Pregnancy and Your Skin: 4 Potential Challenges
By Admin | 26 Jan, 2021
Pregnancy creates some profound changes in an expectant mother's body, including the skin. As hormones and other physical processes adjust themselves to accommodate the fetus, a pregnant woman's skin may display various cosmetic problems, some of which don't automatically vanish following delivery.
Whether you currently struggle with lingering postnatal skin issues or you just want to prepare yourself for pregnancy-related changes, you'll probably feel less alarmed once you understand common prenatal skin conditions and their potential treatments. Take a look at four skin challenges you might face during your pregnancy.
01
Spider Veins
Veins often undergo unwanted changes during pregnancy. In addition to varicose veins (large, swollen veins that can cause pain and interfere with leg circulation), pregnant women often develop spider veins. This condition produces thin red, blue, or purple lines in the face, belly, legs, or other parts of the body.
Spider veins typically occur when excessive pressure enlarges tiny veins near the skin's surface. Hormonal shifts and an increase in prenatal blood volume can both contribute to this unsightly but largely harmless problem. Your spider veins may remain for several months even after your body has otherwise recovered from pregnancy's effects.
Laser treatment can remove stubborn spider veins, although you should wait until after delivery to pursue this method. You can also encourage their departure by maintaining good blood flow in your lower body, giving your feet a break instead of standing for hours, and getting proper nutrition, including plenty of Vitamin C and fiber.
02
Acne
If you struggled with acne during your teen years or even later in life, then you know what to expect from this common prenatal skin issue. The boost in hormone levels that accompanies pregnancy also increases the oil produced by your skin, especially in the first trimester.
To reduce your odds of developing pimples and other acne issues during pregnancy, keep your skin as clean as possible without drying it out. Change your pillowcase regularly, and avoid touching your face whenever practical. If you have oily hair, shampoo frequently to help keep excess oil away from your skin.
Many stronger acne medications, including retinoids and tetracyclines, can raise your risk for birth defects. Stick to safer products that feature glycolic acid, azelaic acid, benzoyl peroxide, or salicylic acid. After pregnancy, you can combine acne medications with laser treatment to eliminate your acne problem.
03
Rosacea
Rosacea sometimes gets confused with more conventional acne problems. However, the facial redness rosacea produces tends to affect large areas toward the center of the face, as opposed to simply surrounding facial pimples. It can also create thickened, bumpy skin and visible blood vessels on the face.
Pregnancy may not cause rosacea, but it can make an existing case of rosacea that much worse. You can reduce the severity of your symptoms by protecting your skin against unnecessary sunlight or UV exposure. If you continue to have rosacea issues after pregnancy, laser treatment can reduce redness by 20 percent.
04
Melasma
In melasma, brownish discolored patches appear in a pattern that includes the nose, cheeks, upper lip, forehead, and chin. This problem, which mainly targets women, often occurs in connection with hormonal changes. Chloasma, also called the mask of pregnancy, refers to a kind of melasma that prenatal changes induce.
Fortunately, most expectant mothers can expect this discoloration to fade once they've given birth. However, some degree of melasma may remain. A combination of treatments, including options such as hydroquinone, retinoid medications, Vitamin C, chemical peels, and laser treatment can reduce excessive pigmentation.
Basin Family Care, Inc., has the advanced skin treatment technologies to help you restore your skin tone to its former, prenatal beauty.Contactour clinic to learn more and request our services.