Here's everything you need to know about sun exposure during pregnancy

There is nothing more tempting, pregnant, than lying on a deckchair and enjoying the sun. But there are still some precautions to take for skin health. We explain to you.

If the sun has many benefits (it is good for morale and promotes the synthesis of vitamin D), Exposure to UV rays is not without risk. In fact, it can cause the appearance of sunburn or allergic reactions and, in the long term, favor
development of skin cancer.

Even pregnant women, like the whole population, are affected, especially since the hormonal upheaval linked to pregnancy would make them particularly prone to melasma, the famous ” mask for pregnancy “Isabelle Gallay, a dermatologist in Dijon and vice president of the National Union of Dermatologists Venereologists (SNDV), answered all of our questions about sun exposure during pregnancy.

What are the risks of sun exposure during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, the risks of unreasonable sun exposure include (among others) sunburn, dehydration, skin reactions such as allergy and melasma, and fatigue. Some studies also point out that excessive sun exposure in pregnant women could lead to decrease in folic acid levels, an essential vitamin for the proper development of the baby in utero. In short, no matter how advanced your pregnancy is, it’s important to be careful.

The good practices for sun exposure are the same for everyone, whether pregnant or not: seek shade, wear opaque clothing, avoid sunbathing between 12:00 and 16:00, limit the duration of the exposure and paint the visible skin areas of the sunscreen. Drinking plenty of water is also part of the official recommendations to avoid dehydration.

Here’s everything you need to know about sun exposure during pregnancy — © Olha Ruskykh

What is the pregnancy mask?

During pregnancy, the pregnant woman is more at risk of developing a “pregnancy mask”, also called melasma or chloasma. These brown spots, which appear on the face, but which can also affect the upper limbs, are mainly of hormonal origin. They can disappear after giving birth, but that’s not always the case.

Dr. Gallay explains to Madmoizelle:

Some melanocytes [les cellules qui sont responsables de la pigmentation cutanée, ndlr] synthesize melanin under the effect of hormones, including sex hormones. During pregnancy, the imbalance of these hormones makes the skin more sensitive to the sun, which leads to an increase in the production of melanin and the appearance of spots.

Between 10 and 15% of pregnant women would develop chloasma and if this facial hyperpigmentation is mild, it could be a significant psychological impact, especially since his treatment is not the most obvious. ” A dermatologist may recommend peels or laser sessions, but you have to be very careful, because at the slightest inflammation new spots can appear on these areas where the melanocytes are overstimulated. With melasma, it’s often “one step forward and two steps back” and you need to be patient confides the vice president of the SNDV.

Even if dull and dark skins are most affected, all skin types are affected. Exposure to the sun must therefore be carried out in a reasoned way and under high protection.

How to prevent pregnancy mask

Obviously, the most effective way to avoid seeing your face adorned with small brown spots during pregnancy – and to avoid the cell damage that affects us all – is to do not expose yourself to the sun. Better still, the good habits taken very early would prevent their emergence to some extent.

In fact, according to Dr. Gallay, skins with melasma have often been damaged at the level of the dermis: the vessels have been damaged, the vascularization, which has created a poor quality connective tissue. This is not to say that all women who have sunbathed too much will have melasma, but if spots appear, it is a sign of previous damage. “

Every day, and as soon as the weather is nice, the dermatologist recommends wearing a large pair sunglasses to protect the eye contour and malar areas, which are very prone to melasma, wear a wide-brimmed hat and apply from head to toe high protection care. For the face, anti-dark spots sunscreens are also available to control the effects of the light spectrum on melanin production.

In order to ensure that a product is compatible with pregnancy, the vice president of the SNDV also recommends, as a precaution, opt for a cream that does not contain controversial ingredients likely to alter the endocrine system. A pictogram representing a pregnant woman (crossed out or not) can help her choose between two products, as can the wise advice of her neighborhood pharmacist.