Ten Skin Problems Of Pregnancy
Ally McNeal
Pregnancy brings with it many changes, emotionally, physically,
and mentally. From a mental and emotional standpoint, you’re
preparing to adopt a new role of parent, with all its
accompanying responsibilities. Physically, of course, you’re
dealing with changes in the shape, function, and movement of
your body. While we have a society-wide belief that pregnant
women are always glowing, that, unfortunately, is not always
the case. No where is this more evident than in the skin
problems of pregnancy.
You’ve probably heard the phrase, “the eyes are the window to
the soul”. If this is true, your skin is the window to your
current state of health and the changes taking place on the
inside. During pregnancy, aside from all the other issues, you
may also have to deal with a variety of skin changes, including
rashes, acne, stretch marks, breaking nails, hair growth or
loss, and dark blotches on the skin.
Most of these changes are directly linked to the enormous
amount of hormonal fluctuations women experience during
pregnancy. During pregnancy, there are all kinds of changes
which can have impact on your skin, leading to new skin
problems or worsening of existing ones. In some cases,
pregnancy may actually help improve existing skin conditions.
Let’s look at various skin conditions in more detail, defining
the main ten skin problems of pregnancy.
1) Rashes. Rashes appear due to irritation of the skin. One
common pregnancy rash is called pruritic urticarial papules and
plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP). This is the most frequently seen
condition specific to pregnancy. Women with PUPPP demonstrate a
rash which starts on the abdomen and can spread to the breasts,
arms, thighs, and buttocks.
2) Acne. Acne is another skin condition that may get better or
worse during pregnancy. Acne is, at least in part, driven by
hormones, so the hormones of pregnancy can lead to more
breakouts for some women, and clearer skin for others.
3) Oily skin. Oily skin is third skin condition which may arise
during pregnancy. This is related to increased levels of
androgen, the male sex hormone, which causes an increase in
sebum production. The more sebum produced, the oilier the skin.
Many women report that their skin and hair becomes oilier during
pregnancy. Most of the time, these issues can be addressed with
over the counter oil controlling cleansers and products.
4) Stretch marks. The fourth skin problem of pregnancy, stretch
marks arise when the under layers of the skin is stretched,
resulting in visible striations on the surface of the skin.
Stretch marks can be treated after the fact, but the best
treatment is always prevention. Keeping your skin well
moisturized, especially on your tummy, breasts, thighs, can
help reduce the appearance of stretch marks.
5) Spider angiomas. These are another possible skin problem of
pregnancy. Spider angiomas are groups of very tiny blood
vessels which gather around a central point and radiate out
like the legs of a spider. Pregnant women are likely to develop
these on their chest, faces, arms, and sometimes on other places
on the body. Most of these spider angiomas clear up after
pregnancy.
6) Chloasma. Chloasma, also called melasma, or the “mask of
pregnancy” is another skin condition which is diagnosed when
certain areas of the skin turn darker because of excess
pigmentation. Most often, this condition affects places of the
skin which are most often exposed to sun, like the upper lip,
forehead, cheeks. This condition is likely to clear up after
pregnancy. Again, you can lessen your chances of chloasma by
using a good (baby safe) doctor recommended sunscreen
throughout the course of your pregnancy.
7) Too much hair. Changes in the hair are also common during
pregnancy. Some women lose a lot of hair within a few months
after delivery, while many are troubled with excess hair growth
during pregnancy. Excess hair growth is most often seen on the
lip and chin, and is triggered by an increase in androgen and
other male hormones during pregnancy.
8) Brittle nails. Many women experience breaking, splitting, or
brittleness to their nails during pregnancy. Physicians aren't
quite sure why this occurs, but it may be managed with an over
the counter nail hardening polish. Check with your doctor.
9) Skin tags. Skin tags are little pieces of skin which
over-grow and hang from the neck. These can increase in number
during pregnancy. If you have skin tags before pregnancy, it
may be that pregnancy will cause these to increase.
10) Atopic dermatitis. Also known as eczema, this skin
condition may appear or worsen during pregnancy. Marked by
extreme skin itchiness, too much scratching can lead to the
skin become red, swollen, or cracked.
If you are pregnant, be sure to watch for these ten skin
problems of pregnancy. If you begin to develop any of these
conditions, seek appropriate medical advice; you don’t have to
suffer through these conditions for the whole nine months.
Chances are that your doctor will have recommendations which
can address your skin problems so you can have healthy,
beautiful skin, even while you’re pregnant.
About The Author: Ally McNeal is a self-described
“skin-a-holic”, someone who loves learning and teaching about
skin care. Learn more about taking care of pregnant skin at
http://skintypes.skincaresmarts.com/22/taking-care-of-pregnant-skin/
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