Skin Changes in Pregnancy

Skin Changes in Pregnancy

Skin Changes in Pregnancy occur because of -

• Hormonal changes (estrogen, progesterone, relaxin, human placental lactogen, Hcg, prostaglandins)
• Vascular changes – blood vessels
• Metabolic changes – chemical changes that make energy
• Immunologic changes – ability to resist or avoid disease

 

Hyperpigmentation

• Excess coloration or darkening of skin
• Melasma – mask of pregnancy, “freckles”, brown or blue-gray patches fades after a few months
• Linea nigra - dark line on central aspect of stomach that fades after delivery, runs from top of abdomen to pubis
• Moles & areola – darken
• Secondary areola – spilling of surrounding pigmentation

 

Connective Tissue Changes

• Striae Gravidarum – dreaded stretch marks
• Mollusca Fibrosa – soft pink swellings of the skin

 

Vascular Changes

• Peripheral edema – swelling of hands, legs, feet
• Palmar erythema – redness of palms
• Spider veins (red, thready & smaller)
• Varicose veins (larger, twisted, enlarged)

 

Glandular Changes

• Montgomery tubercles – more prominent (good for lactation)
• Breasts enlarge prep for lactation

 

Skin, Nails & Hair

• Skin – drier, more acne/less acne, eczema
• Hair – Lengthen, fuller
• Hair – present where it was not before (between breasts, face, abdomen, arms)
• Nails – grow faster in pregnancy
• Nails - may be weaker and break more easily

 

So what can we do?

• Keep skin hydrated and use excellent moisturizer
• Nothing improves or prevents stretch marks
• Mustela Stretch Marks Cream
• Earth Mama Belly Butter
• Glow Organics Belly Butter
• Bio-Oil Skincare Oil
• Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter
• Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Lotion for Stretch Marks
• Munchkin Milkmakers All-Natural Belly Balm

 

If you get acne during pregnancy, take these steps to treat your skin -

 

• Wash your face twice a day with a mild cleanser and lukewarm water.
• If you have oily hair, shampoo/cowash every day and try to keep your hair off your face.
• Avoid picking or squeezing acne sores to lessen possible scarring.
• Choose oil-free cosmetics.

 

Additional ACNE Tips

• Over-the-counter (OTC) products containing the following ingredients can be used during pregnancy:
• Topical benzoyl peroxide (Clean & Clear, PanOxyl)
• Azelaic acid (CeraVe, Clinique)
• Topical salicylic acid (Noxzema, Neutrogena)
• Glycolic acid (L’Oreal)
• If you want to use an OTC product that contains an ingredient not on this list, contact your obstetrician–gynecologist (ob-gyn)

 

AVOID!!!!!

• No to retinoids (synthetic Vit A)
• No to hydroquinone (skin lightener)
• No to phthalates (disrupt hormones)
• Hell No to formaldehyde or formaldehyde releasers

 

During the show facts-

• On shea butter, I couldn’t find a distinct recommendation that it is safe in pregnancy!
• On chamomile tea, is not safe to drink in pregnancy, so I say AVOID in pregnancy.
• Common formaldehyde releasers that you are likely to see in a product and should AVOID are DMDM hydanto