One of the most widespread myths is the belief that beauty and wellness treatments are prohibited during pregnancy. It is true that certain precautions must be taken when choosing them, but some can even help us to cope much better in this stage of our life marked by many hormonal and emotional changes that affect our body.
These are the special wellness treatments so that the pregnant woman receives all the necessary pampering to feel beautiful and relaxed, but totally safe for the baby’s development.
Precautions and unsafe treatments in pregnancy
It is impossible to predict exactly how pregnancy will affect your skin, because every woman is different. But what is known is that all pregnant women experience a series of common discomforts and that it is advisable to try to minimize them.
One of these alterations are changes in the structure of the tissues and muscle distension due to weight gain, or back pain, fluid retention, heaviness in the legs …
Fortunately, there are special non-invasive treatments for pregnant women that do not pose any alteration to the woman’s body or to the development of the fetus. But you have to avoid other unfit, as well as chemicals that can be harmful to the mother and her child:
- Caution with massage oils. Not all oils are not recommended for pregnant women . You have to opt for those made with rosehip, sweet almonds, Jojoba oil, hazelnut or wheat germ.
- Avoid using cosmetics that contain substances such as retinol, retinoic acid, glycolic and salicylic.
- Products with formaldehyde (in nail polish and hair straightening products) and ammonia, present in most hair dyes, must also be discarded at this time.
- Avoid nail polishes with methylbenzene , phthalates, toluene or antisalt, which contain most of the polishes.
- Dermabrasive techniques (facial dermabrasion with a diamond tip or ‘sky diamond’) are not advisable because it can generate inflammation, with the consequent risk of post-inflammatory pigmentation, which is very difficult to correct.
- No treatments such as Botox, radiofreciencia , mesotherapy, varicose sclerosis, wrinkle and lip fillers or chemical peels that are performed by injection or inoculation at different dermal and even intravenous levels of chemicals, because they could be harmful in pregnancy. Better hydration peeling with substances of natural origin.
- From the second trimester, melasma usually appears, the most common skin spot in pregnant women. To treat it with peels or other techniques you have to wait for the pregnancy to end. Therefore, the best treatment is prevention with daily sun protection SPF 50 , in any season of the year.
- Laser hair removal is discouraged during pregnancy and lactation, because it is not known for sure what its effects are on the fetus or the mother. In addition, it could even be ineffective, because during pregnancy hormonal changes can cause excessive hair growth, which disappears after delivery.
But more important is, even if possible, to avoid undergoing any care that could negatively affect the baby. Therefore, it is essential to assess the specialist before starting.
Facial cleansing with hydration
Around the second trimester of gestation, a change occurs in the skin of pregnant women. Some of them experience increased dryness. On the other hand, others have the opposite effect: more fat.
Therefore, to combat that volcano of hormones that erupts in the form of acne, dermatitis or with very dry skin, it is important to offer the skin a good treatment. A hydrating facial cleansing is ideal for your skin to get the oxygenation and luminosity it needs. Not forgetting, of course, increasing your fluid intake to help your skin stay hydrated naturally.
Like the rest of the treatments, facial cleansing has to be specific for pregnant women, using 100% natural or organic products.
- More information on Happiness Carrera
Prenatal massage
Like a normal massage, the prenatal is aimed at relaxing the mind and body, relieving pain and making the future mother feel better.
The only difference between a regular massage and a prenatal one is that the latter is designed for pregnant women. That is, this type of massage takes into account the peculiarities and changes that occur in the pregnant woman, adapting the technique to them.
Thus, the prenatal masseuse will know and take into account that, during pregnancy, the center of gravity shifts, causing the neck, back and shoulders to be subjected to greater tension. The same occurs in the lower back, which, during these months, becomes overloaded due to weight gain.
The main objective of this massage is for those muscles to relax and circulation to flow better. It is recommended from the third month of pregnancy and directly and positively influences the development of the child, creating a healthier environment in the uterus area.
- More information at the María Durán Center
Body pressure therapy
One of the main problems for pregnant women is fluid retention . This, together with weight gain, causes swelling in the feet and legs that together with poor circulation results in pain and a constant feeling of fatigue.
According to the Spanish Society of Aesthetic Medicine (SEME), 95% of women suffer from circulatory disorders at some point during their pregnancy. Pressotherapy is a painless and non-invasive technique that can help women during pregnancy to reduce the heaviness in the legs or improve circulation , among other benefits, thanks to its pneumatic boot system. These produce a massage by means of controlled pressure in different parts of the body that moves the venous and lymphatic flow.
It is also effective in preventing varicose veins and the risk of possible venous thrombosis at the end of pregnancy and during childbirth, as well as to improve the appearance of the skin.
