One of the main signs of pregnancy in a woman is yellowish or brownish spots that appear on the face and neck. This is the so-called skin pigmentation, which was used in ancient times to determine the “interesting” position of a woman.
This defect often causes a lot of distress for a woman, since it affects her appearance, and in her opinion, not for the better. Uneven large spots are of particular concern. And in order to reassure women with similar problems during pregnancy, we will further discuss issues related to skin pigmentation during this period.
Do age spots always appear during pregnancy?
Almost every woman is faced with the issue of the appearance of age spots, because the process is associated with the restructuring of hormones that occurs during pregnancy. The body produces large amounts of melanin, which is concentrated in certain places.
Providing the synthesis of more estrogens and progesterone, more melanin is formed. The process has begun and pregnant women just need to know what is happening to their body.
Pigment spots do not have any effect on the baby, unless they are caused by an exacerbation of chronic ailments.
The degree of saturation with pigment spots increases as pregnancy progresses, but this is not necessary, and some women do not even encounter such a problem.
What it is
Pigment spots are light or dark areas of the skin that are caused by uneven distribution of melanin, which can be caused by:
- excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays;
- injury or burns;
- hormonal changes;
- certain medications;
- disruption of the functioning of internal organs.
Pigment spots during pregnancy are a common problem and can even be one of the symptoms of its onset.
Despite this, if they occur, you must contact a dermatologist who will correctly determine the cause of melasma. Only after this, the doctor will be able to prescribe suitable treatment.
Notice them on the face, stomach, thighs and even mammary glands. In medicine, this defect is called melasma or chloasma and is accompanied by severe symptoms, without pain or severe itching.
Important! Doctors recommend against self-medication. It is justified only if marks appear at the site of the burn. In other cases, only a qualified doctor can prescribe treatment.
Where are spots most likely to appear during pregnancy?
The color of the spots depends on skin type and hair color. They can appear on the face, inner thigh, stomach, arms, and chest. Pigmentation that appears on the face is often called chloasis or “mask of pregnancy.” It can take on different shapes, for example, appearing in the form of a spotted arc on the forehead. A woman may encounter an abundance of freckles, although it is cold outside and this is not their season at all. They do not cause discomfort and are yellowish to dark brown in color.
Breasts and nipples
The darkening of these areas makes many women think about pregnancy. It is the breasts and nipples that become stained first, which occurs in the first trimester. The shade of the nipples changes from pink to brown.
Legs and arms
The presence of freckles on the arms and legs becomes more noticeable and striking in the third trimester of pregnancy.
Back
Melanin in the skin is distributed unevenly, so the effects may appear in different areas. Most often, freckles appear on the back, which a woman could get under the scorching sun.
Stomach
On the abdomen, pigmentation is most often represented by a stripe from the navel to the pubis. In some it is more pronounced, in others it is visible, but it is still there. The reason for this is excessive production of melanin. A popular belief says that if the stripe is dark and runs across the entire belly, then future parents should expect a boy.
Dark stripe on the stomach
Every woman has an Alba line; it is located between the rectus muscles and stretches along the abdomen. Takes on a brown coloration only during pregnancy. This happens by the third trimester, but since everything is individual, earlier manifestations also occur.
Is darkening of the skin normal during pregnancy?
Yes, during pregnancy, some women experience darker areas of their skin, which is called melasma, chloasma or melasma (these are synonyms).
This pigmentation disorder is also sometimes called the “mask of pregnancy” because the spots often appear around the upper lip, nose, cheekbones and forehead, resembling a facial mask. Dark spots may also appear on the cheeks, along the jawline, or on the forearms and other parts of the body exposed to the sun. What's more, skin that is already darker (more pigmented) - such as your nipples, freckles, scars and genital area - may become even darker during pregnancy. It can also appear in areas where friction occurs, such as the armpits or inner thighs.
Melasma occurs in 10-15% of pregnant women. But it is not always associated with pregnancy, and is also observed in 10-25% of women taking oral contraceptives.
