PREGNANCY PAMPERING FAQs

Your hair is looking luscious, but should you steer clear of the salon while pregnant? What about chemical peels to keep you in the glow? Here’s how you might need to change your beauty routine for the next nine months, and what’s perfectly safe to keep doing, writes Robyn Lawrenson

- Robyn Lawrenson

YOU’RE MAKING ANOTHER human being, which can make you feel (and sometimes look) exhausted. You might want to rush to the salon or spa for your usual beauty pep-up, but beware – some treatments are contraindicated while pregnant. This means they’re not safe, or they actually can’t be tested for safety, since this will have to happen with pregnant women. We asked our local experts about what’s safe and what’s not…

CAN I HAVE A CHEMICAL PEEL?

Candice Klaaste, head educator at Sorbet says, “It’s not advisable to have chemical peels. Issues with skin such as pigmentation, acne, sensitivity and discoloration are caused by pregnancy hormones. These will stay in the body until after your baby is born and for about one year after birth. Pregnancy-related skin problems sometimes go away on their own after birth, but it’s best to treat the condition only once the hormones stop causing skin problems.”

Tzvia Hermann, marketing manager of The Laser Beautique, says that chemical peels cause an injury to the skin, and different product houses will advise differently depending on the ingredients in their products and peels. For example, Optiphi advise against having chemical peels.

CAN I HAVE LASER HAIR REMOVAL?

Tzvia says, “We don’t treat pregnant or breastfeeding women, as there are no trials to test for safety. Although laser doesn’t penetrate deep into the skin, we prefer to wait until after our clients have given birth and have finished breastfeeding.”

Besides, pregnancy can make laser less effective. Candice says, “Even if you wanted to, hormones play a big role in hair growth, so laser hair removal may not be as effective as it would be when you’re not pregnant.”

MY HAIR IS GROWING SO FAST! CAN I GO FOR MY USUAL WAX?