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.

Nail Health

Healthy nails are pretty nails - something worth considering if your nails never seem to look good. Fortunately, nails don’t need a lot to be healthy. The most important thing is to avoid those activities and substances that damage nails. There are also a few pro-active things you can do to help foster good health. No, I don’t mean costly supplements, exotic-sounding nail creams, or expensive salon treatments. What I’m talking about are easy, common sense types of things that don’t take a lot of effort, thought, or money.Cuticle massageMassage has a reputation for being a frivolous, feel-good kind of thing we treat ourselves to on birthdays or Mother’s days. And that’s too bad, because massage can stimulate blood flow, encourage oxygen to reach body tissues, and help us relax, placing it firmly in the realm of everyday health care.If you need further convincing, massage can also help our nails. Dermatologists have long known that nails on a person’s dominant hand grow faster and stronger than nails on a person’s non dominant hand. The reason? The busier hand enjoys an increase in blood supply, which nourishes and prompts nails to grow faster.Massage also encourages increased blood flow to the fingers and toes. To massage your nails, reach for some heavy hand cream, massage oil, baby oil, or even olive oil. Place a drop or two of the product at the base of the nail, and rub it into the cuticle, up the nail folds, and onto the nail plate itself. Nail massage has a secondary benefit: the massage lotion or oil moisturizes the nails, cuticles, and surrounding skin so that nails stay strong and flexible enough to fend off breaks and the surrounding skin remains supple and hangnail-free.The importance of glovesNo one I know wears gloves while cleaning or gardening. I don’t know why this is, although I suspect it may be a generation thing. My reasoning? My grandmother and her friends were harder on their hands than our generation is on ours: those ladies pulled weeds, harvested vegetables, picked apples, pitted cherries, peeled peaches for preserves, made minor repairs around the house, did hand laundry, washed dishes without the aid of a machine, ” and scrubbed floors. Yet, unlike me and my friends, those ladies never got professional manicures. Also unlike me and many of my friends, those ladies had strong, healthy nails.So what was their secret? Many dermatologists and nail technicians point to the gloves that the older generation wore. Gloves provide a barrier that protects nail keratin from the weakening affects of water; collisions with hard surfaces; corrosive household chemicals; and more. Fortunately, glove-wearing has nothing to do with your generation and everything to do with habit. To develop the glove-wearing habit yourself, get several pairs for dishwashing and indoor cleaning, and a pair or two for gardening - then wear them!

Teens and Stretch Marks Making Them Less Noticeable

If youve been noticing stretch marks on your body, you may be wondering if this is something that is normal. Well, actually stretch marks are pretty normal for both girls and guys that are going through puberty. During puberty teens end up growing rather quickly, both getting taller and gaining some weight. It is very common for stretch marks to show up during this time. When the skin is pulled by stretching or quick growing, stretch marks can occur. While the skin is designed to be elastic, if it gets stretched too much, collagen product may be disrupted and scars that are known as stretch marks can occur.So, if youre a teen and you are beginning to notice that you have stretch marks, youre definitely not alone. Many girls and women end up with stretch marks, and the often tend to show up on the hips, thighs, buttocks, and breasts. While stretch marks are the most common in girls, guys can end up dealing with stretch marks as well.Of course puberty isnt the only time when stretch marks develop. They can also appear during pregnancy, as a result of body building, or even due to obesity. Also, there are some skin creams that contain steroids that can result in stretch marks as well. Oral corticosteroids can also lead to stretch marks as well.When stretch marks first occur, they usually look purple or reddish. The skin may be raised or indented, and feel different then the rest of your skin. Over time usually these stretch marks start to fade and turn quite a bit lighter; however, this may not make you feel much better when you are getting ready to start wearing a bathing suit for a lot of the summer. If you want to make sure that your stretch marks are less noticeable, here are a few tips that can help.Tip 1 Sunless Tanning One easy way that you can help to cover up those stretch marks is to use a sunless tanning treatment. There are lotions, sprays, and even salon treatments that are great for covering up those stretch marks. Of course you can also get body makeup to help cover them as well; however, if you are going to be in and out of the water, they may not be the best choice.Tip 2 Suits that Cover You Looking for bathing suits that cover a bit more skin is an excellent option for teens with stretch marks as well. Today there are many great styles of bathing suits that can help you hide your stretch marks. Consider going with boy short styles that will hide any marks on your thighs or even high neck suits that will help to hide stretch marks you have in the chest area as well.Tip 3 Avoid the Expensive Creams While there are expensive creams out there for stretch marks, teens should usually leave them alone until they get older. However, if you do want to try a stretch marks cream, make sure you talk to your parents about this first and have them help you find a suitable choice.

