Written by Editorial Team
Pregnancy is one of the happiest experiences in a woman’s lifetime and while you do enjoy this lovely phase, there are of course some side effects that pregnancy brings in its wake. Now, not everyone enjoys the ‘pregnancy glow’, some women face skin-related issues as well. One of the most common issues among them is skin darkening or pigmentation which mars your happiness. However, skin darkening during pregnancy is quite common and is most likely a temporary skin change during pregnancy.
Pregnant women undergo a range of changes both physically and emotionally. Pregnant women are more than likely to experience skin discoloration during any stage of their pregnancy. Up to 90% of women report experiencing some degree of skin discoloration. It does not usually appear overnight, but rather gradually as the pregnancy progresses. The good news is that it is only a cosmetic issue and your unborn child will not be harmed by it.
In This Article
Medically termed as Chloasma, these blotches of dark skin are commonly referred to as the “mask of pregnancy”. These splotches appear around one’s cheekbones, upper lips, and forehead and often resemble a mask’s shape. This is indeed something that makes a woman quite apprehensive about how to handle this issue and how soon her skin will return to normalcy.
These splotches normally appear either in the first or second trimester of one’s pregnancy and may increase with each pregnancy. Women with darker skin tones are more likely to get it than women who have lighter skin tones.
Apart from the face, you would have noticed other areas in your body getting darker as well. Your nipples, freckles on the skin, old scars, and the skin of your genitals may all appear to be getting darker. Your underarms and inner thighs, which are objects of friction, may appear darker too.
This condition is mostly caused by-
Although in most cases, there is nothing much that can be done to avert this issue, there are some precautionary measures that can be adopted in order to avert this condition. They include:
Skin pigmentation changes usually go away with pregnancy, while some women may have to deal with them for a longer time. Anyhow, you can relax as there are some wonderful home remedies that have been proven to be extremely effective in treating Chloasma during pregnancy. They are-
All these natural and home remedies are helpful in removing these pigmentation blotches to an extent. You just need to choose some remedy that is easily available and comfortable for you at this phase and lo beholds, you can get rid of these blotches very soon.
You can even get glowing skin during pregnancy with these simple tips.
If the skin pigmentation does not return to normal a few months after the delivery and becomes bothersome for you, you can talk to your dermatologist for any treatments that may suit you. Chemical peel treatments are not advisable during pregnancy.
If you are breastfeeding or plan to get pregnant again soon, make sure you mention this to your doctor. But you need to be aware that all the below-mentioned treatments are totally unsafe for you during this sensitive phase.
Chemical peel treatments comprise of chemical substances that can get into your blood stream and straight into your fetus causing all kinds of harm to you and your unborn child. So it is imperative you steer clear of any kind of chemical treatments to do away with pigmentation is issues
Laser treatment is also a big no during the pregnancy period. This is because of the risk of hiking all kinds of skin irritations due to such laser treatments.
Also, do not try out any prescribed creams or ointments for skin pigmentation problems as the majority of these ointments comprise of nonphenolic bleaching products, kojic acid, and azelaic acid which a pregnant lady can no way use during this period.
So make sure you stick to home remedies that are absolutely safe to treat this condition. And also remember this issue normally fades away on its own after giving birth in most cases. Just give it some time and you will surely regain your normal skin as time passes by.
After delivery, it usually takes time for the skin to become what it was before. However, expecting instant results may disappoint you, sometimes it takes months to see any improvement. Some women may even get skin discolorations from contraceptives that contain estrogen. In such a case, do talk about birth control options after delivery with your doctor.
After your hormone levels have returned to normal, your body will cease creating as much skin pigment, and any dark spots that appeared during pregnancy should go away. It may take a few weeks or months.
A lack of folic acid may also cause hyperpigmentation. Folate is a B vitamin, and folic acid is its accessible form . Lack of this essential component has been linked to skin darkening.
With a rich experience in pregnancy and parenting, our team of experts create insightful, well-curated, and easy-to-read content for our to-be-parents and parents at all stages of parenting.Read more.
Get regular updates, great recommendations and other right stuff at the right time.