Pregnancy is a temporary turning point for many women's appearance. Some mothers' skin becomes better and whiter after pregnancy, while others become darker after pregnancy. These mothers must feel very depressed. So why do women turn black during pregnancy?
After pregnancy, women turn black mainly due to the influence of hormones in the body.
After pregnancy, the mother's body not only has an extra baby, but there will also be significant changes in her endocrine system. Especially for women, the secretion of estrogen and progesterone will significantly increase from early pregnancy to mid to late pregnancy. And estrogen and progesterone can stimulate melanocytes to secrete more melanin, so some mothers' skin may appear darker than before due to the influence of melanin deposition.
Some mothers not only turn black, but also develop pregnancy spots. There are a large number of black somatic cells under the skin in these spotted areas, which can produce melanin. When stimulated by estrogen and progesterone, the dormant black somatic cells are greatly activated, leading to the appearance of spots.
Generally, the areas where melanin is more concentrated in expectant mothers are below the eyes, nipples, areolas, armpits, and the centerline of the abdomen. Due to the varying levels of melanin deposition, some expectant mothers may notice a noticeable darkening of their skin. After giving birth, most mothers will gradually improve, but it is difficult to completely disappear.
