Mothers' Skin

While the time after the birth of a new baby can be exciting and fulfilling, being a new parent can also be extremely stressful and tiring. Continually changing hormones, stress and a lack of sleep can all take their toll on your skin. Although it may be difficult to find the time when juggling life with a newborn baby, a good skin care regime will help get your complexion back to its pre-pregnancy radiance. One positive aspect of this phase is that many of the skin issues faced during pregnancy begin to improve post birth, though some will require specific treatment to fully resolve. Skin care Many new mothers complain of sallow, dull, blotchy, dry, puffy or reddened skin with…

Acne – occurs when the skin pores become clogged with excess sebum, dirt and dead skin cells. Bacterial infection can then lead to further inflammation of the skin and the eruption of pimples. While occasionally, pregnancy improves acne, more often it causes flares ups. This is because the high levels of hormones circulating throughout the body stimulate the sebaceous (oil-producing) glands to increase their production of oil, or sebum. Although the physical effects of acne are usually only cosmetic, the condition can have a negative effect on your state of mind and self-esteem. You will need to speak with a dermatologist before you begin any treatments while pregnant or breastfeeding, as some must be avoided for the health of your…

The changes that occur in the skin during pregnancy are related to different aspects of the skin’s structure. We can group these into four types: changes in pigmentation (the colour of the skin); changes in the function of the skin’s glands; vascular changes (affecting the blood vessels beneath the skin); and changes in the connective tissue which holds skin together. Many of these changes result from the altered levels of hormones which occur during pregnancy or from the physical stretch and strain on the skin. Fortunately, most are only temporary and subside or lessen shortly after delivery. Skin changes during pregnancy Pigmentation (colour changes) Changes in skin pigmentation during pregnancy may involve an increase in pigment (skin darkening), or a…

The skin is the largest organ of the human body. Expanding to around 20 square feet, it makes up approximately 16% of our bodyweight. The thickness of skin will vary depending on a person’s age, skin health and the particular site on their body. On average it is 1mm thick, with the thinnest skin on the eyelids (0.5 mm) and the thickest on the palms and soles (1.5 mm). Skin consists of multiple layers, the epidermis (outer layer), dermis (middle layer) and hypodermis (deepest layer). To learn more about the structure of the skin, view our video What is skin? Our skin is the major interface between our internal organs and the environment, so it serves many specialised functions which…