Rosemary essential oil is helpful for:1. Circulation: Use in the bath, or in carrier oil. Rosemary has a warming, comforting effect.2. Dandruff, hair in poor condition: Use in carrier oil for scalp massage. Leave for thirty minutes before shampooing.3. Fainting: Inhale neat, like smelling salts.4. Mental fatigue, poor memory: Inhale neat.5. Stomach pain, wind: Mix in carrier oil and gently massage the affected area.3. SageThe sage oil is made from the sun dried leaves by distillation. The essential oil is toxic in high doses, so use with care.Sage essential oil is helpful for:1. Aching joints, rheumatism: Add to your bath or use in carrier oil to massage the affected areas.2. Nervous exhaustion: A good tonic. Add to your bath, and soak for at least 15 minutes.3. Fluid retention: Add to your bath or use in carrier oil.4. Excess perspiration: Dilute five drops in a glass of water. Soak cotton wool in the solution and use it under the arms and on the feet several times daily.5. Sore, bleeding gums: Dilute five drops in a glass of water and use as a mouthwash.Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

Hydrotherapy – Role of Water in the Process of Healing

Hydrotherapy is of special importance in accelerating the process of healing and providing relief to the patient from the painful symptoms of the disorders. Water is an integral of our life processes. Actually water makes up 70 per cent of the human body. There are several widely accepted methods of hydro-therapeutic treatment, chiefly among which are enema, hip-bath, steam bath, the full sheet pack, local wet packs, hot foot bath, spinal bath, localized fomentation by steam, etc.Let us consider the two common uses of water. These are – drinking and bathing.Every one drink water at least 5 to 6 glasses of water in a day. Best results are obtained if water is taken on an empty stomach just after getting up and cleaning the teeth, half an hour before each meal, and two hours after each meal. In addition, of course, water can be taken as required when needed. The temperature of the water should preferably be neither too high nor too low.A glass of water with a little lemon juice, taken early in the morning on an empty stomach, is highly beneficial. Magnetized water would be even better. It must also be remembered that drinking water in quantities smaller than those indicated above leads to constipation, and has an adverse effect on the functioning of the kidneys.Bathing has a unique importance in our daily life. A bath washes away the dirt adhering to the body, the skin is rendered clean and glowing, and its pores are opened up, thus facilitating the elimination of the poisons in the body through perspiration. The friction on the body caused by bathing and by drying the body stimulates circulation, and imparts a blissful feeling of freshness. A good scrubbing relieves fatigue. People who perspire too freely should bathe twice a day. Everyone should form a habit of using cold or lukewarm water for bathing. A hot water baths would be pleasant at the time of bathing, but is likely to generate a feeling of lassitude later, whereas a cold-water bath is stimulating. Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

Getting Rest And Sleep

All the parts of the human body work together, although each one has its especial part to do. The stomach must have a time to rest between meals. The other parts of the body require rest, too. This they usually get while we are asleep. We must not be neglectful and fail to give them enough rest, or they will soon get worn out and give us trouble. Sometimes, when people are not well or are all tired out, they find they cannot sleep well at night. There are a number of little things that can be done to induce sleep. A warm bath before retiring, followed by a gentle massage, especially along the spine, often will, by relaxing the nerves and muscles, produce very good results. A hot foot bath, which draws the blood away from the brain, frequently will be found beneficial. A glass of hot milk or cocoa, taken just before retiring, often will have the same effect. If the sleeplessness is a result of indigestion, a plain diet will relieve. Sleeping upon a hard bed without any pillow sometimes produces the desired effect. Always have plenty of fresh air in the room. Keep the mind free from the cares of the day. If they will intrude, crowd them out by repeating something else some soothing sentence or bit of poetry. One good plan is to close the left nostril by pressing on it with the finger, then take four deep breaths through the right nostril. Then close the right nostril and take four deep breaths through the left one. Repeat this about four times. Then breathe slowly through both nostrils, but count your breaths. You seldom will count very many. Never take any sleeping powders or tablets except upon the advice of a physician, for they usually contain drugs that will injure the heart. You will find that you will meet a number of men who are nervous, which means they have not control of their nerves, but let them run away with them. Sometimes this is shown in palpitation of the heart, headache, backache, and many other disorders. There may be a tendency to cry at trivial things, or a feeling of having “the blues.” The cause usually can be found in uncongenial surroundings or occupation, loss of friends, or real or fancied troubles. Whatever the cause, it should be removed, if possible, and measures taken to restore the worn out nerves that are crying for rest or food. Tonics help, so does nourishing food, such as eggs and milk; also a change of scene and occupation, if possible. A man who is nervous frequently does not realize what is the cause of his condition, and considers only the symptoms. So when he has a headache, resorts to medicine. In taking these she only is deadening the pain and not removing the cause, so the pain is liable to return.

