Melasma is a very common skin disorder, especially among pregnant women. One old wives tale suggests that pregnant women will sleep on different sides depending if they're more likely to be carrying a boy or girl. Who is at risk of melasma? - Seek shade. Women are more susceptible to this skin condition than men, especially since hormonal changes, such as pregnancy, can cause it. There are treatments that can help lessen the appearance of melasma during pregnancy, such as: This is all about how the nub or bump of your baby's genital tube (the very early beginnings of your baby's genitals) is angled, compared to your baby's spine. Melasma is frequently caused by sun exposure and hormonal changes such as pregnancy or taking birth control pills. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Melasma is a skin pigmentation disorder that creates brown to gray-brown patches which are usually visible on the face. Skin Darkening During Pregnancy Melasma Or Chloasma Babycenter Melasma can occur in pregnant women and is often called the "mask of pregnancy;" however, men can also develop this condition. Hmmm, we'd like to see someone who's expecting a girl put this to the test! Between 1.5% and 33% of the population may get melasma and it happens more often during a woman's reproductive years, and rarely happens during puberty. "Pregnancy hormones can make women feel very poorly early on in pregnancy," says Dr Geeta, "and if your baby is a girl, there will be an increased level of oestrogen within your body, which can often lead to sickness. There are no scientific studies to verify the association between this area of the foot and your uterus, let alone the association between sides of your body and femininity/masculinity. . Melasma may also occur when you either start or stop hormonal contraception, including birth control pills, or when you take hormone replacement therapy, says Dr. Gilchrest. However, it can also come with its own set of skin issues. Apparently, what side you lie down on tells a lot about which sex of baby you're expecting: if you lie on your left, its a boy; if you lie on your right, its a girl. Can I Skip Moisturizer And Use Sunscreen for Oily Skin? She attended Downing College, Cambridge, then took medical studies at Guy's, King's and St Thomas's medical schools in London, training in paediatrics, gynaecology, care of the elderly, acute medicine, psychiatry and general practice. I was sick, tired and developed cholestasis and melasma regardless. In most cases, experiencing the mask of pregnancy is a temporary thing that fades after the baby is born. - Minimizing sun exposure during peak hours (10 am 2 pm). How To Join Arsenal Academy From Nigeria, Melasma is a common skin condition that causes brown or gray patches on the face. Melasma (the "mask of pregnancy"), aka chloasma, is common among pregnant women and looks like dark patches on the forehead, cheeks or upper lip. Light therapy can be safe during pregnancy, but then you have to consider the possibility of it exacerbating melasma, says Cohen. Comments Off on Pregnancy Skin Problems: Melasma vs. Related Posts. Treatment options are available for those who want to speed up the fading process. Melasma is basically dark patches on your skin. Bizarrely, there's an additional detail that if your nose starts to grow or widen, it's definitely a girl as she's trying to 'steal' your beauty! Prevalence and awareness of melasma during pregnancy Int J Dermatol. Becky is a freelance journalist who specialises in healthcare. She is a mum of 3. Oh, and if you pick it up somewhere in between, then it's twins! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Papaya Both raw and ripe papaya are used for curing various skin disorders. The gender of your baby is decided too early, and any indication of it is hard to trace scientifically. Mash a few pieces of papaya and mix it with honey. 16 smart ways to prepare for baby the last few weeks of pregnancy! Melasma is one of those things that no one warns you about before pregnancy but unlike morning sickness and sore boobs, it can hang around long after the baby has arrived. Updated 15-02-2021 Lucy Walters. Melasma is especially common in darker-skinned women or those of Asian and African descent, who have more pigment in their skin than fair-skinned people. If, after you have poured some of your wee onto a couple of spoonfuls of baking soda, it fizzes, then youre having a boy. Since the sun may trigger the development of more pigment, it's a good idea to stay out of its rays, especially for long periods of time. It is also sometimes known as melasma or the mask of pregnancy. It is characterized by brown or gray patches on the skin, typically on the face. STM and Im feeling like my two pregnancies with my babes are polar opposites. 13. