Common skin disorders encountered during pregnancy
“It’s a really magical time, those first few weeks. It almost makes you wish you didn’t have to tell anyone, ever. You could just watch your belly grow bigger, and no one would be allowed to ask you about it, and you would have your baby, and a year later, you would allow visitors to finally come and meet your little miracle.”
Amy Poehler
As per the World Health Organization records, the world sees more than 211 million pregnant women each year. Out of this humongous number, around 46 million expecting mothers end up in induced abortion. Here, only 60% of them are able to carry out in safe conditions.
Where pregnancy comes up as a period full of excitement, happiness, and new experiences, it brings a series of mental and physical changes for the expecting mother. All in all, pregnancy is a blend of plus and minuses. All you need is to notice and undergo suitable treatment to be in good condition during this delicate phase.
When talking about the pregnancy period, it is important to address the skin-related issues often disappointing most pregnant women. Those who have been planning to conceive or already expecting should learn all about the different bodily and skin conditions suffered during this time.
Skin-related problems and pregnancy
Skin issues during the pregnancy stage are segregated into three major categories, including – pregnancy specific, hormone-related, and preexisting skin issues. The normal hormonal changes during the pregnancy can end up in striae gravidarum (stretch marks), vascular changes, hyper-pigmentation, and much more.
Women often trigger these skin-related changes through diet or lifestyle changes. However, most of these are naturally healed in the postpartum period naturally, but why suffer from these apparent problems when they can be cured with a bit of knowledge and concern towards your skin.
Let’s take you through the series of common skin conditions witnessed during the pregnancy stage.
Stretch marks
It is referred to as ‘Striae Gravidarum’ in the medical world. It occurs in more than 90% of pregnant women right after the third trimester of the pregnancy. It appears as pink or purple colored atrophic lines on the buttocks, abdomen, thighs, arms, or breast area. It is a common issue among the younger expecting women, women with higher body mass index, and large babies.
Besides this, if you have had a history of stretch marks in your family, you are likely to suffer from the same. What’s the best part is that it can be healed with the pace of time. All you need is to be consistent with the skin treatment for stretch marks (Striae Gravidarum). In no time, you can bring a notable change in your appearance. One of the biggest bodily changes that result in old-looking stretch marks is the sudden changes in the estrogen, adrenocortical steroids, and skin elastic fibers.
Hyperpigmentation
Almost every woman in her pregnancy stage goes through it. No matter how good and healthy your lifestyle is or how nourished your diet is, hyperpigmentation is visible in all women at some stage of the pregnancy. These changes are more prone to expecting mothers with a darker complexion. Here, the genitals, areolae, and axillae are affected the most.
If you have ever taken oral contraceptive pills, you may encounter the signs of hyperpigmentation on your skin right from the initial stage of pregnancy. Excessive exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet light can end up in the worst results for the skin. If you can’t avoid sunlight due to some emergency, make sure to apply ample amounts of sunscreen lotion on the skin.
Perioral dermatitis
It is a condition where the expecting mother feels inflammation around the mouth. If it is not treated at the right stage, one may feel irritating rashes on the skin, which sometimes spreads to the nose and eye area. There are many best products for perioral dermatitis available in the market, but you need to take good care of your skin to tenfold the positive results. While you are suffering from this skin disorder, try to avoid heavy makeup, creams or lotions, leaving a thick layer on your skin, rosacea, fluoridated toothpaste, etc. All these things can trigger perioral dermatitis to the worst.
Common vascular changes
Sudden yet normal changes in estrogen end up in dilation, proliferation, and severe congestion of blood vessels. These vascular changes start to regress in the postpartum period. In most expecting women with a darker complexion, it starts to appear on the neck, face, and arms the most. If you are likely to experience vascular changes, you may witness its impact right from the first or second trimester.
When blended with the accelerated blood volume, some vascular changes can result in non-pitting edema of the eyelids and face, vaginal erythema, and discoloration of the cervix. You may witness some cold or hot sensations, bluish skin tone, and texture of marble skin during this time. But relax; these skin disorders can be treated with the help of a dermatologist.
Hair and nails
Excessive hair fall is a common problem during the pregnancy period. Besides this, most women end up seeing hirsutism on their faces, back and limbs too. These awful bodily changes are resolved naturally during the postpartum period. You may also experience a mild thickening in the hair scalp, making you feel irritated to a considerable extent.
Note – No matter what medicine or cosmetic product you apply, make sure to get it consulted by a dermatologist and gynecologist first. This is important to avoid any side-effects of the medicine or products used anywhere on the body.
The bottom line is that,
Pregnancy is one of the most delicate and beautiful phases of any woman’s life. Where it brings a bundle of joy, one must not neglect the amount of health and skin-related problems it offers. There are countless reasons behind a pregnant woman suffering from skin issues. Plus, the lack of knowledge triggers it to the worst. And before it gets too late for you to overcome the skin-related problems suffered, make sure you reap the required knowledge and act accordingly.
