During pregnancy, significant hormonal fluctuations occur. Among these, there is a marked increase in the levels of oestrogen and progesterone, which are steroidal hormones. These hormones stimulate the process of melanogenesis, that is, the synthesis of melanin, the pigment responsible for skin colouration. Therefore, when exposed without sun protection, pregnant women are more prone to hyperpigmentation, resulting in the appearance of the "pregnancy mask". These brown spots typically appear from the fourth month of pregnancy and predominantly affect individuals with darker skin, from phototypes III to VI in the FITZPATRICK classification. Indeed, darker skin contains more melanin than lighter skin, and specifically more eumelanin, a darker form, which provides better protection against UV rays.
Furthermore, it is not uncommon for some pregnant women to experience tightness and feelings of dryness on their skin, due to the hormonal and structural changes their bodies undergo during pregnancy. As a result of weight gain, the cells of the stratum corneum are stretched and their barrier function is weakened. Ceramides, which play a role in intercellular junctions, then allow more water to escape, increasing the risk of skin dehydration. This can be exacerbated by exposure to the sun, whose UV rays are drying to the skin as they weaken the hydrolipidic film present on its surface.
Finally, the blood circulation intensifies in a woman's body from the fourth week of pregnancy, a period corresponding to the beginning of blood exchanges between the mother and the embryo. This then causes an increase in body temperature. This increase is heightened when exposed to the sun, where the solar UV rays heat the epidermis and have a vasodilatory action.