Pregnancy is synonymous with significant changes and can significantly impact the skin. Acne flare-ups, spider angiomas, melasma... The consequences are diverse and related to hormonal fluctuations that pregnant women undergo. As for keratosis pilaris, the evidence is incomplete but some studies suggest a hormonal influence in the pathogenesis of this disease. A recent study conducted with 5 pregnant women presenting with keratosis pilaris highlighted an intensification of symptoms during pregnancy, as well as their improvement after childbirth.
Other scientists have reported the case of a 29-year-old woman, with no history of keratosis pilaris, who developed hyperkeratotic follicular papules on the right side of her face, neck, trunk, arms and legs, accompanied by mild itching, during her second month of pregnancy. The study concluded after the participant gave birth, but no spontaneous improvement was observed. The researchers concluded that this unusual case because it was unilateral of keratosis pilaris showed that the onset and severity of this condition could be associated with the hormonal changes of pregnancy, without however the biological mechanism at work being explained.
It has been suggested in other studies that theincrease in androgen levels in the body during pregnancy could be the cause of the development of keratosis pilaris. Indeed, it seems that these steroidal hormones influence the maturation of keratinocytes, the cells that produce keratin, which could then cause a hyperkeratinisation of the pilosebaceous unit of terminal hairs. This excess keratin would then lead to the obstruction of hair follicles, a phenomenon at the origin of keratosis pilaris. It is important to note that this is a hypothesis that still requires further research to be confirmed.
Note : It is important to exercise caution regarding the impact of pregnancy on keratosis pilaris. To date, far too few studies have been conducted on this subject, and those that have shown interest have involved very few participants.