As promised here are more q&a’s from our interview with Lindsey Barton, our resident new mommy & operations director at Shobha.
Q: What aftercare steps should a pregnant gal take?
A: Don’t wear a thong, instead opt for comfortable loose fitting underwear made from a breathable fabric like cotton. Don’t go comando because any of the bacteria from your clothes (like those pants that you hand on the dressing room floor while shopping for your new maternity wardrobe) will then up your risk of infection. Now is the time for granny panties.
Q: Is there a point when a pregnant woman should just stop waxing?
A: For me, I got waxed when I was ten months pregnant & delivered the next week. I wanted to go in clean so they could see her! I remember it feeling pretty uncomfortable actually towards the end, since I felt awkward since I couldn’t even see down there.
Q: What do you think about shaving your bikini before giving birth?
A: A lot of doctors recommend you shave – but you can’t see it. You don’t know if you’re hairy or not. So it’s so much easier to have someone else help you out. Also, regrowth with shaving is much faster with shaving than with waxing & you don’t want an inexperienced “shaver” shaving you before you deliver, because they will & then you’ll have to deal with an itchy uncomfortable bikini when it grows back out (plus, a newborn!). So better to get it waxed.
Q: Were you more susceptible to ingrowns when you were pregnant?
A: Yes, I was. I found I didn’t want to exfoliate as much because my skin was so sensitive. It got harder to reach too. I would recommend using the Shobha® Exfoliating Cloth over Shobha® Ingrown Relief Lotion – although it is a safe product to use it hasn’t been tested on pregnant women (as stated on the package) but the exfoliating cloth is all natural & worked for me.
Q: Did you experience skin discoloration?
A: Yes. For some people your skin can change color & turn darker. So you might get freaked out when they show you the mirror. It happens to a lot of people. It went away for me after I gave birth – for some people it does for some people it doesn’t. That can definitely be shocking to see your parts a different color than what you’re used to.
Q: Overall what would you tell new moms to expect when it comes to a pregnancy & hair removal?
A: Everything hurts more when you’re pregnant. My skin was really itchy not because my skin was dry but because my nerve endings were firing up. One thing that helped me was the tummy rub from the mama mio skincare line (that we carry at all Shobha locations). Also, if you find yourself in the wax room or threading chair & you just can’t take the pain, tell your specialist to stop. It might not be ideal but it’s ok.