The Dawn Line, The “magic” Mark Of Pregnancy
They say that the linea alba is magical. It is like that meridian where your child grows day by day, that dark mark that defines where your treasure is and the true center of your heart, and that despite having a simple hormonal origin, it is still something striking, something where many popular traditions are centered.
There are many moms who are suddenly surprised to see how throughout their belly and during the second trimester, that curious mark appears that they did not have before, that they had never before perceived on their body. We must first of all be clear that the dawn line does not appear from one day to the next, in fact, we all have it in our abdomen.
What happens is that due to various hormonal changes, the pigmentation of our skin changes just when we reach the middle of pregnancy, thus constituting one more detail to attend to, to take care of and that in some way, many moms like it and others are uncomfortable .
Since there are many women who wonder first of all if that line will disappear after childbirth, in “You are Mom” we want to solve some aspects on the subject that will undoubtedly help you.
The alba line: origin, tradition and care
It is there, it is always there, even if you don’t see it, even if you don’t feel it. It is part of the muscular constitution of our abdomen and both genders, both men and women, have it.
However, in the case of us, it will make an appearance when two factors occur: we are pregnant and we have reached the fourth month of pregnancy.
Likewise, it is also common for it to be much more evident if our skin is brown. However, even with the clearest skin it is usually evident enough to be more or less visible.
Why does the “linea nigra” appear and some other more annoying problem
The linea alba or from the Latin “linea nigra” is a brownish streak of little more than a centimeter wide that crosses our abdomen passing through the navel until it reaches the pubis.
- It begins to show itself in the fourth month, just when the melanocytes make an appearance, causing changes in our skin.
- As soon as we see how our linea alba begins to darken, we will also see how our nipples do too. This is normal.
- Likewise, other types of alterations may also occur that may be annoying: This increase in melanocytes is sometimes compounded by the appearance of spots on the face, and even a little more hair.
- They are café-au-lait spots on the upper area of our lips, on the forehead or on the cheeks.
- This dermatological phenomenon is called “chloasma gravidarum”. Although we also usually call it “pregnancy cloth”.
- Finally, another well-known change that appears between the 4th and 8th month is stretch marks. The elastic fibers of our dermis break leaving these small and annoying marks.
Popular beliefs about the linea alba
We are sure that you, too, have heard one or another of these traditional legends associated with the linea alba.
- They have their point of charm, there is no doubt, but it must be said that they lack scientific justification and are nothing more than something anecdotal, fun and with that magical component that we always like.
- The popular voice says that if the linea alba is darker above the navel, the baby that will be born will be a girl.
- In the opposite case, if the linea alba is more evident from the navel to the pubis, then we will have a male baby.
Now tell us … was it your case?
Care that we must maintain so that the dawn line disappears
We will start by making one aspect clear: we cannot 100% prevent the dawn line from appearing. We can prevent it, just as we will do everything possible to take care of our skin so that the impact of stretch marks is hardly noticeable.
Let’s now look at some simple tips:
- Keep the skin of your breasts and abdomen hydrated throughout the pregnancy.
- Rosehip essential oil, for example, is great.
- You can try any cream that is enriched with vitamin E.
- You must apply these treatments twice a day through circular massages.
- Maintain good internal hydration throughout the day, drink water in small sips every half hour.
- Eat foods rich in vitamins A, C and E, they will help you take care of the elasticity of your skin and its regeneration.
Finally, the most common is that after giving birth and after 3 months, the linea alba disappears by itself until it is invisible. If in your case, this does not happen and you still have a dark spot on your face, consult your dermatologist.
There are various treatments that can help you.
