Pregnancy Hormones: How They Affect Your Skin

As stops along the never-ending ride of a woman’s ever-changing hormones, we have covered periods and your skin, menopause and your skin, and now we dig into pregnancy and your skin!  

Genetics and chance play a role in one's pregnancy side effects and can also differ from each person's pregnancy. Some people's skin feels significant impacts while other skin stays relatively the same. Understanding that pregnancy side effects mainly stem from your hormones and immune system developing a healthy baby will help you understand your skin and how to care for it during pregnancy.

First Trimester

For those of you who have been pregnant, you can probably testify that hormones start to work on overdrive as soon as the first trimester begins. In addition to surges of estrogen and progesterone hormones, you even get a whole new hormone when pregnant – human chorionic gonadotropin (most commonly known as hCG). Hormones have a hand in controlling every bodily function we have. Since we know how many hormones are racing through our bodies on a “normal" day, it’s no surprise a laundry list of strange things can happen to women during pregnancy. 

One of the first things to happen is that estrogen allows for more blood creation in order to grow the baby; this extra blood flow will increase a pregnant woman’s heart rate by 30 to 40%. Physiological side effects can include shortness of breath, dizziness, a stuffy nose, frequent bathroom trips, and exhaustion. Skin side effects can include varicose veins, broken facial, neck, and chest capillaries, overall rosiness, and the famous “pregnancy glow.” Ingredients like peptides strengthen the skin and capillary walls to keep capillaries from breaking, hydrating and soothing ingredients can help to calm redness, and sunscreen protects the skin and capillaries from additional damage and redness.

Increased progesterone serves as a muscle relaxant to counteract your higher heart rate. But progesterone is responsible for making sebum (oil), which is excellent for keeping your skin moisturized and healthy – however, for people predispositioned to acne, it can flare breakouts. Since pregnancy surges both estrogen and progesterone, it’s not certain that pregnant women will break out – but it is common and typically subsides by the second trimester. Since retinoids aren’t recommended for use while pregnant, the best treatment for these breakouts is mandelic acid, salicylic acid in up to 2% concentrations, benzoyl peroxide, and regular facial treatments. 

The most universal physiological symptom in the first trimester is nausea. Nausea levels can vary greatly, and "morning sickness" (a bad name since it happens all day) is still a bit of a mystery. It's thought that the hCG hormone is the cause of nausea since you don't have hCG when you are not pregnant, and hCG is also responsible for that ridiculously good sense of smell. While hCG does not directly affect your skin, nausea can make it hard to care for your face. Try to create habits to stay on top of your skin, especially if you are breaking out – otherwise, you will be treating acne marks later. One easy way to ensure you care for your face at night is to do it as soon as you're done with your work day – it does not have to be right before bedtime. Just do it while you feel up to it!

Second Trimester

In the second trimester (coined the best trimester), typically, nausea has subsided, energy has returned, and acne should also level out. Remember, there are many other factors during pregnancy outside of hormones that can break your skin out, so if breakouts are not subsiding when the rest of your symptoms do, then it’s time to tighten up your skin regimen and treatments. 

Hyperpigmentation (dark spots) is a common side effect of the second trimester due to increased melanin production. Estrogen and progesterone spikes cause your melanin-making hormones to make more melanocytes making the dark spots appear. Melasma is just as common as acne in pregnant women. Always wear SPF and lean on pregnancy-safe skincare that will help treat this! Mandelic acid is among the best treatments to keep hyperpigmentation under control because it inhibits melanin production.

Cortisol levels also rise in pregnancy, specifically the second trimester, and can contribute to stretch marks. Our advice is to keep your entire torso (including your butt and breasts), upper legs, and upper arms hydrated and moisturized at all times to keep your skin as pliable as possible as it continues to stretch – this is one of your best bets to limit stretch marks. It’s also essential to keep any vulnerable skin protected from the sun. (Once your pregnancy is over, our top recommendation is to start Clear Body Therapy early to treat fresh stretch marks.) 

Third Trimester 

Both estrogen and progesterone peak in the third trimester. High estrogen levels can indirectly cause water retention and swelling, so if you are already prone to rosy cheeks and rosacea – try to keep the skin cool, drink lots of water, and apply ice or cryosculpt wands to reduce the swelling and pinkness in your face. 

FYI, breakouts may happen again due to that peak of progesterone, which is highest at 32 weeks – but not as common as in the first trimester. Also, not skin-related, but progesterone relaxes the sphincter at the base of the esophagus, which causes that very prevalent and painful acid reflux. For some women, this can make favorite foods painful and sleep difficult (indirectly affecting your skin and under eyes!). But by week 32, the end is in sight, and we will save the post-delivery hormone changes for a future blog! ;)

The recurring theme of hormones is that they play a direct and indirect role in nearly every system and function of the body. You can control Some side effects, but you will have to ride the wave for others. The more you know and can understand why it happens, the better equipped you are to improve – or accept – it.