Solarium while breastfeeding: is it possible or not?

After childbirth, a woman wants to recover as quickly as possible, including returning good skin tone and an attractive appearance. Many believe that a solarium will help them with this - an even tan hides minor skin imperfections and visually makes the body more toned. In conditions of sun deficiency, solarium treatments help the body actively produce vitamin D.

However, doctors are in no hurry to recommend visiting a solarium for nursing mothers, and there are a number of reasons for this.

The benefits of artificial sun

In the main territory of our country in the autumn-winter period there is a lack of sun, which negatively affects people's health. Sunlight is required for the synthesis of vitamin D, which is responsible for the absorption of calcium.

It is important for a nursing mother to replenish calcium losses during pregnancy and avoid a deficiency of this microelement in the body during lactation. For these purposes, you can attract artificial sun in a solarium.

As a result of exposure to sunlight, the body stimulates the production of “happiness hormones” - endorphins have a beneficial effect on a woman’s well-being, and her good mood is passed on to the baby.

The positive effects of solarium include the cosmetic result of the procedures - lightly tanned skin looks much better than pale skin. A woman feels attractive, which adds to her self-confidence and optimism.

The effect of solarium on lactation

Under the influence of sunlight, metabolic processes in the body are activated, blood circulation is improved, and vitamins and minerals necessary for normal human life are synthesized.

In winter, when there is low solar activity, women during lactation are recommended to visit a solarium to accelerate the synthesis of vitamin D, which is necessary for the normal development and growth of the baby.

In addition, under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, the happiness hormone is produced, which helps fight bad mood and depression.

At the same time, intense ultraviolet radiation in excess, on the contrary, can penetrate through the blood to important organs, disrupting their stable functioning.

Nuances for nursing mothers

When breastfeeding, you can visit the solarium no more than twice a week for 5 minutes, following the following tips:

When exposed to heat, the body very quickly loses moisture, especially skin cells. In addition, liquid is also required to produce milk in the required quantity. Therefore, it is imperative that both before and after the procedure you need to drink a lot of plain water so as not to lose milk and ensure normal lactation. The liquid is also needed to restore the firmness and elasticity of the skin after sunbathing.
The chest must be protected from ultraviolet lamps. To do this, you can use underwear or special pads. Also, do not forget to apply sunscreen cosmetics to your entire body.
You need to be especially careful when choosing sunscreen cosmetics, because some chemicals can enter the baby’s body through breast milk. Therefore, you should carefully read the composition on the packaging and choose hypoallergenic products.
Young mothers can stay in a solarium booth for no more than 5 minutes. This will be enough for a beautiful tan without harm to your health.

It’s also interesting: Is it possible to go to a solarium without underwear, precautions

The benefits of visiting a solarium while breastfeeding

Is it possible to visit a solarium while breastfeeding?

If there are no serious contraindications, you can visit a solarium while breastfeeding, but only with the permission of a doctor.

Beneficial properties of a solarium during breastfeeding:

Under the influence of ultraviolet rays, the body synthesizes vitamin D, which is necessary for the normal development and growth of the child’s musculoskeletal system.
The body accelerates metabolic processes, quickly absorbs useful microelements from food, which pass through the blood into breast milk.
The happiness hormone is actively produced, which is responsible for good mood and well-being.
Blood circulation improves, which automatically has a good effect on the functioning of important organs and systems.

It is recommended to visit a solarium if there is a lack of natural sunlight, as well as to prevent rickets in a baby.

Can a nursing mother use self-tanning?

Self-tanning is a special cosmetics that allows you to get a beautiful golden or bronze skin tone in a few hours without the participation of artificial or natural sunlight.

Self-tanning cosmetics may contain mineral or chemical components. The first option is allowed for nursing mothers, because it does not penetrate the epidermis and blood, does not affect the functioning of important organs and is not absorbed into milk. At the same time, self-tanning with chemical elements can cause an allergic reaction and penetrate into the milk.