Essential Oils for Treating Common Ailments

This article discusses three commonly used essential oils along with their healing properties. Read this article to treat your common ailments and improve your overall health naturally.1. PeppermintThe peppermint oil is obtained from the leaves and flowers by steam distillation and varies in quality depending on climatic and soil conditions. It is very therapeutic oil which has a cooling effect on the skin and lessens pain. Peppermint is excellent for digestive problems. It also makes a great foot bath for hot, aching feet. It is not advisable to use this oil during pregnancy.Peppermint essential oil is helpful for:1. Bad breath: Add five drops to 300 ml of water and use as a mouthwash.2. Heartburn and indigestion: Mix into carrier oil and massage the stomach and rib cage.3. Hot, aching feet: Add ten drops to a large bowl of lukewarm water. Soak feet for at least fifteen minutes.4. Migraine: Use it neat on the temples.5. Sinus, catarrh: Inhale, or use to massage the face.6. Travel sickness: Inhale, or blend in carrier oil and massage the stomach and temples.2. RosemaryThe rosemary essential oils are distilled from the flowers and leaves. It is known as the herb for remembrance and clears the mind and stimulates the memory. It is an excellent hair tonic, improving circulation to the scalp and is helpful for dandruff.Rosemary essential oil is helpful for:1. Circulation: Use in the bath, or in carrier oil. Rosemary has a warming, comforting effect.2. Dandruff, hair in poor condition: Use in carrier oil for scalp massage. Leave for thirty minutes before shampooing.3. Fainting: Inhale neat, like smelling salts.4. Mental fatigue, poor memory: Inhale neat.5. Stomach pain, wind: Mix in carrier oil and gently massage the affected area.3. SageThe sage oil is made from the sun dried leaves by distillation. The essential oil is toxic in high doses, so use with care.Sage essential oil is helpful for:1. Aching joints, rheumatism: Add to your bath or use in carrier oil to massage the affected areas.2. Nervous exhaustion: A good tonic. Add to your bath, and soak for at least 15 minutes.3. Fluid retention: Add to your bath or use in carrier oil.4. Excess perspiration: Dilute five drops in a glass of water. Soak cotton wool in the solution and use it under the arms and on the feet several times daily.5. Sore, bleeding gums: Dilute five drops in a glass of water and use as a mouthwash.Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

There is nothing like a new haircut or hair color, or pedicure and manicure to make you feel like a new woman. Especially when a pregnancy can leave you feeling tired and changing hormones can make you feel not quite yourself. But are these treatments safe for your developing baby? Exposure to certain environmental agents called teratogens during pregnancy can cause birth defects. Experts are divided on how much exposure is too much but at this time there are no proven risks for most salon visits and there are many things you can do to help minimize any potential problems.

Nails

Reducing your exposure to fumes is the most important thing you can do when getting a manicure. Ask your manicurist to do your nails in a well ventilated area and ask her to tightly cap all solvent bottles. Your nail polish should be formaldehyde and toluene free if possible. There is a small risk of blood-borne infections such as HIV or hepatitis being transferred by non-sterile equipment through nicks in the cuticle. When getting acrylic nails, make sure your nail technician is careful about minimizing the skin contact with the liquids used. Be most careful when in the first trimester.

Pedicures

Pedicure massages, especially when focused on reflex points on the feet can trigger labor. Avoid any kind of foot massage during the first trimester. Also avoid ankle massages even during the second and third trimester. Blood clots are six times more common in pregnant women. Foot and leg massages can dislodge clots if the pressure of the massage is too deep. The temperature of your foot bath should not be too hot. Again, your polish should be formaldehyde and toluene free if possible.

Essential Oils

Some essential oils known as emmenagogues can encourage menstruation and should be avoided during the first trimester. Make sure your pedicure technician knows which herbal oils are safe.

Hair Dye

Experts disagree on how much dye may be absorbed by the body and there are many doctors who think it’s perfectly fine to get your hair dyed during pregnancy. You might want to be on the safe side and just get your hair frosted, highlighted or streaked where there is minimal contact with your scalp. Be wary of natural dyes that can still contain synthetic chemicals. Pure vegetable henna can be an alternative but not everybody will want a red-orange hue. If you do choose to have your hair dyed, be aware that changing hormones can affect the way the dye affects your hair color.

Tanning Beds

You should definitely pass on this salon treatment. Excessive heat exposure is dangerous for your pregnancy and over exposure to UV light can interfere with your immune system. There are salons and day spas that cater exclusively to pregnant women. For peace of mind, you may want to find a salon that understands your special needs during your pregnancy.