Pregnancy promises women ‘the glow’.
You know the one that all the ads on TV and pregnant movie stars on the cover of magazines seem to show.
So, it’s no surprise that pregnant women everywhere are outraged that when they finally reach this momentous milestone in life, their glowing skin dreams are shattered and replaced by blotchy skin and breakouts. It is estimated that over 50% of pregnant women will experience acne at some stage of their pregnancy.
So why do pregnant women suffer breakouts?
Fluctuating hormones are primarily responsible for breakouts. In particular estrogen and progesterone which are the female sex hormones, but also testosterone and androgen, the male sex hormones. These play a direct role in the production of sebum (an oil secretion of the sebaceous gland).
Changes in the amount of circulating blood sugar and the hormone insulin are also to blame for pregnancy acne. All of these factors have an effect on oil production – instead of a regular secretion which is just enough to lubricate the skin and make it supple, there is too much oil and this is what clogs the pores.
All of these changes are perfectly normal parts of pregnancy as the body adapts to supporting the baby’s growth.
Hannah, our enrolled injectable nurse has recently returned from maternity leave. I interviewed her for our beauty section on this blog click here to read.
I asked her about her own pregnancy experience and if she achieved the highly sought after ‘glow’ and her answer was a firm NO.
“My skin turned to rubbish when I fell pregnant and I had to change my entire skincare regime. At about eight weeks pregnant I developed full face dermatitis.
I came into work (Face Plus Bankstown) crying and begging the dermal therapists to fix my skin. My face was red raw and I didn’t know what to do with it. They gave me a really good clean and worked with me to change my at-home products and routine to match my new skin needs. In the end
I had to use the Dr Spiller aloe milk to cleanse my face, Dr Spiller Sanvita Cream as my day cream and the Dr Spiller jojoba scrub every third day.
The strange thing was my skin before pregnancy could never handle the Sanvita cream. It was too oily and made me breakout. However, during pregnancy and since giving birth, it became my saving grace to calm my overly sensitive skin.”
Hannah’s one recommendation to any pregnant woman is to get a facial.” Your skin’s oil production is all over the place and your skin needs a really good cleanse. I would also recommend LED Light Therapy. This is a completely safe service to undergo while pregnant and will really help calm your skin.”
Jodie, our dermal therapist at Face Plus Medispa Bondi Junction is trained in prenatal massages and facials and wanted to create a bespoke treatment for her pregnant clients. While we have always accommodated women during their pregnancy at Face Plus, we have never had a spa menu specific for them.
At Bondi Beach, our massage therapist Tania offers a Babymoon massage which has been hugely successful, so it was time to add a prenatal facial to the Face Plus offering. Click here for more info
The Prenatal facial is bespoke to your stage of pregnancy. Your needs differ depending on what month/trimester you are in. The experience is however, consistent in delivering a relaxing, deep pore clean. Ground spelt and natural kaolin enzymes are key ingredients used which suit all skin types and sensitivities.
Enzymes are a safe and effective natural way to facilitate exfoliation, help overall biological processes in the skin that have slowed down because of age or sun damage and to inhibit free-radical damage.
Enzymes accelerate biochemical reactions in a cell that would proceed minimally or not at all if the enzymes were not present.
This deep yet gentle exfoliation is suitable for even the most sensitive skins. The Pre-natal Enzyme treatment removes the stratum corneum surface of the skin which will leave the complexion smooth, hydrated and glowing. The treatment also includes a scalp massage or a pressure point foot massage.
This treatment is perfect for spoiling the mum to be.
Available exclusively at our Bondi Junction Boutique
Call 02 8897 0078 to book in with Jodie
Or to purchase a gift voucher
