Know the causes of dry skin skin problems during pregnancy and take good care of them..
| Table of contents |
| Why is your skin so dry during pregnancy? |
| Dry skin problem is common in pregnant women |
| How to take care of the skin of pregnant women to avoid dryness |
| Prevent skin problems during pregnancy and keep your skin beautiful after childbirth |
Pregnancy and childbirth are life-threatening events for women. The body undergoes significant changes during pregnancy and after childbirth, and many women experience “skin changes” starting here.
Physical changes during pregnancy are inevitable to some extent, but many pregnant women would like to return to their pre-pregnancy skin condition after childbirth, if possible. The key word in preventing skin problems after childbirth is “dryness”.
In this article, we will explain why your skin becomes dry during pregnancy, what kind of problems can occur due to dryness and what are the effective remedies against dryness. It is packed with information that not only addresses the concerns of ex-moms, but also those of mothers who have given birth. Please check it.
Why is your skin so dry during pregnancy?
The hormonal balance and metabolism in the body changes drastically during pregnancy, which affects the skin in many ways. Skin quality changes, darkening of the areola, genitals, and anus (pigmentation), the appearance or growth of dark spots (melasma), and dry skin are more likely to occur.
In particular, dry skin can lead to dermatological problems like rough skin, itchy skin and stretch marks during pregnancy, so you want to take proper measures against it. Pregnant women whose skin is already dry from pregnancy need to take action earlier. First of all, let us see why “dry skin becomes easy when you are pregnant”.
Expansion of capillaries
During pregnancy, the capillaries in the skin dilate and the amount of water that evaporates increases, making the skin more prone to dryness. The reason the capillaries dilate is because pregnant women need to send nutrients to the fetus through the blood. The volume of blood throughout the body of pregnant women increases and capillaries dilate to send more blood to the fetus.
The increase in blood volume and dilation of capillaries throughout the body is due to changes in the hormone balance (increase in female hormones) associated with pregnancy.
Lack of water and nutrients
Poor hydration and nutrient intake during pregnancy can also cause dry skin.
Inadequate hydration reduces the amount of water in body tissues, which directly causes dry skin. Malnutrition is also a reason for dry skin. To prevent excessive evaporation of moisture from the skin, it is important to maintain the water-holding capacity of the stratum corneum. It will stay connected.
During pregnancy, more fluids and nutrients are needed than before pregnancy to provide fluids and nutrients to the fetus and to maintain an adequate amount of amniotic fluid. Or due to an unbalanced diet, there is an imbalance in nutrition.
Be sure to drink plenty of water and pay attention to the nutritional balance in your diet. In particular, it contains proteins that are the content of skin cells, vitamin E that promotes skin metabolism, vitamin C that prevents aging and maintains firmness and moisture, vitamin A that protects the skin And keeps it healthy, and nutrients such as skin moisturizing factors (ceramides, etc.) lipids are important.
During pregnancy, the amount of water and nutrients required increases as the fetus grows. Please be careful as there is a possibility that the supply may not keep pace. It is also important to pay attention to the loss of water due to breastfeeding after childbirth.
Dry skin problem is common in pregnant women
Dry skin is a major cause of skin problems like acne (acne), stretch marks and itching which are often seen in pregnant women. If you don’t take care of the dryness, its effects will continue even after the baby is born. In particular, pregnant women who had dry or sensitive skin before pregnancy need to act quickly.
We will explain the connection between dryness and skin problems often seen in pregnant women and how to deal with them.
Eases acne
During pregnancy, acne is more likely to occur due to two factors: dry skin and the effect of female hormones.
In the case of adult acne, as opposed to pubertal acne, dry skin is also a major factor. When skin is dry, it secretes more sebum to prevent moisture from evaporating, which leads to clogged pores. This stage is white acne, and when acne bacteria proliferate in clogged pores, inflammation and red acne occur.
In addition, the female hormone “progesterone”, which increases in secretion after pregnancy, promotes the secretion of sebum and makes acne more likely. There is a strong belief that male hormones act to increase sebum secretion, but progesterone also acts like a male hormone.
Although you can’t stop the hormonal changes during pregnancy, keeping your skin moisturised can help prevent acne breakouts.
Easy to get stretch marks
Dry skin may also be more likely to show stretch marks.
Stretch marks are crack-like lines that appear on the skin due to the sudden change in body shape associated with pregnancy. It is a phenomenon that occurs when the dermis beneath the epidermis is torn due to stretching of the skin. If your skin is dry, it becomes less flexible and more prone to cracking.
Moisturizing the skin is important to prevent stretch marks. Stretch marks are less likely to form if the epidermis is moist and highly elastic. During the last trimester of pregnancy, the skin on your belly stretches and becomes thinner, making it more prone to dryness. Moisturizing care can also help reduce the appearance of stretch marks after childbirth.
Itchy skin
Many pregnant women complain of itchy skin after pregnancy.
Causes of itching include dryness of the skin, dilation of skin capillaries and increased blood flow, activation of sweat glands, accelerated metabolism and changes in hormonal balance. Itching occurs all over the body, especially in the extremities, but it is more common in the abdomen, which is prone to pressure and irritation, such as the abdominal band (pregnancy band).
Among the causes of itching, dry skin can be dealt with by moisturizing. When the skin is dry, the stratum corneum peels off, the barrier function of the skin deteriorates, and allergies and external stimuli are more likely to cause itching.
In addition, during pregnancy, due to the influence of hormones, the secretion of melanin pigment is activated (wear sunscreen as much as possible when going outside). Scratching the skin due to scabies can lead to pigmentation and deepen the scratch marks, so caution should be taken. Moisturize your skin to stop itching before it starts.
In addition, if the symptoms of scabies are intense, it is likely that it is not a physiological category, but a disease such as itching of pregnancy. If the itching is severe, you should consult your doctor.
How to take care of the skin of pregnant women to avoid dryness
Do you understand the importance of measures for dryness during pregnancy?
The main measures against dryness are moisturizing care and hydration, but you have to be careful that “the same method as before pregnancy may not work”. During pregnancy, the skin and sense of smell become sensitive, and there are cases where the pre-pregnancy stuff doesn’t fit.
Now let’s talk about how to avoid dry skin.
Moisturizing skin care
During pregnancy, moisturizing care is important before dryness becomes a concern. After showering, where skin’s moisture evaporates easily, apply skin care products like lotion and body cream not only on the face but all over the body.
If you have dry cracked areas or itchy areas, it is effective to apply it several times a day even after showering. If you apply it carefully to areas where stretch marks are likely to form (abdomen, bust, thighs, buttocks, upper arms, etc.), it will help prevent stretch marks.
Lotions and creams can be applied like massages to prevent inflammation and have a healing effect.
Choose skin care products and cleansers that are gentle on your skin
It is advisable to use skin-friendly skin care items and detergents after pregnancy. This is because changes in skin quality can make you more sensitive to irritation, and the products you have used so far may no longer be suitable for your skin.
If the skin becomes rough because of the products used before pregnancy, the barrier function of the skin is disturbed, the amount of water evaporation increases and the skin becomes dry. Therefore, reviewing skin care items and detergents is also an important remedy against dryness.
For body creams and lotions, it’s a good idea to choose additive-free, hypoallergenic products for maternity or babies. If it is a natural fragrance with no synthetic fragrances used, or it is unscented, it is also a counter remedy for morning sickness.
If you choose detergent for children, you can wash the baby clothes together after childbirth, so it is convenient to prepare for childbirth.
Hydrate frequently
As already mentioned, you will need more water during pregnancy than before pregnancy in order to keep the fetus hydrated and maintain an adequate amount of amniotic fluid. Also, after pregnancy, the metabolism speeds up and you sweat a lot, and vomiting due to morning sickness can cause you to lose water, so you are at risk of dehydration.
Depending on the condition such as morning sickness and sweating, it is recommended to drink 1.5 to 2 liters of water per day, including the amount of water in food. After giving birth, you will need to drink an additional 2-2.5 liters of water as you will lose a lot of water due to breastfeeding.
Lack of water in the body not only leads to dry skin, but also disrupts the supply of water and nutrients to the foetus. In addition, it can cause constipation, thrombosis and heat stroke in summer, so it is important to drink water frequently.
During pregnancy, it is a good idea to drink water or barley tea that does not contain carbohydrates or caffeine.
Prevent skin problems during pregnancy and keep your skin beautiful after childbirth
Many skin problems that occur during pregnancy persist even after the baby is born. For example, although stretch marks will lighten, they will not completely disappear, and many dark spots left over from scratching the skin will remain.
However, if you take adequate measures against dryness soon after pregnancy, you can reduce or prevent skin problems. To maintain the condition of the skin after delivery as before pregnancy, let’s do our best to maintain moisturizing care and hydration every day.
When it comes to moisturizing care, the selection of items is also important. Since your skin becomes more sensitive after pregnancy, it often happens that the skin care products that you used before pregnancy do not suit you. There is no origin or progeny if skin care items cause skin discomfort. Choose the right products for post-pregnancy skin.
Many skin problems that occur during pregnancy persist even after the baby is born. For example, although stretch marks will lighten, they will not completely disappear, and many dark spots left over from scratching the skin will remain.
However, if you take adequate measures against dryness soon after pregnancy, you can reduce or prevent skin problems. To maintain the condition of the skin after delivery as before pregnancy, let’s do our best to maintain moisturizing care and hydration every day.