There are countless physical changes to your skin, both pleasurable and painful attributed to your pregnancy only. Full description of all changes to your body you’ll find here.

The common skin change that most pregnant woman experience is the stretch marks. Stretch marks are separations of the outer layers of skin caused by the overstretching of underlying layers.

Beside pregnant women, stretch marks are found on children who are obese, adolescents who have a sudden growth spurt during puberty and athletes and body builders who do constant exercises. The most commonly affected areas by stretch marks are hips, abdomen, breasts, thighs and buttocks. Stretch marks are itchy reddish marks.

In pregnancy, heredity plays an important role in determining who will have and will not have stretch marks. If your mother has had them, chances are that you will get them too, unless you were born with stretchy skin. There is no sure shot remedy for stretch marks as mostly they fade after delivery. The only way to avoid stretch marks is to prevent them. We recommend the following:

• Massage vitamin E or olive oil on the abdomen areas from the start of your pregnancy. Massage it liberally over the marks after a shower. Incase you skip a shower, clean the area with a wet cloth and then apply the oil.
• Regular exercise helps to tone your muscles and keep your skin firm.
• Maintain healthy diet and drink plenty of water. Plenty of proteins and vitamin C & E foods should be included in your diet. Increase your intake of minerals such as zinc and silica to maintain healthy skin.
• One ounce of sweet almond or jojoba oil with 7-8 drops of lavender and chamomile oils is a good homemade recipe.
• Avoid excessive weight gain in a short time span.
• Cocoa butter reduces stretch marks and helps to keep the skin supple.
• Wear a glove and massage your skin to increase circulation.
• While massaging your body with body oil, add coconut and almond oil. Daily massage with Olive oil, flaxseed oil, cod liver oil or vitamin E oil after shower or before sleeping is an excellent home remedy for either preventing or treating stretch marks.
• To avoid stretch marks around breasts, wear a supportive maternity bra.
• To make stretch mark cream, mix 1/2 cup cocoa butter, 1 tsp wheat germ oil, 1 tsp apricot kernel oil, vitamin E oil and 2 tsp grated beeswax. Heat the mixture until cocoa butter and beeswax melt, stir well and store in air tight conditioner.

A lot of temporary changes can occur in and on your body during pregnancy; however most of these effects disappear when your baby is born. Stretch marks, on the other hand, are tears in your skin that will scar and remain visible for forever. They will initially appear as reddish pink lines on your body which turn into silvery white scars, but with the proper prevention techniques, you may be able to reduce the visibility of them or eliminate them completely.

Control Your Weight Gain

Stretch marks occur because weight has been put on too quickly and your skin can’t expand fast enough to support your larger size. By sticking to a healthy diet and getting regular exercise, you can put your baby weight on more slowly and avoid gaining the extra weight your body doesn’t need.

These marks can appear on your thighs, hips, buttocks, abdomen, breasts, and arms and sometimes you can’t always control where you gain additional weight. With a baby growing in your womb, expansion in your abdomen cannot be prevented. Being aware of the weight you are gaining and taking steps to slow the stretching of your skin can help to diminish these unwanted marks.

Keep Your Skin Hydrated

Keeping your skin soft and supple will allow it to stretch more safely. Dry skin will be prone to ripping, so moisturize often and keep yourself hydrated. Using skin creams that contain vitamin E and alpha-hydroxy will keep your skin stay pliable as well assist in the healing of marks that may already be forming. The use of these lotions will continue to reduce the sight of any stretch marks that occur so keep applying them even once your weight gain has stopped.

Massage Your Skin

Stimulating the circulation in your skin can also help to reduce tearing from weight gain. By bringing more blood to the surface, your skin will be healthier and less likely to develop unwanted marks, so be sure to massage it whenever possible. Your stretching skin may also become sensitive and itchy as it expands and scratching can lead to more stretch marks so try to massage it when you feel any discomfort.

It will be much easier to prevent stretch marks before they occur as oppose to getting rid of the ones that have already formed. Any marks that do form can be helped with the proper creams, but knowing stretch marks can happen before any weight gain has started is the first step in prevention.

Changes will occur throughout your entire body when you become pregnant, but among the most noticeable and visible are the changes that occur on your skin. These changes arise from the increase in your hormone levels and often the changes you notice will be harmless. Most often all of these changes disappear or clear up once you give birth, but it’s always a good idea to check with your doctor regarding anything you’re unsure of.

Skin Discolorations

Your skin can become pigmented or discoloured in a few areas of your body and while it may look alarming, it is just a reaction to your increased hormones. Existing moles can become darker, as can your nipples and genitals. Patches of brownish skin, called melasma, may appear on your cheeks and forehead; this is also known as a pregnancy mask. Another area discolouration occurs is the line that runs down your abdomen from your belly button which is called linea nigra.

Rashes and Itching

As your skin stretches and higher levels of hormones course through your body, your skin may become more sensitive and prone to irritation. The perfumes, soaps, and detergents you normally use may now irritate your skin forcing you to switch to gentler brands. Allergies and bug bites may be more severe or could present themselves differently on your skin. You may experience some itching or even develop minor rashes, and while this is normal, you should see your doctor if symptoms worsen or persist.

Existing skin condition such as eczema could worsen so doing what you can to keep your skin healthy and clean should reduce some of these effects. Using products for sensitive skin and keeping skin dry with talcum powder may prevent some irritation. Try to keep cool and wear breathable cotton clothes and you may be able to relieve some of the discomfort you experience.

Stretch Marks

Reddish or pinkish lines may develop on your abdomen, hips, thighs, breasts, and buttocks. This is normal but the effects can be reduced if attended to in time. They occur due to rapid weight gain, so paying attention to how quickly you’re putting on your baby weight and limiting unnecessary weight gain could reduce the severity of your stretch marks. Applying lotions which contain vitamin E and alpha-hydroxy acid can also heal your skin and reduce the appearance of these marks.

Other Changes You May Notice

Existing skin conditions, such as acne, may become more noticeable. Since your hormone levels have increased, your skin could be producing more oils which may affect the appearance of your skin. This, along with some water retention, is what causes the “glowing” effect that pregnant women can have.

Varicose veins can occur but may be prevented if you avoid standing too long or taking a walk every now and then to get your blood circulating. Sitting with your feet propped up for an hour or so each day can take the strain off them and will keep your blood flowing freely.

While not everyone experiences all of these changes in their skin, being prepared for them could put your mind at ease if you do notice anything different on your body. Do not hesitate to ask your doctor about anything you’re concerned about and keep in mind that most of these discomforts will disappear once your baby comes.