Being pregnant doesn’t mean that you don’t want to look and feel your best. Carrying a child can be exhausting both physically and emotionally, and it takes a toll on your body. For many, this means feeling self-conscious and not quite as confident as you usually are. Getting a spray tan can help. Not only can it give your skin the glow that you love, but it can even give you a much needed refresh. You will feel energized and recharged with a new boost of confidence when you receive your tan.
However, it may not be that simple. When you are pregnant, you have to worry about more than just yourself. You have a developing child inside your body that needs to be kept healthy and safe. You work hard to eat the right foods and avoid doing things, such as drinking alcohol or smoking, that might harm the baby. But what about spray tanning? Does that pose a risk? Tanning beds and even outdoor tanning certainly can with UV exposure, but spray tanning is different. Here is everything you need to understand about getting a spray tan when pregnant. Remember, always consult your doctor before getting a spray tan when you are pregnant, just to make sure. For the most part, getting a tan past the first trimester is considered safe.
Possible Risks to the Baby
When you get a spray tan, you are covered from head to toe with a solution containing dihydroxyacetone (DHA). DHA is the active ingredient, and is what will ultimately give your skin its bronzed color. You may be concerned about DHA being absorbed into your skin, or that you inhale it and possibly harm the baby.
Luckily, there is little risk of this happening. For starters, DHA is formulated specifically so that it does not penetrate the skin. This is why spray tans are temporary. You do not have to worry about absorbing anything dangerous through your skin. Good spray tanning salons like Organic Bronze Bar have purposeful initiatives in their location buildouts, to ensure air ventilation, as well as wall size tan extractor fans to help remove any extra solution from the air, so that you and the technician have clean air to breath. Another good thing that this salon invests in is their equipment. The spray guns are the highest quality and spray the solution with very fine and targeted distribution, therefore cutting down the amount of solution in the air and at the same time giving you a very customized tan.
The other possible issue is inhalation. If you or the technician is not careful, you may end up getting some spray tan in your mouth or nose. It is unclear as to whether inhaled spray tan could pose a risk to a baby inside the womb. However, it’s very easy to take precautions to prevent this. You can wear nose plugs, for starters, and even a mask. Even with a mask, make sure to keep your mouth closed during the procedure.
Other Things to Consider
Pregnancy has a tendency to dry out your skin, and a spray tan could exacerbate this issue. To avoid discomfort, make sure that you moisturize your skin liberally before and after you tan. You want your tan to help you look your best, not make you itchy or uncomfortable.
Your skin may also be sensitive due to hormonal changes. While there is a very little chance of this, you should still take precautions. You can ask the technician to try it out on a small and inconspicuous part of your body to make sure there is no reaction. These two issues will not cause any harm to your baby, but you certainly don’t want to deal with additional discomfort when you are pregnant.
There’s no reason why you have to avoid getting a spray tan when you are pregnant, especially if you have passed the first trimester. It’s unknown what risks there might be to the fetus earlier than that. Just make sure to talk to your doctor to get the go-ahead. When you are pregnant, you can be exhausted, stressed, and generally not feeling your best. A spray tan could be a great way to give your mind, body, and appearance a healthy glow and create that confidence you deserve!