Pigment spots after pregnancy

In many pregnant women the nipples temporarily darken during pregnancy and the typical brown line from navel to pubic bone (Linea nigra) forms. Likewise, sharp, irregularly bordered pigmentation marks on the face can also occur. These pigment spots, known as pregnancy mask (chloasma), are caused by hormonal fluctuations.

They are mainly found on the forehead, temples, cheeks and chin and are often very symmetrical. Since the pregnancy mask usually recedes of its own accord after pregnancy, bleach or other treatments for the pigmentation spots are not recommended at first. Instead, cosmetics can be used if the pigment spots are perceived as very disturbing. To prevent pregnancy masks at least partially, it is recommended to use sunscreen and not to expose yourself to intensive sunlight.

Removal of pigment spots

The vast majority of pigmentation disorders, whether on the face or other parts of the body, are completely harmless and are at most a cosmetic problem. For this reason, it is rarely necessary to remove pigment spots. However, if a decision is made to treat the pigmentation spots, there are various procedures to choose from.

Laser treatment is very effective, in which pigment accumulations are broken down by the bundled energy of the laser and the remains are then broken down by white blood cells. Another option is cold therapy (cryopeeling) with liquid nitrogen or treatment with acids. These cause the upper layers of the skin to die so that they can be removed together with the melanin contained in them.However, sensitive skin tends to form new pigmentation spots in the following period and should be particularly protected from sunlight.

A widespread form of treatment for pigmentation spots is also the use of bleaching creams based on rocinol, hydroquinone or kojic acid, which, however, are potentially hazardous to health and often do not have sufficient effect. In addition to cosmetic aspects, a degeneration of the pigment spots may also be a reason to have them removed. Conspicuous features are usually difficult for the layperson to recognize.

Nevertheless, it is advisable to keep an eye on pigment disorders and to pay particular attention to changes in the pigment spots. A blurred boundary of a stain is an important warning sign. If a pigmentation mark has been removed from the face, it may still reappear.

Further pigmentation may also occur on other parts of the body if adequate prevention is not taken. Once melanocytes have been stimulated to produce too much melanin, it can take some time before their activity is reduced again. Before considering laser removal of the pigment spots or lightening by cold or acid treatment, simpler agents such as creams can be used.

Many creams, especially prescription creams, are based on the effect of the bleaching agents they contain. These interrupt the formation of melanin in the melanocytes. A very common bleaching agent is hydroquinone, among others.

As hydroquinone is suspected to be carcinogenic, creams containing hydroquinone should only be used for a maximum of 3 months. Other common bleaching agents are rocinol and kojic acid. The success of a treatment with bleach-containing creams is usually only achieved after about two months, light pigment spots can be clearly brightened after about four weeks.

Skin irritations may occur during application over such a long period of time. In order to prevent such undesirable side effects when using bleach-containing creams, a doctor should always be consulted before using them. As a rule, bleaching creams are used in the morning and in the evening; in addition, sufficient sunscreen should be applied in the morning as bleaching cream makes the skin more sensitive to sunlight. It should also be noted that bleaching creams should only be applied selectively. You can find more information on this topic on our page: Bleaching products for the skin