Changes in the Mother and the Skin Color
While the baby is growing in the abdominal region, the pregnancy affects every part of the body from the head to the toe. Your mind feels fuzzy (this is caused by the surge in progesterone [2]) and your feet are growing. The palms of your hands and sole of your feet may appear red and you are more susceptible to heat rash [3] and skin tags. You begin to have stretch marks in different color shades which include pink, purple, red, reddish-brown and dark brown on different parts of the body.
Change in the skin color is usually referred to as the “dark line” or linea nigra. It is a popular sign of pregnancy that is more observable in dark skinned women. The dark line moves between your belly button and pubic area and it is caused by the same pregnancy hormones responsible for all other skin discolorations [4] such as the darker shades of the areolas and the darker tone of the freckles on the arms and legs.
In some cases, women especially those with dark skin, experience discoloration on the face too. This discoloration is common in the nose, forehead, cheeks and eyes. It is referred to as the mask of pregnancy (or melasma) because it looks like a mask-like configuration on the face. However, these skin colors fade some months after delivery, you can use concealers to give the skin its normal tone. Avoid using bleaching creams, they don’t work and they could lead to other health conditions.