You're probably looking forward to the radiant, flawless glow that's supposed to come with pregnancy. While it's true that pregnancy hormones can change your skin, don’t expect a perfect complexion and nothing else. The skin on your breasts, belly, and other places will change, too.

Do people tell you that you’ve been glowing ever since you told them that you are pregnant? Do you wonder whether it is real, or are the others just being kind with their compliments? Well, if these are questions that you have been pondering, then it may be a good idea to read our post below.

The pregnancy glow is one of the changes that women look forward to while they are pregnant. While, many believe that it is a myth, the fact is that it isn’t! It is real, and it occurs due to the increase or rush of hormones during pregnancy. If you’ve repeatedly been told you are glowing, consider yourself blessed and enjoy it while it lasts. In the meanwhile, read on and learn more about the myth or the truth of the pregnancy glow.

Causes Of Pregnancy Glow:

There is no specific reason for the pregnancy glow. However, let’s look at some probable causes:

1. Physiological Changes:

Studies conclude that it may occur due to the many physiological changes that happen in the body. It is also due to the influx of hormones; these hormones also cause the glands to produce more oil that in turn makes the skin shinier.

2. Increase In Blood Flow:

Another important factor that contributes to the pregnancy glow is the increase in blood flow. The volume of blood in women increases by a whopping 50%. This increase in the flow of blood also helps support the uterus.

3. Moisture Retention:

The skin retains most of the moisture during pregnancy, which leads to water-logging and swelling. The excess water helps smooth out wrinkles, and fine lines, which gives a pinkish glow to the skin. Inculcating essential fatty acids in the diet is crucial for a healthy skin. Low levels of omega-3s may lead to dryness and sensitivity

Skin Care Tips To Maintain The Pregnancy Glow:

Now that your skin is glowing during pregnancy, you want it to continue to as long as it can. So, here are some tips to help you along the way:

• While you are pregnant and you want treatment for any breakouts, consult your doctor first. He/she will be the best person to advise you.
• Stay away from soaps with high pH level. They can leave the skin vulnerable and prone to environmental damage.
• Avoid using salicylic acid for any breakouts, as they may lead to birth defects. The more you use it topically, the more your bloodstream absorbs.
• If you are prone to hyperpigmentation, it is best to avoid small soy. If you still eat them, reduce your intake to smaller amounts.
• Avoid using Retin-A, Retinol, and high doses of Vitamin A, unless your doctor prescribes it.
• Relive those days when only you and your partner knew the secret.
• Spend time in choosing the right maternity clothes to enhance that glow on your skin. You have the perfect excuse to get pampered, get that me time at the spa.
• Yoga can also help maintain that glow. So, join a pregnant women yoga class to keep your skin healthier than ever.
• Do some low-impact simple exercises or stretches. However, speak to the doctor about what kind of exercise should you perform and if there any exercises she doesn’t recommend put your feet up and relax. You won’t have the time to in the next few months.

How To Flaunt The Pregnancy Glow?

So, now that you know that the pregnancy glow isn’t just a myth. It is a real experience, and you need to enjoy the phase. It not only makes you feel good about your body, but it also makes you happy. And hey, who doesn’t want to be happy. So, here we list some ways for you to flaunt that pregnancy glow.

1. Flaunt The Positives:

If you have gorgeous legs, flaunt them by wearing a well-fitted dress. If you have toned arms, and delicate shoulders, you might want to wear a sleeveless blouse. Remember not to wear high heels or footwear that might be too uncomfortable, even if you are in the early stages of your pregnancy.

2. Spoil Yourself:

Pregnancy is also a phase when you can pamper yourself. You might not be able to do so for at least 6 months post-delivery. So go ahead and treat yourself with manicures, pedicures, and some head massages before you have to deal with dirty diapers and waking up at odd hours.

Yoga And The Pregnancy Glow:

While there are many ways to help you maintain that pregnancy glow, as we mention above, yoga is certainly the most effective one. Apart from treating symptoms of pregnancy like nausea and constipation, yoga boosts blood flow, enhances oxygenation, and stimulates the muscles. The right yoga poses can help prepare you for labor while helping maintain that glow all the while.

