Pregnancy & Tanning

What are/is the reason you shouldnt?

Is it only the indoor tanning that isnt allowed?

What if it was summer, I couldnt be on the beach?

No flames please.....just curious.
I should of asked my doc back when she said not to tan....... but I didnt.

Message edited 3/1/2007 3:04:00 PM.

Re: Pregnancy & Tanning

I don't think you are supposed to lay out in the sun due to it raising your temperature and in turn, the babies

When my friend was pregnant in the summer, she would wear a cover-up when she was out by the pool

I am not 100% sure about the reasons though

Re: Pregnancy & Tanning

Not flaming, but the reasons you shouldn't tan now are the same reasons you shouldn't ever tan.

Skin Cancer. Premature Aging, etc.

During pregnancy I think you can also add your body temperature risng too rapidly to the list.


I found this on the Frankly Pregnant website:

Q. I'm in my second trimester and I like to tan. Is it safe? I only go for about 15 minutes and keep a cold air conditioner aimed at my belly. I never even get warm enough to sweat.

Exposure to sunlight and ultraviolet rays from tanning beds poses no danger to the fetus, but it could be damaging to your skin, especially during pregnancy. The horror-mones of pregnancy may make your skin, like mine, much more sensitive and more likely to burn. You may also experience hyper-pigmentation (dark spots), especially on your face. This condition intensifies with exposure to sunlight and ultraviolet rays. The freckles and spots that I developed on my face and hands became darker from the sun and never fully disappeared after pregnancy.

Re: Pregnancy & Tanning

I went to Mexico during both of my pregnancies and came back tan both times. My doc just said to stay well hydrated and not to get too hot. So I spent good parts of the day in the pool

I wouldn't go to a salon and tan though

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When I was lifeguarding, I always noticed all the pregnant women wearing long, white tank tops that covered their belly. (It pretty much covered their entire bathing suit too.)

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Message edited 3/1/2007 3:12:16 PM.

Re: Pregnancy & Tanning

I saw those cute swimsuits at Target.... I love the beach. Maybe I will go early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

I usually don't tan... but I love the water.

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When not PG, i go to the tanning salon once a week during the winter & im in the sun every chance i can get over the summer. I know its bad, and i do it for selfish reasons, i like the way i look with a tan, and i feel better about my self overall when i feel good.
I went tanning once, the day i found out i was PG, and havent since. I asked my DR last week about tanning and spray tanning. She said the spray was fine, and the beds were only bad for me, not the baby. I will stay out of the beds, but i plan to hit the beach as soon as i can (ill wear block), when i was pg with DD i was belly up all summer and loving every minute of it.

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I heard the spray is bad because of the chemicals.

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i will be interested in the spray tan. i don't salon tan but i do enjoy the beach although i am DREADING it this summer - i don't know that i'll go

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I just played it safe when I was preggo and stayed away from tanning creams, tanning salons, and laying out! I dont think its that bad to wait 9 months!

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Here's a good reason The mask of pregnancy. I know two friends that got it & it looked so much worse after being out during the summer. It was horrible. You are less likely to tan evenly while pregnant. I didn't want to look like a raccoon.


I have patches of darker skin on my face. Is this normal?
Absolutely. In fact, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, up to 70 percent of pregnant women develop blotchy areas of darkened skin, commonly called the mask of pregnancy (but officially known as chloasma or melasma).

Women with darker complexions are more prone to this condition than women with lighter skin. The effects of chloasma may become more pronounced with each pregnancy.

The splotches can show up around your upper lip, nose, cheekbones, and forehead, sometimes in the shape of a mask (think Lone Ranger). They may also appear on your cheeks or along your jawline. You may develop dark patches on your forearms and other parts of your body that are exposed to the sun.

What's more, you may find that skin that is already more pigmented — such as your nipples, freckles, scars, and the skin around your genitals — becomes even darker during pregnancy. This also tends to happen in areas prone to friction, such as your underarms and inner thighs.

These changes are caused by hormonal changes during pregnancy, which stimulate a temporary increase in your body's production of melanin, the natural substance that gives color to hair, skin, and eyes. The areas of increased pigmentation will probably fade within a few months after delivery and your skin should return to its normal shade, although in some women the changes never completely disappear.
Source

Message edited 3/1/2007 4:29:31 PM.

Re: Pregnancy & Tanning

I've done the spray. I was happy with the results, the only downside was I normally tan a golden brown color, but with the spray tan you get more of a orangey. But it is better than being pasty white all spring and summer in my opinion.

Re: Pregnancy & Tanning

Deb...I got melasma on my face when I was pregnant. Look at this HORRIBLE picture...do you see the dark circle under my eye? That's because I sat out in the sun and rode with my sunroof open while I driving. I will have it forever now...I have to be super careful with the sun.
I love the sun....

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Re: Pregnancy & Tanning

I would never go to tanning beds PG - I'd be afraid I was cooking the baby, even if its irrational... but, if it were summer, I'd defintiely be outside - but would make sure to stay hydrated, in the shade as much as possible, and wear a strong sunblock....I'm very pale though, so I always have to be careful...

Re: Pregnancy & Tanning

Posted by Stefanie

Deb...I got melasma on my face when I was pregnant. Look at this HORRIBLE picture...do you see the dark circle under my eye? That's because I sat out in the sun and rode with my sunroof open while I driving. I will have it forever now...I have to be super careful with the sun.
I love the sun....

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I did a spray tan in the beginning of the pregnancy because I was in a wedding. It helped and I looked great. Spray tanning is not dangerous to the fetus from the chemicals, the chemicals aren't even really dangerous to YOU as long as you do the right kind of spray tan. Just going into a booth at say, Hollywood Tans, where it is like a 6 second tan has more potential for harmful chemicals than if you go to a salon where they AIRBRUSH the tan. Those chemicals are usually different and safer. I used to be an airbrusher at a salon and did it all the time for pregnant women.

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Deb,,,I was told NO tanning beds..but going out in the sun/beach in moderation was OK.

I went on a cruise during my pregnancy and was at the beach almost every weekend during the summer....

I was told to make sure I drank plenty of fluids while out in the sun to prevent dehydration~


ETA: While at the beach, I would sit under the umbrella or under the boardwalk for a little just to get out of the sun~

Message edited 3/2/2007 9:19:12 AM.