As your belly expands with your baby, you may notice purple, red, or silver marks on your skin. These are called stretch marks. Stretch marks happen when your skin grows too quickly and the fibers in your skin tear.
When they first develop, stretch marks are usually red or purple. This is because the blood vessels in the dermis are showing. Your stretch marks should fade after delivery, but it can be difficult to completely eliminate them.
Many women experience skin darkening during their pregnancy. Experts aren’t exactly sure why. Some believe it’s caused by increased levels of estrogen. Estrogen and progesterone stimulate the pigment-producing skin cells to make more melanin. But they don’t make it uniformly. You may notice skin darkening on your body in a number of places, including:
around the navel, or belly button
on and around the nipples
in the area between the anus and the vulva, called the perineum
on the inner thighs
in the armpits
on the face, a condition called chloasma
Skin darkening is made worse by sunlight. You should always use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. The darkened skin will usually fade after the baby is born. If it doesn’t, your doctor can prescribe an ointment to lighten the discoloration.
During pregnancy all of your glands are working harder. You may notice that your complexion is much more oily and you sweat more often. This may also cause you to experience acne. Make sure you are only cleaning your face with mild soaps and scrubs.