Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Pregnancy Mask

Have you all heard of the Pregnancy Mask? It's when areas on your face turn dark due to hormones during pregnancy. It's basically the same thing that causes you to get the dark line running down your stomach. It usually goes away after you deliver, or after you stop nursing, but mine hasn't. My forehead has been covered in it since halfway through my pregnancy. It sorta looks like freckles...or in some light it looks like a birth mark. I have patiently been waiting for it to disappear, but it hasn't. And I am starting to think it wont.
IMG_0124
I feel like in every picture I see of me, It stands out. This one isn't too bad because of my bangs, but it is still the first thing I see on my face.
girls watching uk gameThis one I feel like it looks like maybe my forehead is pealing or something. I hate it. (just my forehead, not the picture. I think the picture is pretty cute. Go Big Blue!)
IMG_0254Here is a really clear one of it. It actually has the perfect shape of a down arrow. Like The Last Airbender. Let me show you. Here is the Last Airbender...

And here is my pregnancy mask with an outline to make the arrow more clear...

We could be twins. except I have hair. And I cannot bend air.

So...the point is, it's annoying the crap out of me. I was fine with it (sort of) while pregnant and nursing, but now that I have been done nursing for nearly four months and it is still here, I am starting to realize that it might be staying FOREVER. I called the doctor, and there is a cream they can give me, but it is $250 a tube and insurance wont cover it. AND I have to be on it for several months, which will require several tubes. So... I just don't know. Is it worth $1000 to not look like the last airbender?? But I decided to give it more time. See if it fades. Make-up doesn't cover it. These pictures are WITH make-up. On my naked skin it is much more obvious. Before you all say it totally isn't noticeable (which is still okay to say, because it may make me feel better) just know that people have noticed it. A lot. People have asked about it. "Do you have sun?" , " Did you get burned?" , "Is your forehead peeling? ", " Aren't your Freckles cute!", "You look tan on your forehead!" And on and on. I can't fool myself. I know it is noticeable.

Has anybody else has this issue? Is there any natural home remedy that took care of it? If you tell my peanut butter is the magical cure I will happily rub it on my forehead every night from here on out.

23 comments:

  1. Oh how this had me laughing at my desk... The Last Airbender. I was cackling.

    If it makes you feel any better, I suffer from Tan Lip. My upper lip gets tanner than the rest of my face making me slightly resemble Burt Reynolds. Or Magnum P.I. My grandma even suggested I shave it. Only when I informed her that it was NOT hair but darker skin did she back off with the "shave your face" comments. I tried putting sunblock ONLY on my lip to see if it would help and it did a little. However, I don't know if that would help you... Basically rendering this comment completely useless and entirely too long.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You could try the new dark spot corrector from Clinique (Clinique Even Better Clinical). At $50, it isn't cheap but maybe worth a shot before jumping to a $250 investment. I have heard it works. When I am done with this pregnancy/nursing I am going to try it to fade the acne scars that have come with each pregnancy. Best of luck to you, and I really don't think it is too noticable, but the bottom line is that YOU want it gone, and I totally know how that feels.

    ReplyDelete
  3. laser treatments and then stay out of the sun might be the only cure. Not what you want to hear but my mask started the summer of 2001 and was really really bad, it faded eventually but reappears every summer after being in the sun without sunblock........EVERY SUMMER SINCE!!!!
    ****I think you avatar arrow is cute

    ReplyDelete
  4. You are cracking me up tonight.

    What about a little alpha hyrdroxy? It is the active ingredient in the expensive stuff. My dermatologist told me this line is just as effective as the $250 stuff sold by the fancy professional products aesthetician (much to her horror).

    I get it from the pharmacy, but it is not prescription. About $20 a bottle.

    http://www.aquaglycolic.com/

    I swear by it but cant comment on it helping with your perceived power stripe.

    I am sorry it bugs you. I hate my mirror and it is a crummy feeling.

    ReplyDelete
  5. ps - get the whole line - wash, toner and lotion, all roughly $20.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ah-ha! This solves a mystery I have had all summer. I had these really odd dark spots show up on my forehead every time I was out in the sun and I couldn't figure out what in the world they were. Now I know what it is, because they have only been there since having my little boy. Mine fade out of the sun, so I don't have any suggestions on how to get rid of yours. Sorry! Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I did not get that. I hope you find a way to help get rid of it!

    I did get bumps on my upper arms, that are not going away. I don't remember the term for what I have at the moment.

    Does sun help what you have or make it worse?

    ReplyDelete
  8. I had both the face and line on my belly. I also notice now when I get "hormonal" once a month I get a bit of it back. Seriously, I would go to the doc and see how your hormone levels are doing. Even though you stopped nursing 4 months ago, they still might be high.