Self-tanning for nursing mothers should contain only safe ingredients that do not cause allergic reactions. Therefore, you should carefully read the composition on the package.

Can visiting a solarium after childbirth be harmful?

Solarium during breastfeeding and childbirth can be harmful to a woman's health.

Immediately after childbirth, a woman may experience uterine bleeding, which will only intensify after visiting a solarium. Heat improves blood circulation, which can increase the amount of menstrual flow.
Under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, the body quickly loses moisture, which can negatively affect the volume of breast milk.
After childbirth, a woman’s body is weakened and needs to be restored, so heat exposure can have a negative impact on overall well-being.

It is also interesting: Is it harmful to go to the solarium every day, the consequences of frequent visits

Contraindications

The main contraindication to visiting a solarium is the following:

White skin, prone to sunburn, moles, tumors and age spots.
Skin diseases, including open wounds.
Chronic diseases of the heart, lungs, stomach, nervous system. Including problems with the mammary glands, you should not sunbathe on the beach or in a solarium.
During menstruation and pregnancy.
During lactation, you should definitely consult a doctor.
Taking medications that increase blood pressure, heart rate, or skin sensitivity to ultraviolet light.

Harm from solarium

Before going to a solarium, it is worth assessing the risks associated with the effects of artificial sun on a woman’s body during lactation.

Ultraviolet radiation emitted by lamps penetrates the skin faster and deeper than natural light, and this means that the skin loses moisture, collagen and elastin more intensively, due to which it ages faster. The risk of cancer also increases.

Nursing mothers should take into account that the activity of hormones in their bodies is increased - this is triggered by pregnancy and lactation. The radiation from solarium lamps promotes additional activation of growth hormones, and this can lead to undesirable consequences - the appearance of age spots and new moles, or an increase in the size of existing moles.

Contraindications to visiting a solarium include:

excessive number of moles (several dozen);
diseases of the thyroid gland, central nervous system, cardiovascular system, kidneys;
gynecological diseases;
bronchial asthma;
tuberculosis;
dermatitis;
taking hormonal drugs, antidepressants, antidiabetic drugs, diuretics and vasodilators, drugs to lower blood pressure, etc.

Mothers who practice natural feeding can visit the solarium only after consulting a doctor. To minimize health risks, certain precautions should be taken.

Contraindications

There are several cases when solarium and breastfeeding are incompatible, since ultraviolet radiation can be harmful to mommy or baby. The main contraindications for visiting include:

pregnancy, planning a baby (it is better to avoid artificial tanning);
changes in hormonal levels;
the presence of tuberculosis (nursing mothers are strictly prohibited from sunbathing);
renal failure;
any form of oncology;
diseases of the heart, blood vessels, circulatory system;
gynecological diseases;
the presence of papillomas, skin ulcers, and eczema;
nervous system disorders of various types;
many moles.

A solarium during breastfeeding can be dangerous if the mother has at least one of these diseases or problems. A woman may not even know that she has this disease; for example, childbirth can lead to depression and stress. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation can aggravate diseases.

Checking the safety of lamps

If you decide to visit a solarium while breastfeeding, it is better to do this no earlier than 3-4 months after giving birth, and reduce the duration of sessions to a minimum - it is not recommended to spend more than 3 minutes under the artificial sun.

The safety of staying under the artificial sun depends on the quality of the lamps installed in the solarium. Their rays are considered almost identical to those of the sun. Exposure to rays stimulates the formation and accumulation of melanin - this pigment gives the skin a golden hue.

There are three types of rays (from weak to hard radiation) - A, B and C. The ozone layer protects the Earth from dangerous components of sunlight. “Artificial sun” lamps also have protection that limits the radiation spectrum.

In solariums, lamps are used that transmit rays A and a certain percentage of rays B. For people with fair skin, lamps in which B rays make up no more than 1% can be considered the safest. People with good susceptibility to tanning can be exposed to harsher radiation of up to 2.5%. Staying under a lamp with B-rays of 2.5% or more significantly increases the risk of negative consequences.

