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When Does Linea Nigra Appear and Everything In Between

Ever wonder when does when does linea nigra appear? Pregnant women will start to notice a vertical brownish line running through the belly. If you are pregnant, you can usually see this line become gradually apparent on your 2nd trimester and onward.

The term linea nigra came from the Latin word, which means “black line”, although the line is never a complete black line and more toward darker side of brownish. In this article we will learn all about what is linea nigra, when does linea nigra appear and more. Lets read on!


What is Linea Nigra or Pregnancy Line?

If you are pregnant and you have recently noticed a brownish line run across your skin leading from your belly button downwards to your pelvic bone, this something known as 'linea nigra' (Latin for “black line”) and it's very common with women who are expecting a child.

This line is usually 1/4 - 1/2 inches in width and stretches vertically down your growing bump. Let's find out a little bit more about linea nigra and why every pregnant woman has it.


What Causes Linea Nigra During Pregnancy?

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What cause linea nigra during pregnancy are basically the hormone changes that are happening in the body. Everybody has a linea alba (Latin for “white line”) going down their tummy usually (though this is white and virtually invisible.)

The increased of melanin and other hormones during pregnancy is what forces this line to go darker and turn into linea nigra. This is very normal in a pregnancy due to the high level of estrogen. However, some woman that is taking birth control pills that contains estrogen can be the reason to have linea nigra.

While increase in melanin not only can darken the pregnancy line but you will also realize that the surrounding of your nipple will turn darker too.

The increased of melanin and other hormones during pregnancy is the reason you have linea nagra #PregnancyFacts

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I Am Not Pregnant! Why Do Linea Nigra Appear On My Body?

As mentioned above, linea nigra does not solely appear because you are pregnant but pregnancy does help to escalate this line to be more more apparent.

It is possible to have linea nigra and not be pregnant but this could be due to something simple such as over-exposure to the sun or just being a darker skinned lady.

However there are some conditions that can be harmful that could possibly be causing this dark line down your stomach. If you feel like you could have any of the following, a trip to your doctors to get tested might be needed.

  • Taking birth control pill that contains estrogen. Too much estrogen in the body will make the linea nigra appear.
  • Melanin can increase in your body in cases of adrenal insufficiency or failure, known as Addison’s disease. This condition can also cause a dark line that looks like linea nigra.
  • Other condition like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) can also escalate the apparent of linea nigra. PCOS cause estrogen to increase in your body and darken the linea alba to become linea nigra.

When Does Linea Nigra Appear In Pregnancy?

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Most pregnant women who get the linea nigra will notice it from the second trimester onwards (13 weeks onward). The line will usually become more pigmented (as your pregnancy goes on).

If you are expecting multiple babies, you might get linea nigra in the first trimester due to the increased hormones.


When Does Linea Nigra Disappear?

The majority of women will lose their pregnancy line or 'linea nigra' just a few short weeks after the baby is born. If you have a particularly prominent linea nigra it might take a little longer for it to disappear, with some women it might take up to a year to lose it completely.

However, it’s worth to mention there is some women’s linea nigra still lingers even long after their delivery. This should not cause any concern, as this is natural to happen to some woman. Consider this a wonderful reminder of your pregnancy ☺


Linea Nigra and Breastfeeding

Although there is no predetermine time when will linea nigra disappear but it will take longer to go if you are breastfeeding because you still have an array of hormones flying around your body.


Are There Any Risks With Linea Nigra?

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There are no risks whatsoever associated with linea nigra to your baby or yourself. Don’t worry; your baby is complete cozy inside your womb.

Women of ethnic backgrounds will usually have hyper-pigmented linea nigras due to their darker skin tone but there will be no risk to the health of the woman or child.

However, if you had linea nigra for no apparent reason, then a visit to a doctor is highly recommended to exam if you have Addison’s disease or PCOS.


Remedies For Linea Nigra

There are a few different things that you can try if you are particularly conscious of your linea nigra and want to get rid of it/lighten it. Perhaps you are pregnant during the Summer time and your bump is exposed more regularly. Some of the remedies of linea nigra include the following:

Cocoa Butter

You can buy pure cocoa butter or a cocoa butter lotion from most health stores and many places online. Dab the cocoa butter on your linea nigra on a daily basis to see results over time. This can even help to reduce the appearance of stretch marks, so you are killing two birds with one stone.

Make-up

We can do amazing things with makeup, so why not use it to cover up your linea nigra? A concealer or foundation can be applied to the line if you are baring your bump in public and are feeling self conscious. A thin line is all that is needed to ensure that you don't apply too much.


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Vitamin E Oil

Vitamin E Oil can lighten your linea nigra and also tackles stretch marks. You can get Vitamin E lotion but if you get the go ahead from your doctor, you can take a Vitamin E capsule daily and this should help your skin in all kinds of ways during your pregnancy journey.

Lemon Juice or Rubbing Alcohol

Lemon juice is a natural skin lightening and can be rubbed on your linea nigra daily to help get rid of it. Rubbing alcohol can help to fade your line too but do a skin test as it can cause irritation for some people.

Less sun exposure

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Leaving your bump exposed to the sun can cause your linea nigra to be even more prominent so ensure that you cover up with a sunscreen that is at least SPF 15.

Eating healthy

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If your linea nigra is darker than what it should be, this could be due to a deficiency in folic acid. In addition to taking the supplement, which you should be doing in pregnancy - eating healthy can also help. Make sure that you are getting lots of green vegetables, cereals, whole grains and oranges into your diet.

While there is nothing you can actually do to completely remove the linea nigra. So instead of trying hard to get rid of the pregnancy line, why not embrace it?


Top 3 Reasons to Love Your Linea Nigra

It’s A Natural Beauty - Linea nigra is completely harmless and it’s only natural for every pregnant woman to have linea nigra. Every pregnancy is beautiful, and since linea nigra is a natural occurrence due to pregnancy, hence, it should be beautiful too.

It Will Eventually Go Away – Linea nigra will not appear forever, so don’t worry if this line will leave a permanent mark on your belly. After your delivery, this pregnancy line will gradually fade away and before you know it, it’s already gone.

You Can’t Prevent It, So Embrace It – Unfortunately, linea nigra is not something you can 100% get rid while on your pregnancy. Since you can remove this pregnancy line, why not embrace it and show them like an achievement unlock ☺


Linea Nigra and Old Wives Tale

Some mothers claimed that they could predict the baby gender by looking at the length of the linea nigra. While there is no scientific data to backup such claim but for the fun of it, let’s look what the “old wives tale” says…

When the linea nigra appear and stop at belly button: you will be having a girl.

When the linea nigra appear and extends up all the way to breast: you will be having a boy.

With so many changes happening in your body while you are pregnant, linea nigra should be your least concern. However, if your linea nigra is something really bothering you, perhaps some of the above remedies can help you out but I still think that the best method when the liner nigra appear is to embrace it! As usual, stay awesome and say YES to LINER NIGRA!


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