Pregnancy skin care
It's been a long time since I had my babies. Last week I became a grandmother. Even though it's been years since I had children, things haven't changed when it comes to we go through. We all wish for the perfect pregnancy but we have to accept whatever happens since we can't stop it.
I never really knew what they meant by pregnancy glow until I watched my daughter go through her nine months. Her skin was radiant, her eyes sparkled, sometimes a little tired but she definitely glowed. She obviously didn't get it from me. But even as women glow they can still carry the scars of what pregnancy can do to their body. From stretch marks to acne breakouts and even pregnancy mask.
Stretch marks usually appear six to seven months into the pregnancy. Some may get them sooner depending on their weight gain, the elasticity of your skin and also genetics. A stretch mark is caused when your second layer (dermis) of skin is stretched to the limit. It appears as reddish lines. As years go by they will fade to silvery marble color. Is there anything that you can do to prevent them? You can buy different types of creams that are made for stretch marks (like cocoa butter) but they really only help with the dryness of the skin.
It all depends on the amount of elasticity that you have in your skin and genetics. Microdermabrasion is said to help stretch marks but needs to be done as soon as possible after birth, while they are still red and in the healing process. Any marks that have a silvery look cannot be altered.
Estrogen and progesterone production increases during pregnancy making the body secrete more melanin. This can cause pregnancy mask (chloasma) which has a brownish or yellowish tinge, and can appear on different regions of the face. Not everybody will have this problem since it usually happens to people with a darker complexion. It usually goes away after pregnancy but be aware of sun exposure during this time. The sun can make it worse, therefore there is no guarantee that it will disappear. Use moderation and always use a SPF of 25 to 30.
There are certain parts of the body that can get darker during pregnancy such as freckles, scars and the best one the "linea nigra" which is the line that goes from your belly button to your pelvic bone. Once your baby is born, this line usually disappears but again be aware of the sun. We also can have hair growing where we never had hair before such as on our face and even on our chest. This is called hirsutism and it relates to our hormones. This usually disappears within six months following birth.
If you thought that you were finished with your acne days this could be when it shows its ugly head again. As your hormone levels rise so does the production of oil which leads to oily skin. Sometimes acne breakouts are not contained to just your face. There are chances that your body will also have breakouts. If you had acne before pregnancy you could be the one with that glow and perfect skin.
There is nothing you can do to change what your body is going to go through during pregnancy, so you need to take care of yourself, get plenty of sleep, eat properly and use sun protection. But keep in mind that almost everything goes back to normal after your baby is born depending on what your definition of normal means. In the long run it really is all worth it.
* Lorraine Cormier is an esthetician who also has years of experience in the medical field. She now operates In Our Hands, a skin care and beauty consultation company. She can be reached at 855-4264 or nrhands@nb.sympatico.ca.
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