What it is
Stretch marks, a dark line down the belly called linea nigra, the pregnancy mask known as melasma, an itchy belly: your skin changes with your hormones and your shape. Pigment hormones darken the line, the nipples, and sometimes the face. Stretching skin can tear the layer under the surface. Up to 9 in 10 women get stretch marks. About half get some melasma.
What's typical
The dark line fades within months of birth. Melasma darkens with sun and fades slowly. Stretch marks start pink or purple, often after week 24, and fade to silver over a year or two. They do not vanish. Genetics matter more than any cream.
What's known
The American Academy of Dermatology says no cream has been shown to stop stretch marks, though moisturizing eases the itch. Sunscreen is the one thing with strong evidence for melasma. Itching on the palms and soles, worst at night, with no rash, is the sign of cholestasis, a liver condition.
What helps
- Sunscreen on the face every day, and a hat. Melasma darkens fast in the sun.
- A thick unscented cream or oil on the belly after a shower. It helps the itch and feels good.
- Lukewarm showers instead of hot, and loose cotton over the belly.
When to call someone
- Todayitching on your palms and soles, or all over, worse at night, with no rash. Ask for a bile acid test.
- Todaya new rash with fever, blisters, or a rash that spreads fast.
- At your next visititchy bumps in your stretch marks, which is common and called PUPPP.
Who helps
Related
- Itching that won't stop: cholestasisPregnancy: Your Body
- Weight gain in pregnancyPregnancy: Your Body
- Your changing body and how you feel about itPregnancy: Mind and Life
- Your body after birth: weight, shape, and timelinesPostpartum: Your Body
What mothers here say
No one has posted under this topic yet. The first experience here will help the next mother who searches for it at 2 a.m.
Experiences and questions are their authors' own, not reviewed advice. The topic's steward lists the ones that help most in a credited digest once there is one. Unusual experiences stay, with a note.
Sources
- American Academy of Dermatology — Skin conditions during pregnancy
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — Patient FAQ on skin conditions during pregnancy
Sources are named, not yet linked. The steward verifies each one and adds the link.
Steward this topic
Birthworkers listed in our directory can claim a topic, verify its sources, and curate what mothers share here. Your name and credential go at the top of the page. Takes about an hour the first time.
Find your directory page