The protective layer of the lamp lasts until its expiration date (indicated by the manufacturer), and then burns out and the radiation spectrum becomes uncontrollable, which is dangerous to health. Before going for the procedure, be sure to ask the tanning salon management for documents on the installed lamps to find out the characteristics and period of use.

It is important to take into account that newly installed lamps differ in radiation intensity, and in this case it is recommended to reduce the time spent under artificial sun by 1.5-2 times.

Types of solarium

Before visiting a solarium, a woman should understand its types. The quality and speed of obtaining the desired result depend on this. Solariums are classified according to two criteria:

device design;
its purpose.

Depending on the design there are:

Horizontal solarium. Tanning is obtained in a lying position. The lamps diffuse light evenly, but have low efficiency. A session in a horizontal solarium lasts 10-20 minutes. This type is not suitable for people with a fear of confined spaces or who experience discomfort from insufficient hygiene of the bottom glass of the device.
Vertical. These installations are equipped with more powerful lamps. They are compact and not as expensive as horizontal ones. In this case, the risk of contact with glass is minimal, but the tan on the upper part of the body is more intense than on the lower part.
Turbo solarium. This is a vertical solarium with additional features (audio system, hydromassage, fans, timers, lifts, etc.), which can have pink, blue or green radiation. A session in such a solarium lasts about 8 minutes.
Sedentary. This is a device with powerful lamps that allows you to quickly get the desired tan in certain parts of the body (face, décolleté, arms, neck, etc.) while sitting.

Turbo

Sedentary

Horizontal

Vertical
According to the purpose of the device, there are:

Homemade. This equipment is for home use. It does not have the same high-quality and durable components as studio devices. Ultraviolet radiation in home tanning salons is not very intense.
Studio. Designed for professional tanning. They can work around the clock and have various functions for the convenience of visitors. Installed in beauty salons, fitness clubs and health centers.

Home solarium

Precautionary measures

To prevent a visit to a solarium from negatively affecting the health of a nursing mother and lactation, certain rules should be followed:

cover moles with special stickers;
do not sunbathe with exposed mammary glands (during lactation they are overly sensitive to any influences, radiation can provoke diseases);
do not sunbathe for more than 5 minutes per session;
use baby-safe, hypoallergenic means of protection against exposure to ultraviolet radiation;
Always pay attention to the sanitary condition of the cabin to avoid infectious diseases.

After the procedure, the protective cosmetic product must be thoroughly rinsed off, paying special attention to the breasts so that foreign substances do not enter the baby’s body with the milk.

Staying under artificial sun dehydrates the body, which impairs milk production. To prevent lactation from being affected, drink more fluids after the procedure - you can drink non-carbonated clean water and hypoallergenic herbal teas.

Doctors do not impose an unequivocal ban on nursing mothers visiting the solarium, but they advise to play it safe - take into account medical contraindications and not get carried away with tanning.
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Rules for visiting the solarium

When visiting a solarium, be sure to pay attention to the sanitary condition of the booths and the presence of ventilation. To get only the benefits from a solarium, you need to follow certain precautions.

Applying protective cream

Moles and warts have the ability to transform from benign to malignant. Therefore, it is recommended to apply a hypoallergenic cream to the skin, which will protect against possible damage from artificial rays and reduce the risk of cancer. If there are moles on the body, they should be covered with special stickers.

Drinking regime

At the end of the session, you need to drink at least 300 ml of still water, which will prevent dehydration and stimulate milk production. Juices, tea or coffee are not able to quench your thirst, only water, preferably boiled. You should also drink liquid before visiting the solarium, at least half a liter.

Chest protection

It is forbidden to sunbathe naked in a solarium while breastfeeding; you should definitely cover your chest and bikini area. Use a swimsuit or lace bra without push-up as protection.

