Scars
Specialist Plastic Surgeon Dr.
Abdul Majeed Makkiya points
out that although motherhood
can be one of the greatest gifts
life has to offer, certain scars
left over from a C-Section in
addition to the after effects of
pregnancy can take a lasting
divided into two categories, as
follows,” he says.
Post C-Section
Delivery
These women can do a few
abdominal exercises 10 to 14 days
after delivery. “They should also
aim to consume good healthy
food, avoid fatty food, increase
the amount of fruit and vegetables
in their diet, and massage the
abdomen with creams which
contain vitamin E to help prevent
stretch marks and keep the skin
tighter,” he explains.
Post Normal Vaginal
Delivery
In this case, there is commonly
a wound which needs around
two weeks to heal. Therefore,
Dr. Makkiya urges during this
time not to do any exercise or
lift any weight to prevent hernia
formation. He advises to include
a healthy diet rich in fruit and
vegetables and to begin simple
abdominal exercises after one
month and only lift weight after
six weeks. “Also, use a good quality
anti-scarring gel containing
vitamin E to massage the
abdominal scar and skin to soften
the scar and enable tighter skin,”
he tells.
Other Skin Problems
toll on your body, especially your
breasts and abdominal areas. He
adds, “Following child-birth, you
may be left with stretch marks,
sometimes unsightly scars after a
C-section, weight gain in the hips,
lower back, buttocks, and thighs.”
Solutions
The good news, tells Dr. Makkiya,
is there are solutions for these
problems. “These women can be
According to Dr. Maria AngeloKhattar, MD, PhD, MSc
Dermatology your weight is not
the only thing that fluctuates in
pregnancy. “Common problems
that occur in pregnancy are due
to the tremendous surge in female
sex hormone levels; estrogen and
progesterone. The skin reacts in
various ways depending upon
each individual case and it is not
possible to predict the reactions,”
she says. “The more uncommon
skin problems that occur in
pregnancy are broken capillaries
and a generalized redness of the
face, known as rosacea.” The skin
can also become puffy due to
edema which can be especially
obvious in the eye area.
Pigmentation
In almost all cases, the high titers
of female hormones predispose to
the skin to pigmentary changes.
“Therefore, it is imperative for
pregnant women to be extremely
vigilant as far as sun protection is
concerned,” advises Dr. AngeloKhattar. “Also daily application
and reapplication of a physical
sunscreen is very important.” In
fact, if an expecting mom is not
careful, she can develop freckles
and the dark patches known as
melasma, which is butterflypatterned pigmentation on cheeks
and forehead, on the chin, and
around the mouth. Exposure to
sunlight will darken the patches,
making them more obvious. Be
sure to get enough folic acid by
taking a folic acid supplement as
research suggests that folic acid
deficiencies may increase skin
discoloration.
Increased
Pigmentation
Often areas that were already
pigmented to begin with; freckles
and tiny moles, may now become
larger and brown spots or areas
may have enhanced darkness. New
moles may also appear. The areola
and nipples of your breasts will
become darker, unlike other areas
of your skin, which return to their
original color after pregnancy.
Acne
Another big problem for expecting
moms is sometimes their acne gets
worse. Breakouts are common,
even for someone who may have
never suffered acne, on their face,
chest, or back.
Itchiness
Many expecting mothers feel
itchy everywhere all the time
which can be embarrassing and
Mar/Apr 2016
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