Q:  I developed dark blotches during pregnancy? What causes this?

A: Melasma (sometimes called “the mask of pregnancy”) can cause dark blotches on the upper lip, forehead and other spots on the face. It is aggravated by pregnancy, hormonal changes and sun exposure and is more prevalent in women with darker skin tones. Melasma triggered by pregnancy often lessens after childbirth, but for lingering cases there are topical treatments that help. AHA Face Cream followed by Pigment Formula should be applied daily, and always use sunblock. Rewind Reparative Night Serum is effective at evening skin tones and can work while you sleep. More persistent melasma can be eliminated through laser treatments in the office.

Help is here for new moms

Pregnancy can wreak havoc on the skin. Hormonal changes and weight gain can cause hyperpigmentation, stretch marks, and accelerated skin growth. There are steps you can take during pregnancy and immediately after to counter some of these side effects:

Stretch marks: I tell my patients  to moisturize their growing bellies so the skin’s collagen and elastin layers stay healthy and resist thinning. After pregnancy, AHA Body Smoothing Lotion can help exfoliate and restore skin. Thermage and laser treatments can also help tighten stretch marks, and of course, tummy tucks can be done for severe sagging and scarring. Wearing a supportive bra will help reduce sagging, and keep breasts moisturized to keep skin healthy.

Pregnancy “mask”:  Hormones during and after pregnancy can boost pigment production resulting in melasma – brown patches on the face. AHA and Pigment Formula can reduce the brown patches and even skin tone.

Skin tags: Hormones rev up cell production and can result in growth of tiny flaps of skin, which can be easily removed by a surgeon.

Hair: Although hair often gets a boost during pregnancy, immediately and for several months post-partum it is typical to experience hair loss. Rewind Revitalizing Shampoo and Conditioner is formulated with botanical anti-oxidants to restore thin, dull and brittle hair.

As a mom, you devote so much of yourself to your children – but sometimes, in all that you do, your own well being gets a little lost. What if you could take great care of yourself and raise your children too? Now, you have an amazing surgical option to reverse the unwanted effects of childbearing and age – the tummy tuck.

No matter how long it’s been since you delivered, no matter how much you’ve dieted, no matter how hard or long you exercise, if your tummy still won’t completely retract, don’t blame yourself. Once skin and muscle tissues have been stretched from pregnancy, they often will not return to their pre-pregnancy form. The “Mommy Makeover” tummy tuck, an abdominoplasty, is ideal for women with drooping abdomens after pregnancy. In this procedure, the skin from rib cage down to the pelvic area is tightened and the navel is moved up and secured in a new position.

A tummy tuck takes a few hours, and you can generally return to work in about 2 weeks. What if you plan to get pregnant again after a tummy tuck? It is possible to become pregnant and bring a healthy baby to term after undergoing an abdominoplasty, but this is certainly an issue to discuss with your surgeon. Also, non-surgical treatments such as Thermage® and ZERONA® are now available to tighten and lift skin without the need for incisions and stimulate your body to make healthier collagen. Fast and easy, both of these procedures are virtually pain-free and require no downtime from normal activities.

” …The only problem was I now had all this horrible-looking dark skin hanging down from my stomach over my underwear. After a tummy tuck, I instantly felt lighter and more agile. Now I’m training for a marathon and find I can run so much faster and more comfortably without the bulk.”

                                                       – Betsy, 32-year-old mother of two

See before and after photos of my abdominoplasty patients.