Are you a soon-to-be mum?
Then you're most likely sick of people offering up their opinions about labour, assuming you must be due soon (ahem) and mauling your bump without asking. Oh, yes.
Of course, they have the best intentions, but talk about trying to scare the bejasus out of you. Plus, people just think they have to offer up an opinion on you, your size, the size of your bump, what you should be eating, what you shouldn't be eating, what beauty rituals you can't do and what products you should absolutely avoid... you get the jist.
But, so many of these are just myths. So, we teamed up with the folks at
Aptaclub to dispel these for you.
Here are 5 beauty regimes that you can carry out while carrying a bump:
1. Is it safe to colour your hair during pregnancy?
It’s true – the chemicals used in hair dye are highly toxic. However, most research has revealed that it is in fact perfectly safe. If you are colouring your own hair, follow these tips:
- Always use the gloves provided.
- Leave the colour on for the minimum amount of time.
- Where possible use a semi-permanent dye that is vegetable based such as Henna as they would be the safer alternative.
2. Is is safe to use tanning lotions?
In general, it’s considered safe to use fake tan and creams during pregnancy – it's probably better than getting too much real sun because of your skin's sensitivity to the sun when you're expecting.
However, be mindful of what fake tan you use – pregnancy hormones can make your body way more sensitive than usual too so you could be at risk of an allergic reaction. So make sure, to do a patch test before applying the lotion, even if you’ve used it before.
Top tip: Avoid spray tans in a salon – there may be side effects from inhaling the spray. Stick to at-home applications instead.
3. Can I get a gel manicure?
Although it’s considered safe to have gel nails on while pregnant, there's a good argument to be made against them. Here’s why:
- Gel and shellac nails need to be soaked off and if you were to go into labour and need to remove nail varnish for a C-Section, Maternity units only have standard nail varnish remover and staff won’t be able to remove your nails.
- A clear nail bed is needed to monitor your well-being during an operation.
Our advice? Stick to good old-fashioned nail varnish or buff up your beautiful naturally-pink nails for a nude take.
4. Can I use hair removal creams?
These creams are perfectly safe to use while pregnant.
Top tip: Do a patch test first – don't forget how sensitive your skin can be because of pesky hormonal changes.
5. Is it safe to get a wax while pregnant?
It's safe, but as any beautician will tell you, you’ll still need a patch test if you’ve never been waxed before. Remember, your skin may be irritable so, ouch, it could hurt more than usual... deep breaths!
