6 steps to care for skin after childbirth

It is indeed difficult for new mothers to do skin, especially the face, after giving birth. Apart from the limited free time for me time, caring for skin that has undergone changes requires a lot of money and time.

Actually, you don't need to bother doing facial and body skin care after giving birth. There are several easy ways and ways to keep your skin youthful over time. What are they? Check out the tips below.

Tips for facial and body skin care after childbirth

A variety of changes after childbirth may appear on the mother's body during the puerperium and afterward, including skin problems.

These changes can occur due to various factors, such as physical and psychological.

However, mothers need not worry because most of these problems are temporary and will disappear or at least fade away with time.

To be clearer, identify what conditions may appear on the skin of your face and body after childbirth as well as the proper treatment:

1. Panda eyes

For women, taking care of babies is both fun and tiring.

They are required to be awake when the baby wants to feed or cry because they cannot sleep at night.

This fatigue causes a skin problem that is also common in ordinary people, namely dark circles under the eyes and swollen eyes.

This is due to hormonal changes and lack of sleep after childbirth so that signs of fatigue can be seen in your eyes.

In addition, dark circles are also affected by the buildup of fluid under the eyes which makes the eye bags become large.

As a result, they form puffy eyes and dark circles just below them.

Although not dangerous, panda eyes can certainly ruin your appearance by making you look more lethargic.

Panda eye care after childbirth

Following are the care for the panda eyes on the face after giving birth so that the mother looks fresher:

Enough sleep

Lack of sleep or even messy sleep patterns can make your skin look dull and wrinkled.

Not only your skin, not getting enough sleep can also be bad for your eyes. Panda eyes are one of the consequences if you are sleep deprived.

Treatment to maintain the health of the skin around the eyes as well as to treat panda eyes is to ensure you get enough sleep.

If you are too busy taking care of the baby, you can steal bedtime while the baby is sleeping.

So, while resting you can restore the health of the skin around the lost eye.

Eye compress

Applying cold compresses to the eyes can help reduce swelling, reports from Johns Hopkins Medicine.

You can do this using a clean cloth or washcloth that has been moistened with cold water.

Then place the cloth or washcloth on the skin under and around the eyes while sitting or lying down.

Do this for a few minutes. In addition to a cloth or washcloth, you can also use an ice pack wrapped in a cloth or cold cucumber irritation that is placed over your closed eyes.

2. Melasma

Melasma is a condition that causes brown or gray patches on the skin, especially the face area.

Generally, this skin problem occurs in pregnant women due to changes in the hormones estrogen and progesterone during pregnancy.

However, these skin problems will usually go away after you give birth.

If you still have these patches on your skin, it is likely because you have been exposed to too much sun or have been affected by birth control pills after giving birth.

Facial skin care due to melasma after childbirth

Following are facial skin treatments that can be done as an effort to fade melasma after giving birth:

Don't go out in the sun and use sunscreen diligently

One way to overcome this problem is to keep yourself from being exposed to the sun too often, especially when it's hot, which is 10-4 in the afternoon.

Yes, you must avoid sunburn which can make your skin problem worse.

Try wearing closed clothes, hats or using an umbrella.

Do not forget, it is important to always wear sunscreen or sunscreen with a level of 15 SPF or more whenever going outside in the morning to evening.

Even if you are inside the house you still need to use it suncreen because there is still a chance for the skin to be exposed to sunlight.

Use topical creams

Creams that are applied directly to the skin, especially the face, who have melasma (topical cream) can be a treatment for mothers after giving birth.

Some examples of topical creams that can be used are hydroquinone and threitinoin.

It's just that, the use of the cream needs to be considered for its safety because you are currently breastfeeding.

Based on the Mayo Clinic, tretinoin is considered not at risk for use by breastfeeding mothers. The same is true for creams containing hydroquinone which are considered safe for breastfeeding mothers.

However, long-term use of hydroquinone is not recommended for breastfeeding mothers.

