Skin and
Pregnancy
First and foremost, your skin is the largest organ of your body. Your skin will stretch, change, and amaze you while you are pregnant. Try to love your skin...your changing skin. And while some women have that special pregnancy glow, for others the increased hormonal activity can result in the opposite effect. Acne, bumps, rashes, dryness, and discolorations are all signs of hormonal surges. Acne can be particularly focused around your mouth and chin, though you might also have breakouts at your hairline, on your neck, chest, breasts, and even your bum. Progesterone can cause your glands to increase oil secretion, clogging your pores, which causes bacteria to build up resulting in acne. Make sure you use gentle cleansers – morning and night. Your skin is sensitive, so don’t be overly aggressive in your cleansing routine. Look for products that are oil-free and noncomedogenic. Be sun smart, use sunscreen, and limit your time in the sun (wear a hat). When you’re pregnant, your brain makes more of a hormone called MSH (melanocyte stimulating hormone) which makes your skin darker. The combination of UV light and MSH can really flare melasma, the mask of pregnancy. Fill up on folic acid and mind your diet. In addition, a dermatologist will offer a variety of products, treatments, and suggestions to minimize this mask so that your glow of pregnancy shines. You may also experience linea nigra or line of pregnancy. This is a dark line that runs down the center of
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your belly – the steps above and staying out of the sun can help. Wear sunscreen. Eat a smart and healthful diet and drink plenty of water. Speak to your doctor before taking any acne or skin remedies (by mouth or topically). Moisturize your body, keep a jar of thick plain moisturizer in the shower, applying liberally to your entire body after every shower. Consider using a moisturizer with glycolic acid or alpha hydroxy acids to protect your skin against stretch marks. And speaking of stretch marks – they can be very itchy…the cause is your stretching skin. PUPPP is short for pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy – a reaction that shows itself in hives. It usually occurs in the third trimester. Treat with a warm bath, calamine lotion, or moisturizer. If it blisters or becomes inflamed – see your doctor immediately. Heat rash is also common in pregnancy. Your hormones, your overheated body, friction, and perspiration combine to bring on this irritating rash. Use cold compresses, take a warm shower, wear loose clothing (or no clothing at all) to soothe your rash. You may develop lumps and bumps on your skin while pregnant. If you develop excess skin or stretch marks, dermatologists have a variety of tools and lasers to decrease stretch marks and inches after you deliver your baby. They can offer treatments to diminish the broken blood vessels, extra hair, stretch marks, loose skin, extra inches, dark patches, skin tags, or other skin issues that may have arisen with your pregnancy.