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Medical Video: Is it Okay to Get Waxed During Pregnancy?
Pregnancy is a moment where your body goes through so many changes, both physically and emotionally. Some of these changes are arguably ... a little embarrassing. For example, you might notice the more intense fine hair growth in undesirable places, such as the chin, upper lip, lower back, armpits, legs or in the pubic area, also in the abdomen and both nipples. Naturally, if you think about doing waxing during pregnancy.
Don't worry, this new pattern of hair growth won't last forever. About six months or more after giving birth, the hair will grow back to normal. Meanwhile, if you feel these fine hairs interfere with appearance, waxing is one way to get rid of it.
But, is it safe to do waxing during pregnancy?
Your skin during pregnancy tends to be more sensitive and easily itchy, due to fluctuations in hormonal changes in the body. Your blood flow also flows more during pregnancy - to supplement oxygen intake and fetal nutrition. This means waxing during pregnancy may feel more painful than usual.
Removing clean all fine hair, especially pubic hair, maybe even quite unhygienic. Waxing can cause small blood vessels in fragile sensitive areas, which can potentially be colonized by bacteria and infected. Even so, take it easy. The risk of serious infections and other complications due to waxing during pregnancy is small if done with caution. Even if it happens, the infection can usually be easily treated with topical antibiotics.
How to safely do waxing while pregnant?
Waxing during pregnancy is generally considered safe. But there are some things you need to pay attention to if you want to do waxing during pregnancy. Especially if your skin has one or more of the conditions below, health experts do not recommend you do waxing during pregnancy:
- Open wound
- Varicose veins
- Rash
- Scar tissue
- Mole
- Acne
- Warts
- The area where acne medications are usually applied
Apart from the exceptions above, this is a safe guide to waxing during pregnancy, either at home or with the help of professionals at the salon.
- Home waxing equipment that you can get in supermarkets is generally quite safe to use while pregnant. It's just that, make sure the wax is not too hot. This prevents the wax from burning the skin, which feels painful and can become infected.
- Remember that if you want to do your own waxing, you should first test the wax product on a small portion of the skin to determine whether or not an allergic reaction occurs. If yes, stop using it.
- If your skin tends to be sensitive, try using a sedative lotion before and after the waxing session, such as aloe gel, to reduce redness or swelling.
- If you prefer to get professional help, make sure you go to a reputable salon or spa. Tell your therapist that you are pregnant, because he has to test the wax in a small area of your skin (same as point 1). Some beauty salons have a policy of not allowing waxing during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester.
- You should also check to see if hygienic salon facilities and therapists do not recycle the use of candles or strip waxing among clients. Recycling the use of waxing tools can put you at risk for bacterial infections. Dipping the applicator into the wax container repeatedly for one customer also increases the risk of infection.
