Chloasma During Pregnancy: What You Need to Know?
Pregnancy brings a lot of changes to your body. Besides visible changes like a growing belly, fuller breasts, and shiny hair, you may expect changes in your skin tone. Some women experience darkening of their skin during pregnancy. Developing dark patches around your lips, cheeks, forehead, and nose is more common than you may think. This condition is called chloasma.
What Is Chloasma?
Chloasma is pregnancy-induced melasma. Melasma is a condition where the color-producing cells in your body, known as melanocytes, produce extra pigment causing skin darkening. Chloasma, also known as the ‘mask of pregnancy,’ can affect 50-70% of pregnant women.Â
Causes
The exact causes of chloasma are not known. However, like anything during pregnancy, hormones are considered one of the main culprits to cause chloasma. Here are some of the common triggers that may cause chloasma.
Estrogen, progesterone and melanocyte-stimulating levels are higher during the third trimester. The increased levels of these hormones stimulate melanin production, causing hyperpigmentation. High levels of estrogen and progesterone can cause pigmentation, forming line nigra—the line that goes down the center of your belly during pregnancy.
Exposure to the sun can also cause hyper melanosis. The ultraviolet (UV) ray from the sun encourages the pigment-producing cells to produce melanin which can then cause chloasma.
Thyroid diseases can also cause melasma and chloasma.
Heredity also plays a role in chloasma.
How To Treat Chloasma
Chloasma is self-limiting and usually goes away after childbirth. There is usually no treatment required. However, if it particularly bothers you, you can try the following:
Folate can help in controlling chloasma. Most women are given folate supplements during pregnancy. Also, pregnant women can add folate to your diet through spinach, citrus fruits, pasta, rice, and beans.
Wear sunscreen whenever you go out in the sun.
If chloasma is bothering you too much, you can hide them with makeup. Make sure that your makeup does not contain strong, harmful chemicals.
Conclusion
Chloasma could be annoying, but the good news is that it goes away on its own after childbirth. Once you start breastfeeding and your hormonal levels return to normal, the pigmentation disappears. However, you can consult a dermatologist if it doesn’t go away.