3. Acne

Usually, skin problems after childbirth are caused by hormonal changes in the body that can lead to several conditions, such as the appearance of acne.

High levels of the hormone progesterone in the body can cause acne on your face, especially during pregnancy.

Even after giving birth, there are some pregnant women who complain that their acne is getting worse.

Even so, there are mothers who admit that the problem can go away on its own.

Every woman who has just given birth will experience different conditions, including for skin problems that may be faced.

Facial skin care due to acne after childbirth

How to treat facial skin with postpartum acne, namely as follows:

Be diligent in cleaning your face

Even though it is influenced by hormonal changes, skin conditions that are not kept clean can worsen existing acne.

So, you don't bother caring for your little one, don't neglect body care, huh!

Ask your partner for help first to care for your little one while you clean your face.

Use a mild facial cleanser that contains salicyic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and glycolic acid. This cleaning agent is still safe for use by postpartum women as long as it is not excessive.

Avoid stress

The first week after giving birth is a happy and stressful time.

In fact, mothers can experience the baby blues, postpartum depression, to postpartum psychosis.

This can cause you not to sleep well, which will make your skin condition worse.

That means, acne conditions can get worse.

Apart from being actively doing care after a normal delivery and after a cesarean section, there are many ways you can improve your mood so that stress is reduced.

You can try breathing exercises, take a leisurely walk with your little one and your partner in the morning, or listen to music.

In essence, try to do things that you like as long as it doesn't interfere with caring for your baby.

Pay attention to the food consumed

In addition to maintaining clean skin, you should also pay attention to food choices after giving birth to prevent pimples from appearing again.

Avoid foods that are high in oil or fast food. Also identify foods and drinks that can trigger acne growth so that it doesn't get worse.

For example, some people should avoid products containing milk, egg yolks, nuts, etc., because they can trigger acne breakouts.

You can also consult further with your doctor if the acne condition gets worse.

4. Stretch marks

One of the most common skin problems that arise after childbirth is stretch marks.

Usually these pink streaks will appear on the stomach, thighs, and breasts.

During pregnancy, your belly will expand and expand as the fetus develops.

After giving birth, the stomach will return to a smaller size and leave stretch marks on the areas that were stretched earlier.

Although they do not appear on the face, stretch marks are one of the most common skin problems experienced by mothers after giving birth.

Skin care for stretch marks after childbirth

You don't need to worry if you find light brown and pink streaks as these are normal things to appear postpartum.

Generally, efforts to get rid of stretch marks after childbirth can be done both naturally and medically.

You can routinely do exfoliation, laser, and even use natural ingredients such as olive oil, honey, egg white, lemon, and others.

However, stretch marks do not usually disappear completely, but rather fade a little so that they are not too obvious.

Other facial skin care after childbirth

Apart from the several methods above, other facial skin care efforts that you can do include:

1. Drink enough water

The more mineral water you drink, the more hydrated your body and skin become.

Drinking enough water can also make the skin not dry easily which can cause white streaks when scratched with nails.

2. Don't forget about CTS, 3 basic steps to take care of your skin

Three basic steps to clean facial skin, namely CTS (cleanser, toner, moisturizer) is still very much needed, especially in the care of facial skin after childbirth.

You are still advised to clean your face 2 times a day (cleanser and toner). After that, it is mandatory to give the skin moisture by using a moisturizer or moisturizer.

3. Exfoliate the skin

Exfoliating your skin at least once every three weeks can also improve the health and hygiene of your skin after delivery.

Scrub any areas of skin that appear blackened as the pregnancy progresses. You can use

4. Eat vegetables

Finally, after you treat your skin with the steps above, you are also required to treat the skin from within the body.

It's easy, eat lots of green vegetables and fruit in your daily intake. Apart from being important for the content of breast milk, vegetables and fruits can also restore the health and healthy glow of your skin.

As a bonus, eating more vegetables and fruits can help you lose weight after giving birth.

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