By Lucy Hall Of Medifine
Pregnancy is the creation and protection of a new life, with this your body has to change and adapt to accommodate this nine-month cycle. The woman’s body is made to work very hard throughout this process which can have an impact on the external state of your skin in pregnancy.
Women hear so much about the ‘pregnancy glow’ but what is talked about less is such skin concerns as melasma, oily acne prone skin, stretch marks, broken blood veins, dry/itchy skin which are commonly experienced during pregnancy along with the fact you will need to reassess your choice of pain relief in pregnancy, looking at an natural anti inflammatory for pregnancy can be a good option including for acne. As with all products and medicines please check with your Doctor before taking.
For the majority of women, these symptoms are temporary and post-pregnancy will disappear; however, for some these problems can persist. This blog looks at ways to help ease your skin in pregnancy problems and treatments to consider should the issue continue post-pregnancy.
Pregnancy Mask/ Melasma
The ‘pregnancy mask’ or brown pigmentation marks can appear on the face. This is caused by increased hormone levels which affect pigmentation levels causing a surge in the body’s production of melanin. In most cases, once hormone levels return to normal, the pigmentation fades away. There is little that can be done to prevent this occurring, however, it is recommended that you limit sun exposure and that a daily SPF is applied as UV light can worsen the discolouration. Recommendations; Julia Hunter Maximal SPF £55 available at Medifine Aesthetics
If the pigmentation does still remain after pregnancy/breast-feeding then there are various options that can be considered and these vary from melanin suppressant skincare, introducing bleaching or brightening agents, laser treatments and skin peels. It is important to consider all your options carefully and know that there is no quick fix with melasma so take your time deciding what treatment is best for you.
Oily Skin And Acne In Pregnancy
Whilst pregnant we have higher levels of hormones which encourage the production of sebum; too much sebum can cause pores to become blocked, resulting in oily, spotty skin. Pregnancy can limit the number of product ingredients that can be used because of the lack of appropriate safety testing. However, you can try washing your face twice a day with a gentle cleanser, stick to oil free products/makeup, drink plenty of water, eat a healthy and balanced diet and try a cup of peppermint tea to help naturally reduce your sebum levels.* Recommendations: Julia Hunter Maximal Cleanser from £18, Oxygenetix’s Foundation £45, Julia Hunter Maximal Serum from £45 available at Medifine Aesthetics
If your skin is still suffering after pregnancy/breastfeeding from oily, acne prone skin then you can now safely start to introduce effective ingredients into your skin care regime such as BHA/AHA’s that deeply cleanse the skin, exfoliate dead skin cells and reduce the sebum/oil in the pores. Vitamin A is a great ingredient to introduce to help tackle acne and has been clinically proven to have effective results. Such treatments as skin peels, facials, laser treatment and light therapy may also be worth considering. You may want to consult your GP who may be able to offer a prescriptive skin care solutions or visit a skin care clinic to see their range of pharmaceutical grade products. Acne can cause scarring. Acne scarring is the damage of skin cells and we recommend early treatment as skin cells create a memory so the longer scaring is left the harder it can be to erase this memory from the cells. Such treatments as laser, skin peels, dermarolling, PRP or ‘vampire facial’ and mesotherapy are worth considering to help treat scarring.
Stretch Marks In Pregnancy
Stretch marks can appear when the skin has been stretched such as when a lady is pregnant. It is thought that the application of creams/oils will help reduce stretch marks. Recommendations: Julia Hunter Emu Oil from £15.00 available at Medifine Aesthetics
After pregnancy, the coloured stretch marks usually fade and become less noticeable. There are treatments to consider that can help improve the colour and texture of the stretch marks further, such as dermaroller, laser treatment, messotherapy, PRP or ‘vampire facial’ (can be performed on the body), body creams containing effective active ingredients such as vitamin A, C and E and brightening agents to even out colour tone.
*It is important to note that your GP should be notified with any changes to your skin in pregnancy. There are certain skin care ingredients that have not been FDA approved as safe whilst pregnant so any questions regarding the safety of products should be discussed with your GP or midwife. The FDA does not regulate the safety of herbal teas; the general consensus seems to be that small amounts are safe, however, we also advise you to check this with your GP before use.
Click here to to our pregnancy and maternity support page to keep you updated with advice and support.
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