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Sunday, March 22, 2015

Can you get facials while you’re pregnant? In a word: YES!

I had a conversation with a new client who was in for a facial recently. She is pregnant, in the first trimester, and the day she came in she was feeling a bit nauseous. She needed extra height under her head to help fend off the queasiness.

She was wondering, going forward, how or if she would be able to keep coming in for facials throughout her pregnancy. My experience is this: Some pregnant—even very pregnant—women have no problems lying on a bed during a facial treatment; some women do have issues. It really just depends on the individual. I have many regular, monthly clients who around the middle of the second trimester say, “I’ll see you on the other side,” because they simply are not comfortable lying down for an hour or more trying to relax during a facial.

Although some ladies can lie down, in order for these women to enjoy the facial, they need to be elevated in a way that doesn’t work for me (or other aestheticians) giving the facial, so at this point in their pregnancy we just aren’t a good match. And then there are those who simply wouldn’t even endeavor to lie down knowing they wouldn’t make it for five minutes.

Every aesthetician has her own way of practicing. Every facial bed is going to have different angles and abilities to change as per the client’s needs and requests. And with a woman in the home stretch of her pregnancy, sometimes all bets are off and something that was comfortable for her early in her pregnancy just might not be a fit now.

When a client calls who really wants a facial but isn’t sure if she’ll be comfortable, I usually say this: If you truly believe you can relax for an hour or so on the treatment table, by all means come in! Getting a facial is good for the skin and good for the soul. However, if you don’t think you’ll be able to recline and unwind—don’t make an appointment. If you won’t be able to fully enjoy and relax during the treatment in a salon, is it worth it to get a facial? I don’t think so. Frustrating perhaps, enjoyable—doubtful. There are many things you can do at home to replicate a facial treatment, albeit you’re doing them to yourself vs. having them done to you.

Only you can decide if you can lie down for the time it takes to get a facial. One thing I do recommend is getting a facial as soon as you can after the baby is born. Your skin (and your psyche) will need it by then.

All the best to you and the miracle growing inside you!

For more information, see:
In both facial photos in this article the aestheticians are standing. Some facialists do this as their way of practice and others may do it to accommodate a client.