Can You Wax While Pregnant?

Pregnancy is an exciting time. Your body is going through lots of changes, both physically and emotionally. But over the next nine months, shifting hormone levels can cause some unusual things to happen. Some of these, like growing extra hair in unwanted places, can be embarrassing. You may find yourself looking for ways to remove it.

Is it safe to wax?

There aren’t any known medical problems with using waxing for hair removal during pregnancy, as it doesn’t penetrate the skin, however, the increased blood flow in your body could mean it feels more more painful than usual, and could cause some broken blood vessels, which are harmless but visible. Pregnancy hormones can increase hair thickness, speed of growth and darken hair so it appears thicker. While most of these effects will fade after giving birth, some are long-lasting and may require some form of hair removal. Waxing is considered safe during pregnancy for most expecting mothers. However, be prepared to feel a little bit of swelling, increased sensitivity, and skin irritation when you wax.

Is it painful to wax while pregnant?

Many mums recommend getting waxed more regularly than usual during pregnancy, as the less hair there is, the less pain there will be getting it off! Regardless of how often you go, make sure you always inform your beauty therapist you are pregnant, and do patch tests even if you have never had a reaction in the past. This all depends on your pain tolerance, though. The closer you get to your delivery date, the more sensitive you will be. The best is to maintain your waxes. If you pop in every month for your wax, you will get used to it. You can go for your final wax a week before your delivery date. If you’ve never been waxed before, it might not be a good idea to start during pregnancy. With your doctor’s approval, try taking two Tylenol an hour before the treatment to minimize discomfort.

Overall...

You will still need to tell the skin care professional that you’d like to have a test done on a small patch of hair. This will give you a sense of how the process is going to feel and let you know how your skin will react. If it’s too painful, you can stop before a large area of your skin is affected. It’s important to check with your doctor first before planning your waxing sesh, just to be on the safe side.