Last Updated on May 21, 2020 by Janie Wilson
” I look so ugly… and fat… and useless. ” These are the words you’ll hear most of the time from a pregnant woman.
Self-esteem drops the moment a woman’s body detects that there’s a little human growing inside. Blame it to the hormones.
During the entire pregnancy, our body… Yes, I am a woman who experienced being pregnant three times. Imagine how long I felt so hideous! That’s nine months times three!
When we are pregnant, a lot of physical changes in our body takes place. Dry skin, pimples, or even worse – acne starts to pop out. Oh and the worst feeling, I know some of you can’t relate to this, but I had the most malnourished times of my life during my first trimester. I said “times”, because it happened to all my three pregnancies. I can’t eat the food that I used and loved to eat. They’re all going out! I was so thin that my collar bones are so obvious, and my cheekbones too!
Then, after the malnourished long days, here comes the “ eat-all-you-can “ days! From losing twenty pounds to gaining double my expected weight. “I’m eating for two” that was my line. It didn’t end there. No. As my tummy gets bigger, my hair gets drier and frizzier as well. I always had a bad hair day and hated combing my hair. I can only count using my fingers about how many times I looked at myself in the mirror.
“A woman’s crowning glory is her hair “. We heard that a lot of times. I guess we all agree with this. If our hair is good for us, our mood follows, and the whole day will be good. Aside from skin, women in general, we are very conscious of our hair. May it be the color, the length, or the cut and it’s softness.
From physical changes, let’s talk about the emotional impact it brings to the whole pregnancy stage. Since our hair condition will affect our entire day, we’ll tackle more about this. If this will help us feel beautiful, at least, then there might be away.
Talking about “away” to make pregnant women feel beautiful, a salon visit will be a solution. Before visiting a salon and consulting your beautician, a visit to your doctor is the safest move to make first. A Beautician’s advice may be different from a doctor.
Keratin hair-straightening treatments are the most common service we want to get from a salon. The question now is, is it safe for moms-to-be?
With my three pregnancies, I’ve always attempted to ask for my doctor’s approval on getting my hair fixed with treatment. With all those three attempts, my doctor always had the same and firm answer, “ no”. So I never did. They know what’s best for us and our little angel after all.
Three months after giving birth to my third child, I had my hair cut. I chatted with the stylist and asked if she’ll do a Keratin treatment even if the woman is pregnant. She answered “no”. According to her, that’s the first question she asks every time a woman will let her do some treatments or dye a hair ( of course the teens are exempted in her qualifying question… unless the baby bump is evident). I wanted to hear the real reason, from a real expert when it comes to the ingredients or chemicals that are present in the treatment itself. I asked why she is refusing and leaving the expecting mothers feeling so messed up? She answered, “ because it is not safe”.
A treatment would demand high levels of chemicals like ammonium thioglycolate. One not good thing about this chemical is it can trigger an allergic reaction. This will be a challenge for sure. Another chemical used in treatments is Formaldehyde. This is the chemical that is much in the eyes and would result in Dyspnea or difficulty in breathing. It has a bad effect on both who have the treatment and the one applying it. It is even understudied because they are considering it carcinogen. A cancer-causing agent.
If the Keratin treatment from a salon is not for the expectant mother, then there is one that is chemical-free. This is the traditional keratin treatment. Because it’s free from those harmful chemicals, thus, it is safe for pregnancy. Though it won’t last as long as the ones in the salon, a three to five months effectiveness is a big help. It will suffice than having very dry hair. Along with being safe for both momma and baby, you should be watchful of the shampoo and conditioner you will be using. It should be sulfate-free. This one from Bingo Hair Care is sulfate-free, Natural Organic Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner Set.
Since being pregnant requires a lot of extra care on what we should use and apply to our hair, we need to go back to what is basic – drink a lot of water, hydrate. Water helps our skin. The skin on our heads – the Scalp. This part is rich in blood vessels and contains more hair follicles and more sebaceous glands. The follicles nourish the hair and help it to grow – long and smooth. Better safe than sorry, right?
Women, us, we all wanted to be beautiful, to feel beautiful. Let’s not deny that fact. But, since we’re the ones capable of bearing a child, we undergo the ups and downs of the moment. It’s alright to feel ugly, to feel fat, or even feel useless. We even sometimes want to cry because of – nothing. Again, blame it on the hormones!
Pregnancy will only last for nine months. Or should I say, nine loooong months? It’s not easy. Never. But, our cute little monsters will be out in no time. Let’s wait for a while before going to a salon and have a Keratin treatment. Our looks can wait, of course.
We may feel grotesque, that’s normal. But I tell you, once that little angel is out, it’s gonna be the complete opposite feeling. You’ll be proud of yourself and you won’t care if you have a bad-hair-day. What will only matter is how beautiful your child is.
Oh, please do not forget this – in your child’s eyes, you are the most beautiful creature. Your hair won’t matter.
This is also a good read: Protein Treatment Relaxer
