When it comes to melasma, Dr. Murad says that, "pregnant women should use an SPF religiously. Sun exposure can worsen the effects of melasma." And he adds, "Another great way is to take pomegranate extract supplements -- [the fruit] has been shown to increase the SPF of topical sunscreens, plus it has great antioxidants to help fight free-radical damage."
Dr. Wu concurs and suggests that patients "look for [products containing] zinc oxide, which blocks UVA rays, the ones that contribute to skin discoloration" and following delivery (and nursing), she says that "botanical skin brighteners with ingredients like soy (such as Aveeno Positively Radiant Triple Boosting Serum, $15.99) can help lighten discoloration." And, for severe cases, Dr. Wu will sometimes "prescribe stronger fading creams (like Triluma) or chemical peels."
Next: Plan of attack for pregnancy-related breakouts
Photo 7/10
Pregnancy -- Plan of Attack for Breakouts
Dr. Murad points out that "hormonal shifts during pregnancy can cause the sebaceous glands to go in to overdrive, boosting production of sebum, which can block your pores and lead to inflammation and breakouts." That's where things can get tricky since some of the ingredients typically recommended to help clear up skin are contraindicated during gestation.
Next: Beauty boosting ingredients to use (and which to avoid) during pregnancy
Photo 8/10
Pregnancy -- Skin Care Must-Haves and Must-Avoids
When asked which ingredients pregnant women must have in their beauty arsenal, Dr. Murad says that "in addition to a rich [body] moisturizer containing vitamin E and Shea Butter (try Palmers Shea Butter Formula Jar, $12), I recommend that pregnant women use products for the face that contain vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid." The rationale? "The vitamin C will brighten the skin while providing antioxidant protection and flooding the skin with vitamins and minerals. As women tend to experience drier skin during pregnancy, Hyaluronic Acid will attract and retain moisture to the skin."
Of course, when you're pregnant, it's important to be careful with what you put into -- and on -- your body. (Learn about the 8 ingredients to avoid while pregnant.) As doctors Rodan and Fields say, "we're often asked whether various drugs or procedures are safe during pregnancy. Our response is generally this: It's always best to wait until after delivery and breastfeeding to start on any kind of new treatment or medicine. Not only is the physiology of your body in a constant state of flux but also the health and wellbeing of your baby are your first priority."
Next: What menopause can mean for your skin
Photo 9/10
The Stage: Menopause
As Dr. Wu says in "Feed Your Face," "as teenagers, our hormones made us irritable and anxious with stubborn breakouts and oily skin. For some women, adolescent acne then becomes hormonal acne, which can drag on into your late 30s and 40s. Then, when you finally think you have things worked out, wham menopause [hits] and you have a whole new set of problems."
The hormonal gist: "Fluctuating hormone levels cause the classic symptoms of menopause like hot flashes, flushing and night sweats," explains Dr. Wu who also notes that as we enter menopause, our bodies produce less estrogen and that this "drop in estrogen leads to a loss of collagen," which, of course, leads to less elasticity, causing the skin to start to sag. And, as Dr. Murad says, falling estrogen levels can also lead to "thinning, dryness and fragility, medium to deep fine lines and wrinkles, lackluster tone and acne breakouts." Yikes. All in all, not a pretty picture.
Next: The ingredients menopausal women can use to help their skin
Photo 10/10
Menopause -- Plan of Attack
"You are never too young or too old to start taking care of your skin," says Dr. Murad. "So even if you have never adopted a skin care regimen and are experiencing the effects of aging, you can still combat these effects by adopting one now."
So, what specifically should menopausal women use? Murad recommends "products that contain essential fatty acids (like Lanc�me Bienfait Multi-Vital Night, $50) and plant-derived phytoestrogens" saying that they will "help to replenish hormones that diminish with age, bringing life back to a lackluster complexion and slowing the sagging process."
Ah, hormones. Those wacky chemicals that carry messages from our organs to our cells. Those super-busy messengers that dictate pretty much everything in our bodies -- from the speed of our metabolism to how tall we grow -- hormones call all the shots, they have the control, they, in short, are king. And, as noted dermatologists Katie Rodan and Kathy Fields say in their book, "Write Your Skin a Prescription for Change," hormones also have a ton to do with the way our skin "changes and ages throughout life" and, a lot to do with any and all of our skin problems.
"With the onset of puberty," the doctors write, "sex hormones skyrocket, ruling behavior and altering the appearance of skin." And, guess what? That roller coaster continues all the way through menopause � and then some.
There are six major hormones that affect our skin: estrogen, progesterone, melanin, cortisol, testosterone and the thyroid hormones. And, their levels fluctuate all the time, which explains, among other things, why our complexions also change throughout the month (and years).
To get an idea of how our skin is affected by these hormones during three key periods of our lives (adolescence, pregnancy and menopause), we talked to two preeminent dermatology experts, Dr. Howard Murad and Dr. Jessica Wu -- both of whom specialize (and excel) in the medical and cosmetic aspects of their field. They walked us through the three stages, offering up insight into what happens from a physiological standpoint and giving suggestions for how to best handle the situations to keep the resulting skin problems to a minimum.
So, if you're ready to get a firmer understanding of what the heck is going on inside our bodies that can sometimes wreak havoc on our complexions, and learn what you can do to outsmart them, you're in luck.