Why do age spots appear during pregnancy?
- Hormonal changes in the body are inevitable during normal pregnancy. Its consequence may be the appearance of spots.
- Heredity can cause the appearance of spots, because genetically the process can be transmitted from mother or even grandmother.
- Stressful situations in which the expectant mother may find herself can also influence this process.
- Deficiency of folic acid in the body.
- Liver pathology (rare).
- Lack of vitamins B, C, copper, zinc, glands in the body, which must be balanced with the help of nutrition or special vitamin complexes that can only be prescribed by a specialist.
- Taking oral contraceptives before pregnancy.
- Long and systematic exposure to the sun.
- Poor provision of cosmetic services, use of poor cosmetics.
Given the existing factors, some of them can be prevented. For example, after consulting with your doctor, get a prescription and take folic acid.
When do they take place?
All changes in a woman’s body are temporary. Pigment spots also do not last long. Everything happens in a clear order - the weight returns to normal, hormone levels stabilize, and at the end of all processes, pigment spots disappear. Try to accept them as part of pregnancy and don't worry about trifles. The only cause for concern can be their persistence after childbirth; on average, they go away in 3-4 months. If they do not go away on their own, then you will have to resort to medical procedures or make various masks at home.
Prevention of intense pigmentation during pregnancy
To stabilize hormonal levels during pregnancy and prevent the intensive process of darkening of areas of the skin, it is necessary to adhere to all recommendations and prescriptions of the gynecologist observing the pregnancy. Typically, general recommendations include:
- Taking multivitamin medications.
- Maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
- Stay outdoors as much as possible.
- Proper nutrition for pregnant women.
- Compliance with the regime of drinking water (clean, without gas).
- Maintaining a sleep schedule.
- Replenishing the body's supply of folate (with the help of green vegetables), leafy foods, fruits and berries, vegetable oils).
- Avoid exposing your body to direct sunlight, especially for a long time.
Since excess tonin in the body can cause intense skin pigmentation, you should not drink a lot of tea and coffee during pregnancy, because these drinks contain the highest level of this substance.
We must not forget about the negative impact of stress. To prevent increased pigmentation of the skin, a pregnant woman needs to protect herself from them as much as possible.
You can get rid of age spots during pregnancy: tips
You can get rid of them or even minimize their manifestation if you remember simple rules:
- In summer, use sun protection, avoid direct rays, and wear a hat.
- The diet should contain vegetables and fruits with vitamin C and E, pay special attention to fermented milk products. Food should be easily digestible.
- Avoid strong drinks – coffee and tea.
- Even before conception, consume folic acid.
- In case of diseases of the liver, ovaries, or thyroid gland, the problem must be solved at the stage of pregnancy planning.
- Use quality cosmetics.
A healthy lifestyle and more walks in the fresh air will have a positive effect on the course of pregnancy. Women often solve the problem with folk remedies:
- Use kefir masks prepared with any fermented milk products;
- Masks and tinctures made from products that help whiten the skin - parsley, grapefruit juice, fresh cucumbers.
A beauty salon may offer laser therapy that eliminates pigmented areas. However, it is better to undergo this procedure after childbirth if the spots do not go away on their own. The specialist will tell you how suitable it is for your skin, and may recommend special creams that can solve the problem without laser intervention.
Pigmentation during pregnancy is a natural process that you should not be afraid of. It is important to monitor the body, which will prevent the problem. For example, if the reason is a lack of vitamins, then it is recommended to consult a doctor who will prescribe the appropriate medications. With the birth of the baby, the processes occurring in the body of the expectant mother are normalized, the hormonal levels will return to normal and the spots will go away on their own. Even if this did not happen so quickly, cosmetology has developed many modern means to solve this problem.
How to prevent the appearance of age spots?
In order not to provoke the appearance of pigmentation on the body and face, you should:
- exclude exposure to the sun during “dangerous” hours - from 12 to 18 hours or stay in the shade
- use sunscreens with a high protective factor
- Avoid exposing your skin to chemicals you are not familiar with
- use only proven cosmetics
- take multivitamins as recommended by your doctor
- maintain a balanced diet - eat a lot of leafy vegetables, beets, cabbage, cereals, liver, fish, vegetable oils, etc.
