Month eight Skin deep

Your pregnant body changes daily to be the best environment for the little being busy growing inside of you. This includes your skin, says Susan Samuel

OH DEAR, INSTEAD of radiance, there’s acne. Instead of glowing skin there are suddenly stretch marks and varicose veins everywhere. Relax. Your skin is your biggest organ, so of course it’ll also reflect the changes your body is going through. Fortunately, most of the changes disappear once baby’s arrived, especially if you look after yourself. Acne is usually caused by hormonal changes. Strong anti-acne agents aren’t suitable for pregnant women. Keep your diet as healthy as possible, drink lots of water, and avoid rich and oily food. Keep your face clean, and don’t squeeze or pick at your skin. Ask your doctor to prescribe a cream that can help. Your belly button is sensitive. In the last few weeks, you might become an “outie” – your belly button may pop out and become more visible, even under your clothes. It’s the part of your belly where your muscles connect, and where the muscle wall is at its weakest. Your muscles and skin stretch around the growing uterus, and the abdomen’s muscle wall is thin and sensitive. It can even be highly uncomfortable and painful. Don’t wear tight-fitting clothing, don’t scratch, and start doing exercises to strengthen your abdominals as early as you can. Cracks or eczema, mainly on the nipples, are quite common during pregnancy. Your local pharmacy’s zinc cream (zinc oxide) is a cheap and efficient solution. Dry skin is often the result of a vitamin shortage. It could also be because of harsh water, strong soap and sensitivity to beauty products. Take vitamin supplements specially formulated for pregnant women, and ensure you moisturise your face and body well. Creams with Shea butter are really nice

for your body, as are spray-on oils. Just be careful of products that might be too strongly scented. Your freckles can become bigger, darker or multiply. Follow the same advice as with skin pigmentation, and speak to your doctor if you’re worried. Fungal infections of the skin may also occur, especially in your armpits, under your boobs and between your legs. If your lady bits are sore, red and inflamed, you probably have thrush (candida). Chat to your doctor about suitable meds. If infection regularly re-occurs, try to cut sugar and white flour from your diet and rather opt for whole grains, fruit, veggies and protein. Hormonal influences could be to blame for itchy skin. Another cause could be your skin stretching as the foetus grows. The itchiness can be especially uncomfortable in moist spots such as under your arms, behind your knees, in the crook of your elbow and between your legs. See your doctor if you have a rash. But avoid bath salts and bubbles, as these often dry your skin out. Lubing up after your bath but before you dry off helps you feel less oily, and prevents the bath from becoming one big oil slick where you can slip and injure yourself. Moles and beauty spots can become bigger. Go and see your doctor immediately, because moles can become malignant during pregnancy. Pigmentation (darkening) is fairly common, especially on the forehead and cheeks, nose and around the mouth. The “mask of pregnancy” is also known as chloasma. Your nipples can become darker, and a dark vertical line (the linea nigrea) can appear from the navel to the pubis. Darker-skinned women seem to be more affected than blondes, while gingers seldom have pigmentation. The darkening partially or completely disappears after birth, although small freckles can remain. Avoid too much sun, so wear a hat or sunscreen of at least factor 34. If the changes bother you a lot, see a dermatologist. Skin pigmentation can unfortunately not be avoided, but the extent and severity can be limited. Stretch marks appear quite suddenly and without warning. These are those pink lines that you see, and it’s a sign that the elastic subcutaneous tissue has stretched too rapidly and torn. The body parts that expand the quickest are usually affected: boobs, tummy, bum and thighs. You can rein in stretch marks by preparing your skin as soon as you find out you’re pregnant: Lube up with lanolin, petroleum jelly or olive oil before folding the skin between your fingers and kneading it, kind of like a roll of dough. The skin over your belly and hips should be “massaged” at least once a day. Support your breasts with a good, strong bra, even at night. Stretch marks

TAKE VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS SPECIALLY FORMULATED FOR PREGNANT WOMEN, AND ENSURE YOU MOISTURISE YOUR FACE AND BODY WELL

appear when the tissue in the elastic layers of your skin has broken down; it’s a permanent thing, alas. Toned muscles under the skin counter the breakdown of tissue somewhat, so it helps to exercise regularly before falling pregnant. Stretch marks are also a sign of a zinc deficiency. So include zinc-rich food in your diet, including nuts, fish, legumes and eggs, and take about 15mg zinc as part of your supplements. Also make sure you get enough vitamin C. It’s a vital building block for the production of collagen in your skin, while vitamin E can help keep your skin supple. Creams with vitamin E can also help. Varicose veins can appear on your legs, and even on the outside of your vagina and anus (where it’s also known as piles). The best way to counter varicose veins is to ensure good blood circulation in your lower body. Hormones cause the walls of your veins to soften to accommodate all the extra blood. When the pressure becomes too much, varicose veins can form where there are weak spots in the walls of your blood vessels. The pressure on the vena cava, the big vein that drains the blood from the lower body, is one of the most common causes of varicose veins. It’s not uncomfortable, but some women feel sore and heavy. Others are more concerned with the appearance, but fortunately most of these veins disappear after birth. Light exercise on a regular basis will improve your blood circulation. Take regular walks of a kilometre or more (don’t dawdle, pick up the pace). Take the weight off your feet a few times a day by resting them on a low table or cushion. Avoid standing for long periods of time, and don’t sit with your legs crossed or with one folded over the other. Avoid tight-fitting socks, stockings and pantyhose, or trousers with an elastic band that might impede blood flow. Wear supportive hosiery if the veins are painful; put it on in bed in the mornings before you get up. A homeopathic preparation that relieves blocked arteries is Lotio Pruni Comp Cum Cupro; always apply in an upward motion. You can also try an aromatherapy preparation by combining ten drops each of lavender, geranium and peppermint oil with 50ml almond or olive oil; apply (in an upward motion) to the skin just above the varicose vein. For varicose veins on your vagina, counterpressure with an ice pack can provide some relief. Don’t apply heat, as this can make the condition worse. Vitamin B6 also helps with varicose veins on this part of your body, so look out for pregnancy supplements containing vitamin B6.