How does the skin change during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, a woman's entire hormonal balance changes , which also affects the skin and hair. An additional burden is the greater body weight and stretching of the skin on the abdomen. Therefore, it is important to take proper care of the skin during pregnancy to keep it moisturized, well supplied with blood and elastic. The key is the diet , which should be rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids , found, among others, in sea fish, rapeseed and sunflower oil, and olive oil, as well as the appropriate amount of water - about two liters a day. You can read about how much water your skin needs in a separate article .

How to choose cosmetics for pregnant skin?

Most drugstores and other cosmetic stores have special sections with preparations for future mothers . You can safely use them because they are safe for use by pregnant women. They do not contain "forbidden" ingredients . And the list goes on. Cosmetics that should be avoided during pregnancy include those containing retinol, fruit acids (which may cause skin irritation), preservatives, salicylic acid, triclosan, azelaic acid and tetracyclines, plant extracts that affect the processes related to with urine excretion, fluoride and ammonia . You should also avoid cosmetics that contain some essential oils , especially bergamot and sage oils . These cosmetics, which can be found in pharmacies and drugstores and come from numerous "for mothers" series, do not contain the above-mentioned substances, therefore they are safe. Do miracles work? No, but they allow for safe care ¹ .

What cosmetic treatments should be avoided during pregnancy?

Due to the delicate condition of the skin during pregnancy and concern for the developing baby, it is also worth remembering about cosmetic treatments that are not recommended for pregnant women - the list is also quite long. During pregnancy, we avoid treatments such as iontophoresis, electrophoresis or galvanization , which use radio waves and currents; We do not perform depilation with warm wax because it may cause circulatory disorders. For similar reasons , a sauna is not recommended - it may even cause premature uterine contractions. Of course, there is no question of a solarium , because ultraviolet radiation causes the decomposition of folic acid ² , which increases the risk of neural tube defects. Cavitation peeling should also not be done because it may have an abortifacient effect. We also do not perform depigmenting, anti-acne or drainage treatments . Treatments using algae are also not recommended ³ .

So: how to take care of your skin during pregnancy?

Here the list of treatments is slightly shorter. Safe treatments include masks and peelings for the face and body, although you must remember to avoid algae and treatments that warm you up. You can use masks with hyaluronic acid because it has a positive effect on the condition of the skin. What else? Facial massage and caring manicure .

You can also use cosmetics against stretch marks from the beginning of pregnancy . Stretch marks occur in the vast majority of pregnant women and... they keep them awake at night, both during pregnancy and after giving birth. The skin stretches - especially on the belly, hips, buttocks, breasts and thighs - because it loses elasticity - also due to the action of hormones. They usually appear around 5-7 months. They are not aesthetic, which is why many women worry about their appearance. At first they are blue, then they turn pale pink. Therefore, it is worth taking preventive measures from the beginning of pregnancy. There are many anti-stretch mark preparations on the market that are designed so that they can be used by pregnant women. However, remember that their effect is limited . They will help ensure the appropriate level of skin hydration , but they are not a 100% guarantee that stretch marks will not appear.

It is also worth doing a body massage while bathing . However, we do not massage the belly! The appearance of stretch marks can be prevented because once they appear, it is not so easy to get rid of them completely. Here, after pregnancy , peelings, cosmetics for lightening scars and treatments by a beautician will help to reduce stretch marks and reduce their visibility. However, we do them after breastfeeding has ended .

Bibliography:

1. Karolina Waleśkiewicz-Ogórek, Skin care during pregnancy, forumginekologii.pl, June 29, 2018
2. Borradale DC, Kimlin MG. Folate degradation due to ultraviolet radiation: possible implications for human health and nutrition. Nutr Rev. 2012 Jul;70(7):414-22. doi: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2012.00485.x. Epub 2012 May 22. PMID: 22747844.
3.  Moskal I. Treatments for pregnant women. Cabines 2012; 50: 42–47, Bojarowicz H., Płowiec A. The influence of vitamin A on the condition of the skin. Probl Hig Epidemiol 2010; 91(3): 352–356.