Did you or someone you know just find out that you’re pregnant?
Congratulations! The next few months will be a whirlwind of new experiences, and between reading about breathing techniques, choosing a color for the nursery, and running to the bathroom every 15 minutes.
It can be easy to neglect certain aspects of your everyday life. Despite the chaos, it’s important to step back once in awhile to make sure your taking good care of yourself throughout your pregnancy.
This, especially since your pregnancy can have some interesting effects on your beauty routine. For instance:
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You may need to adjust your skin care routine
You may already be aware that the change in your hormones due to pregnancy can cause sudden breakouts, but did you know that pregnancy can also limit the products you should use to treat those breakouts?
If you use products on your skin to help with acne, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor about continuing to use them during your pregnancy. Certain ingredients can have unknown or even negative effects on your growing baby.
It’s a good idea to stay out of the sun
Even if you spent a lot of time in the sun without any negative effects prior to your pregnancy, that might not be the case now that you’re expecting.
Not only can your changing hormones make you more susceptible to sunburns, your pregnancy-altered immune system may not be able to defend against sun-induced skin cancer as well. If you do get sunburned, the resulting overheating and dehydration can be risky for your growing baby.
You might want to ditch your whitening toothpaste
Another side effect of pregnancy hormones that many moms-to-be encounter is sore or bleeding gums. This can be exacerbated by the use of some whitening toothpastes, so you might want to switch to a toothpaste made for sensitive gums for the next 9 months or so.
If you just can’t stand a less-than-pearly-white smile, there are some whitening toothpastes that are safe to use — just ask your dentist.
You may need to find other ways to relax
Just like certain ingredients in skin care products can be dangerous during your pregnancy, you may also need to take a temporary break from some ingredients in certain spa treatments. Luxury bath products, essential oils, chemical hair removal treatments, and spray tanning sessions should all be left until after the baby arrives.
You might not even need all those beauty products, anyway
It’s not all bad! You may already be familiar with the “pregnancy glow“, but pregnancy can bring on some lesser-known beauty benefits, too. Many pregnant women experience shinier and fuller hair, fuller lips, and stronger nails when they are expecting. These side effects are mostly due to an increase in blood volume and certain hormones during your pregnancy.
Of course, every woman is different and so is every pregnancy. Talk to your doctor about the types of products you should avoid and which ones you should use, and trust your instincts. Most importantly, be sure to make an effort to pamper yourself, mom-to-be. You deserve it!
Image Source via Guardian Angel Pregnancy Resources
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