Pregnancy-Friendly Yoga Poses During Pregnancy:

Yoga can be rather difficult, and all those weird contortions might have you thinking, could it be less difficult even without that ball attached to your stomach? But, don’t worry, pregnancy-friendly yoga poses help strengthen your body for delivery. We have compiled a list of pregnancy-friendly recipes for your benefit:

• Meditation
• Gentle Butterfly
• Cat Pose
• Neck Exercises
• Yogic Breathing
• Chair Yoga
• Sukhasana
• Shavasana
• Mountain pose
• Bhramari Pranayama

Pregnancy changes the life for good; it makes you glow, gives you shinier hair and takes away the hassles of monthly periods. How cool is that? For many women, it is this time that they look their best because even the tiny vessels beneath the skin receive increased blood flow. The skin retains more moisture than it does in the normal course of time and makes it appear smoother. So, now that you know the secret of that glowing skin during pregnancy, keep smiling and keep glowing mommy.

Take Care of Your Skin

Make sure that you're using the right skin care products while pregnant, including these:

Sunscreen. Use sunscreen regularly throughout pregnancy, especially on your face.

"Use sunscreen with zinc oxide," Rogers says. "It has good broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection."

Moisturizer. Your skin may be drier, so doctors recommend applying a mild moisturizer on the face, arms, legs, breasts, and belly after a shower, to lock in the moisture. Fragrance-free products are best, preferably creams and ointments.

"If you take a container and turn the container over and it doesn't run out of the container, that's thick enough to moisturize your skin," Murase says. "Lotions tend to have a lot of water in them and can dry out your skin."

Cleansers. Because your skin will be more sensitive during pregnancy, use mild, fragrance-free products on your face and body, and remember to be gentle.


"Less is more," Rogers says. "You don't want to scrub. You don't want to use medicated cleansers. Use hydrating cleansers or products for sensitive skin."

Acne medication. Some acne treatments aren't safe during pregnancy, including prescription retinoids (like tretinoin) and over-the-counter retinols (like anti-aging night creams). Doctors also ask patients to stop using topical salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide, although no studies have linked these treatments to birth defects. Alpha-hydroxy acids are usually safe, but ask your OB/GYN.

"Washes or cleansers, which have very short contact with the skin, can be safe to use during pregnancy when someone is having a problem with acne," Karen says. "A physician can prescribe medication, if needed."


Skin Changes During Pregnancy you can Expect

Your body goes through a lot of changes during pregnancy, and your skin is no exception. You may experience any number of these 11 common skin changes during pregnancy.

1. The “Pregnancy Glow”

The glow that others notice (though you may not) is one of the most common skin changes during pregnancy. This isn’t just a sentimental old wives’ term. This facial shine actually has a biological basis. The increased volume of blood causes the cheeks to take on an attractive blush, because of the many blood vessels just below the skin’s surface. On top of this redness, the increased secretions of the oil glands give the skin a waxy sheen. The flushed face on many pregnant women is similar to the one non-pregnant people experience when they are excited, cry or do anything that increases their heart rate (which pregnancy does constantly).

2. The Pregnancy Mask

Sometime during the second trimester you may find yourself gazing at a different face in the mirror. Brownish or yellowish patchy skin changes during pregnancy called chloasma (also dubbed the mask of pregnancy) can appear anywhere on the face, but are seen most commonly on the forehead, upper cheeks, nose and chin. The pregnancy hormones estrogen and progesterone stimulate the melanin cells in the skin to produce more pigment, yet because these cells do not produce extra pigment uniformly, your facial skin may acquire a blotchy tan. (If you have ever taken oral contraceptives, you may already have experienced this particular hormonal side-effect.) Brunettes and darker-skinned women may notice darkened circles, resembling eye shadow, around their eyes. Chloasma cannot be prevented, but you can minimize the intensity of these blotchy, darkened areas by limiting your exposure to ultraviolet light (i.e., sunshine), which further stimulates melanin production.

