Pregnancy, spots on the face

The spots are one of the most typical imperfections of pregnancy, not for nothing they deserved a special name: chloasma gravidarum. How to prevent them and how to delete them, the advice of dermatologist

The name 'official' spots on the face in pregnancy is chloasma gravidarum. Typical home of their appearance is the face, with a symmetrical and bilateral on the nose and cheeks, which also earned him the 'cute' nickname mask of pregnancy.

Why are stains on the face in pregnancy

On the one hand there is a genetic predisposition, which he sees as 'favorite' women with darker complexion, on the other hand there is a correlation with the hormonal changes of pregnancy, "so at some point, for reasons not yet well understood, melanocytic cells 'crazy' and begin to produce more melanin own in certain areas - says Angelo Marzano, Medical Director at the Dermatology Clinic of the University of Milan -. What is certain is that exposure to the sun can be a major causative factor, even more so because it stimulates the accumulation of melanin, which is the same substance that also produces the tan. "

How to prevent the appearance of spots in pregnancy

Not being able to act on either the genetic component of the hormonal nor is mainly on exposure to the sun as it plays a large part of the prevention of chloasma gravidarum. The sun in moderation. anything for this year 'sunbathing': a tan will always taken in moderation and always adequately screened with a cream or very high protection 'total block', well aware, however, that no cream is able to Escherichia 100% from UV rays and even if there smear a whole tube can not stay in the sun for 8 hours straight! A cream with sunscreens should be applied even in winter, especially if you have a dark skin type before pregnancy spots have appeared that have foreshadowed the imperfection of being prepared.

"Other prevention rules there are none, as there are no really effective creams to lighten those which begin to appear - says Marzano - only at a preventive level, it may be useful to apply cosmetics containing vitamin C, kojic acid, phytic acid, arbutin , glycyrrhetinic acid, which have a slight depigmenting action because they inhibit tyrosinase, an enzyme that contributes to the synthesis of melanin.

To eliminate the melanin surface and make it smooth the complexion, in addition, once a week is good practice to do a facial with an exfoliating product, to be massaged for a few minutes to clean, damp skin and rinse with warm water. "

How to remove stains on the face

Immediately after birth are less hormonal fluctuations of nine months and often stains possibly extras tend to fade or even disappear. If, however, even after the end of lactation the blemish is still evident, as 'delete'?

"We must say that the spots, which are caused by chloasma or melasma, blemishes are one of the most difficult to resolve," says the dermatologist, "and even with medical treatments you may not have the certainty of ultimate elimination." But you can groped. All bleaching treatments can be carried out only during the winter months because they are not compatible with sun exposure.

Galenic treatments . Treatments are prescribed by a dermatologist and prepared in a pharmacy-based azelaic acid, retinoic acid, hydroquinone, which have a marked depigmenting action. Needless to instead apply simple cosmetics, which have a merely superficial.

Chemical peels. Utilize cocktail of substances that induce a marked desquamation of the superficial layers of the skin, which eliminates the part of blotchy skin and stimulates cell renewal. Can only be performed by a dermatologist or cosmetic physician. The laser. emits a light wave that hits the dark pigment. "Better to avoid it, because, if used improperly, it could even worsen the blemish, especially on darker skin, with permanent damage," says dermatologist.

The chloasma melasma should not be confused with the

Often used interchangeably, in reality they are two different problems. "Both result in the appearance of dark spots on the face and both are caused by female hormonal production and recognize a genetic predisposition, but they are not the same thing," says Marzano.

The chloasma is a blemish that can only occur in pregnancy , unlike the melasma that may occur in every period of life, even at a young age. Such as chloasma, melasma mainly affects the face, but has a more irregular distribution, can appear on one side than on another, with patches more intense and less intense.

The risk factors of melasma are represented by birth control pills, use of antibiotics, as thyroid disease, the use of certain local products such as scented creams that cause a photoallergic reaction, while the chloasma is only related to the pregnancy . Both for the chloasma melasma that a risk factor is the causative exposure to UV rays, which urges the melanocytic system and leads to an accumulation of melanin.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, while the chloasma, being linked to the hormonal changes of the nine months, he has a good chance of uncontroversial after childbirth, melasma is extremely durable, and so may be built up in summer, in winter subsides, when it decreases the stress of the UV rays, but stubbornly reappears in the summer.