Pregnancy mask, or melasma, is hyperpigmentation of the skin and especially of the face.
Common in pregnant women, it also appears in other life circumstances.
Here are 3 steps to avoid or reduce these unsightly stains.
The first rays of the sun in May can cause the appearance of more or less extensive dark spots. This is an overstimulation of certain skin cells, causing this "excess tan" on certain areas of the body and in particular the face.
Scientists have not yet grasped the cause, but have retained several aggravating factors including the sun ! If you are sensitive to this phenomenon, you will therefore need to take care to protect yourself and prepare your skin for this exposure.
Glasses , hat wide brim and of course sunscreen high index, to be applied every two hours. Avoid exposure between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Also avoid photosensitizing and irritating creams and products.
And yes, the pregnancy mask is amplified by hormonal factors, hence the increased sensitivity of pregnant women. Outside of pregnancy, estrogen-based birth control pills cause the same effect.
Choose a pill containing a progestogen , or another method of contraception.
We are not all equal when it comes to melasma. Even if some profiles are more sensitive to it (brown women with a phototype at risk), there are exceptions... We will therefore find blonde women with this pregnancy mask as well.
Despite your best efforts, the pregnancy mask appeared. Don't panic, there are solutions!
You can use a depigmenting treatment which will attenuate, even make disappear your brown spots. But be careful, do not use just any product, and prefer creams recommended by your dermatologist.
If this is not enough, your doctor can recommend a peeling, which will always be very gentle in combination.
Pregnant, you will not be able to turn to these treatments, but you can always use cosmetic products that canunify your complexion , which you will find in pharmacies or parapharmacies (Couvrance from Avène, count from €12 to €15 or Dermablend from Vichy, count from €12 to €20 for a 30 ml tube).
These products are quite expensive, but are the most suitable for your fragile skin, and above all, you will only use very little of them with each application. The investment is definitely worth it.
And you, do you have sensitive skin that reveals a pregnancy mask on sunny days? What treatments do you use? Do not hesitate to tell us about it in your comments.
