Pregnant women can still draw henna, but to ensure the safety of yourself and your baby, you should be aware of some essential precautions.
Henna is a method of drawing pictures on the body using a dye prepared from a plant. This is a beauty of many cultures around the world, a symbol of beauty and prosperity.
For pregnant women, henna also carries many special meanings. Thousands of years ago, women in Egypt, India and the Middle East used henna as a message of good luck to the baby in their womb. Henna is usually drawn in the third trimester of pregnancy . But, the question is, is it safe for women to draw henna during pregnancy?
The answer is "Yes" and this also does not affect the health of you and your baby. However, you should choose to use pure, natural henna powder and do not contain any chemicals in it. On the market, for better color, many manufacturers add more chemicals to the henna powder. Therefore, when drawing henna, you need to choose salons that use natural colors because chemicals are mixed in can cause negative effects for both you and your baby.
In addition, you should also avoid drawing henna during pregnancy if you have:
Anemia
Increased blood bilirubin
There are diseases related to the blood and immune system.
Natural henna color is usually orange, red, brown, golden brown, reddish brown, chocolate , coffee and can be stored for 1-4 weeks. Natural henna does not have a black color, if it does, this could be due to the presence of chemicals.
During pregnancy, dyeing your hair is something you should avoid because chemicals in the dye can harm the health of you and your baby. However, if you love “discoloring” your hair, you can use pure henna powder instead. In fact, it's not only safe to use pure henna powder to dye your hair, but it also helps nourish and make your hair shine. However, dyeing your hair with henna powder also has some limitations such as only one color can be dyed and it takes nearly 4 hours to get the color you want.
Painting henna on the skin poses no harm to you or your baby. Even, in many cultures, women paint henna on the belly is a way to celebrate pregnancy. Using pure henna powder to paint on the skin is not only safe but also has a number of benefits. For example, henna paint powder helps to lower body temperature, treat cracked heels , fungal infections and nourish nails. For a rich, beautiful henna color, apply clove oil or mustard oil after painting.
There are many variations of henna pigments currently on the market, one of which is black henna. Black henna is banned from use during pregnancy for the following reasons:
Black henna contains paraphenylenediamine (PPD), a chemical commonly used in chemical dyes. PPD has been shown to cause blisters, burns, allergies, skin reactions, or harm to you or your unborn baby.
If you are using pre-pregnancy black henna to dye your hair, you should stop this while you are pregnant. Because pregnancy is a time when you are very susceptible to getting sick or allergic due to a weakened immune system.
Drawing henna is considered safe and does not cause any complications, but as a mother you need to be twice as careful to make sure it doesn't affect your baby. As mentioned above, pregnancy is also a time when the immune system of pregnant women is weakened, so you need to be more careful not to affect your health:
Although pure henna powder is safe for pregnant women, if you have sensitive or allergic skin , get tested before using it. You can try it out by applying henna powder to a small area of skin on the wrist for about half an hour. If there is no response, you can draw henna without worry.
If you are using henna powder to dye your hair, ask someone for help as this can take a long time and boring. If you have someone to support you, you will avoid unnecessary fatigue.
Sit in a comfortable space, in a comfortable chair while drawing henna as this usually takes a long time. You can use extra pillows for leg or arm support.
Do not cover your hands or wear gloves after painting as the cooling effects of henna can help your body feel relaxed and comfortable.
If you experience discomfort, joint pain , or bleeding, you should seek immediate medical assistance.
If before pregnancy you did not feel comfortable or experienced an allergy to henna painting, avoid use during pregnancy.
Although drawing henna does not pose a danger to you or your baby, if you notice any of the following unusual symptoms, you should seek immediate medical attention:
Bleed
Athritis
Fever
Cramp
Nausea
Vomit
All of the above symptoms could be signs of some serious health problem. Also, before drawing or dyeing your hair with henna powder, you should also consult your doctor.
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