Maintain Beauty During Pregnancy

Pregnancy brings its own set of beauty challenges, especially when it comes to your skin. Along with an influx of pregnancy hormones, your body is changing rapidly and all of it affects your appearance. It's important to maintain beauty routines and confront pregnancy-specific ailments with helpful solutions.

Steps

Overall Beauty

  1. Eat a healthy diet full of vegetables and fruit to maintain beauty while pregnant. A diet full of fruits and vegetables will improve the appearance of your skin.
    • Focus on foods rich in vitamin A, which can help keep your skin healthy. These include fish, carrots, milk and eggs. However, don't take a vitamin A supplement, which is known to cause birth defects.
    • Foods rich in vitamins C and E and rich in antioxidants can reduce the skin's aging process.
  2. Increase the amount of water you drink. Water is an essential element to a pregnancy beauty routine to maintain good health and healthy skin.
  3. Rest and relax whenever possible. Pregnant women need 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night. Plenty of rest will give you more energy during the day and will help thwart bags and dark circles that can mar your appearance during pregnancy.
  4. Avoid harsh soaps, as they can remove the natural oil of your skin. Instead, switch to a moisturizing body wash or facial cleanser for your pregnancy beauty routine.
  5. Use a moisturizer and sunscreen (at least SPF 15) daily as part of your beauty routine. Look for oil-free versions.

Acne

  1. Ask your doctor what topical treatments are OK to use to maintain your beauty routine. You may be able to use benzoyl peroxide, azelaic acid, erythromycin or other antibiotic treatments. Many of them are prescription-only and must be cleared by a doctor that knows you are pregnant.
  2. Clean your face with a mild cleanser twice each day (in the morning and at night) and rinse thoroughly. Pay close attention to cleaning along the hair and jaw lines, where pores can get clogged.
  3. Wash your hair regularly, but don't over wash. Washing your hair too little will cause the scalp to become oily and can lead to breakouts. Washing your hair too much can strip it of natural oils and lead to scalp irritation.
  4. Wash your towels, pillowcases and hats regularly. This will keep your scalp and hairline acne free[1].
  5. Read the labels before you add new makeup and hair and skin care products to your pregnancy beauty routine. Look for the noncomedogenic and nonacnegenic promise on the label.

Eczema

  1. Ask your doctor about topical steroids that may be safe to apply as part of your pregnancy beauty routine. Antihistamines may also help you cope with eczema during pregnancy.
  2. Limit contact with substances that can cause itchiness, such as perfumes and other household cleaners.
  3. Avoid long showers and baths or excessive hand-washing. This can lead to dry skin and irritation, affecting your beauty while pregnant.
  4. Keep cool. Sweat can be a powerful eczema trigger.
    • Wear loose, cotton clothing and avoid overheating by wearing layers that you can take off as you get warm.
  5. Lay a cold compress on your itch instead of scratching with your fingernails. Your nails can make eczema worse and dull your beauty while pregnant. Scratching can also cause an infection if your nails cut through the skin.
    • Keep nails short and filed into a rounded shape to lessen the impact of scratching on your skin.

Stretch Marks

  1. Realize that there's not much you can do to prevent stretch marks from forming during your pregnancy.
    • Slow, steady weight gain that is appropriate for your size and height can reduce the likelihood that stretch marks will appear.
    • Lotions, creams and oils that claim to prevent stretch marks have not been proved effective.
  2. Ask your dermatologist about stretch mark treatments after you've delivered your baby. However, you may find that stretch marks fade over time.

Beauty Treatments

  1. Schedule your hair coloring appointment in the second or third trimester to maintain your beauty routine.
    • There are many chemicals in hair dyes, but studies have not proved a direct link with birth defects. However, waiting until the second or third trimester will reduce exposure when the baby's vital organs are developing.
    • To be even safer, consider highlights. Unlike a single-process color, dye isn't applied to the scalp, reducing the likelihood of the chemicals entering your system.
  2. Get regular manicures and pedicures throughout your pregnancy.
    • Polish can contain trace amounts of chemicals, but they aren't absorbed through the skin around your nails and haven't been linked to pregnancy complications.
  3. Consider the benefits of a facial, but skip harsh treatments such as microdermabrasion or chemical peels.
    • Be mindful that your skin is more sensitive during pregnancy. You'll also need to be propped up in your chair when getting a facial during the third trimester. Lying flat on your back can affect your circulation and balance.
  4. Schedule your regular bikini wax in the first and second trimesters.
    • If you haven't had a bikini wax before, wait until after labor. The pain of the treatment may prompt contractions. Also, be aware that you may experience more skin irritation post wax during pregnancy.
  5. Avoid teeth-whitening treatments, hot tubs, steam rooms, saunas and tanning beds while pregnant.
    • The effects of teeth-whitening procedures have not been fully studied and teeth are extra sensitive during pregnancy. Hot tubs, steam rooms, saunas and tanning beds can raise the body's core temperature and affect your balance.

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Sources and Citations

  • ↑ https://healthmatch.io/acne
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