We're talking everything from teenage-like acne to stretch marks and strange rashes and what you can do about them.
1. Newfound Sensitivities: Skip the body scrub and exfolitans, and instead use a loofah or a soft, textured washcloth.
You certainly don't want anything causing micro-tears on your skin. The more cuts and wounds on your skin, the easier it is for chemicals to be absorbed into your bloodstream. -Melisa Schweiger, coauthor of Belli Beauutiful: The Essential Guide to the Safest Health and Beauty Products for Pregnancy, Mom and Baby.
2. Breakouts: Your hormones are all out of whack by now and that might mean pimples like you got back in high school. Some acne products are unsafe to use during pregnancy so check with your doctor before trying anything.
3. Dryness & Itchiness: Make sure you're drinking lots of water. Try running a humidifier in your bedroom at night to help your body keep in as much moisture as possible. If you get nasty itchy because of your dry skin, try a warm (Not hot!) oatmeal bath.
4. Sun Sensitivity: Your surging hormones make you susceptible to dark patches on your skin. Be diligent about wearing sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 every day.
"The safest sun protection to using during pregnancy is physical or mineral blocks-the ones made with either titanium dioxide or zinc oxide." (Melisa Schweiger)
5. Stretch Marks: "For most people, whether or not they get stretch marks has to do with genetic predisposition." (Gleen Kolansky, MD, board-certified dermatologist)
But you can do your best to head them off by gently exfoliating and thoroughly moisturizing.
6. Weird & Freaky Rashes: If you've got red, ithchy skin it's important not to ignore it. Itchy feet and hands could be a sign of clolestasis of pregnancy. A scary complication that can cause liver problems for baby. Your doctor can do a simple blood test to make sure that's not causing your rash.
Another common pregnancy rash is PUPPP (Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy). PUPPP often starts in the abdomen and spreads from there. PUPPP is actually harmless to baby, but it will be aggravating for you.
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