Ten Skin Problems Of Pregnancy
Pregnancy brings with it many changes, emotionally,
physically, and mentally. From a mental and emotional standpoint, you’re
preparing to adopt a new role of parent, with all its accompanying
responsibilities. Physically, of course, you’re dealing with changes in the
shape, function, and movement of your body. While we have a society-wide belief
that pregnant women are always glowing, that, unfortunately, is not always the
case. No where is this more evident than in the skin problems of pregnancy.
You’ve probably heard the phrase, “the eyes are the window to the soul”.
If this is true, your skin is the window to your current state of health and the
changes taking place on the inside. During pregnancy, aside from all the other
issues, you may also have to deal with a variety of skin changes, including
rashes, acne, stretch marks, breaking nails, hair growth or loss, and dark
blotches on the skin.
Most of these changes are directly linked to the
enormous amount of hormonal fluctuations women experience during pregnancy.
During pregnancy, there are all kinds of changes which can have impact on your
skin, leading to new skin problems or worsening of existing ones. In some cases,
pregnancy may actually help improve existing skin conditions. Let’s look at
various skin conditions in more detail, defining the main ten skin problems of
pregnancy.
1) Rashes. Rashes appear due to irritation of the skin. One
common pregnancy rash is called pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of
pregnancy (PUPPP). This is the most frequently seen condition specific to
pregnancy. Women with PUPPP demonstrate a rash which starts on the abdomen and
can spread to the breasts, arms, thighs, and buttocks.
2) Acne. Acne is
another skin condition that may get better or worse during pregnancy. Acne is,
at least in part, driven by hormones, so the hormones of pregnancy can lead to
more breakouts for some women, and clearer skin for others.
3) Oily
skin. Oily skin is third skin condition which may arise during pregnancy. This
is related to increased levels of androgen, the male sex hormone, which causes
an increase in sebum production. The more sebum produced, the oilier the skin.
Many women report that their skin and hair becomes oilier during pregnancy. Most
of the time, these issues can be addressed with over the counter oil controlling
cleansers and products.
4) Stretch marks. The fourth skin problem of
pregnancy, stretch marks arise when the under layers of the skin is stretched,
resulting in visible striations on the surface of the skin. Stretch marks can be
treated after the fact, but the best treatment is always prevention. Keeping
your skin well moisturized, especially on your tummy, breasts, thighs, can help
reduce the appearance of stretch marks.
5) Spider angiomas. These are
another possible skin problem of pregnancy. Spider angiomas are groups of very
tiny blood vessels which gather around a central point and radiate out like the
legs of a spider. Pregnant women are likely to develop these on their chest,
faces, arms, and sometimes on other places on the body. Most of these spider
angiomas clear up after pregnancy.
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