What is the link between melasma and pregnancy?
If you’re expecting a baby, or hoping to become pregnant in the near future, scroll on to learn how to protect your skin from dark pigment patches known as melasma, or pregnancy mask.
Pregnancy causes women's bodies to produce a significantly higher level of female hormones (estrogens) which triggers a boost in melanin production. This means that during the first months of pregnancy especially, women are prone to developing hyperpigmentation on the face. This is known as pregnancy mask, melasma or chloasma. In principle, the patches disappear six months after giving birth. However, the risk of relapse during a subsequent pregnancy is high.
Pregnancy mask affects many women, beginning in the fourth month of pregnancy. Up to 1/3 of women are at risk for melasma. And among people with darker complexions, females are 9x more at risk (Passeron & Picardo, 2018).
The hyperpigmentation appears as discolored, dark patches particularly on the forehead, cheeks and above the upper lip. These pigmented patches tend to range from tan to dark brown.
What causes melasma?
Besides pregnancy, melasma may stem from several other potential causes. It may be caused by excess or accumulated sun exposure. Melasma’s dark spots may also be caused by genetic factors. Treatments with estrogen as well as oral contraceptives, which impact your hormone levels, are another potential cause. Thyroid dysfunction may also be related to melasma, though the link is not totally clear. Photosensitizing drugs, which make your skin more sensitive to light, can also affect melanin production and the appearance of these spots.
Sun exposure considerably raises the risk of developing pregnancy mask. And we don’t just mean sunbathing on holiday: Even the amount of exposure faced on a clear, pleasant day can cause melanin overproduction, posing a risk of triggering pregnancy mask or melasma. Read on for tips on how to prevent unwanted sun exposure.
Different pigmentation issues have different causes. From the age of 30 and on, some people develop brown discoloration on their skin . These issues vary:
- Lentigo – also called age spots or dark spots if it’s mainly due to ageing of the skin. Known as solar lentigo if caused by regular and considerable sun exposure. They look like flat, irregularly shaped or roundish brown marks.
- Melasma – generally due to hormone imbalances. This can occur when taking certain medicines (such as epilepsy treatments) or can be caused by sun exposure during pregnancy when insufficient sun protection has been applied. Also known as pregnancy mask, this form of skin discoloration is made up of irregular large tan or brown patches, often on the forehead, cheeks or upper lip.
- Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) – occurs following any inflammation of skin such as acne, for example. The mark is due to excess melanin produced by pigment-producing cells called melanocytes which are stimulated by the chemical messengers involved in inflammation. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or PIH is a brown mark which appears in the same place where a skin lesion used to be – for example once a spot or a wound has healed.
Concerned about post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation due to acne? Click HERE for more info.
If you want to avoid post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation of a new scar, click HERE for full details.
The sun, inflammation, skin ageing and genetics are the main factors that influence skin pigmentation. From the age of 30, they can disrupt the production and distribution of melanin, the pigment responsible for the skin's coloring. This means melanin becomes distributed unevenly in the skin and accumulates at the surface. Result? Pigmentation problems such as dark spots, melasma or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation appear on skin.
How to treat melasma?
While dark pigment marks are completely harmless, they can be a source of stress, impacting one’s quality of life. To prevent and correct them, it’s important to adopt a good daily skincare regime – this is particularly true during pregnancy, when hormonal changes lead to an increase in melanin production./strong>. Here are some simple tips to ensure your complexion remains radiant and even:
- Protect your skin from the sun. It’s that simple: Sun protection will help stop melasma and other pigment issues from forming, and will encourage them to fade once formed. Click HERE to skip back to tips on sun protection.
- Don't get caught out in the sun: You can even be exposed to the sun in your office or in your car!
- Pregnancy mask usually disappears spontaneously within 6 months of giving birth, whereas dark spots can be more tenacious and require targeted treatment to fade. Every morning and evening, apply an anti-dark spot treatment such as La Roche-Posay’s MELAB3 Serum, developed by dermatological experts the face and neck.
- Your dermatologist can recommend various techniques or drug treatments for correcting dark spots, or even a combination of approaches. Firstly, sunscreen and protection from the sun are recommended. Then, topical care like dermocosmetics or drugs may be prescribed. In case of no response, chemical peels, laser or other procedures may be recommended. After any approach, dermocosmetics are an excellent solution for maintenance.
This is just the tip of the iceberg as there are many other in-office procedures for pigmentation issues such as the Fraxel laser, cryotherapy and topical treatments such as hydroquinone. The one thing they all have in common is their elevated cost, so be sure to implement the prevention tips in this article to stop pigmentation from forming in the first place!
How to prevent melasma?
