Preggo | The New Black
Wednesday, June 9th, 2010
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Is it just me or is everyone all of a sudden preggos? It must be the biggest ‘on trend’ for 2010. Congratulations to all my billion and 1 friends who are all preggos or have given birth in 2010.
As the mother of a seven year old, I suddenly feel like a grandma. :-/ Sooo been there done that. And never again.
It’s not that I had a difficult pregnancy per se, as a matter of fact, in terms of how first pregnancies go, I’m considered purdy blessed. No monster cravings, no significant irreparable change in my body postpartum, as apart from a protruding basketball there was no massive weight gain, no 76 hour labour or anything fun like that. It’s just that, in terms of contributions that I can make to the world, I truly believe that there are other ways in which I can make my presence felt. My guy is well equipped to run the world anyways, so that’s more than enough for me.
Pregnancy brings with it a lot of joys.
The relief of just letting it all ‘hang out’; the tummy that is. Getting the royal treatment everywhere you go, because after all you are ‘with child’, and what can really top that? At least most people see it that way, so it works for you. The rosy, glowing look as a result of the increased volume of blood that is being pumped around the body coupled with an increase amount of sebum (skin’s oils) that gives the skin a more waxy appearance, strong, fast growing nails, thick abundant hair – depending on where it’s growing this can be a lil too much, but anyways, all in all, it’s a fantastic thing.
Pregnancy can also bring with it a lot of unexpected things too. Thanks to good old hormones.
During the time when your hormone mosh pit is trying to get it’s act together (if it ever even manages to), may the force be with you cause all kinds of what-the-what can occur, wreaking mass havoc on womankind. Mood swings and excess hair growth instantly come to mind. Damn you hormones.
Other not-so-glorious things associated with being preggos include:
1. Increased breakouts
This is expected as the increase in the hormone progesterone – the same one that leads to the waxy, glowy glow – can overdo a good thing and produce waaaay too much sebum. Oil slick central.
The condition of your skin before preggos can determine how much this increase in sebum will affect you. If your skin is naturally dry, then you may just be relieved of the chronic dryness, however if you naturally have an oily or acneic skin type, you may find that you may develop more blackheads or your acne may worsen.
The Fix:
This just means that you will have to be more vigilant with your skin care to keep your affairs in order.
Clay masks that contain certain clays like bentonite, kaolin or even charcoal can assist in sopping up some of this extra goopy mess. Hydroxy acid ingredients such as glycolic acid or lactic acid (preferably) can also go a long way in helping keep this extra thick layer of oil under control. If you prefer not to use hydroxy acids during pregnancy, you can always opt for enzymatic ingredients such as papain (from papayas) or bromelain (from pineapples) instead. Much milder yes, but still will assist in exfoliating the skin.
2. Pigmentation
Welcome to what is generally called melasma; Chloasma and Linea Nigra.
Chloasma, or mask of pregnancy, occurs mainly in pregnant women but can also occur in women who are taking birth control pills, or have certain ovarian disorders (hormonal issues again). This hyperpigmentation is usually concentrated on the face (forehead, temples and around cheek area) may be permanent, or may disappear and re-appear with subsequent pregnancies.
What determines if you’d develop melasma during pregnancy? Apparently there are quite a few factors involved, including race, hormones and exposure to the sun.
Another common type of pigmentation that occurs during pregnancy is Linea Nigra, a darkened line right down the middle of the abdomen.
The Fix:
If you are going to get melasma you are going to get it. There is really nothing that you can do to prevent it per se, but indiscriminate exposure to the sun does either make it appear earlier, or make it worse so don your broad spectrum sunscreen.
Antioxidants like ginko biloba and Vitamin C can help prevent the skin from damaging UV rays.
3. Dry Brittle Nails
Of course not everyone benefits from strong, fast growing nails. In some women nails get dry and brittle, they split, and are prone to otherwise breaking quite easily.
The Fix:
Keep nails short and treat with cuticle oil regularly, especially before bed at nights. A coat or two of clear or coloured nail polish (if you are okay with wearing it during pregnancy) can also help the nail plate to hold on to it’s moisture.
4. Dehydrated Skin
The body in general can become dehydrated as well, more and more so with time when the bladder becomes under pressure and needs to be relived every half second.
The Fix:
Hydrating ingredients such as Hyaluronic acid, Sodium PCA, Lactic acid and Cucumber in skin care can help the skin maintain it’s moisture level.
Silicones such as cyclomethicone and cyclopetasiloxan help keep the skin’s protective layer in tact while allowing it to breathe. Emollients such as shea butter, squalene (found in olive oil) and aloe also work at protecting the barrier function of the skin, and of course up your water intake.
5. Spider veins
Increased blood flow along with overactive pregnancy hormones can cause the normally teeny tiny blood capillaries just below the skin’s surface to become more visible during pregnancy.
Spider veins can also pop out on the face and on the white part of the eyeballs during pregnancy (okay that sounds scary) and strong, flush-in-the-face pushing during delivery can go so far as break these tiny blood vessels, a condition known as nevi.
The Fix:
Although nevi can take pretty long to disappear, makeup, when appropriately applied, can camouflage these tiny burst blood vessels. Some spider veins on the legs or torso may never disappear on their own, so if you feel it is imperative that they not be there, a dermatologist can remove them using injections.
Anti-inflammatory ingredients such as lavender, cucumber, rosewater and oatmeal treat sensitization and help to keep the redness at bay. Bioflavonoids such as grape tea and green tea extracts, red raspberry or anything from the berry family really, help with the skin’s healing and repairing function.
and the MOTHER of all peeves…
6. Stretch marks.
Uuugh.
Stretch marks are caused by rapid weight loss or gain. They are formed from the overstretching of the skin’s walls, which in turn interrupts the normal production of collagen thereby causing a scar.
Stretch marks typically appear first as reddish/ purple lines (depending on skin tone) but usually fade to a lighter colour.
The International Dermal Institute states:
The stretching occurs in the dermis, the middle layer of the skin that helps the skin retain it’s shape. Once the dermis has been stretched continuously over time, certian parts of it “overstretch”, losing all elasticity and causeing the connective fibres within to break. The result is what we know as stretch marks.
The Fix:
There are NO topical remedies to cure stretch marks. Read… NONE. However, invasive procedures can remove them if you feel that strongly about their presence.
As far as prevention being better than a cure, I’m not sure if you can prevent stretch marks as it’s really a function of how the deeper layers of your skin reacts to certain trauma. However, in MY opinion, there are things that you can do to minimize the degree of pressure that your skin is bombarded with.
Keeping skin hydrated, avoiding rapid weight loss/ gain, keeping skin moisturized and supple, following a healthy lifestyle that includes a balanced diet/ exercise/ suppliments, getting enough sleep… stuff like that would help your skin’s general health I’d imagine. Just a guess.
Be Freakin’Fabulous
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