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to treat dark underarms during pregnancy. Pregnancy hormonal changes can cause an increase in pigmentation. 6.3 Paula's Choice facial exfoliant. Use sunscreen Using sunscreen is one of the best ways to ward off the harmful effects of sun exposure. Here are some of the most popular pregnancy and parenting topics, guides and tools on the site so you can find them quickly and easily and get exactly what you're looking for. But if it moves in a circular motion, you'll be having a girl. Will a female pregnancy make mum more emotional, and a male one more aggressive? Some people think that specific changes to your skin and hair are indications of the sex of your baby. However, it is estimated that 35 to 45 per cent of the product is absorbed into theskin during application, and so it's best to minimise its use during pregnancy. 5. What Brand Of Peanut Butter Is Best For Keto? 10. This is all about how the nub or bump of your baby's genital tube (the very early beginnings of your baby's genitals) is angled, compared to your baby's spine. And in the meantime, try to prevent more darkening (see next page). However, there are a few things you can do to help minimize the appearance of darkness: Second, pregnancy can cause your blood vessels to dilate, which also makes your skin appear darker. 6 6 Sources By Angela Palmer Dr. Gretchen Frieling M.D., board-certified dermatopathologist, Dr. Caitlin Szabo M.D., OB/GYN at Taylor, Suarez, Cook, Khan, and Zertuche, This article was originally published on Aug. 24, 2018, Placenta Previa Dos & Donts, & What To Expect When You Give Birth, 40 Fierce, Fresh, Beautiful Names For Your March Baby, Just A Few (115) Of Our Favorite 4-Letter Boy Names, 101 Of The Splishiest, Splashiest Names That Mean Water, What Parents Are Talking About Delivered Straight To Your Inbox, By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. In-vitro Fertilization. The old wives' tales and myths abound when it comes to predicting gender in pregnancy. Always apply a broad-spectrum, high-protection sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, and always cover up when youre in the sun. Pregnancy hormonal changes can cause an increase in pigmentation. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Usually, hormonal melasma will fade with time. 2. There are also some other antenatal tests which you may be offered, such as non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), that can reveal the genetic sex of your baby. During pregnancy they usually appear on areas that are prone to rapid stretching and weight gain, such as the belly, breasts, and thighs. Sometimes melasma can be permanent but it usually fades after birth. - azelaic acid. Use mild soaps and cleansers that are oil- and fragrance-free. Melasma can happen both in pregnant women as well as in women who are not pregnant. Apple cider vinegar. - triple cream (combination of hydroquinone, tretinoin, and a corticosteroid) Some of the gender tests that claim to be able to predict if you're having boy or girl are truly from the old olden days. If you're desperate to know sooner, there are lots of gender prediction tests and theories that will apparently reveal your baby's sex before then but their accuracy varies wildly and very few have a properly scientific stamp of approval. In some women, the patches are light and barely noticeable. Read Also: Sex During Pregnancy: 11 Reasons Why You Make Love Everyday. For this reason, melasma is often called "the . They had a low level of awareness of the etiology of melasma. England Vs Japan Women's Football, Q: What products are safe and unsafe during pregnancy? A hydroquinone-topical solution, as well as several different acid treatments, are among the things your derm can use to help melasma fade away. 2006 Mar;45(3):285-8. doi: 10. . - Wear sunscreen. What is the fastest way to remove melasma? Therefore, wear sunscreen, even on cloudy days. * Using makeup to cover up the dark patches If you lie in bed dreaming about little girls, chances are youre having a boy; and if you dream about boys, its a girl youre likely to be expecting. Olay Regenerist Micro-sculpting Serum Before And After, The pigmentation of the skin or dark patches on the face, especially Nope. Carrying the baby high 2. "The sense of smell during pregnancy was insane," recalls Kartalija, a 37-year-old news anchor in Baltimore who was pregnant (and not drinking) at the time. It's all meant to be based on the idea that your unborn baby can affect the acidity of your wee but this test has no real scientific proof behind it. Skin condition: if the skin is clear and free of any spots or acne then it is said the woman is carrying a boy. 1 1 1please note. Melasma, chloasma, or mask of pregnancy are dark patches of pigmentation on the forehead, cheeks, and neck. The Causes Of Dark Circles During Pregnancy. 