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Beauty Procedures and Pregnancy

What's Safe and What's Not?

By Carma Haley Shoemaker

According to Cassandra Chase, a registered midwife from Greenville, S.C., the evidence of coloring, perms or highlighting causing illness or complications during pregnancy is still uncertain. "There is no definite determination as to whether a trip to the beauty salon for anything other than a wash and cut can be dangerous to Mom and Baby," says Chase. "However, to be on the safe side, we often tell pregnant women to avoid the use of any chemicals, on their hair or otherwise, at least until the last trimester. The chief complaint with coloring, perming or highlighting in pregnant women is that they can't tolerate sitting for that long or that the smell makes them nauseous."

"I decided to get a perm during my pregnancy," says Serena Gordon, of Hudson, N.Y. "I was concerned because I had read that hair coloring could pass through the placenta to the fetus, but hadn't read anything about perms. I talked to my doctor, and he told me not to worry – as long as I thought I could sit comfortably for the time it takes to get a perm, then go ahead and do it."

Few things may make you look or feel healthier than a glowing tan. And with the invention of tanning beds, bronzing your skin can now be done in half the time. However, Bill Wolff, a nutritionist and tanning salon owner from Atlanta, Ga., says a woman in her first two trimestrs of pregnancy should not use tanning beds, as they can be dangerous to both her and her unborn baby.

Want to see more?

• The Art of Prenatal Massage
• Herbs for Pregnancy: Natural Medicine in the Modern Age
• Household Hazards: How to Protect Your Unborn Baby
• Acupuncture: Relief Right to the Point

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