    Avatar is always a good luck:)

    T♥

    ReplyDelete
  9. I get the brown spots over my lip. My husband searched the internet and found lemons help. So every other night while I bathe I rub a slice of lemon with sugar sprinkled on the lemon over my brown spots. Rub for about 2 mintues then rinse off your face with warm water. Works like a miracle! Mine started to fade within a few days. Almost all gone now. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. ohhh I like the lemon juice idea--I too have the magnum pi look going on or actually more of a fu man chu thingmore dark on either side of my mouth and upper lip--it sucks because well it looks like a have a 'stache worth waxing except I don't...

    airbender is way cooler than fu man chu

    ReplyDelete
  11. WOW! I have 7 kiddos and never had that happen but the whole airbender thing did make me laugh! It's amazing the weird things pregnancy can do to your body.

    ReplyDelete
  12. (icomleavwe) Youc an try a lemon sugar scub, or maybe clinique. I have PCOS and get what my sister refers to as "dirty neck" just discoloration of my neck and clinique products have seriously improved the situation.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have this same problem--a hairless pregnancy mustache! I had Cora last summer hoping that this pregnancy mask would go away over winter. WRONG. And now if I'm in the sun for two minutes, it gets darker! I have a chocolate milk mustache that never goes away. Never ever. I've tried some creams...it may fade a little, but unfortunately nothing has worked!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I've had my splotches since 2004 and they are not going away. Summer makes them darker. I have what I call my "lasso" on my forehead and some spots on my cheeks, lip and chin. I am trying Skincerity, but the lemon idea sounds much cheaper!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I have had my melasma, or pregnancy mask since 2004. I have what I call my "lasso" across my forehead. I also have it on my cheeks, lip, and chin. Sun darkens it A LOT! I just started using Skincerity to see if that will lighten it, but the lemon idea sounds much cheaper. From lasso to airbender...Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I have this same problem, mine was really bad when I was pregnant. My daughter is one now and its still just as bad, especially in the summer. I hate it! I hate every picture of me when I was pregnant, what a horrible feeling at such a wonderful time in my life! I just started to try the lemon juice. I put some on a cotton ball and put it on all the areas. Im really hoping it works! Best of luck to you and me... ;)

    ReplyDelete
  17. I also have this problem and its bad! My daughter is one now and its still just as bad. I hated all the pictures of me while I was pregnant, what a horrible feeling at such a wonderful time in my life. It hasnt gotten any better and the sun for sure makes it much worse. I just started to try the lemon juice, I put a small amount on a cotton ball and apply to all areas, (which for me is all over). Good luck to you and me! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  18. I just found your blog while searching Google for remedies for this problem. I too, have the hairless mustache. It is also on my forehead and nose. I hate every picture of me because it's all I see. I am anxious to try the lemon. Praying it works. I will do anything!!! I am curious for those that did the laser treatment, etc...did it stay away forever? Does this happen all over again with future children, I'm assuming? Such a bummer ;(

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi ladies!
    I realize the original post was two years ago - but it still looks like people are looking for answers! The REVERSE line by Rodan + Fields Dermatologists is AMAZING and can totally get rid of pregnancy mask (melasma) - as well as other brown spots and sun damage. The before and after pics have to be seen! Check out these real results: (especially look for Sasha's melasma pics in the results photos from the 2nd regimen - REVERSE). https://robinnewberry.myrandf.com/Pages/OurProducts/RealResults

    My dermatologist thought a patient was cheating on her with another Derm when she came in and her pregnancy mask was gone. Surprise, surprise her patient told her she had been using REVERSE! Something to check out!

    https://robinnewberry.myrandf.com/Shop/Reverse

    Best wishes!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am 64 y.o. and I still have a pregnancy mask. I HATE IT. People are always saying oh it doesn't look bad and maybe at my age I shouldn't worry about it but it bothers me. I am been using a rx given to me by my dermatologist a whitening cream called.."Hydroquinone" skin bleaching cream. I have been using it for 4 months don't see anything happen.

      Delete
  20. I had the mustache problem after my baby. My doc. Gave me a pill and it went away. Sorry can't remember the name as my baby is 16 now. I would contact your doc.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I had the mustache prob. After my baby. My doc. Gave me a pill and it went away. Sorry can't remember the name as my baby is 16 now. But what ever my doc gave me it worked. So there is hope!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I am 66 y.o. and I HATE it. I am a light skin black person and it is dark and horrible. I don't like to wear my hair off of my face. I have had it most of my life of course because my oldest baby is 47 but I cannot get used to it!!

    Barb

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin