4 Top Tips for Clearing Up Pregnancy Skin Changes

Jennifer Bright
Mon, 05 Jul 2021 00:00:00 -0700
Lifestyle

Your skin is certainly not immune to changes during pregnancy. Acne and pregnancy mask are a few skin changes you might encounter. On the flip side, all of the extra blood in your veins might be giving you a lovely, rosy complexion, and the extra hormones might make your skin smooth and shiny.

A few lucky pregnant women have less acne during pregnancy. If you usually break out before your period, you're more likely to break out while you're pregnant, too. Often in pregnancy, women are more acne-prone or their skin is drier than usual. As your hormone levels change, it can trigger increased oil production. Pesky pimples can appear on your face, neck, shoulders and back. Drinking water might help to flush oil and bacteria from your pores and prevent pimples.
Updated: Tue Jul 06, 2021

Your skin is certainly not immune to changes during pregnancy. Acne and pregnancy mask are a few skin changes you might encounter. On the flip side, all of the extra blood in your veins might be giving you a lovely, rosy complexion, and the extra hormones might make your skin smooth and shiny.

A few lucky pregnant women have less acne during pregnancy. If you usually break out before your period, you're more likely to break out while you're pregnant, too. Often in pregnancy, women are more acne-prone or their skin is drier than usual. As your hormone levels change, it can trigger increased oil production. Pesky pimples can appear on your face, neck, shoulders and back. Drinking water might help to flush oil and bacteria from your pores and prevent pimples.

Pregnancy mask affects almost three-quarters of all pregnant women, but for some reason, a lot of women haven't heard of it. Its medical name is melasma, and it's caused by increased levels of a hormone called melanin. That's the same hormone that causes your skin to darken in the sun. In pregnancy, you might notice dark, blotchy areas of skin, especially on your brow, cheekbones and upper lip. Exposure to the sun will make it worse, so it's helpful to stay out of the sun and wear sunscreen. During pregnancy, your skin might be more sensitive to certain ingredients in sunscreen, so test it on a small area of skin before slathering it all over.

Here's what our Mommy M.D.s — doctors who are also mothers — do to cope with pregnancy skin changes.

"During my pregnancy, I had a little acne," says Lezli Braswell, M.D., a mom of one daughter and two sons and a family medicine physician in Columbus, Georgia. "I used over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide, and that seemed to clear it up after only a few treatments. Because continued use seemed to dry out my skin, I'd stop using it for a while until the acne flared up again."

"I'll never forget how horrified I was when I first noticed a brown discoloration on my upper lip," says Rallie McAllister, M.D., M.P.H., mom of three, co-author of "The Mommy MD Guide to Your Baby's First Year," nationally recognized health expert and family physician in Lexington, Kentucky. "I thought I was growing a mustache! On closer inspection, I realized that it wasn't facial hair but rather a change in skin pigment. I had never heard of 'pregnancy mask,' so I had no idea what it was or how long it would last. Fortunately, it was easily disguised with makeup, and it went away a few months after my delivery."

"One unusual symptom I had during pregnancy was that all of the hair on my legs fell out," says Sonia Ng, M.D., a mom of two sons, a pediatrician and a sedation attending physician at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Pediatric Care and the University Medical Center in Princeton, New Jersey, and the Pediatric Imaging Center in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. "I'm not sure if it was due to hormonal changes or because my legs were so swollen. But I didn't care what the cause was; I was thrilled! Six months after my baby was born, though, all of the hair grew back."

"Just as perplexing, during my pregnancy, I grew hair on my boobs and stomach," adds Ng. "I plucked out the thick ones on my boobs. But I was afraid to wax the ones on my belly for fear it would cause stretch marks. Thankfully, it all fell out after my baby was born."

When to Call the Doctor

Do not take any prescription medications while pregnant, including those for acne, without the approval of your doctor or midwife. Because your skin is an organ and anything you put on it is absorbed into your body, you must be very careful about what you put on your skin during pregnancy. Products containing retinol are especially worrisome, and their safety during pregnancy is suspect.

If you're having problems with your skin, talk with your doctor or midwife at your next appointment.