Pregnancy not only changes a woman’s life, it changes her body too. Almost every part of a woman’s body gets affected by pregnancy in one way or the other, including the skin. There are some lucky women who notice a positive change or an improvement in their skin when they are pregnant.


However, despite common pregnancy myths, it is quite rare to see the “mother’s glow” on every woman, as the skin changes are not pleasant for most women. Changes in the levels of hormones can lead to several skin problems during pregnancy, which include:

• Rosacea: This is a skin disease that can be found mostly in adults, where the blood vessels present in the face get enlarged, giving the person a flushed appearance. There are some women who develop this problem during pregnancy.
  
  
  At times, a woman may suffer from Rosacea, but is unaware of it. However, during pregnancy, the condition tends to become more evident and noticeable.  

• Acne outbreaks: A hormonal imbalance is usually the cause of acne in pregnant women. Acne problems are believed to reduce after the first trimester. However, commercial anti-acne creams, scrubs and skin products should be avoided during pregnancy, as they may contain chemicals that can lead to birth defects in children. Instead home remedies like oatmeal or fruit scrubs can be used to deal with the condition.

• Stretch marks: This is probably one of the biggest and most common skin problems during pregnancy. As the skin across your body stretches, to accommodate the growing baby, microscopic tears in the deep skin tissue will leave stretch marks on the skin. While it is not possible to prevent stretch marks, they can be kept to a minimum, by gaining no more than the recommended amount of weight and using Vitamin E oil. Stretch marks are also regarded as a common skin problem after pregnancy, as they do not disappear completely, but can only be lightened gradually.

• Spots: Seeing brown spots on the face during pregnancy can be a bit of a shock for many women. This condition is known as Chloasma or more commonly as “The mask of pregnancy”. The most common cause, of these spots, is hormonal changes. Fortunately, the spots do get lighter after the baby is born. There are a few products that are believed to help in lightening spots. However, several women who have used such products have stated that they worsen the condition.
  

Other common skin problems in pregnancy could include itchiness, dry skin and rashes, which may be caused by hormones.