When a woman gets pregnant her body goes through quite a few changes and in the process the skin also gets affected. Skin care and pregnancy go together as the body goes through a series of changes the skin does show signs of these changes. Pregnancy skin care is important as women don’t want their skin to look pimply, reddish or show any other blemishes on it. The most obvious affect of pregnancy is that the abdominal area gets swollen so the skin gets stretched. This results in stretch marks across the abdomen, thighs and in some cases on the breasts. After the child is born the skin does not bounce back to its original shape and most educated women immediately put on a post pregnancy belt around their abdomen to help the skin to go back to its original shape. Also during early pregnancy called the first trimester the woman body goes through a change in hormones and some women may start having oily skin, others may develop some skin rash problems but that is nothing unusual as the body is going through changes. If the problem persists only then should a woman consult a dermatologist. Most gynecologists do tell women what skin problems to expect especially if they are going through their first pregnancy. The one advice that all doctors will give is to reduce or stop using any makeup of skin care products that contain chemical exfoliants.

Women who are acne prone or have oily skin may face the worst acne outbreaks during the first three months of pregnancy. That is why during the first trimester of pregnancy a woman must be very careful about what she uses for her skin care. Antibiotics, medication, cosmetics and skin care products that contain any chemicals should not be used. During and post pregnancy skincare is also important and women must be careful about what the use on their skin during and after pregnancy. It is important to note that any thing used during pregnancy that has an adverse affect on the mother can also affect the child so do be careful.

Another natural phenomenon is that a woman’s breasts grow bigger. Some women during pregnancy tend to put on weight and after they have delivered the baby and look at themselves they have gained weight and some may start to exercise and diet to reduce their weight.

During and after pregnancy there are two types of skin problems that are faced by women. One, their skin can break out in a rash or a woman can get warts, secondly some women tend to have sensitive skin during pregnancy and the most common skin care issue during pregnancy is the stretching of the skin and then trying to get it to snap back to its original shape. Pregnancy skin care warts are not unusual as the metabolism of a woman changes during pregnancy.

There are a number of lotions and creams for skin care during pregnancy and some use these on a regular basis. Some pregnancy skin care issues that occur are that a woman’s skin may become sensitive to soap, deodorants and other skin care products which a woman may have used during her normal pre-pregnancy life. Should this happen it is best for the woman to immediately stop using all such products. In fact some doctors recommend that during pregnancy a woman should minimize the use of all skin care products and should only stick with the basics, like a mild soap and moisturizer and creams. In fact as soon as a woman comes to know that she is pregnant she will feel the hormonal changes in her body and depending on her skin type she is going to feel its affecting her skin. So the first pregnancy skin care should be to know what type of skin she has normal, oily or dry and then take the necessary precautions depending on her skin type. Using the right type of precautions depending on the skin type will help. Using plenty of water, avoid using chemical based products helps both women with oily skin and those with dry skin. The type of sunscreen to be used and moisturizer depends on the skin type. So one rule cannot apply to all and also after the term finishes recovering the skin to its normal position may take longer with some women as compared to others. A lot will depend on the age and skin type of the woman and if it’s her first pregnancy or has she borne children before.