HEALTH Pregnancy can affect your skin

Pregnancy can affect your skin


Skin Specialist
Bernie Fahy

Skin problems during pregnancy range from pigmentation to acne to the appearance of spider veins. Luckily, there are a few steps you can take to help tackle these issues.
If you have a pre-existing problem with acne, your acne may become more irritated during the first three months of pregnancy. The extra hormones in the body cause your glands to secrete more oil, which can cause breakouts.
Keep a strict cleansing routine morning and night, but beware: Over cleansing can cause dryness or even increase oil production. Stay away from acne-medicated products without specialist skin-care advise.Your skin should settle and in your second trimester, when it should be glowing and looking healthy due to increased blood circulation.
To prevent pigmentation, another common condition during pregnancy, use an oil-free moisturiser with an SPF of at least 20, and try to avoid sun exposure.
Spider veins – reddish blood vessels – can appear on the face during pregnacy. They are caused by high levels of oestrogen and increased blood flow: Not only are your hormone levels raging at their highest levels, the increased volume of blood you’re carrying creates significant pressure on your blood vessels causing even small veins to swell.
Taking in plenty of vitamin C will help strengthen the collagen and elastin, two important connective tissues that nurture and repair veins. The spider veins will usually improve within a fewmonths after giving birth, as the body needs time to rebalance.

THE SKIN SPECIALIST Bernie Fahy works in Ballinrobe, Westport and Galway. She can be contacted at 086 2220125 or info@bernietheskinspecialist.com. For more information, visit www.bernietheskinspecialist.com.