Facial Hair Removal For Women - So Many Choices

Men have it easy when it comes to facial hair: if they let it get a little out of control, some people actually find it scruffy and sexy. However, frequent facial hair removal for women is a must in today’s society. There are many ways in which women deal with unwanted facial hair. Spas and salons offer customized facial hair removal treatments which include waxing and plucking of eyebrow hair, upper lip hair, chin hair, etc.Eyebrow waxing and plucking is fairly routine: often, a woman will go to a salon to have this taken care of professionally approximately once a month and then they will be able to maintain the shape the aesthetician has created for them in the meantime. There is also a new technique called eyebrow threading that is also becoming common.Often, when a woman goes for her monthly eyebrow treatment, she can have an additional facial area or two waxed by the aesthetician for a small additional fee. This is how most women take care of their upper lip hair, and how some get rid of chin hair.But what about at-home solutions for those of us unwilling to pay for monthly salon treatments for something we can do ourselves? Drugstores offer a number of products to help women manage their unwanted facial hair: most of these products are either waxing kits or cream hair removers.Drugstore facial hair waxing kits usually either include a jar of wax you heat in your microwave along with wooden applicators and specially-treated paper strips, or else they contain strips that already contain the wax necessary to remove the hair.Unfortunately, these kits can often end up causing women more pain than salon treatments, especially when you are just starting to use them. As this wax is usually of a lower quality than salon wax, it is often less effective in removing hair, and you will need to apply the wax more than once. Unfortunately, most kits carry the warning that you should not use them more than once a day in order to allow your skin time to heal before you reapply it. In addition, because your microwave is less-advanced at achieving the ideal temperature for hair removal, it is easy to burn oneself if it’s too hot or cause it not to work if it is too cold.The other option is to use a cream hair remover. These are often easier with which to be precise, as it is possible to have better control over where the cream is going; however, every brand has the same unpleasant odor, and this is especially unfortunate when taking care of upper lip hair, as it is going to have to be right under your nose for a few minutes at least.As you can see, there are a number of options for facial hair removal for women. It is important to consider the various advantages and disadvantages of each treatment when selecting which is the best for you.

Everyone wants the look of thick, shiny, beautiful hair, and this includes both men and women.  We admire the celebrities who have this and dismiss those who don’t, or worry about our own dull and frizzy mane.  While it’s true that genetics play a very large role in the head of hair we’re blessed or cursed with, we can also do much to take care of our own and improve the look and texture.  And this means without expense salon treatments!  Most ingredients you need to take care of yourself can be found in your kitchen cupboards or pantry.

To understand how to get healthy looking hair you need to have a basic understanding of its structure and what makes it healthy or not.  It’s important to realize that your hair is nourished at the scalp and the scalp alone.  The shaft or strand gets vitamins and oils from the scalp and then needs to push it along to the tip.  This is why people are more likely to get split ends and those ends typically look less healthy; they are far from the source of nourishment and so are more vulnerable to being dry and therefore splitting.  Also, when we use styling tools on our hair it’s usually at the end, to curl them up or under or push them back.  This combination of a lack of nourishment and added stress is a recipe for disaster!

Realizing that the hair shaft or strand gets no nourishment when it’s away from the scalp is why things such as hot oil treatments and conditioners are necessary.  You’re adding moisture to this area that isn’t getting much.  This moisture is one big reason why some hair is shiny versus some that is dull-looking.  Of course you need to rinse any oils or conditioners out thoroughly so that it doesn’t build up; think of adding lotion to your hands.  You want it to be absorbed, not caked on.  The same for hot oil treatments or conditioners - let it soak and get absorbed, but rinse the residue away thoroughly.

Vitamins are also important, as they help to add shine and body to your hair as well.  Eggs and beer are great sources for the natural nourishment your scalp needs.  Eggs are rich in Vitamin A and beer has natural grains that are also helpful.  Lemon juice is a natural highlighter for your hair, as it gently bleaches some of the pigment in areas without damaging it the way peroxide does.  Adding a little bit of lemon juice to your shampoo can give you the look of costly highlights for so much less money!  Vinegar is also a very healthy shampoo that cleanses your scalp and removes the residue of styling products that dull your hair.  Mix a fourth of a cup of vinegar or apple cider vinegar to a gallon of water and rinse your hair with this before your regular shampoo.

The real key to healthy hair is to take care of it consistently.  Trying a treatment once per month won’t be enough; develop a good routine every day and you’re sure to have a beautiful mane that everyone will love!

Be advised that if you decided to take Vitamins A internally that vitamin A is stored in the liver and fat cells of the human body and can reach toxic levels.  DO NOT take more than the recommended dosage of Vitamin A.

Always consult your doctor before using this information.

This Article is nutritional in nature and not to be construed as medical advice.

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.