Pregnancy is a beautiful phase every pregnant woman would want to experience Women will mostly suffer from skin breakouts when they are pregnant, especially because of the unwanted hormonal changes in their bodies. When it comes to Skin Breakouts during Pregnancy, acne and pimples are pretty common scenes. Just make sure to know more about the solutions before that final call.
Women experience acne during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy. An increase in androgens will cause the skin glands to grow and then produce enough sebum to result in Skin Breakouts during Pregnancy. The oil can clog pores and lead to bacteria and inflammation.
In This Article
- How Does Skin Change During Pregnancy?
- Are Pregnancy Skin Changes a Problem?
- What Causes Skin Changes During Pregnancy?
- Top 6 Skin Changes During Pregnancy and Solutions
- FAQ’s
How Does Skin Change During Pregnancy?
The hormonal changes during pregnancy will make the nipple areas go darker. Even the skin colour might also darken quite a bit, either in patches or just all over. Moles, birthmarks, and freckles will also start to darken. Some women can also see developing a dark line down the middle of the stomach, which is called linea nigra. All these changes will fade away gradually once the child is born. But the areas surrounding your nipple region will remain a little darker than usual.
Are Pregnancy Skin Changes a Problem?
For some women, pregnancy can cause skin discolouration, breakouts, varicose veins, and skin tags. It might also cause hypersensitivity so you may not be able to wear your favourite jewellery or accessories. The reason is mainly hormonal fluctuation. However, if you look past this, pregnancy skin changes won’t cause any issue at all. Post-delivery everything will get back to normal.
What Causes Skin Changes During Pregnancy?
As with every other pregnancy change, skin breakouts also happen due to hormonal changes. Your skin tends to get dry and irritated leading to redness and patches. As we mentioned earlier, excess hormone production leads to the darkening of the skin. As a result, moles, freckles and birthmarks become prominently visible. These changes are most visible on your face when compared to other parts of your body. Once you have delivered your baby and the hormone levels normalise, your skin will also get back to its pre-pregnancy state.
Top 6 Skin Changes During Pregnancy and Solutions
Some of the pregnancy-specific skin conditions will include the pruritic urticarial papules along with the plaques of pregnancy, intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, prurigo of pregnancy, pemphigoid gestationis, and so much more.
We list some common skin changes during pregnancy and how best you can deal with them.
1. Stretch Marks
Most women will develop stretch marks during their pregnancy, a majority of pregnant women will develop them during the last trimester. These marks will mainly appear on the stomach region and sometimes can be seen on the upper breasts or thighs. These marks are not at all harmful. Post-delivery and with time, the skin will start to shrink, and the marks will fade into the skin.
[Read : Preventing Stretch Marks in Pregnancy]
2. Acne
Pregnancy acne is one of the most-complained conditions. This acne will mostly go away once the hormone levels return to their normal stages. The safest thing that you can do during this stage is to avoid any prescription-based acne medicines or go for the OTC chemical spot treatments. You can also ensure that you stay well-hydrated and try out some home remedies after getting a go-ahead from your gynaecologist.
[Read : Treating Pregnancy Acne With Home Remedies]
3. Darker Freckles and Moles
Moles can easily change during pregnancy time, but for most of the part, they are benign. Around 10% of the pregnant women will report a change in the colour and size of the current moles. These changes are considered to be primarily physical, mainly because the skin starts to stretch at this point. Increased hormone levels result in more production of melanin, which in turn, causes your freckles to get darker.
[Read : Skin Darkening During Pregnancy]
4. Linea Nigra
Just around the 5th month of pregnancy, you might notice a line starting to develop from the belly button down to the pubic bone. This pregnancy line is also known as linea nigra and it can darken with pregnancy progression. It will turn from a lighter and mostly undetectable colour to that of a darker shade. This line is just around ¼ to ½ inch in size and it will be seen on the belly.
5. Varicose Veins
Varicose veins are another normal part of pregnancy for most women and happen due to the pressure exerted by the growing uterus on the major blood vessels. In addition, the blood volume in the body also increases which contributes to the formation of varicose veins. These veins can get uncomfortable, itchy, and even painful in some instances. Varicose veins mostly form in the lower part of the body of a pregnant woman including legs, genital area, and rectum.
Here are some ways in which you can reduce varicose vein pain and prevent discomfort.
- Make sure to raise your feet quite often.
- Do not cross your legs while you are sitting.
- Take some breaks once in a while and move around as much as you can, in case you need to stand or sit for a while.
6. Melasma or Chloasma
It is mostly termed to be the “mark of pregnancy.” Melasma during pregnancy causes splotchy and dark spots to appear on your face, mainly around the cheeks and forehead areas. The pregnancy hormones within your body will lead to increased pigmentation along with sensitivity to the sun. Around half of the pregnant women will have to deal with at least some form of melasma when they are pregnant. The good part about having this condition during pregnancy is that you will observe all the marks, spots, and pigmentation receding after you have delivered your baby.
Skin breakouts are common during pregnancy and most of these changes can be attributed to the rising pregnancy levels. Once you have delivered your baby, the hormones also settle which will allow your skin to get back to the pre-pregnancy state. It is a good idea to not resort to any kind of skin treatments during pregnancy as they can interfere with your pregnancy and the health of the little one growing within you. Eating healthy and staying hydrated during pregnancy will ensure that you have healthy glowing skin post-delivery.
FAQ’s
1. Why Does the Skin Breakout During Pregnancy?
When you are pregnant with a baby, your body goes through so many changes. Hormonal changes are the main reason behind skin breakouts during pregnancy.
2. Is it Normal to Experience Skin Breakout When Pregnant?
It is absolutely normal to break out when you are pregnant, and you are not the only one with such issues around here. Most women suffer from acne issues during pregnancy because of a hormone called androgen.
3. Is it Okay to Use Salicylic Acid When You Are Pregnant?
Topical salicylic acid is considered safe during pregnancy, but you must use products that contain salicylic acid with a strength lesser than 2%. Having said that, any chemicals and external products are best avoided when pregnant. You can consult your gynaecologist to be sure the products you are using are safe for you.
4. Can You Use Vitamin C Serum While Pregnant?
Yes, you can use Vitamin C serum safely if you have been using it prior to getting pregnant. Do think twice if you are planning to use it for the first time during pregnancy since you will never know how your body and skin will react to a new ingredient.
Read Also: When Should You Consider Seeing a Dermatologist During Pregnancy?
