What can you do about a pregnancy mask?

Also read: Skin cancer: what are benign spots or skin lesions?

What is pregnancy mask?

A pregnancy mask are brown pigment spots on the face, which occur because your body produces more estrogen and progesterone during your pregnancy. Due to these extra hormones, your pigment cells produce more pigment, which in turn causes dark spots on your skin. The spots are moderately to sharply defined and usually irregularly shaped. Pregnancy mask mainly occurs on the forehead, cheeks, temples, around the eyes and on the upper lip. Sometimes the spots are also present on the neck and on the arms. Due to this extra hormone production, you can also get a brown, vertical line in the middle of your abdomen, which is the pregnancy line. Pigmentation can even occur on the nipples, areolas, around the vagina and around the anus.

Also read: Everything about a pregnancy line or linea nigra

Can you prevent pregnancy mask?

Why one woman gets a pregnancy mask and another does not is not known. It is probably a combination of different factors, such as increased hormone production during pregnancy, exposure to the sun, the use of cosmetics or perfumes containing psoralens that can cause a phototoxic reaction.

Also read: What are those red spots or bumps on your skin?

What can you do about pregnancy mask?

First of all, prevention is better than cure. During your pregnancy and a few months afterwards, it is best to avoid the sun as much as possible. Wear a hat, stay in the shade and apply a factor 50 sunscreen. In general, the spots disappear after giving birth. Treatment is therefore not necessary. If you feel very insecure because of the pigment spots, you can camouflage them with make-up. Unfortunately, the spots often return during a subsequent pregnancy and are often darker.

What if the pigment spots don't go away?

In most women, the skin discoloration after pregnancy disappears by itself within a year. Sometimes, however, pigmentation remains. This can be treated after pregnancy and after breastfeeding.

• Bleaching creams: Treatment with azelaic acid cream may be tried. This cream is registered in Belgium for acne. The cream should be applied to the spots. Only use this product on prescription from your GP or dermatologist. Other products such as hydroquinone cream and certainly tretinoin and corticoid creams are not recommended.
• Laser treatment: In consultation with your doctor, you can opt for a targeted laser treatment that removes hyperpigmentation.

Also read: Do you get sagging breasts from breastfeeding?

Sources:
https://www.huidziekten.nl
https://www.huidconsult.nl