Pregnancy Skin Conditions
Pregnancy Related Skin Conditions
Common skin conditions during pregnancy can generally be separated into three categories:
1. Benign skin conditions from normal hormonal changes
2. Pre-existing skin conditions that change during pregnancy
3. Pregnancy-specific dermatoses.
Some of these conditions may overlap other categories.
Normal hormone changes during pregnancy may cause benign skin conditions including striae gravidarum or stretch marks, hyperpigmentation, and hair, nail, and vascular changes.
Pre-existing skin conditions may changes during pregnancy such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, fungal infections, and cutaneous tumors. Pregnancy-specific skin conditions include Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP), Prurigo of Pregnancy or Papular Eruptions of Pregnancy, Pemphigold Gestationis or Herpes Gestationis, Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP), Iimpetigo herpetiformis, and Pruritic folliculitis of pregnancy. Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy are the most common of these disorders. Most skin conditions resolve postpartum and only require symptomatic treatment.
Pregnancy Skin Conditions Overview
Only a few lucky women can list radiance as the only dermatological trait they experience during pregnancy. The vast majority of expectant moms have to put up with dark blotches on the skin, hair growth in unusual areas, thinning hair on their head, rashes, acne, stretch marks, brittle or splitting nails, and the worsening of existing skin conditions.
Most of the skin changes seen in pregnancy are due to the effects of hormones on various body structures. The effects on your skin may be considered normal and not disease-related. However, these same effects may be viewed as pathologic to the woman who has new skin changes. Some of these changes are permanent, but others are present only during or for a short time after pregnancy.
When you are pregnant, your body produces an enormous amount of growth factors and has a higher blood flow going through it. Your body goes through a lot of changes and if any of them are causing concern, you should make an appointment with Dr. Maxine Tabas and she will let you know if you need to be treated.