In a solarium during breastfeeding, you must use special stickies to protect your breasts during the tanning procedure.

Reducing time

Everything should be in moderation! The first visit to the solarium is allowed 3-4 months after the birth of the child, and the duration of stay under the lamps is no more than 2-5 minutes, with a gradual increase in time. If before giving birth the mother spent 7-9 minutes in the solarium, then during lactation this period should be halved.

If all precautions have been followed, and the tan is strong, you need to take a break for several weeks to stabilize hormonal levels and monitor the condition of the body.

If you overheat in a solarium, your temperature may rise, headaches, swelling of the skin, and even burns may occur.

After tanning, be sure to apply a moisturizing cream with a neutral scent to the skin so as not to harm the baby when sucking at the breast.

How to sunbathe correctly and safely in a solarium?

If you are not afraid of risks, then follow the rules for visiting a solarium:

Choose your establishment carefully. Check the documentation regarding lamp replacement. Long-term use of lamps increases the negative impact on the skin.
Apply cream with UV protection
Cover the chest area, hair, eyes
Stay in the booth no longer than five minutes
Apply lip balm to your lips
Visit the solarium not every day, but at least once a week

Important: The principle of exposure of the skin to the rays of the sun and solarium is not the same. Solarium rays penetrate the skin much deeper. By the way, being in direct sunlight is also harmful. You can sunbathe during the period of least sun activity (before noon or after).

When solarium is completely contraindicated

There are also certain contraindications for tanning in a solarium, which many establishment owners are silent about.

If you have many moles, problems with thyroid function, gynecological pathologies, or you take hormonal contraceptives, then artificial tanning is contraindicated for you.

Under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, cysts, polyps and mastopathy can degenerate into a malignant tumor.

A visit to a solarium can cause the development of serious disorders in the functioning of the central nervous system and the occurrence of phobias, especially if you have clear signs of stress or depression.

Useful video

Watch the video about the “artificial sun”:

How to properly apply self-tanning at home?

Before applying self-tanner, shower and exfoliate your body. Peeling will remove the layer of keratinized cells and thereby ensure the most even tone
Apply self-tanner to dry skin
Depilate before application
If you dilute the self-tanner with cream, it will lie more evenly
Apply a very thin layer to the elbows and knees
Self-tanner is applied using the palm of your hand with clenched fingers to avoid streaks.
Wash your hands periodically to prevent them from turning orange.

Proper application of self-tanning ensures an even color without streaks.

Applying self-tanning

Natural tanning, self-tanning, solarium – which is better for a nursing mother to choose?

We have already figured out that a nursing mother can go to the solarium provided that safety precautions are strictly observed. But it is possible to give the skin a beautiful shade naturally, but there are also certain rules here.

Sunbathing in the sun

It is strictly forbidden to sunbathe between 11 am and 4 pm; at this time, ultraviolet radiation is very dangerous and, apart from health problems, will not bring you anything.

Self tanning

Self-tanning is a popular and affordable product for giving the skin a bronze tint; it contains a special substance that is responsible for the brown pigment of the epidermis.

The instructions for the cream or lotion indicate that it can be used by pregnant and lactating women, provided that there are no wounds, cracks, or signs of psoriasis on the skin.

Self-tanning also has some disadvantages - it is not always possible to apply the product evenly, allergic reactions may occur, pigmentation changes may occur against the background of hormonal imbalance. The cream lasts no more than a week and does not protect the skin from the negative effects of ultraviolet radiation.

Self-tanning should not be applied to the chest area. There should be at least an hour between application and feeding.

You should first do an allergy test, cleanse the skin with a scrub, and do depilation. The tanning product will lie more evenly if you add a little regular cream to it.

What is better - solarium or self-tanning?

Each of you can choose the best option for yourself, but a cosmetic tanning product has fewer contraindications and is safer than artificial ultraviolet light.

If possible, give preference to the sun's rays - this will benefit you and the baby.