Are the pigmentation changes from pregnancy permanent?

ON Jul 13, 2001 at 12:26PM

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I'm the mother of a month-old baby girl. When I was pregnant, my pigmentation darkened quite a bit and stayed that way after my child was born. Will it return to its original color?

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The darkened pigmentation is common, particularly in dark-haired women. Normally, the darkened pigmentation slowly fades over time, assuming you stay out of the sun and use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher.

The darkened pigmentation of pregnancy is believed to be related to the hormonal influence of estrogen and progesterone, causing greater stimulation of pigment.

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