Hyaluronic acid during pregnancy: pros and cons
Hyaluronic acid is a very widespread cosmetic preparation that is used everywhere – in almost every salon you can find fillers, ointments, gels, meso cocktails with this substance. Many cosmetic procedures are based on the use of this compound – some types of contour plastics, bio revitalization, a significant part of mesotherapy. At the same time, many women have a question: is it possible to use this remedy during pregnancy?
Cosmetology and pregnancy
As you know, this compound is so popular in cosmetology not without reason – normally this acid is contained in the intercellular space of skin tissues, where it is responsible for a huge list of various functions. It participates in the regulation of water and pigment metabolism, stimulates the formation of connective tissue fibers of the skin, and affects the activity of fibroblasts. So, if you’re looking where to buy dermal fillers online, you should contact only verified sites. With age, its amount in the skin begins to fall and it is with this that the appearance of characteristic age-related changes is associated – a decrease in skin elasticity, age spots, a drop in tissue turgor. That is why these kinds of problems are fought with the introduction of unstabilized hyaluronic acid – it completely repeats the structure of the “human” compound. This technique is the basis of many anti-aging procedures – bio revitalization and some types of mesotherapy.
There are also techniques in which stabilized or pretreated hyaluronic acid is injected into the body. This is done in order to slow down its consumption in tissues – basically, this acid is injected as part of a variety of fillers when performing contour correction. The choice of such a material is due to the fact that it combines the relative duration of the effect with the low allergenicity of the material. A similar stabilized acid is also used in the framework of bio-reinforcement – creating a mesh of gel in the thickness of the skin. Other methods of cosmetology using hyaluronic acid, as a rule, do not imply its injection – basically, these are various gels, masks, creams, shampoos that can only be used externally.
When reviewing all injection cosmetology techniques, you will notice that pregnancy and breastfeeding is a strict contraindication for all these procedures. And this often puts a woman in an uncomfortable position, because many of these techniques are carried out as part of a course of treatment (mesotherapy), while others need to be regularly adjusted approximately every one and a half to two years. And pregnancy during this period puts certain restrictions on the conduct of such procedures. Many women have a reasonable question – is this prohibition really so strict, can such a natural drug as hyaluronic acid be prohibited during the period of bearing a child?
Some cosmetologists (especially those who often practice injection techniques with “hyaluronic”) argue that a strict ban on such manipulations affects only the first trimester of pregnancy. In their opinion, starting from the 4th month, it is already possible to make limited cosmetic procedures, including those based on the use of this drug. However, the issue of prohibiting or permitting injections of hyaluronic acid in this delicate period of a woman's life passes into the hands of immunologists, gynecologists, and doctors of other specialties. And the main concern is the fact that severe pain can cause fear in the body and, for example, it will stop producing milk. These are individual things.
Beautician advice
If everything is clear with the ban on the injection of hyaluronic acid, then is it possible to use external agents based on it – a variety of creams, masks, tonics, and more?
In fact, there are no strict contraindications to such use – absorption into the blood from the surface of the skin is very weak, therefore, it does not pose a threat to the body of a pregnant woman or her unborn baby. In addition, if any undesirable reaction such as allergy or dermatitis appears, it is easy to eliminate it by simply canceling this remedy. However, it is important to understand that during a period of such a powerful hormonal restructuring of the body, you can earn yourself an allergy to hyaluronic acid and preparations based on it. After that, even 10 years after pregnancy, it will be impossible to do anti-aging procedures for yourself using this compound without risk.
During this delicate period, it is better to less disturb your body and skin, including – even apply less decorative cosmetics. The less you load yourself with cosmetics now, the faster you can restore your beauty after the birth of a child. And in this opinion, both cosmetologists and doctors of other profiles are united.
Aesthetic procedures and their safety during pregnancy
Aesthetic procedures during pregnancy can lead to undesirable consequences due to temporary, but significant physiological changes in the female body during this period, as well as the exchange of blood and nutrients (or toxins) between the mother and the fetus. Due to risks and ethical considerations, drugs are rarely tested in pregnant women, which means that there is little data on the safety of drug use during pregnancy. But scientists and leading doctors are trying to study this issue as deeply as possible in order to guarantee the safety of procedures for both the woman and the fetus.
General risks
Any procedure that is accompanied by injury to the skin entails a high risk of developing an infectious process. It, in turn, can lead to complications in the mother and the fetus, such as chorioamnionitis, sepsis, malformations and prematurity, intrauterine fetal pathology. Therefore, to prevent infection, the physician must be as careful as possible, paying particular attention to the sterility of the instruments and proper preparation of the skin.
Along with the increased risk of infection, it is also important that it is difficult to treat infections during pregnancy since most of the common antibiotics are classified in categories B or C according to the FDA classification (until 2015).
Another significant risk that aesthetic procedures entail is bleeding, as pregnant women are especially prone to anemia. However, pregnancy itself is a hypercoagulable state, so the risk of developing significant bleeding is reduced.
Due to hormonal changes and tension factors, pregnancy can provoke the development of hypertrophic and keloid scars. In addition, the risk of hyperpigmentation increases. Considering these factors, the decision to undergo aesthetic treatments can be rash, since there is a high risk of deteriorating aesthetic results in the long term due to altered scar healing.
The intricacies of using dermal fillers during pregnancy
There are many fillers on the market, the most common being collagen, hyaluronic acid, hydroxylapatite, and poly-L-lactic acid. To our knowledge, there are no published studies regarding the safety of fillers during pregnancy. But it should be borne in mind that the most common complications of the use of dermal fillers are hypersensitivity reactions and infectious inflammation.
However, the lack of safety evidence and manufacturer's recommendation suggests that fillers should be used with caution during pregnancy. This means that the procedure should be postponed during pregnancy.
Another factor to consider when administering fillers to a pregnant woman is a longer scar healing process, susceptibility to hyperpigmentation, and the need to use lidocaine for the procedure (which will be discussed in more detail in the second part of the article).
Filler side effects
Side effects of fillers are usually swelling, redness, slight bruising, and swelling at the injection site. This is a normal reaction of the body to injection intervention. These side effects disappear in 3-7 days, so there is no need to worry about them. To avoid severe swelling, refrain from drinking alcohol, fatty, hot foods, as well as salty and smoked foods for several days after the injection of the gel.
However, if these symptoms do not go away, but, on the contrary, intensify, you should consult a doctor.
