Pregnancy is an exciting time, with women going through lots of changes, both physically and emotionally. Their fresh-faced pregnancy glow and newly luxurious locks for a thicker head of hair sounds nice, but unfortunately, the head isn’t the only place where the hair could get thicker. Armpits, bikini line, upper lip and belly are just some areas women will experience extra fuzz. Luckily this is only temporary, and their hair growth should return to normal about six months after they give birth.

As a result, the demand for professional services to remove unwanted hair among pregnant women usually increases. While some methods such as laser and bleaching should be avoided in pregnancy, waxing is 100% safe.

So, what should you do different to accommodate a pregnant client?

With hormone changes and extra blood flowing to the skin, this can increase sensitivity, especially in the pubic area. I would always advise testing the wax on a small patch first, even with your regulars as anyone could react differently to waxing while being pregnant.

Ensuring comfort throughout the treatment is key and can be done by positioning the bed at a 40-degree angle to avoid them lying flat. Towels can be rolled up and placed under your clients legs, hips and back to help support and take the strain off them.

For example, when preforming a leg wax, complete as much of the leg from the front by getting the client to tilt their legs from side to side. Depending on what is most comfortable, I would either ask them to stand for the remaining strips on the back of the leg or ask them to lie on their side. I always advise asking them to lie on the left side first to put less strain on their blood circulation, placing a rolled towel under their bump and between their legs to ensure its comfortable and safe for both mother and baby.

In a bikini wax, I would use my rolled towels to support and always allow extra time depending on how far along your client’s pregnancy journey they are, as they may want to get up and have a little walk around or stretch mid-treatment. For intimate waxing you may even ask your client to get onto all fours to allow you to complete the full treatment.

How close to a client’s due date can you wax?

The answer is right up until their due date. I personally have had clients time their waxing appointment as close to their due date in the hope they make it to the salon in time before going into labour!

So yes, it is completely safe to wax a client right up until their due date but it’s always best to check with your insurance provider in-case they have a different policy.

What else should you be looking out for?

As always, your consultation is essential to check for any changes and one common change in pregnant clients is melasma also known as “pregnancy mask” where the skin can develop brown/ greyish patches of pigmentation. This is due to the increase of estrogen and progesterone production in the skin, but the darker colour usually fades after pregnancy.

Women who have melasma are typically told to avoid waxing on the affected areas as it can irritate the skin and cause the condition to get worse. Taking this into consideration its always best to really inspect the area before you start the treatment and if you suspect any changes advise your client to check with their doctor before going ahead with any treatment.

Blog written by Alice Mackay

• Wax:One & LashUs Education Mentor
• Salon Owner at Beau Boutique
• Instagram: @alicemackay.em
• Facebook: Alice Mackay – Education Mentor