Nine months of beauty

Pregnancy can cause a host of skin and hair problems

Motherhood is a beautiful journey. But in these nine months, women go through a lot of physical and hormonal changes that can take a heavy toll on them emotionally. Let’s take a look at what kind of changes happen to the skin and hair during pregnancy.

Pregnancy affects all women differently as hormonal changes are different in each case. However, largely, hair undergoes the following changes:

Shine & volume: In the initial phases of pregnancy, the hair becomes shiny and voluminous. This is because the production of oestrogen is high at this time. There is hardly any hair loss at this stage, and the scalp holds on to more hair. So, it’s not because your hair growth has increased, but more because the hair fall has come down drastically.

Change in texture: It has been noticed that the texture of the hair also changes. For example, curly hair tends to become more straight and vice versa.​

Body hair growth: It’s not just the scalp that witnesses thick hair. Usually, expectant mothers also notice the excessive growth of body hair on the face, arms and legs. But this problem resolves itself six months after delivery when the hormones start to normalise. It’s safe to wax or shave. However, avoid hair removal creams as they contain chemicals that can be absorbed into the bloodstream.

Post-pregnancy hair loss: After giving birth, women’s bodies start going back to their pre-pregnancy state. During this time, one may notice a lot of hair loss. But it is nothing to be alarmed about. You can use homemade hair masks to control hair loss. Mash two ripe bananas into a paste. Add coconut oil and some honey. Apply this mixture on your hair for 40 minutes till it dries up, and wash it off with lukewarm water.

Wondering what happens to the skin during pregnancy?

Acne breakout: With the changes in hormones, more oil is secreted by the skin inducing acne and clogging the pores. Try some homemade face masks to tackle the condition. Mix a teaspoon of turmeric powder and raw honey each to 3 teaspoons of full cream milk. Apply this to your face using a brush or cotton ball. Remove after 15 minutes using a washcloth.

Itchy skin: You may develop itchy rashes or red bumps in the third trimester. These rashes develop mostly on your tummy but can extend to the thighs, arms and bum. Use some soothing lotions and creams made of natural ingredients, but avoid ones that contain perfumes or other chemicals.

Dark spots: These occur because of excessive exposure to the sun. Use sunscreen and protective clothing like hats and scarves, while stepping out in the sun.

Stretch marks: Stretch marks are the most common outcome of pregnancy and they become visible in the last trimester. Predominantly seen on the belly, hips and even breasts, they are red, brown or purple in colour. However, these gradually fade away post delivery.

Most of these changes you undergo during this phase also reverse within six months after delivery. So sit back, relax and enjoy!

(The author is a beauty expert at UrbanClap)