And remember that although age spots are not a particularly pleasant phenomenon, after childbirth in most women they disappear without a trace. And now the most important thing for you is to learn not to get upset over such little things and look forward to your meeting with your baby with joy!
How to get rid
If the cause of the problem is serious disorders in the body or the development of dangerous diseases, only a qualified specialist can cope with this problem. He will select the correct treatment system.
If pigmentation appears during pregnancy as a result of natural hormonal changes, a woman can easily get rid of it on her own.
Rubbing, lotions and masks made at home will help remove this flaw.
Important! When preparing home remedies for skin marks, use only quality ingredients. And in case of individual intolerance to one of them, stop using the product.
Rubbing
There are dozens of ways to get rid of pigmentation using rubbing, but the most popular are the following.
Lemon
Freshly squeezed lemon juice diluted with an equal amount of purified water will whiten your face and remove marks.
Wipe problem areas with this product every morning using a cotton or gauze sponge.
Rubbing with ice
Cosmetic ice made from viburnum juice will get rid of marks on the face. To do this, twice a day, after morning and evening washing, wipe problem areas with this product.
Regular use will not only cope with the problem, but also prevent premature aging.
Lotions
Natural lotions made at home will help cope with this problem.
Parsley root infusion
Mix it with lemon juice in equal parts.
It will remove large stains. You should moisten a small piece of cotton wool in it, apply it to the problem area and leave for 7-10 minutes.
Hydrogen peroxide lotion
Mix 3-4 tablespoons of peroxide with lemon juice, soak cotton wool or small pieces of natural fabric in the resulting solution.
Place on the problem area and remove after 15 minutes.
Masks
A natural honey and fermented milk mask will help remove age spots on the face during pregnancy.
Honey
Add the same amount of honey to 1 tablespoon of natural viburnum juice and apply to problem areas.
Leave for 25-30 minutes and rinse with warm water. To enhance the effect of this product, wipe the skin with a piece of lemon and do not wash it off.
Fermented milk
Mix kefir and fresh parsley juice in equal proportions, soak a piece of cloth in the mixture and place it on the skin.
Leave the mask on for 20 minutes. After the specified time, wipe your face with diluted apple cider vinegar.
Important! Before using any cosmetic product, you must consult your doctor and do a test for allergic reactions.
What to do if spots remain after childbirth?
As a rule, hyperpigmentation does not go away immediately after childbirth; it will take some time. Hormonal levels return to normal within 4–6 months, sometimes pigmentation persists throughout the entire period of lactation. If the spots do not go away for a long time, you should consult a dermatologist who will take samples and determine if there are any skin diseases.
Obstetrician-gynecologist, reproductive specialist, lactation consultant, graduated from ChSU named after. Ulyanova with a specialization in gynecology, mammology Read more »
Locations
Age spots appear in certain places on the face and body. By their location, color, shape, one can judge the cause of their occurrence.
Face
Pigment spots on the face are noticeable:
- on the cheeks;
- nasolabial fold;
- chin;
- centuries;
- forehead.
They are brown in color, have regular or irregular shapes, and are sometimes symmetrical relative to each other. If the spot looks like a strip from temple to temple across the forehead, then this shape is called a “pregnant mask.”
Another form of pigmentation resembles a butterfly: the bridge of the nose and cheeks become darker in color. This type of melasma is called “butterfly mask”.
Blonde and red-haired women often have freckles on their faces. With the onset of pregnancy, they become brighter and increase in size. Facial melamosis persists for a long time after childbirth, can remain forever, and appear with repeated pregnancies.
Stomach
At week 23, in most pregnant women, a vertical brown stripe becomes noticeable from the pubis to the navel, and sometimes higher. After childbirth, the strip disappears when lactation stops. Changing the color of the skin on the abdomen does not in any way affect the health of the unborn baby.
