Thank you Waxing The City for sponsoring this post. Unwanted hair is part of life… and so is getting rid of it. From brows – to backscaping – to bare it all Brazilians – we’ve seen it all. With 100 locations open – you’ll be sure to find a Waxing The City studio near you. First time customers get 50% off their first service!
There are a ton of beauty no-no’s when you’re pregnant. All of a sudden, most of your go-to skin care products become off-limits and you’re left struggling to rebuild a routine and research what’s safe vs what’s not. Now that I’m in my sixth month of pregnancy, I’ve identified three must do beauty treatments during pregnancy that make me feel and look my best during a time you may be feeling anything but.
Being pregnant during the summer certainly puts some added expectations and maintenance in the beauty department.
It’s not so easy to hide under layers of leggings, boots, sweaters and oversized wraps.
It’s hot, we’re wearing minimal clothing, and still overheating.
Yes, that tank and those shorts are maternity!
Plus, there are the recurring (and welcome) invitations for cookouts and beach/lake excursions with friends before life changes radically after baby arrives.
All of these things – minimal clothes, heat and sun, social activities – are exactly why I think these three beauty treatments are essential during pregnancy.
Around ~22 weeks, I started noticing I was missing spots during my usual lady part shaving.
Few things are more mortifying at the beach than when you are in a swimsuit (already stressful while pregnant) and notice a patch of forgotten hair between your legs, amirite ladies?!
Since it was only going to get harder as belly got bigger to maintain the bikini area, I looked into Brazilian waxing services and learned of Waxing The City. I’m not new to Brazilians, but it’s definitely been a couple of years, so I was thrilled to find Waxing The City had two locations reasonably close to me.
They had a ton of great reviews online and on Facebook, so I decided to book an appointment for a Brazilian Bikini wax at the Princeton location (a Philly one is also opening soon).
For clarification, the definition of a Brazilian Bikini at Waxing The City is ‘Hair is waxed from front to back, including the inner back side. Can leave a thin strip or triangle of hair in front.’
If you’ve never gotten a Brazilian Wax before (or even a bikini), Waxing The City are definitely the pros I recommend. Not only do they use hard wax – which is way less painful and makes the process go a lot quicker – but Waxing The City professionals have done more than HALF A MILLION Brazilians!
I think it’s safe to say they’ve seen it all, so throw away your inhibitions and give it a try. The 10-15 minutes of waxing is not the most enjoyable experience, but as soon as you’re done, you’ll be a Brazilian believer – especially if you’re a mom or mom-to-be. The more jobs you can outsource, the better, in my opinion 🙂
Also, did you know that when waxing is done consistently, hair grows back slower, finer, and sparser, giving you better long-term results?
I find I don’t need to worry about my bikini area for a good 3-4 weeks after a wax, which makes it ideal for pregnancy as it gets increasingly harder to see over my bump 😉
Three tips for Brazilian/bikini waxes:
My technician, Nicole, at Waxing The City was also a mom and made me feel so comfortable during the service. We chatted about how many other moms-to-be come in during pregnancy for the same reasons, and she was so glad to hear I was going to be blogging about this since more women should feel comfortable and not embarrassed about this service.
After my wax, I usually feel sore, a little red and if it’s been awhile… there sometimes are stray hairs the wax can’t totally remove.
At Waxing The City, I was literally SHOCKED to see I wasn’t red at all and there was not one stray hair left. My tech, Nicole, was an expert!
Scared of Brazilian waxing? Waxing The City offers multiple levels of bikini waxes to suit your level of comfort – BIKINI, BASIC; BIKINI, MODIFIED; BRAZILIAN.
Waxing The City offers first time guests receive 50% off their service. Visit waxingthecity.com to schedule your service.
I got my first prenatal massage last week and I don’t know what on earth I was waiting for.
I guess I hadn’t noticed how tight my lower back, hips, and legs have gotten… but I promise you, I’ll be booking at least a couple more massages before #BrighterDarlingBaby arrives.
image via Facebook
If you don’t have a significant bump yet, the massage is performed while you lay on your side with a ton of pillows to support you.
Most locations that offer prenatal massage will also have a special pregnancy bed with cut outs for belly and chest once you get a bit bigger, but the side position is definitely very common and quite comfortable.
My go-to position is with a long body pillow between the legs that also allows you to rest your arm on.
Your therapist uses relaxing techniques to work out the tension in your shoulders, neck, lower back, thighs, calves, hands and even forearms (did you know pregnancy carpal tunnel was a thing?! I didn’t).
I left my appointment feeling like I just came home from a two-week vacation in Hawaii. I felt calm, loose and ready for a good snooze with not a care in the world.
If you live in South Jersey, I recommend booking an appointment at Vir Tu Spa in Washington Township. They also have a location in Moorestown.
*Also, I’ve heard some people get prenatal massages covered by their health insurance, so check with your coverage before booking. How nice that would be!
I’ve talked about Hydrafacials before on the blog and how much I love them.
Much less invasive than standard facials are (although I love a good traditional facial), the HydraFacial leaves your skin glowing and calm in a way a standard facial just can’t.
The HydraFacial cleanses, exfoliates and infuses serums deeper into the skin using a hydradermabrasion device rather than physical or chemical exfoliants.
You literally leave a Hydrafacial looking like you have poreless, baby skin that’s wearing the most glowing, perfect-for-you foundation. It’s truly remarkable.
Considering I’ve been trying to spend a little extra time in the sun and outdoors in my last summer as a non-mommy, and the pregnancy hormones are certainly real (my skin went from constantly-breaking-out oil slick to normal/dry during pregnancy), the soothing effects of a Hydrafacial are excellent.
I’ll be going on my babymoon in July and can’t wait for my Hydrafacial at my old friend’s newly expanded, full-service spa in Wilmington, NC – Coastal Massage + Spa.
image via Facebook
image via Facebook
image via Facebook
Not near NC? I regularly visit Rescue Spa in Philadelphia for traditional facials (but they also offer Hydrafacial) and all of the aestheticians I’ve seen have been nothing less than exceptional.
***
Those are my three must do beauty treatments during pregnancy.
Do one, or do all three of them… but definitely do yourself a favor and book a wax at Waxing The City. It makes you feel sassy, sexy and a lot more carefree especially if you’re pregnant in the summer, too.
Remember, first time guests get 50% off their first wax!
Have you tried any of these treatments – preggers or not? What has been your experience? Let me know in the comments and share with a friend if you think they need some pampering in their life.
-Steffanie
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.