Post-pregnancy: What is the influence of pregnancy on the skin?

Following childbirth, the levels of certain hormones drop significantly. This particularly applies to the oestrogen and progesterone, steroidal hormones that act at different levels of the skin.

A decrease in the amount of oestrogen notably results in a reduction of fibroblast activity. These dermal cells are responsible for the synthesis of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid, molecules that ensure the flexibility, tone and hydration of the skin.

The decline in progesterone results in a decrease in sebum production and a weakening of the hydrolipidic film, an aqueous/oily mixture that fights against skin dehydration.

Thus, women often notice a certain skin dryness after childbirth, due to hormonal fluctuations. To alleviate this phenomenon, it is recommended to apply a moisturising cream daily to the face and body. These treatments, enriched with humectants and film-forming agents, retain water in the epidermis and limit its dehydration.

Pregnancy is accompanied by a varying degree of weight gain, which results in strain on the skin. The collagen and elastin fibres significantly elongate during this period and do not always immediately return to their original length after childbirth. The skin then appears looser and more lax than usual. This primarily affects the areas that have undergone the most significant weight changes, namely the stomach, buttocks, and breasts.

To limit skin sagging, we recommend applying during pregnancy and in the months following childbirth nourishing treatments to the body. These can be creams or vegetable oils, such as olein, shea or avocado oil, containing active ingredients capable of acting on the activity of fibroblasts and stimulating it.

Pregnancy makes the skin more sensitive to UV rays and to phenomena ofhyperpigmentation, resulting in the appearance of the pregnancy mask, also known as melasma. This is due to the ability of oestrogen and progesterone to stimulate melanogenesis, or the synthesis of melanin. While the pregnancy mask usually disappears on its own a few months after childbirth, in some cases it may persist for longer. If you wish to get rid of it, it is then recommended to consult a dermatologist who will prescribe a depigmenting cream.

Note : the best way to combat melasma is to prevent its occurrence. To do this, apply a broad-spectrum sun care product daily to exposed areas throughout your pregnancy.

Nearly 90% of pregnant women are affected by stretch marks during their pregnancy or after childbirth. These form as a result of rapid weight gain or loss, causing high levels of tension and a rupture of the skin's collagen fibres. Therefore, it is entirely possible to develop no stretch marks during pregnancy and then suddenly see them appear after childbirth. It is important to know that stretch marks are extremely difficult to diminish, and it is only possible to act on those that have a purplish colour, meaning they have not yet healed.

It is better to prevent their appearance by practising a gentle sport as much as possible. The twice-daily application of certain nourishing cosmetic treatments can also help. We recommend our gel-to-oilproduct, enriched with aloe vera gel (INCI: Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice) and baobab oil (INCI: Adansonia Digitata Oil). Richer and more concentrated than a cream and less oily than an oil, it provides flexibility and elasticity to the skin to limit the risk of stretch marks appearing.

• TYLER K. H. Physiological skin changes during pregnancy. Journal of Clinical Gynecology and Obstetrics (2015).

• LADYMAN S. & al. Neurophysiological and cognitive changes in pregnancy. Handbook of Clinical Neurology (2020).