Skin and hair change during pregnancy. This is because your body is now producing and releasing surges of hormones. Each person will experience this somewhat differently.

Some people get pimples, blackheads and pustules during the first trimester of pregnancy. It's called ‘pregnancy acne’. It is the result of hormonal changes that cause the skin to produce more oil. This makes it easier for the pores to clog and pimples to form. It is therefore important to clean your skin regularly, thoroughly and gently. Using a mild soap-free cleanser to prevent your skin from drying out is best. A gentle and proven household remedy against annoying skin impurities is chamomile. It soothes the skin and has an anti-inflammatory effect. You can easily pour chamomile tea in a pot of hot water and gently hold your face over the steam for five to ten minutes.

Both your belly and your breasts become larger over the course of pregnancy. This causes the skin in these areas to become increasingly stretched. Thus many people develop permanent stretch marks. These can’t really be avoided. However, there are things you can do to help your skin at least partially return to its previous state after birth by gently massaging the skin regularly during pregnancy. Mild body oils are best suited for this. They promote skin elasticity. If you want to use scented oils or essential oils, it is best to discuss this with your midwife or doctor beforehand. Some products, for example cinnamon oil or camphor oil, are unsuitable during pregnancy because they can cause cramps or bleeding. You can also give your breasts extra support with a well-fitting bra. This can help prevent the skin there from stretching excessively from the increased weight of pregnancy.

Most people find their hair becomes nicer during pregnancy. It becomes thicker, more plentiful or shinier than usual. However, it is also possible that hair becomes greasy more quickly. You can avoid this by letting your hair air-dry after washing instead of blow-drying. There are special shampoos for greasy hair. You can also rinse your hair with lemon water or diluted vinegar. This is just as effective and is cheaper and less harmful for the environment. Your scalp will normalise again after giving birth. Don't worry if you start losing hair. This just means that the hair growth will normalise and your hair will grow again as it did before pregnancy.