Pros and Cons of Tanning while Pregnant – Glam Glowing

Summer season is just around the corner, and you are already dreaming about grabbing your cold drink and bikini suit to head towards the beach and lay down on the sunbed to enjoy cold breezes and get a glowing tanned look. While the appeal of sun-kissed tan beckons, you and your baby’s safety comes first. In this informative debate, we examine the advantages and disadvantages of tanning while pregnant, looking into topics such as UV exposure, vitamin D generation, mood improvement, and more. From mood-boosting rays to skin-loving melanin, we unpack the complexity so you can make the right decision.

Pros and Cons of Tanning while Pregnant

Pros

Tanning while pregnant can give you many benefits few of them are 1) Boosting your mood 2) Producing More Vitamin D, 3) Releasing Depression 4) Producing Melanin.

Boosting Your Mood

You go out on the beach and lay down there on the sunbed for tanning while pregnant, having pregnancy mood swings. UV rays penetrate your skin to get you tanned and produce endorphins, also known as the happy hormones that make you feel good. Endorphin boosts your mood while you are feeling dull during your pregnancy period. Although it does not last for a very long time for a shorter period, tanning can boost your mood.

Vitamin D

Sunlight is the primary source of vitamin d for your body. During pregnancy, you need to take extra care of your bones because you will carry excess weight in your womb than an ordinary person, and if you have weak bones, it can be stressful during your pregnancy. Vitamin D also helps produce your child’s bones, teethes and other body parts.

It would help if you went out in the sun while pregnant, whether you want to tan or not, but take vitamin d from the sun’s rays. It is also essential to take care as spending more time in the sun can cause the sun burns and other problems. using sunbed while pregnant for a limited time will also help this.

Release Depression

This point is also connected with this article’s previously discussed topic of boosting mood. Sunlight increases serotonin production, making you happy and getting your depression away.

Almost one out of every ten pregnant women feels depression during their pregnancy period. Doctors avoid suggesting anti-depressants to pregnant women, so they tell them to practice natural ways to treat depression, and one of them is sitting in the sun for at least 15 to 20 minutes a day.

Produces Melanin

When UV rays penetrate your skin, it interacts with the skin cells called melanocytes. These skin cells produce a pigment called Melanin, which blocks the sun rays from causing further damage to your skin and gives your skin a darker color.

This pigment, Melanin, is essential if you are a tan enthusiast looking for dark glowing skin. So Sun rays will produce more Melanin in your skin and help you get your most wished tan look.

Cons

Sun tanning while you are pregnant could be a risk to your health. Let’s list down a few possible disadvantages.

1. Increased risk of skin damage
2. Risk to the fetus
3. Decreased immunity.
4. Dehydration
5. Increased risk of cancer

Risk of Skin Damage

Getting Direct exposure continuously to the sun is always harmful to you whether you are pregnant or not. A pregnant woman should avoid going out in the sun during peak hours (10 AM to 4 PM), and if you have to go, limit your time in the sun and use broad-spectrum sunscreen before going out.

Women’s skin is more sensitive during pregnancy, and it can cause severe damage to the mother and the developing fetus.

Sunburns, premature aging, and dehydration are common skin risks when getting a tan. There is also a high risk of developing melasma. It’s a condition in which dark patches appear on the skin, especially on the face, due to UV rays.

Pregnant women must take extra safety measures like wearing protective clothing, using high-SPF sunscreen and drinking much water to avoid the risk of dehydration.

Risk to Fetus

Getting a tan requires a significant amount of time to spend in the sun, but it can be risky for the fetus when you are pregnant. Exposure to Uv rays can Increase the Risk of Birth Defects, Low Birth Weight, DNA Damage, Hormonal Changes and Suppressed Immune System of the baby.

There is a very high risk of significant health problems for unborn children if you spend more time in the sun. You must avoid going out in the sun, and if in case you need to go, then take all the safety measures to protect yourself and your fetus from the harmful UV rays.

Decreased Immunity

Uv radiations from tanning are more likely to affect the immune system of a pregnant woman negatively and her child as these harmful UV radiations can suppress the production of immune cells such as T-cells that fight infections.

Uv rays can cause inflammation, eventually leading to a weaker immune system. Oxidative stress is the other big problem caused by UV rays. This stress can cause an imbalance between the free radical production and the body’s ability to make them neutralize.