100 plus gender predictor tests. ). Melanin is the pigment that gives skin its color. As your baby's sex is determined by the sperm, some say looking at your partner's family is an indication of whether you'll have a boy or a girl especially if his male siblings and father/grandfather through the generations had all boys or all girls. The best thing you can do to minimize stretch marks is gaining the recommended amount of weight during pregnancy. It's based on observing how your urine (yes, you read that right!) Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Find out more about Ramzi Theory and what exactly to look for, Find out more about 3 lines on an ultrasound: how to spot if its a girl. Apparently how your hands look can be an indicator of whether it's a boy or a girl. Melasma is a common skin condition that can occur during pregnancy. -Wear loose fitting clothing: Tight clothing can rub against your skin and make darkness worse. Whether it's revealed through an ultrasound or the birth itself, everyone will know the sex of the baby soon enough. This was unexpected for me because I didnt know what it was until I had it. Download The AppDaily pregnancy & newborn updates with our FREE app. Theres no cure for melasma, but treatments can help lighten the dark patches. This is the reason pregnant womens skin gets discolored very soon as they are exposed to UV rays. Marco Silva Transfermarkt, Any dark patches you developed during pregnancy usually fade within a few months of delivery, as your hormone levels return to normal and your body stops producing so much skin pigment. 8 Weeks Pregnant. Thyroid disease: The occurrence of melasma increases in patients having thyroid disorders. Written and reviewed by. Activist Clothing Brands, Add a small amount of bicarb soda to the bottom. Apply the paste on affected areas and leave it for 20 minutes. First, avoiding sun exposure is key. You're also more likely to develop melasma during pregnancy if someone in your family has had it, if you have naturally dark skin, or if you spend a lot of time in the sun. Between 50 to 70 percent of women experience melasma during pregnancy. Healthier hair and skin This darkening is common in pregnant women and starts to develop during the first or second trimester. These patches most commonly occur on the face but can occur elsewhere. Finally, certain oral contraceptives have been shown to help reduce the risk of developing melasma. Occasionally, these changes in our bodies cause the people around us to speculate whether we are carrying a boy or a girl. Sun exposure plays a role too. Hyperpigmentation leads to melasma or dark patches in the skin, especially on your face due to the growing female hormones in your body. What can I do to prevent melasma during pregnancy? To accurately determine the sex of your baby, experts recommend taking a wait and see approach. If you are impatient to know, there are ways to predict the sex of your baby before they're born but how accurate are they? Melasma (broad word Pigmentation) is a skin problem that can appear at any time of the pregnancy. Depending on how your skin reacts to the unavoidable hormone surge that occurs during pregnancy, you may wind up with dry or greasy patches, dark spots, stretch marks, newly sprouted moles, an itchy belly and more. The same thing happened to me while pregnant. Whats the best way to treat melasma during pregnancy? This boy or girl prediction involves looking at an early scan and making a note of the rather intriguingly named 'angle of the dangle'. The eighth week of pregnancy is an exciting time. How can a pregnant woman avoid melasma? particularly during pregnancy (when up to 50% of women may be affected). The old wives tales and myths abound when it comes to predicting gender in pregnancy. Or WhatsApp button on Facebook. If you do hear your baby's heartbeat, listen hard: does it sound more like a galloping horse or a runaway train? Pigmentation levels, sent soaring by your changing hormones, are to blame for this discoloration. Your baby stores fat and weighs about 1 pounds, and is 12 inches long. The age or time of What Is Vbac All About Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Parents . If possible, they should also wear a wide-brimmed hat to protect their face from the sun. This skin condition affects up to half of the pregnant women," Dr. Gretchen Frieling, a Boston Area board-certified dermatopathologist and mother of two young children, tells Romper. If these treatments dont work, talk to your doctor about prescription options such as tretinoin cream or laser therapy. This boy or girl prediction involves looking at an early scan and making a note of the rather intriguingly named 'angle of the dangle'.