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. Avoiding UV exposure is something you need to think about in your everyday life: It is not merely an issue for the beach, and you don’t even need to be outside to be exposed! Pay particular attention in the following situations:
- At work: If you work near a window, the chances are your skin is exposed to UV rays on a daily basis. This is because UVA rays can pass through glass. Since UVA can trigger pregnancy mask, and you may spend many hours a day at your desk, this is a key time to apply sun protection and take preventive measures (see the next section).
- In the car or in other forms of transportation: Most windshields filter both UVA and UVB rays, but the side windows generally let UVA pass through. Since these UV rays can cause pregnancy mask (not to mention ageing and potentially skin cancer), it is important to protect your skin while in the car. This applies to travel by bus, train and airplane, too.
Prevention is far easier and preferable to treatment for pregnancy mask and pigmentation issues!
This doesn’t mean you need to stay locked up inside every day, but following these simple rules will help you minimize your risk of developing pregnancy mask:
- To shield your face from sun exposure, wear a hat and sunglasses.
- Protect your skin with a full protection sunscreen that’s broad-spectrum with at least SPF30 and ideally SPF50 (associated with UVA protection) and suitable for use during pregnancy, for example from the ANTHELIOS range links to ANTHELIOS range, or La Roche-Posay’s MELAB3 SPF 30 ANTI-DARK SPOTS CORRECTIVE PROTECTIVE CARE to help protect the skin from harmful UV rays, while also intercepting excess melanin before it forms dark spots.
- Reapply sun protection thoroughly every two hours.
- Don't get caught out: You can even be exposed to harmful UV on a cloudy day, or whilst indoors as UVA can pass through glass!
- At home, morning and evening, use La Roche-Posay’s MELAB3 Serum to prevent a pregnancy mask and for the correction of dark spots.
What sunscreen to use when pregnant : not everyone agrees about oxybenzone
There are so many things to consider when you’re pregnant. It’s a time when a woman often asks herself questions about what to do, and what not to do. One such question you may be asking yourself is: Which sunscreen should I use in pregnancy? Are there sunscreens to avoid? To help you make your choice, here are some pointers to bear in mind:
- Many sunscreens block UV rays using an ingredient containing oxybenzone. Some research has cast doubt over the tolerance of this chemical, which permeates the skin and is absorbed into the bloodstream. Watch out: Some facial and body lotions with SPF protection also contain oxybenzone. If you want to be cautious until there is greater clarity on the subject, avoid these products by checking the ingredients list.
- Choose a photostable and broad-spectrum UVA-UVB-long UVA sun filter that is safe to use in pregnancy, La Roche Posay’s Anthelios UVMUNE 400 range
- Try La Roche-Posay’s MELAB3 SPF 30 ANTI-DARK SPOTS CORRECTIVE PROTECTIVE CARE to helps protect the skin from harmful UV rays, while also intercepting excess melanin before it forms dark spots.
To learn more about UVA and UVB protection HERE
ONE WOMAN’S EXPERIENCE OF PREGNANCY MASK AND HOW SHE AVOIDED IT THE SECOND TIME AROUND "I DIDN’T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES WITH THE SUN DURING MY SECOND PREGNANCY"
During Marie's first pregnancy, her face became covered in brown patches – her skin was affected by pregnancy mask. However, during her second pregnancy, Marie made sure she reduced her risk of developing this visible and potentially upsetting condition by protected herself from the sun. Here’s her story.
“Because I have blond hair and light-colored eyes, I never thought I would get pregnancy mask. I was so wrong, as I realized during a trip to Brittany during the fourth month of my pregnancy.”
MY PREGNANCY MASK SYMPTOMS
“I woke up one morning and I noticed a brown line above my lip, it looked like a coffee stain. I ultimately ended up with severe pregnancy mask on my face! It lasted the entire pregnancy and for several months after the baby was born. Last year I became pregnant with my second child. In my first pregnancy I had applied some sunscreen, but I had still got pregnancy mask. So during my second pregnancy, I wanted to learn which sunscreen would help me most and to take every possible precaution!”
MY PREGNANCY MASK SOLUTION
“I went to see a dermatologist. She explained that pregnancy mask is related to hormones and that I had to be particularly careful at the beginning of my pregnancy. She strongly recommended I avoid sun exposure and that I wear a hat, SPF 50 sunscreen and sunglasses – in short, that I get as much protection as possible. I followed her advice and the pregnancy mask did not make a repeat appearance.”
Of course, skin pigmentation problems are not limited to pregnancy. As we age, many other pigment issues can appear on the skin such as dark spots, or other kinds of melasma (you don’t have to be pregnant to get it!) and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Remember, these spots on your skin are not harmful, but if they do get you down, know that there are many available solutions.