Decreased immunity can be a severe problem for the unborn child as it can cause infections and other issues. When the mother’s immune system is weakened, and she gets diseases and other issues, these can be transferred to the baby.

Increased Risk of Cancer 

Exposure to Uv radiation in the sun or indoor tanning while pregnant using tanning beds has the risk of skin cancer. Uv rays damage the DNA cells in the body, leading to skin cancer. Especially when you are pregnant, your skin is more sensitive you are more likely to get affected by this.

There is a high risk of getting melanoma, a dangerous type of skin cancer that can spread to other body parts if not treated properly. People who use tanning beds have more chances of skin cancer than the sun.

Cancer can be life-threatening to anyone, no matter if you are pregnant, but pregnancy, you should take extra care of yourself to avoid such problems. Take all the possible measures and avoid prolonged exposure to the sun or any other tanning method.

Dehydration

Dehydration is the most common problem in pregnant women caused by sun exposure. Going out in the sun for tanning causes sweating and loss of fluids. When your body is developing a fetus, it requires much more strength and fluids to keep it going.

Loss of fluids due to sweating can cause nausea and vomiting, which decreases the strength of your body. All this condition is not fruitful for the baby, so you should avoid this kind of situation which leads to dehydration.

Drink much water and suggested cold drinks by your doctor to maintain your body’s water level to normal and take all the safety measures to avoid any consequences.

Can you use self-tanner while pregnant?

As we have discussed the possible pros and cons of tanning while pregnant, you must have wondered if you can use a self-tanner while pregnant, especially in the first and second trimesters. Let’s discuss if you can fake tan while pregnant.

Spray tans and other fake tanning products like self-tanning lotions, oils and tanning drops are usually the safest to achieve a glowing tanned look. These sprays and creams do not contain any ingredients that can harm your baby if used externally But you have to take care of it after the baby is born cause it can leave marks on the baby while breastfeeding. However, these products include a component called DHA (Dihydroxyacetone), which only interacts with the upper layer of the skin to produce a darker skin color and this is the process of self-tanning.

While getting your spray tan, avoiding it on your face is good, as organic spray tans contain chemicals that can harm the baby if inhaled. Also, if these chemicals interact with your eye, it can give you unrest ness in the eyes. However, you can get your spray tan from any certified professional without worrying about your baby. Many professional Spas offer indoor spray tanning services, which can easily utilize by getting an appointment with them.

tanning bed while pregnant

Using tanning beds while pregnant are not recommended especially in first and second trimester. There is no proof that the UV rays from the tanning bed can directly harm the baby. But the biggest issue with tanning beds is that they can cause your body to overheat, which can cause dehydration. If your body temperature rises above 102֯ F, it harms the baby’s health and development. Also, first and second trimesters are really important for baby’s development it is crucial to avoid any kind of risky activities during this period. Another issue with a tanning bed is that it releases UVA rays directly linked to cancer and skin burns.

Can Tanning while Pregnant Harm the Baby?

This is not scientifically proven that tanning can harm the baby while you are pregnant. However, there is a strong connection between UV rays and the risks to the fetus. Your body can face many possible problems while exposed to the sun, like overheating, heat strokes, dehydration, etc. These can be severe harm to the fetus.

During the first trimester, your baby develops the nervous system, and folic acid is crucial. However, UV rays can affect the level of folic acid in the body, harming the baby’s underdeveloped nervous system.

Do you tan easier when pregnant?

When pregnant, many hormonal changes happen in your body, making your skin more sensitive. Due to these hormonal changes, your body reacts more quickly to any reaction, and when you go out in the sun to get tanned, your skin reacts quickly and produces melanin even quicker, which gives your skin a darker color. So yes, due to hormonal changes in the pregnancy, you can say that sometimes your skin can get tanned easily, but it’s also unsafe as there is a risk of sunburn and other problems to the skin.

Conclusion

Pros and cons of tanning while pregnant is the most commonly discussed topic among pregnant tanning enthusiast women. Pros include boosting the mood, releasing depression, getting more vitamin d from the sun and producing more melanin to get a darker glowing skin tone. On the cons side, risk of skin damage, the risk for the baby, decreasing immunity, skin cancer and dehydration.

But while keeping all the precautions in mind and taking care of yourself in every aspect to protect you and your baby, you can still go for the tanning and enjoy the beach, but if you think you cant take complete precautions, then we suggest you avoid going for it.

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