Does anyone know if it is safe to use the Chi hair straigtening system while you're pregnant? I had been using the system prior to my pregnancy and would like to continue.
Here is what Leslie Correa owner of Manhattan's Capelli D'Oro Salon & Day Spa recommends:
During the pregnancy and two-three months following the termination of pregnancy, colors do not last. TR and permanent hair straightening do not take well and may have early reversion. This may be due to hormonal changes in your body.
Typically, pregnant women's hormones fluctuate quite a bit during pregnancy and don't normalize until after nursing is completed. No doctor or manufacturer has any specific evidence on how this affects the body or the fetus. But hairdressers have experienced adverse effects of the process not taking properly on pregnant woman. My advice is against trying to chemically straighten the hair until after nursing. TR is a timel consuming process and there aren't many breaks in between.
Perhaps the best suggestion is to check with your doctor and err on the side of caution.
My doctor, and just about all of the current literature on the topic says that hair coloring is just fine throughout pregnancy these days. The products we use today are not the toxic products of our mothers' and grandmas' day. I have been coloring throughout my pregnancy (I'm beginning the 7th month) and I feel just fine with that.
I don't know anything about straightening products, so I cannot comment on them.
If I were not dealing with horrible grey roots, it's possible that I wouldn't bother with coloring during pregnancy (it's a hassle, and an even bigger hassle when you're pg, as is everything!). But alas, my sides are almost 100% grey (think Paulie Walnuts of the Sopranos). So I do it.
This is one of those decisions that we each have to make for ourselves.