3. Skin Changes During Pregnancy Include Acne

You probably thought your pimple days were over, but one of the skin changes during pregnancy you can expect is acne. While the acne of pregnancy is rarely as severe as that of adolescence, you may need to return to some of your teenage cleansing rituals. Fortunately, pregnancy is much shorter than adolescence; the bumps and pimples will subside shortly after delivery. Avoid abrasive scrubs or exfoliants; pregnant skin is too sensitive for these. Milder, oatmeal-based facial scrubs (available at nutrition stores) can help unplug the oily pores and are much kinder to sensitive skin. Because of the risk of birth defects, the anti-acne prescription drugs Accutane and Retin-A cannot be used during pregnancy.


4. Linea Nigra

Many women normally have a faint linea alba (white line) running from their navel to the center of their pubic bone. It is barely visible before pregnancy. (You may not have even known it was there). One of the skin changes during pregnancy that occurs sometime in the second trimester is the a linea alba becomes a linea nigra, a dark line that is much more noticeable. In some women the line extends upward from the navel as well. The linea nigra is darker in darker skinned women and disappears several months after delivery.

5. Dark Areas Become Darker

Little moles and freckles that existed before may now become bigger, and brown spots or birthmarks become browner from skin changes during pregnancy. New moles may also appear. (Consult your doctor or dermatologist if these moles seem particularly raised, dark, or have irregular borders). The areola and nipples of your breasts will become quite a lot darker; unlike other areas of your skin, which return to their original color after pregnancy, your areola will probably always be somewhat darker than they were before you were pregnant.

6. Red Palms and Soles

Even as early as the second month of pregnancy, the insides of your hands and the bottoms of your feet may itch and take on a reddish hue, called palmar erythema. The increased color is nothing more than one of the curious skin changes during pregnancy.

7. Spider Veins

Those much-discussed pregnancy hormones, along with increased blood volume, cause those tiny, squiggly red or purple capillaries just below the surface of the skin to branch out and become more visible during pregnancy. It’s also common for spider veins (they resemble a small spider web), to pop out on the face or on the sclera (white part) of the eyeballs during delivery; intense, red-in-the-face pushing can break tiny blood vessels. Known as nevi, these burst vessels can be camouflaged by the appropriate use of make- up. Nevi take longer to disappear than many of the other skin problems of pregnancy, some spider veins on the legs or torso may not go away on their own. A dermatologist can remove them using injections if you feel that’s necessary.

8. Skin Tags

Some pregnant women develop tiny polyps, called skin tags, in areas where skin rubs on clothing or skin rubs together. Commonly found under the arms, between neck folds, or under bra lines on the chest, skin tags are caused by hyperactive growth of a superficial layer of skin. They disappear a few months following delivery, but can be easily excised if they bother you.

9. Heat Rash

You may think that only babies get prickly heat rash, but it is one of the skin changes during pregnancy that women experience, too. Caused by the combination of an already overheated pregnant body, dampness from excessive perspiration, and the friction of skin rubbing against itself or against clothing, prickly heat rash is pimply and slightly irritating. It is most common in the crease between and beneath the breasts, in the crease where the bulge of the lower abdomen rubs against the top of the pubic area, and on the inner thighs.

10. Itchy Skin Changes During Pregnancy

Many women enjoy a good “scratch down” at the end of the day. Some areas of your skin may itch because they are dry and flaky, others may itch because of a prickly rash, as mentioned above. Many women find the itching is most bothersome in the skin that stretches, mainly over the abdomen, but also on hips and thighs.

11. Pimply Eruptions

Around one percent of pregnant women experience itchy, red, raised patches on their abdomen, thighs, buttock, and extremities. This condition is called pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (dubbed PUPP). It tends to come and go during the second half of pregnancy and nearly always disappears shortly after delivery. Treat this the same as any other itchy skin eruption.

Did you use any of the techniques to enhance your pregnancy glow, or did your hormones do the work for you? Tell us about your story here. Fellow moms would love to hear it. So, leave a comment in the box below.

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Source: momjunction askdrsears