Camas, WA
If you’ve recently welcomed a new baby into your life, then you already know about the immense joy that comes from being a mother. That sweet new life can bring out the best in you, leaving you determined to do everything right to ensure your child has the best chance of growing up in a healthy, happy environment.
All new moms share this same desire, but it’s important to remember to take care of yourself as well. But how do you ensure proper skin care when you’re too busy to go shopping or test new products? How do you make sure your skin care products and treatments are safe for your chestfeeding baby? This article seeks to provide some insight into key skin concerns and solutions for new mothers. However, as always, we urge you to also seek guidance from your OBGYN if you’re still pregnant or your baby’s pediatrician if you are chestfeeding to check on ingredients for any new skin care product or treatment you’re considering.
A variety of skin problems can occur both during and following your pregnancy. This is largely due to significant changes in your body’s blood flow, drastic hormonal shifts, and rapid weight gain. These include:
To top it off, new mothers who are chestfeeding don’t have as many options for skin care treatments and products that are considered safe. Expecting mothers have even fewer. To learn more about safe skin care during pregnancy, check out our previous article entitled
What Beauty Treatments are Safe During Pregnancy? For those of you who have already given birth and are looking for solutions to your common skin concerns, continue reading below for our top skin care tips for new moms.
Melasma is a form of hyperpigmentation caused by hormone fluctuations in pregnancy. While some patients find that their melasma clears up after giving birth, others find that it sticks around beyond the delivery room. Fortunately, there are solutions to this common pregnancy-related skin complaint that will help most patients even out skin tone without risking the health of their chestfeeding baby and won’t take much time out of their busy newborn schedule.
Chestfeeding Moms: Stick with topical home treatments containing natural ingredients, like our Refinement Skin Vitamin C Serum. Vitamin C is a natural skin brightener that will gradually even out your skin tone with daily, prolonged use. Apply twice daily on the face and neck after cleansing and before moisturizing. Be sure to also apply a physical block sunscreen to your face anytime you head outside to prevent further skin darkening due to sun damage.
Formula Feeding Moms: If you aren’t chestfeeding, you may be a good candidate for a chemical peel. Our depigmentation peel is the perfect solution for facial pigment imperfections caused by sun damage and hormones. Whether you’ve tried topical treatments like our Vitamin C Serum that didn’t show the results you’re looking for or you’re looking for a faster solution, a chemical peel is a good option for you.
Most pregnant women dread the arrival of stretch marks that typically show during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Due to a rapidly expanding belly, weight gain and water retention, stretch marks can appear anywhere on the body and are, arguably, impossible to prevent if you’re genetically predisposed to getting them. Products often promise results, but fall far short. There are, however, minimally invasive procedures to help stretch marks fade into memory.
Whether you’re chestfeeding or formula feeding, microneedling can help with the appearance of stretch marks. Microneedling treatments make microscopic punctures in the skin that stimulate collagen and elastin production. This promotes healing, reducing the appearance of stretch marks over a series of treatments.
That new little life is so fragile, and with how often you’re changing diapers, you’re washing your hands much more frequently. This increased rate of hand washing robs your skin of natural oils. This can cause drying which, in turn, can create cracks in the skin that bleed and become infected. It’s very important to take necessary steps to prevent this damage and know how to best repair it if it happens.
The tips here are the same for both chestfeeding and formula feeding mothers and include the following:
The biggest stress of all after bringing home a newborn is the sleep deprivation. However, just because you haven’t gotten much sleep lately doesn’t mean you have to look that way. Look flawless with the following tips for new moms.
Chestfeeding Moms: Apply cold spoons to your under eye area every morning to reduce under eye puffiness. Alternatively, you can do what grandma did and apply cold cucumber slices, which also contain Vitamin C. Additionally, apply an all-natural under eye cream like our Refinement Bright Eye Serum. Bright eye uses Vitamin C and silk amino protein to promote the buildup of collagen and elastin to restore a more youthful appearance to they eyes. The green tea extract also delivers a localized dose of caffeine, reducing puffiness and minimizing the appearance of veins that cause dark circles. Finally, microneedling treatments around the eye area can help reduce puffiness in addition to fine lines and wrinkles with repeated treatments.
Formula Feeding Moms: If your dark under eye bags and lines around your eyes are significant enough and you aren’t chestfeeding or have finished chestfeeding, consider dermal fillers as a solution to your tired-looking eyes. Restylane and Belotero are good solutions for the under eye area, delivering a smoother look instantly while working within the body to build up that youthful collagen. Also consider trying a retinol serum. We carry SkinMedica retinol treatments in varying strengths to help with bags, dark circles and fine lines around the eyes.
Skin care products that are safe during pregnancy are difficult to come by, particularly if you’re looking for ingredients that are medical-grade and clinically proven for anti-aging and aging prevention. The same holds true while chestfeeding, as many ingredients haven’t been found to be safe or their effects are unknown. Our Refinement all-natural skin care line can help take the mystery out of selecting the right skin care products that really work for your skin while avoiding questionable ingredients that you may consider avoiding now that you’re caring for a new baby. In addition, we also offer other popular skin care product lines designed for all skin types that provide dramatic results for busy moms who simply don’t have time to devote to a long morning and nightly ritual.
These are just a few of the treatments and products offered by Skin by Lovely that are considered excellent options for new mothers. Our aesthetic specialists are standing by to offer you a consultation, more information and several helpful skin care tips for new moms. Please contact our offices at 310-566-0858 in Santa Monica or at 971-303-8060 in Portland today.