Of course, this treatment is not recommended until the second trimester of pregnancy.
- More information at Clínica Demela
Manual lymphatic drainage massage
Another frequent alteration is cellulite. To avoid it, it is advisable to rest and perform gentle physical activity, such as walking, yoga, gentle cycling and lymphatic drainage massages.
This draining massage is one of the most recommended treatments for pregnant women who retain fluids and feel heavy and swollen legs. With it, they will reduce the volume of your legs because the liquid that remains stagnant in them will mobilize it to the area of the bloodstream for drainage and will eliminate toxins from your body through urine.
It is done with a very gentle manual technique that is very relaxing. This treatment works directly on the upper lymphatic system, releasing stagnant fluids into the bloodstream. In this way, swelling and toxins are eliminated, improving the appearance of the skin and strengthening the immune system at the same time.
- More information in Wellness Center
Reflexology
More than an aesthetic treatment itself, it is a manual therapy that consists of applying pressure to the reflex points of the foot, with the aim of restoring the natural balance of the body, stimulating it to heal itself.
It is an effective method to restore health and help with numerous discomforts during pregnancy: digestive disorders (vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, constipation), chronic back pain, urinary infection, sciatica, nervous tension or apathy, colds and other symptoms that require medicines that cannot be taken during pregnancy.
- More information at Somriure
Sleeping Beauty Special Pregnant
This manual treatment from the Carmen Navarro Clinic relieves tension during pregnancy and activates the lymph nodes in order to improve the state of the pregnant woman and prevent fluid retention. The idea is to create the appropriate relaxation environment with soft lighting and specific music.
In this way, contact with the baby is stimulated and the accumulated tension in the back is relieved. In addition, a massage is performed on the legs and ankles to activate the lymph nodes that work worse during pregnancy and cause fluid retention. The final part is dedicated to treating stretch marks and preventing the appearance of new ones on the abdomen, chest and hips.
In short, in a weekly session of 70 minutes it is achieved: stimulate collagen and elastin and blood circulation, accelerate the renewal process of the epidermis, reduce the appearance of red stretch marks and prevent the formation of new ones, tone, firm, calm and decongest.
Back massage
The back is one of the areas that suffers the most during pregnancy. When the gut begins to enlarge, the spine curves to compensate for this volume, which can cause lumbago and sciatica.
That is why back massage is a fundamental tool to relieve these pains. It helps to relax the tension in the area and at the same time, improves movement.
But during pregnancy it cannot be done as usual. It requires expert and professional hands who know how to do it with a special technique and with the utmost delicacy that the state requires.
- More information at Temple of Massage
Leg circulatory massage
Another of the most sensitive areas during pregnancy are the legs. They are the ones that support the progressive weight gain and together with fluid retention and hormonal changes cause poor circulation and a feeling of heaviness that is unbearable.
For this reason, the leg massage is the ideal complement to lymphatic drainage , since it acts directly on the affected area, so you will experience a feeling of relief in a faster and more effective way.
- More information in Dream world
Perineal massage
It is a manual treatment performed by pelvic floor physiotherapists. With them, elasticity is gradually achieved in the perineal area (the lower part of the woman’s body where the pelvic floor, the external genitalia and the anus are located) to prepare her for the expulsion.
Among its benefits during pregnancy: it prepares the tissues and skin for childbirth, reducing the risks of tears and the possibility of stitches from an episiotomy.
This massage also helps to control the common pain between some areas that are between the pubis and the anus. It usually causes different sensations of discomfort to women due to the large number of nerve endings that exist in the area.
They are very practical for pregnant women from the 26th week of gestation, once or twice a week.
- More information at Fortuny Wellness Center
Complete maternity treatment
Estela proposes a set of specific techniques for pregnant women during the second and third trimesters that includes: circulatory massage, lymphatic drainage, decontracting massage, joint mobilizations, reflexology and wraps.
Its objective is to facilitate adaptation to the changes that occur in this period, such as the enormous distension suffered by the skin or the deficiency in essential fatty acids (the baby uses the mother’s Omega to develop). In addition to helping to relax muscle tension that may occur due to weight gain and muscle readjustments. They also improve circulation and leg swelling, so characteristic of pregnant women.
The Mama Suave treatment works the whole body, especially the muscles responsible for supporting the gut, to provide relaxation and rest in this beautiful stage.
Also interesting is the treatment “prepare for changes” , which focuses on the abdomen area and has as a priority to prevent the appearance of stretch marks. Promotes circulation, gently exfoliates and hydrates. In addition, it is ideal for headaches and shoulders, thanks to the massage of the head and face .
Photos | iStock
In Babies and More | Massages in pregnancy, Seven refreshing beauty tips for pregnant women
