Skin and hair

1 month ago 19th Nov 10:55

Pregnant women are supposed to be radiant and glowing, but pregnancy can have some unexpected effects on your hair and skin.

Effects on your skin may be noticeable from about 20 weeks onwards. The darker your skin, the more likely you are to see changes. If you're very fair or have red hair you may not notice any at all. Pigmentation changes may mean:

Your nipples deepen in colour. They may appear to get larger and more prominent. The areola around the nipple may spread. A linea nigra, or dark line, appears down the middle of your chest and tummy. Some women have a mask-like colouration on the face, which can be irregular and blotchy.

Uneven tanning when in the sun or using sunbed. While there's no evidence that sunbathing or sunbeds are harmful to your baby, some tanning shops advise against using sunbeds while pregnant.

Moisturising bath and shower products may help if your skin is dry or itchy.

In rare cases if your skin is very itchy all the time, mainly on your torso, it can be a sign of a condition called cholestasis, which affects the liver and kidneys. This can be harmful to your baby, so talk to your midwife or doctor.

Stretch marks are most likely to appear on your tummy, breasts and thighs from about six months onwards. They're the outward sign of broken elastic fibres in the skin and look red at first, but fade to silver-grey.

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