HAIR COLOURING
There is no concrete evidence on whether hair dyeing and bleach can cause harm to the fetus in the first trimester. Therefore the advice is to err on the side of caution and use natural dyes or have highlights instead of hair colour in the first trimester. Hair colour applied to the scalp can cause irritations due to the increased levels of hormones in pregnancy.
BIKINI WAXING
Waxing is not unsafe to do in pregnancy but beware that it may be a lot more painful than normal. This is due your body producing more blood and fluids to support your growing baby. Some salons will refuse to let you go ahead with waxing in the first trimester.
LASER HAIR REMOVAL
The laser works to target your hair follicles to destroy them but it cant tell the difference between pigmented hairs and pigmented skin. During pregnancy it is common to have hormonally triggered types of hyperpigmentation of the skin which is when the skin becomes darker in patches and if these areas falsely absorb the energy from the laser instead of the hair follicle it can result in a burn or discolouration of the skin.
MEDICAL IMAGING SUCH as XRAY and MRIs
There are different opinions on having imaging during pregnancy and whether there is any risk of harming the fetus. The risk is said to be very low but this decision will be made by your Doctor who will way up how vital it is that the imaging takes place for your health versus any risk that may be involved. Just be sure to inform your Doctor that you are pregnant.
ACUPUNCTURE AND ACUPRESSURE OF CERTAIN POINTS
Make sure that if have acupuncture or a treatment that involves pressing on certain points of your body that the person doing it is aware of your pregnancy and experienced in knowing the points to avoid in pregnancy. There are certain points when pressed that can help induce labour so unless you are at the end of your pregnancy and keen to bring on the labour they should be avoided. These points are called Spleen 6 (SP6), Bladder 60 (BL60), Gallbladder 21 (GB21) and Large Intestine 4 (LI4).
Spleen 6 (SP6)
Located on the inside lower leg about a hands width above the ankle bone. This point is used to increase circulation in the uterus and also initiate uterus contractions to bring on labour. A powerful point.
Bladder 60
Located on outside of ankle between the ankle bone and achilles tendon. It is commonly used for lower back pain but also for helping the baby descend during labour so should not be used until end of pregnancy.
Large Intestine 4
Located on the hand in the muscles between the thumb and 2nd finger. Has a general role of getting things moving including labour and helping the uterus contract strongly. It is a strong point for pain relief and useful in relieving pain during the actual labour itself/
Gallbladder 21
Located between the neck and shoulders in the big trapezius muscle. It has meant to have a role of pelvic floor regulation and said to help with pelvic floor and pelvic relaxation. The pelvic floor is needed to support the weight of the baby so should be avoided if you have a history of incompetent cervix or at risk of preterm labour.
