While women cannot tolerate even a pimple due to their nature and today’s perception of beauty, skin blemishes that occur during pregnancy can be a nightmare. Pregnancy is a natural process in which women experience physiologically radical changes. Sagging breasts, stretch marks on the abdomen and skin blemishes are common problems of women who undergo a great deal of change both physically and hormonally. Women who start looking for solutions to these problems immediately after giving birth in order to prevent them from becoming permanent, especially complain about the dark spots on their skin. These dark spots can be permanent if left untreated.
These spots, which are usually dark brown, are called “pregnancy spots”. These spots, which usually occur on the face, are concentrated in the upper lip, cheek and forehead area. However, in addition to the face, we can say that these dark spots also occur on the neck, between the two breasts and on the outer side of the arm. This problem, called pregnancy spotting, can occur in pregnant women as well as after the use of birth control pills, facial waxing and some cosmetic products.
Genetic factors, sun, improper nutrition, certain medications used for a long period before pregnancy (those used in rheumatism, thyroid and migraine diseases) can cause skin blemishes. In addition, even if no medication is used, estrogen, progesterone and the hormone chloasma, which activates pigments, increase during pregnancy, causing hyperpigmentation to increase. The skin becomes sensitive during this period.
Hyperpigmentation (malezma), which is a common problem of almost many pregnant women, begins to occur after the first 2.5 months of pregnancy. Skin darkening during pregnancy occurs especially in areas heavily exposed to ultraviolet rays. These are; Face, Hard parts of the hands, Shoulders, Back, Decollete area, Outward facing surfaces of the arms and legs.
How to prevent the formation of skin spots during pregnancy?
The biggest cause of skin problems is the interaction of hormones with the UV rays of the sun. For this reason, you should pay attention to sunbathing hours during pregnancy and do not start the day without using protective products.
Hyperpigmentation creams containing 15 or higher GKF (sun protection factor) can be used on all parts of the skin that are exposed to the sun. These products do not completely remove the spots, but they can prevent them from forming.
The most important hours to be protected from UV rays are between 11:00 am and 4:30 pm when the sun is at right angles. Vitamin D can be taken at other times of the day if needed.
UV rays are not only emitted by the sun. Artificial UV rays are also present in the light reflected from spotlights and computer screens. This means that even indoors, sunscreen products should be used at the beginning of the day and should be renewed every 2.5-3 hours.
A hat that completely shades your face and long-sleeved clothing that protects your arms can also be useful.
Expectant mothers who do not want to use cosmetic creams and ointments during pregnancy can also eliminate the stain problem with natural methods. You can fight pregnancy spots with a mixture of simple and natural ingredients that everyone has at home, such as ginger, cinnamon and eggs. What you need to do for this is to wait for about 25-30 minutes after applying the mixture of ginger, egg white and cinnamon on your face. After the waiting period, you can wash your face with warm water. Although the effect is not clear, some pregnant women benefit from this application.
Can those with pregnancy spots wear makeup?
Although pregnancy spots, which are one of the main issues that women complain about during pregnancy, can be partially prevented with various creams and ointments, a certain period of time is required for these spots to disappear completely during the treatment process. In this process, the issue of covering these spots, which cause a bad appearance, with makeup is one of the questions asked by every expectant mother. Various makeup materials such as concealer can be used to hide pregnancy spots. However, sunscreen must be applied before this.
Pregnancy spot treatment
One of the most frequently asked questions by expectant mothers is when to treat pregnancy spots. These spots can be protected with various applications and you can prevent the spots from spreading more. However, this treatment is not recommended during pregnancy.
Most of the pregnancy spots gradually disappear after birth. However, it is observed that these spots may be permanent after birth in some people. For this reason, spot treatment after birth will provide more effective results. You should observe the condition of your spots after birth and consult a specialist if necessary.