Skin Care Tips during Pregnancy and after Delivery

Why do pigmentation and stretch marks occur? Some pregnant women never experience skin conditions, and others get them even when trying too hard to avoid them.

Pregnancy changes your whole body, even your skin- the biggest organ. The hormones, estrogen and progesterone, are the reason behind those changes. So what happens to your body during pregnancy, and how can you avoid pigmentation and stretch marks?

Headings and Subheadings

• Changes in Your Body and Skin During Pregnancy
  • Pigmentation
  • Stretch Marks
  • Changes in Blood Vessels
  • Hair and Nail Changes
  • Skin Rash and Acne

• How to Care for Your Skin During Pregnancy
  • Avoiding Stretch Marks and Pigmentation
  • Using Make-Up
  • Tattooing

• How to Care for Your Skin after Delivery
• Conclusion

Changes in Your Body and Skin During Pregnancy

Pigmentation

Pigmentation is skin coloring. It is the darkening of the nipples, underarms, chin, forehead, or cheeks. A pigment called melanin is responsible for attaining your skin color. During pregnancy, when the cells that produce melanin are damaged, pigmentation occurs.

Well, it is not that horrible! Pregnancy is a beautiful phase that should be enjoyed to the fullest. Some women even feel their best when they are pregnant. So in case pigmentation happens to you, be the least afraid because it will fade with time. The length of time it takes to fade away depends on how dark the spots are.

Stretch Marks

Motherhood means stretch marks! As your tummy grows, your skin stretches leaving stretch marks after birth, when your skin pulls itself back together. Stretch marks are wavy lines that appear on your stretched body parts, such as your tummy, your thighs, breasts, and your bottom back. They become paler in color with time.

The good news is stretch marks can be very simply treated during pregnancy and after. They may not be a 100 percent treated, but the treatment is eighty percent effective.

Changes in Blood Vessels

Ever heard of the pregnancy glow? When you are pregnant, the increased volume of blood in your vessels will blush your cheeks and redden the palm of your hands. Many women shine during pregnancy.

Hair and Nail Changes

You will notice that your hair is more lustrous during pregnancy. It will have a bigger volume as estrogen supports a longer life cycle. As beautiful as that sounds, unfortunately, the increased hair will fall off after delivery.

Some women also feel like they have stronger nails; whereas, others may notice brittle nails with split ends.

Skin Rash and Acne

All pregnant women have very itchy skin or skin rash, and that is due to the circulation of bile in the body. Some women have worse skin conditions and may experience acne.

How to Care for Your Skin During Pregnancy

As serious as those skin conditions sound, there is always a way to avoid them. Follow the tips below to keep your skin healthy during pregnancy.

Avoiding Stretch Marks and Pigmentation

• Control your weight. The most important way to avoid stretch marks is to keep yourself at a healthy weight. Stretch marks happen when your skin pulls apart.
• Stay hydrated.
• Eat foods that boost healthy skin – foods rich in zinc, proteins, and vitamins.
• Make sure you get a lot of vitamin C that is found in fruits and vegetables.
• Vitamin D is also crucial, so spend some time in the sun.
• Apply lotion twice a day throughout your pregnancy and a minimum of three months after delivery.
  • You can find lotions to treat stretch marks at PETIT MIGNON. Shop by brands for maternity items: Mustela Stretch Mark Serum, Mustela Organic Stretch Mark Oil, and Biolane.

Using Make-Up

Most make-up products are safe to use during pregnancy. However, there are some you need to avoid. Avoid products that contain paraben, retinol, fragrance, and salicylic acid.

Tattooing

Try to avoid tattooing or body art during pregnancy. There is always a possibility of infections or allergic reactions to chemicals and dyes applied to your skin. The safety of the ink is still unknown, and whether it is safe when injected into the skin has not been thoroughly tested.

How to Care for Your Skin after Delivery

For working mothers, it is advisable to get at least three months of postpartum care, and more for nonworking mothers. Here is how you can get your skin back to normal:

• Exercise to burn fat and tone up your abdomen.
• Keep on applying creams for stretch marks (Mustela Stretch Mark Serum, Mustela Organic Stretch Mark Oil, and Biolane.)
• Moisturize your nipples when breastfeeding. Use Mustela Nursing Comfort Balm, found at PETIT MIGNON.
• Use sunblock every day.
• Stay hydrated.
• Use vitamin A creams to cure acne.
• Consult a doctor in case you or your baby develop a skin rash.

Read more: “How to Care for Your Mental Health After Delivery”.

Conclusion

Taking care of your skin is essential during pregnancy and after delivery. Many women suffer from skin disorders as a result of inappropriate care. To keep your skin healthy, make sure you are able to identify the different skin conditions, use the right creams, take appropriate measures, and avoid tattooing and some make-up products. Also, it is important to be consistent with your exercise routine and the application of stretch mark creams. Remember that hydration and healthy eating are the best medicines for healthy skin.

You may also like “What I Wish I Had Known Before Bringing Baby Home”.

References

https://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/998/pregnancy-skin-care-tips-during-pregnancy-and-after-birth

https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-prevent-stretch-marks#acting-fast