Is It Safe To Tan During Pregnancy

Tanning During Pregnancy – Is It Safe?

All pregnant women want to look beautiful. If you are pregnant, and you are not feeling attractive, you can try different methods. One thing that can-do wonders with your appearance is tanning during pregnancy, but you must be careful and know the risks in order to maintain a healthy pregnancy.

There are many ways you can bring a tanning effect to your skin. Some of the common methods women use to tan their skin include the use of creams, lotions, foams, beds, and the sun. Let’s discuss these methods, which is the best and what are the risks involved.

Risks involved in tanning during pregnancy

One of the best and the most effective ways to tan your skin is to expose it to the sun. However, regardless of your pregnancy, too much or continuous exposure to the sun can cause premature aging of the skin, but it can also cause Malignant Melanoma or skin cancer.

Tanning may damage your DNA and encourages your body to start a defense mechanism against the radiations.

Some scientific studies also show a relation between UV rays and the deficiency of folic acid. Folic acid is a compound that is important for the baby during pregnancy. It helps in preventing the neural tube defects. This is the reason folic acid is extremely important during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Therefore, it is recommended to consult your physician before you choose an option for pregnancy.

Different methods of tanning during pregnancy

There are various methods that you can use to get your skin tanned while you are pregnant. The big question is: Are these methods safe to tan your skin during pregnancy?

As discussed earlier; lotions, foams, and creams are available that you can use to tan your skin. The good news is that ingredients used in most of these products are not harmful to you or your baby, and you can use them for tanning during pregnancy. Before using them, read each product instruction and ingredients before using it to assure that it is safe for pregnant women.

Use of a Tanning Bed during pregnancy

No study specifically provides evidence that tanning beds may directly harm your baby-to-be.

However, it could be dangerous in many ways for yourself. Whether you are outside or inside a tanning bed, the UV rays are the same, however, these rays are more concentrated in a tanning bed.

A tanning bed can be harmful to you in many ways. For instance, many health care providers don’t suggest any such activity or using a device that may raise the temperature of your body artificially. This includes saunas and tanning beds.

Moreover, UV rays, especially during indoor tanning or while using a tanning bed, is one of the leading causes of skin cancer. It may also lead to other problems like wrinkles and premature aging.

Overheating can also be dangerous for your baby as it may cause spinal malformations in the baby.

Moreover, a study reveals that people who use a tanning bed before the age of 35, have a 75% increased risk of melanoma.

In conclusion, you better skip tanning beds during pregnancy since there are too many risks involved.

Tanning on the Beach during pregnancy

Generally, when you are tanning your skin on a beach by the sun, you have to face the same issues as while doing so on a tanning bed.

During pregnancy, your skin becomes more sensitive, and exposure to the sun can cause hives and worsened chloasma.

However, when you remain in a shade, it will prevent hives or heat rash.

So, if you decided to go to the beach, you must keep the safety rules to keep you and your baby safe:

Remain in the shade
Drink a lot of water
Use sunscreen
Go at off-hours (after 2 pm or before 10 am)

A Tanning Lotion, Cream or Foam during pregnancy

Using a bottle for tanning is the best option to get tanned during pregnancy. When you avoid UV rays, your skin will be healthier, and there will be fewer chances of skin cancer, worsened chloasma or hives.

The only concern, in this case, is whether the active component of the product DHA (dihydroxyacetone) can penetrate the skin or not. No study confirms it yet, health care providers suggest women not to use any such product before the third trimester.

Pregnant women cannot avoid all types of UV rays. They have to exposed to these rays during their ultrasounds. However, the key is to understand the risks and avoid tanning beds and the sun to get tanning during pregnancy.