Skin Changes During Pregnancy
Jun 28 '00 (Updated Jun 29 '00)
I bet when you got pregnant you thought of the many different symptoms of pregnancy. Morning sickness. Heartburn. Weight gain. Sonograms. Feeling the baby kick. But I am sure you never though your skin would be doing some changing, did you? Your skin is the largest organ in your body, so why would you think you could get out of it being affected by pregnancy.
Some of the changes your skin goes through are wonderful. Someone may suggest that you are “glowing”. When actually blood circulation increases during pregnancy and that “glow” is actually tiny blood vessels below your skin causing your healthy glow. There are a few other less desirable skin changes you can expect during pregnancy. I want to tell you about a few, and some remedies I have discovered for them.
Skin Pigment
Let’s start with your skin pigmentation. You will probably notice changes in the color of your skin. You will see most of the changes on your forehead, cheeks, nose and chin. Increased estrogen and progesterone in pregnancy are what cause a darkening of these areas. Skin that is already darkened will most likely get darker, like your areolas surrounding your nipple. Most of the time, these pigment changes fade and return to normal after you give birth, but in many cases they do remain somewhat darker than before your pregnancy. There is nothing you can do about pigment changes, as they are caused by your excessive hormone levels, however you can cover them up, somewhat, with makeup.
Melasma
Ever heard of the term “mask of pregnancy”? The technical term for that is Melasma, or chloasma. It is a brownish darkening of the facial skin. It effects about 50% of women who are fair-skinned and dark haired. Malasma usually shows up on your forehead, temples and central part of the face. “The Mask” seems to be affected by sunlight and usually completely fades after delivery. In my case, I looked like I had a bad case of freckles. It inhabited my cheekbones under my eyes, crawled over my nose and finally resided in my chin. Low and behold, it went away within a month after delivery. You can stay out of the sun, and use proper SPF sunscreens while pregnancy, but there is not much you can do about melasma. You either have it, or you don’t.
Linea negra and freckles
Do you have a happy trail? This too will change, your linea alba , or white line running from your navel to your pubic hair will usually darken and then becomes a linea negra, or a dark haired line. Also expect your existing freckles and moles to change and become darker and even grow. If you see a particular mole or freckle changing in size or appearance, contact your doctor.
Acne
Acne is a very common side effect of pregnancy. If you have a tendency to break out during your menstrual cycles, you will probably develop pregnancy-induced acne also. Many women get it in the first trimester, and then it clears up over the course of the remainder of the pregnancy. This again, is because of the mass of hormones swimming around. Specifically, progesterone is the main culprit, as this is the hormone that stimulates oil secretion from the skin glands. Don’t forget every pregnancy is different, so if you get pregnancy acne with your first pregnancy, it does not necessarily mean you will get it with subsequent pregnancies. If you find your acne becoming worse, see a dermatologist for a prescription that is safe during pregnancy. Sometimes you can purchase some over the counter remedies, but check with your care provider before using them while pregnant. The best remedy, of course, is delivery.
Stretch Marks
I know most women HATE that word, and with good reason. Stretch marks appear on 50% of all pregnant women. They are NOT, I repeat, NOT a sign of excessive weight gain. Stretch marks are literally caused by the stretching of the skin and the normal increase in cortisone your body produces. This increase ends up weakening the elastic fibers in your skin. Stretch marks can be pink, red or even purple indented lines or streaks on your abdomen, breasts, upper arms, rear end and thighs. Some women never feel comfortable wearing a bikini again when they suffer from stretch marks. The good news is…stretch marks do fade to light pink or shiny white stripes. Ack, and the bad news is…they never totally disappear. Consider them your badges of honor. Wait, I am not done yet, the worst news is…there is NOTHING on the market that will keep you from getting them. No amount of slathered cream, cocoa butter or baby oil will keep you from getting a road map on your stomach. Save yourself some money and don’t allow yourself to be sucked in by the “anti-stretch mark” advertisements. No matter what they say, there is no cream out there that will keep you from getting stretch marks. If you use cream on your body to keep your skin soft, then continue doing that, but don’t expect to not get stretch marks from it. I know that is not what you wanted to hear, but basically, you either get them, or you don’t. As is the same with the rest of the skin changes, you can’t stop your body from changing. You just deal with it and know everything goes back to normal after you deliver your beautiful baby. Well, almost everything. Most all skin changes will return to normal (or semi-normal) other than stretch marks.
There is one last skin change I want to tell you about…it is called PUP. For unknown reasons, pregnant women can develop a rash that consists of slightly raised little red bumps that vary from unnoticeable to insanely itching. It is called "puerperal urticaria of pregnancy," or "PUP." Some times you hear it referred to as PUPPS. It happens in one in twenty women and goes away after childbirth. Many doctors prescribe anti-inflammatory, cortisone creams and even antihistamines. On rare occasions, antibiotics need to be administered if the itching caused a secondary infection on the skin. Once you have had PUPPS you are more likely to get it with subsequent pregnancies, as it is thought to be immunilogical. If you have a problem with itching, you need to contact your caregiver, and allow them to treat you for it.
As you can see pregnancy affects ALL aspects of your body…skin included, so next time you think of pregnancy symptoms, know they are not just limited to your growing stomach and swelling feet.
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