Mask of Pregnancy is another (and kinda creepy sounding) name for a skin condition called Chloasma.
Chloasma is the term for when you have Melasma during pregnancy, but both of the conditions are the same otherwise.
In this article, we will cover the basics of mask of pregnancy (or Chloasma/Melasma), and let you know what your Melasma treatment options are.
Basically, mask of pregnancy is just a term for when you develop Chloasma (pregnancy Melasma) during your pregnancy.
According to the American Pregnancy Association, nearly 50% of pregnant women will develop a mask of pregnancy.
Melasma is a painless but visible skin condition where you develop greyish or brownish irregular patches on portions of your face - usually the cheeks, nose, forehead, chin, and upper lip.
Melasma kind of looks like a lot of lightly colored freckles all clustered together, and if it is occurring during pregnancy is will probably come on pretty quickly.
And, while mask of pregnancy can’t harm you, you might not like the way it looks.
Mask of pregnancy is thought to be brought on from hormone changes and increases that occur during pregnancy.
When you are pregnant your levels of estrogen, progesterone, and something called melanocyte-stimulating hormone all increase.
Melanocytes are the cells in your skin responsible for producing pigmentation, including the splotchy pigmentation in melasma, so it makes sense that when these ramp up - pigmentation changes happen.
Mask of pregnancy can also happen in non-pregnant women who are taking hormonal birth control or hormone replacement medications, backing up the theory that hormones play a huge role in mask of pregnancy development.
Sun exposure can also play a role since melanocytes produce more pigmentation when exposed to UV light, meaning that reducing sun exposure can mean the difference between your mask of pregnancy being barely there or hard to ignore.
Daily sun protection is a must if you want your mask of pregnancy to be as minimal as possible.
This depends.
Some women find that mask of pregnancy starts fading over the course of months after delivery, but for some, it may take until after breastfeeding is over.
Mask of pregnancy will almost always resolve itself once hormone levels go back to normal, but this may take several months.
When you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you should not take or use prescription medications or medicated creams to treat mask of pregnancy to avoid the transfer of the medications to your child.
When you are still pregnant or breastfeeding the best way to keep mask of pregnancy to a minimum is to be diligent about your sun exposure - we’re talking hats and sunscreen daily.
And if all else fails, a good concealer can work wonders while the condition sticks around.
Once you have given birth and are no longer breastfeeding, you can look into medicated treatment options to help speed along the clearing of the Chloasma.
Creams with hydroquinone are the most commonly prescribed treatment to return your skin to its usual pigmentation post-pregnancy.
Strut Melasma Formula is a physician and pharmacist formulated compounded cream that contains hydroquinone along with other prescription and non-prescription depigmenting agents to target Melasma or Chloasma (mask of pregnancy).
You will not be able to use Strut Melasma Formula until you have given birth and are done breastfeeding to ensure that the ingredients are not passed on to your child.
Strut Melasma Formula is a prescription-only therapy, so you will need to have an Online Visit with our doctors to ensure that treatment for your mask of pregnancy is appropriate.
If you are a good candidate for the treatment of your Chloasma, your prescription medication can be shipped quickly and discreetly to your front door.
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