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.

Bikini Hair Removal - Explore the Possibilities

For decades, women have been seeking to rid themselves of unwanted bikini area hair via a variety of methods. Right now there are more options for bikini hair removal than ever before and you owe it to yourself to check them out to determine which is best for you!The most common way for the affluent modern woman to care for her bikini area is to have it professionally waxed at a salon. Many salons offer a variety of options for this procedure, with everything from just the removal of anything outside the most basic bikini line to the complete Brazillian wax.Unfortunately, routine salon visits can end up costing a lot over time. In addition, in order to have your bikini area cared for by another individual is something you must be comfortable enough with yourself and your practitioner in order to undergo.You can also wax your bikini area with at-home kits available at drugstores. One type of kit involves a pot of wax you heat in your microwave, tongue-depressor-like applicators, and strips of specially-treated paper that you then apply to the wax once it is on your skin. You then tear the strip of paper off of your body, and in theory, the wax and hair comes off with it. As you can imagine, there is a lot of pain involved in the waxing process, whether done at home or at the salon, and even after the worst of it is over, many women have skin reactions to the wax and will remain red and tender in the area for days.The other type of at-home wax kit includes strips that already have the wax on them. The disadvantage to these, as well as to those mentioned above, is the accuracy factor. Having another person apply the wax provides an important vantage point, as it is difficult to see exactly where you are placing the wax and/or wax strips when you are applying it to yourself.The other at-home remedy available at drugstores is the cream hair remover specially-designed for the hair around the bikini area region. Although this sounds a lot less painful, negative skin reactions are actually more common with these creams than with waxes. They are also messy and smell rather bad.Now, however, there is a solution that is becoming more affordable and available to women across America every day: laser hair removal. This is a process which has been approved by the FDA since 1997, and which is widely used around the world for permanent hair removal.These are the main options available when deciding how to go about dealing with unwanted bikini hair. Now that you are more informed about the different methods of bikini hair removal, you are sure to find the right one for you and have the experience be as pain and hassle-free as possible.

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.