Post-Pregnancy Skincare: Problems & Solutions

Women go through it all, don’t they? They change and their bodies endure those changes in puberty through to pregnancy and then their bodies change all over again when they are having a baby. In the process of bringing that new life into existence, women change again and again, and part of that change happens to the skin more than anywhere else. You cannot expect skin on the body to stretch to accommodate a baby and then bounce exactly back to the perfect skin it was before – and yet the media and the impossible beauty standards tell us that this is precisely what we should expect.

Women spend a lot of time worrying about how they look after they have a baby but skincare is where the worry should be. It’s not about getting a taut, toned tummy back in play. It’s about looking after your skin so that if you develop one of the various types of eczema during pregnancy, you can recognize it and do something for it before it gets worse. Getting back to normal is not something you should really strive for because really, there is no normal after your body has been unequivocally changed with a baby. Instead, you should look at making sure that your skin is healthy. In this article, we’re going to look at the common changes your body will see for your skin during pregnancy, and some suggested solutions of what you can do next. Let’s take a look below:

1. You might see stretch marks. Stretch marks are pretty common in pregnancy but not every woman deals with them. They don’t just happen on the stomach, either. You can see stretch marks appear across the breasts, arms, legs and butt as well as the stomach. Due to the gain in weight and the way your bones soften and move in pregnancy, your skin will see the difference. They may look angry and purple and red at first, but they soon fade to a silvery colour and over time, they don’t look so obvious.
2. Your skin may develop dark spots. There are some women who deal with darker pigmented spots on their face during pregnancy. To stop these from increasing, it’s so important that you are gentle with it, and you can do this with a mild cleanser and toner. You need to do this twice a day or so until your skin improves and you have created an effective barrier to prevent more spots developing.
3. Ever heard of ‘pregnancy masks’? This is called melasma and it is characterized by dark patches on the face. This is a change in pigmentation and it occurs when you have a lot of pregnancy hormones ricocheting across your body. They do decrease after pregnancy, but it can take some time for the melasma to fade. Some of the brown patches on your face may stay for good and while it might not be something you want, it is the case. The best thing that you can do is avoid sun exposure and keep your face cleansed.
4. Prominent and darker eye circles. Puffy eyes with dark circles are pretty much a normal occurrence in pregnancy given the exhaustion and all the changes, but it’s not something you have to actively ignore. A lack of sleep and the tiredness that your body experiences post-baby will create those dark circles. Over time and with better rest, you can be sure that your dark circles and eye puffiness will reduce over time. 
5. Acne – it’s a pregnancy thing. It’s not something everyone experiences but those teenage breakouts are about to occur all over again. High levels of progesterone can trigger acne in your face and even if you have clear skin throughout the pregnancy, the rush of hormones post-baby can trigger those spots and red marks. 
6. Overly sensitive skin. It’s something that your body may not experience until you’ve had a baby but it’s not particularly nice. It might burn more easily in the sun or feel more irritated when in contact with certain detergents. Skin sensitivities can and do get easier to manage and sometimes, they do disappear post-pregnancy with the hormones leaving the body.

Some of the issues that we’ve mentioned can and do fade over time and some are a little more permanent. Growing a whole baby takes time and effort on the part of your body and some of those skin issues can stay a little – or a lot – longer. Your skin texture may change after having a baby and if you have had glowing skin during the pregnancy, it may feel a little scary to deal with the changes. Post-pregnancy, you have to remember that you are going through a lot of change and labor – even the positive ones – is a traumatic experience. Your skin texture changes may come as a surprise and all of the changes listed above can become a thing of the past with a little care.

When it comes to reducing those skin issues, there are things that you can put into place to make your skin glow again. Of course, anything that resembles a rash or becomes painful should always be seen to by a medical professional, but some of the things that you can do include:

1. Stay out of the sun. Wearing a hat, sunscreen and staying in the shade can really help you to avoid further damage. If you do need to go out in the sun, keeping covered is going to help you to maintain your skin texture and glow without turning into a beetroot.
2. Stay hydrated. Water will help to keep your skin hydrated, supple and bring back that glow. Try to drink eight glasses of water a day and keep those hormones of yours in check. Hydrated skin will be soft, supple and plump and it will look great. 
3. Create a skincare routine. You might need different products after your body has gone through pregnancy so do some research on good products to use. Wash your face a few times a day and make a point of getting rid of excess oil. When you follow a cleanse, tone and moisturize routine twice a day, you can find better results on your skin. 
4. Get some sleep. A good way to ensure that your skin feels good postpartum is to sleep as much as possible – pretty impossible with a baby, we know, but your skin will thank you if you try. Sleeping on clean pillowcases will also help if the skin issues you’re having are on your face!
5. Eat well. Your green, leafy veggies are the go for your skin and if you want to reduce postpartum skin issues, you can bring back the glow and that skin softness when you ensure that your skin is to be looked after. Eating a balanced diet postpartum is a must but you can get most of these greens in via smoothies if you can’t stomach chowing down on greens.
6. Exercise. Sweating out the hormones is a good way to clear your skin and exercise is going to help you with that as it helps the skin to breathe better and brings back your glow. 
7. Further medical treatment. Some skin conditions that don’t go away after the hormones do may need further treatment. If the changes are upsetting you then you need to seek the care of a doctor. They may have medical solutions for you that make more sense.

Looking after your skin is going to be the best thing that you do once you have a baby, so now you can use our tips to help!