“I knew it! It’s written all over your face!” It’s not unusual to hear that from a close friend or family member when you announce that you are pregnant. They may feel they have bragging rights for being the family psychic, but were they really able to tell? They may have picked up on one of these facial signs of pregnancy.
1. Puffiness
During pregnancy, body fluids increase by 1.5 to 2 gallons! So it’s no wonder you look a bit swollen [1]. Swelling of the face can also be caused by nasal congestion (a common issue in pregnant women) [2]. But if the swelling is severe, does not go away during the day, and you notice bags under your eyes, you should talk to your doctor to exclude kidney disease or preeclampsia.
As long as there are no health conditions, follow these rules [2]:
get up and go to bed on a regular schedule
avoid drinking too much fluids at night
rub an ice cube over puffy areas to reduce swelling.
2. Dark spots and patches
It’s common to develop new dark patches around your eyes, lips, and nose when pregnant. Hormones make your skin more sensitive than usual to the sun, and those ultraviolet rays may trigger a darker, uneven pigmentation [3]. Melasma, as it’s known, is difficult to treat, so prevention is key. In an experiment involving 200 pregnant Moroccan women, only 2.5 percent developed melasma when using sunscreen (versus a control average of 53 percent) [4]. Sunscreen use is considered a safe and smart practice during pregnancy and always.
3. Spider veins
Hormonal changes can make blood vessels more fragile, and suddenly, tiny bluish veins appear on the skin. The skin under the eyes tends to be the most affected [5], contributing to under-eye circles and what can be interpreted as an overall look of tiredness. Capillary “stars” can also appear on the neck, arms, and décolleté area. The issue usually resolves after childbirth when the level of sex hormones returns to normal [6].
