In brief
- A cleansing, hydrating or calming treatment can go ahead, and so can a massage.
- We postpone peels, including the herbal peel, and microneedling until after your pregnancy and breastfeeding.
- Whether to have colour on your brows and lashes is something we decide together, and you can always say no without explaining.
Written by Nilay, owner and beauty therapist at Moons BeautyUpdated on
Your skin suddenly behaves differently from what you were used to.
Almost everyone notices a change. For some people the skin actually becomes calm and glowing. Others get spots in places where they haven't had them for years, or find their skin suddenly reacts to products that were always fine. That is down to hormones. So you're not doing anything wrong.
What we see most often in the salon is skin that reacts more easily. A product that never used to bother your skin now stings. A treatment you have already had twice without problems now causes redness that lasts longer. That is why we take the intensity down a notch during this time, even if you tell us it has always gone well.
Then there is pigmentation. Dark patches that appear during a pregnancy, often on the cheeks, the forehead and the upper lip, are also known as the mask of pregnancy. They react strongly to sun and heat. There is little point in treating them at this stage, because the cause is still active. Protecting your skin does make sense: daily sun protection is the wisest thing you can do here.
What we do and what we postpone.
This is how we approach it. We can't judge whether something is medically safe. What we do know is that we don't want to take any risk at all during this time.
| Topic | At Moons | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Cleansing facial | Possible | We keep it gentler than you are used to and extract more carefully. |
| Hydrating or calming treatment | Possible | Often particularly pleasant, because your skin is more sensitive than usual. |
| Connective tissue massage | Possible, in an adjusted position | Tell us when you book and we will make sure you are lying comfortably. |
| Acid peels | We postpone these | Until after your pregnancy and breastfeeding. |
| Herbal peel | We postpone this | For the Ado herbal peel, pregnancy is a reason not to use it. We also wait during breastfeeding. |
| Microneedling | We postpone this | Until after your pregnancy and breastfeeding. |
| Brow shaping | Possible | The waxing can feel more sensitive than usual. Otherwise nothing changes. |
| Colour on brows or lashes | We discuss it together | Many people prefer to leave it during this time. If you don't want it, we won't do it, and you don't have to explain anything. |
If you are in doubt about anything, or your midwife has said something that doesn't fit with this, we always follow what your healthcare professional says.
What usually changes at home.
In practice we usually see the same thing. During this time people put their retinol and stronger acids aside and stick to a simple routine: cleansing, a moisturiser and sun protection. Often something calming is added if the skin has become more sensitive.
What exactly you can and can't use is a question for your midwife, GP or pharmacist. That is not the job of a beauty therapist. What we can do is look at your skin, tell you what we see and choose a gentle routine together with you. A routine you can keep up at a time when you already have enough on your plate.
If you do nothing more than cleanse and moisturise for a while, that is fine too. Afterwards your skin will settle into calmer waters on its own, and then we can carry on together with whatever you want to tackle.
Where the salon stops and your healthcare professional takes over.
Ask your midwife, GP or pharmacist any questions about what you can apply or use yourself. They also know what else is going on with you. If they give you advice that differs from what is written here, follow their advice and let us know. We will then adjust the treatment to match.
Frequently asked questions about your skin in pregnancy
Can I have a facial if I am pregnant?
A cleansing, hydrating or calming treatment can usually go ahead as normal. We do keep it gentler than you are used to with us, because your skin reacts more easily during this time. Just mention it when you book.
Why don't you do peels or microneedling during pregnancy?
Because we don't want to take any risk at all during this time, and there are plenty of gentle treatments that are possible. We postpone peels and microneedling until after your pregnancy and breastfeeding, and after that we simply pick things up again.
Can I have my brows tinted if I am pregnant?
We decide on that together. Many people prefer to leave colour alone during this time and choose shaping only. If you don't want it, we won't do it, and you don't have to give a reason.
I have developed dark patches during my pregnancy. Can you do anything about them?
There is little point in treating them now, because the hormonal cause is still active and the patches come back easily. What does help is protecting your skin from sun and heat every day. After your pregnancy we will look together at what is still there and tackle it. There is more about this under pigmentation.
Can I have everything done again while I am breastfeeding?
For peels and microneedling we take the same approach as during pregnancy: we wait until you have finished breastfeeding. The nourishing treatments can go ahead as normal.
Can I still use retinol or acids?
That is a question for your midwife, GP or pharmacist. We can help you with a gentle routine for the time being, and look with you at what your skin needs at the moment.
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