Breast
The skin around the nipples darkens and acquires a brown tint.
Neck
White spots from vitiligo can be visible on the neck.
Hands
During pregnancy, chloasma and white spots sometimes appear on the hands. If they were covered with freckles before conception, they may become more noticeable during pregnancy.
Back
Red, white spots and chloasma may appear on the back.
pigmentation during pregnancy on the stomach
I haven’t written for a long time, so I think I need to make a note for history somehow.
What do we have today?
I'm now 23 weeks and 2 days.
I’ve already gained 6 kg in weight, which seems like a lot, but compared to my son it seems like a small thing (although he might still get a lot of weight, but I’ll control it, it’s somehow easier with girls).
The little thing moves, it seems like it’s everywhere, sometimes even at the very bottom, it’s not clear whether it’s beating with its legs or with its arms.
The belly is kind of strange, some kind of dividing line is clearly visible in the middle, well, it seems like the belly is divided into two parts, why this is so, I don’t know... That is, not pigmentation, but just as if the belly is clearly divided into two parts...
At 20 weeks I had an ultrasound and they said it was 99% a girl, I repainted the circle, I hope that after 30 weeks nothing will grow back).
According to the ultrasound, there was a single entanglement and we were sitting on the butt. This worries me a little, but it seems like there is still time to turn over and unwind (it’s just that other children were immediately in the head and without any entanglements).
In the housing complex, the doctor agrees with the period according to the monthly period, everything corresponds to both the ultrasound and the VDM, but when I take the card, the period persistently says less than a week... It feels like they just calculated it wrong at first and they just don’t want to correct it in the card...
The endocrinologist diagnosed incipient diabetes (5.1) and prescribed a diet for prevention - only vegetables, but another doctor rejected it and prescribed another, just without sweeteners. I just try to eat a little bit and only natural things. To be honest, I don’t want the child to be very big (I gave birth to my son myself without any tears, but it was difficult - giving birth to a zucchini weighing more than 4 kg).
Oddities: pregnant with a girl, but the skin is perfect, there is a waist and a belly forward. Outwardly, I like myself very much, even now people are getting to know me more actively, although it’s not until I take off my jacket)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
How I feel: I’m tired of everything, even cleaning is difficult, I need to catch my breath. Sometimes my head feels dizzy and that's all. TTT, nothing else worries me.
Something stupid: I don’t want to take pictures, I don’t want to think about shopping, I don’t want to think about anything... I rarely think about my pregnancy, forgive me my daughter, but like this... I don’t have any delight, I thought it would happen at least 3 times and no, how callous I am -I’m a mother in this regard...Or rather rational, I just treat pregnancy as a condition that needs to go through in order for a person to be born. It seems to me that my husband is more puzzled by the birth of a third child than I am. Well, okay, December is very hectic, there is a lot to do and a lot needs to be completed...
I only take vitamins and iron, I need to buy more Iodomarin, but this is just my desire... There is no tone, but I just thought I could drink magnesium, maybe I’ll be less tired, that’s the next step. I'll ask the housing complex this week.
I'm just going crazy because of the new battery - it dries me out so I can't breathe day or night, we can't afford a humidifier yet, so I try to ventilate more often and all that... So I have something else added to my chronic rhinitis and rhinitis during pregnancy - then the nose bleeds when I try to blow my nose... The ENT doctor said to moisturize the mucous membrane more often and not sleep in this room, but what if there is only one room for four people (I hope for now)??? I have to use baby drops just to be able to breathe somehow at night... Damn, well, honestly, pregnancy is just stressful... I wish time would pass sooner and our baby would be born, I’m definitely not a fan of the pregnant state, although it’s a sin for me to complain, but still...
The children vote for Lena and Vika, the husband votes for Lisa, and I myself would like Yuna, but my husband is against it, I also like Nastya... In short, she will see, she also wanted to name her eldest daughter Vika, but in the maternity hospital she changed her mind, but with her son she was immediately confident and so on. decided…
Thanks to everyone who read)
