The hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy favor the production of melanin, the pigment responsible for skin coloring. This phenomenon caused by elevated levels of progesterone and estrogens has various consequences on the skin tone of women, they are always harmless and disappear after childbirth.
Pigmentation or changes in skin color are very common during pregnancy: 90% of women have some spots on the face or body, especially from the first trimester. Skin darkening occurs in different parts of our skin.
- In the breasts progressive darkening of the nipples and areoles occurs.
- The darkening of the alba line, a line that extends from the pubis to the navel and undergoes hyperpigmentation during pregnancy, becoming a Nigra line. It is usually more visible in dark skinned women.
- In the face Gestational chloasma is common, that is, the appearance of irregular dark spots on certain areas of the face such as the forehead, cheeks and upper strip of the mouth, in addition to the neck. These spots are the most persistent after pregnancy on many occasions. Aesthetic treatments can be used to eliminate them, but only after delivery, since the products used can be dangerous to the health of the fetus and are contraindicated during pregnancy.
- Anywhere in the body, freckles, marks and scars that existed on the skin before pregnancy can also suffer from darkening.
Protection against the intense sun by applying a sunscreen appropriate to our skin tone can prevent the appearance of certain types of gestational spots, especially those of the neck and face. Others, such as the alba line, are manifested in all women although in some it can go virtually unnoticed due to the natural pigmentation of their skin.
