Body Hair And Nail Changes During Pregnancy. Is It Normal?

Thanks to the surging levels of pregnancy hormones like oestrogen and progesterone. Apart from the growing belly, swollen feet and itchy skin, you can also expect hair and nail changes during pregnancy. Yes, you read that right! There can be an increase in the growth of your body hair during pregnancy. You might also notice changes in the growth of your nails during pregnancy. Read on to know more.

How Does Pregnancy Affect The Growth Of Body Hair?

Medical studies suggest that it is normal for you to notice undesirable and unnecessary hair growth in places like the stomach, upper lip, armpits, chin and pubic area. Although the excess hair will not cause any harm, it can make you feel self-conscious and you might consider various options to get rid of them, waxing being the first one.

Is It Safe To Wax When You Are Pregnant?

Your skin becomes more sensitive during pregnancy as the body produces extra blood and fluids to support your growing baby. Hence, certain precautions should be kept in mind while waxing:

• If you are using home kits, it is recommended to carefully handle the hot wax to prevent any instance of burning or scalding yourself that might develop an infection.
• If you decide to visit the salon for waxing, you must make sure that the spatula that is used to spread the wax is clean and fresh. The wax strips or wax should not be reused among other clients.
• It is also recommended to perform a patch test on a small part of the skin to assess for possible reaction or irritation.
• You should avoid waxing during pregnancy if the skin has rashes or scarred tissues as it might cause eruptions and acne.

How Does Pregnancy Affect The Growth Of Your Nails?

Similar to some other changes to your body during pregnancy, faster-growing nails are normal. You can blame the changing levels of hormones for this.

You might also need to reach for the clippers every other day during pregnancy. On the other hand, some expecting mums also experience much more serious nail woes, including white lines or dots (leukonychia), splitting, brittleness, ingrown nails, and detachment (onycholysis) and thickening. Your nails might break, tear and split more easily than before.

Nail Care During Pregnancy

1. Avoid biting your nails as it makes your nails more tender.
2. Keep your nails clean and dry as water makes the nails soft that tends to break easily.
3. It is recommended to keep your nails short as they’re less likely to snag and break.
4. You can slather a good moisturising cream onto your nails and cuticles at bedtime to keep them well-maintained.
5. You can don rubber gloves to cover your hands while washing dishes and using household cleaners.
6. Avoid digging out ingrown toenails. You can visit a dermatologist if these toenails get painful.

Keep these tips in mind to enjoy this special phase of your life. So, are you ready to say, “Bring it on, pregnancy?”

Cover Image Credit: pixabay