title: The skin in pregnancy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Physiologic skin changes are common during pregnancy due to a temporary shift in hormonal, metabolic, and immunologic factors. Physicians may mistake normal skin changes in pregnancy as pathologic change within the skin, and so an appreciation of the common and less common skin manifestations will assist in appropriate patient care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This review highlights the normal physiologic skin changes in pregnancy, which include pigmentary changes, changes to the hair and nails, alterations in glandular activity, vascular and hematological changes, cutaneous tumors, and mucous membrane changes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physiologic changes to the skin in pregnancy can be complex and confusing. Pregnancy can be a stressful time for women so it is imperative that physicians be aware of the normal skin changes during pregnancy in order to prevent unnecessary investigations and treatments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Barankin
authors.forename: Shane G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Silver
authors.forename: Alastair
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carruthers
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000502:physiology*; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena