Advice For Taking Care Of Your Skin During Pregnancy
Let’s imagine that there is a God who gives us a gift of beauty and good life in exchange for ingesting Him. If so, this kind god would be called water. She is your greatest ally for skin care during pregnancy.
If you are pregnant you should drink two to three liters of water a day, recommends the Spanish Society of Community Nutrition (SENC). Water is the best moisturizer there is, and it also helps prevent constipation.
Water provides even more benefits. It is essential to increase plasma volume, maintain the amount of amniotic fluid and provide for the correct development of the fetus.
It is recommended to consume water with low mineralization (low level of sodium and with adequate concentrations of calcium, magnesium and fluorine). Natural juices, milk or sports drinks are also recommended. It’s important to avoid sugary and fizzy drinks, adds SENC.
Nourish your skin with creams
In addition to drinking water in large quantities, it is beneficial to moisturize the skin frequently (two or three times a day) with a cream suitable for pregnancy, performing massages that contribute to better absorption.
These creams can also prevent cellulite and stretch marks. It is very important to avoid direct sun exposure. In addition to using high-powered sunscreens from the first day of pregnancy. In this way we could conceptualize creams and sunscreen as demigods.
Sunscreens with full protection should be used every day, including winter. They serve to prevent pigmentation changes and prevent photoaging, especially during pregnancy, when the skin becomes more sensitive.
You should also avoid abrasive soaps and products that irritate the skin, such as peels and derma- abrasives.
Food contributes to better skin. Thus, it is recommended to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables, and reduce carbohydrates. Maintaining an adequate weight during pregnancy, with a progressive gain without too sudden changes, is also ideal.
Advice for taking care of your skin
1. Maintain proper nutrition. Perhaps this is one of the most important recommendations, as eating properly prevents excessive weight gain during pregnancy. Thus, this way the body does not subject the skin to great stretches.
2. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables and drinking plenty of water are habits that will leave your skin well hydrated inside. On the other hand, consuming protein such as meat, fish, or chicken three to four times a week will stimulate the production of new muscle fibers. Thus, avoiding the appearance of postpartum sagging.
3. It is also recommended to use moisturizing creams every day. Preferably those that prevent cellulite and stretch marks with natural products.
Skin problems during pregnancy
Stretch marks affect a large percentage of pregnant women and are very difficult to get rid of. Dr. Hugo Vázquez, secretary general of the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (AEDV) guarantees that the best way to fight stretch marks is to work on prevention.
There are several products and components that specifically treat stretch marks during pregnancy. But, the doctor, supported by several studies and scientific investigations, indicates the gotu kola extract as the safest and most effective preventive treatment against stretch marks.
Other experts rate stretch marks as every mother’s biggest nightmare. They usually appear in the third trimester of pregnancy, as a consequence of the stretching of the skin caused by the sudden increase in weight and volume.
Its appearance is also influenced by the higher concentration of relaxin. A hormone that gives joints greater elasticity to facilitate the dilation of the birth canal, but makes the skin lose much of its ability to synthesize collagen.
If the stretch marks are pink – that is, they are in their initial state – they can still be eliminated. If, on the contrary, they are white, it means that the tissue has broken. In these cases it is only possible to soften the appearance.
varicose veins
Varicose veins are frequent, especially in the final period of pregnancy. To prevent them, avoid tight clothes and do not stand for a long time. Rest with your legs elevated. It is sometimes advisable to wear elastic stockings.
Some experts suggest that the increased volume and flow of blood circulation favors the formation of varicose veins in the legs of pregnant women.
In addition to the above recommendations, it is advisable to avoid very high heels, not to cross your legs very often and to tone your lower extremities with cold showers.
Skin pigmentation: the melasma or pregnancy mask
As defined by AEDV, melasma is characterized by “the development of a mottled pigmentation, or the slow appearance of spots and usually disappear with time”.
It is quite common in pregnant women (appears in 50% of cases). That’s why this skin change is also called the “pregnancy mask”.
The spots form until the second or third month of pregnancy and usually appear on the forehead, cheeks and above the upper lip. They progressively increase as the pregnancy progresses. But, in most cases, they disappear spontaneously over the next year after giving birth.
Other skin problems during pregnancy
Dry skin: Loss of body fluids can cause more dryness of the skin during pregnancy. To keep your skin hydrated throughout the day, in addition to using body and facial moisturizing creams recommended for pregnant women, it is necessary to drink a lot of water and avoid frequent exposure to the sun.
Acne: Women who already had acne before becoming pregnant may have a worsening of the problem during pregnancy, especially in the first few months. Experts advise, in these cases, to always keep the skin clean and avoid using creams that contain retinoids.
Cellulite: Pregnancy can make cellulite worse in some women. To prevent this, it is recommended to activate the circulation of the legs by taking long walks, following a balanced diet and drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated.
