Among the motherhood circle, there is a common saying: “Despite many decades’ worth of skincare, a woman’s skin returns to a reset state after having a baby.”
Many people think that time is akin to a knife; but to women, giving birth is the real knife that accelerates ageing. Before pregnancy, we are “girls” and after delivering our babies we turn into “aunties”. There is no exception for celebrities who pay attention to their skincare routine too!
Why do women skin change before and after having kids?
1: Hormonal changes in our body during and after pregnancy
Estrogen level rises during pregnancy, which is an important hormone that promotes water and sodium retention, allowing a woman’s skin to be well-hydrated and to maintain elasticity. This is also the reason for that pregnancy glow many lucky pregnant mums are bestowed with.
However, our estrogen level gradually reduces after birthing our babies. As a result, our skin loses elasticity, starts to sag, and looks visibly less youthful.
2: Lack of sleep and feeling constantly tired
With a new baby to care for and a new routine to manage, it is inevitable that our sleeping habits are disrupted and peppered with the lack of quality rest. Over time, insufficient rest leads to loss of collagen around our eyes due to the sluggish blood circulation. Eventually, dark eye circles, crow’s feet and eye bags start creeping up besides the perpetual feeling of fatigue.
This combination adds extra years to our skin. With our promotion to motherhood, there can only be two self-discoveries about sleep: the lack of sleep, and an extreme lack of sleep. It is hard not to look older within a shorter span of time. Now we know why beauty sleep is so important, right?
3: Postpartum emotions: feeling moody
Our poor moods and mental health are linked to our endocrine system while post-pregnancy hormonal imbalance is at play. At the same time, this increases our body’s ageing process. It is normal that new mums feel moody or experience mood swings after having a baby. Some of us may also experience baby blues or Postnatal Depression (PND) after welcoming our bundle of joy. Often, it is due to the combination of the new responsibility of caring for a baby, insufficient sleep, physical changes in our body and more.
It is also completely understandable for new mums to take some time to embrace these changes in their lives, and it is also during this period our skin naturally undergoes accelerate ageing due to the new demands of motherhood. Thus, it is important for new mummies to recuperate, rest and adjust during their post-pregnancy confinement period.
4: Neglecting self-care after becoming a mum
Many of us zoom into caring for our newborn right after his arrival, and put our child as priority while neglecting our own appearance. No thanks to the combination of the daily fatigue and the lack of maintenance, we end up with dull, lackluster skin with visible signs of ageing.
Do you notice these skin changes before and after having a baby? We’ve some quick and simple tips to help busy mums restore healthy skin!
