Protect Your Pregnant Skin

There are many things to celebrate when you are expecting. Baby showers and setting up a nursery are times of excitement preparing for your precious bundle of joy to arrive. Yet, as much as there is to get you glowing, there are also things that you need to take precautions against – one being damage to your skin.

Throughout pregnancy, hormones will fluctuate greatly. From the time you ovulate and conceive, your hormones will be at high levels and continue to increase until you give birth. Even after delivery, your hormones will take months to regulate and find their normal level once again. With this massive fluctuation of hormones, your skin can show obvious changes. Melasma is a medical condition of the skin which causes discoloration to form in patches on the face. As warmer weather has found its way to Georgia (and will last for the next six months), you need to take steps to protect your skin.

Melasma is caused by hormonal shifts, and there is no rhyme or reason why some women develop this skin discoloration and others do not. The one sure thing is that exposure to sunlight will increase your chances of developing melasma, and sun exposure will make the condition worse. The most effective form of treatment is preventing the causes of melasma. Avoiding sun exposure while you are pregnant is essential. Of course, here in Georgia, it isn’t easy to stay inside all summer. Therefore, you need to wear a strong sunblock every single day. Using sunscreen for your face with at least an SPF of 45+ is crucial for protecting your pregnant skin. You should also wear a wide-brimmed hat to help keep direct sunlight off your face. One other thing to keep in mind is if you drive a lot, the left side of your face will receive more sun exposure than the right side. Use your sun visor to help block sunlight from coming in your driver’s side window.

Treatment for Skin Discoloration

If you have already begun to suffer from melasma, take heart. Most women will see their skin clear up a few months after pregnancy. Of course, if you become pregnant again soon after, melasma may stick around for quite a while. While prevention is the most effective way to treat melasma, other treatments include chemical laser peels, laser treatment, and skin bleaching agents.

If skin discoloration is causing you distress, contact Kayal Dermatology today.