Is it normal to have spots of darker skin all over your face and body when you're pregnant?
Totally. In fact, according to the american academy of dermatology, 70 percent of pregnant women end up with these irregular, blotchy areas of darkened skin. Women with darker complexions are more prone than others. The splotches can show up around your upper lip, nose, upper cheeks, and forehead, sometimes in the shape of a mask (think lone ranger). Commonly called the "mask of pregnancy" (but officially known as chloasma or melasma), these splotches may also show up on your forearms and other parts of your body that are exposed to the sun, and they may be more pronounced with each pregnancy.
What's more, you may find that your nipples, areolas, freckles, scars, underarms, and even your inner thighs and vulva become darker or "hyperpigmented" during pregnancy. All these changes are due to the temporary (and harmless) increase in your body's production of melanin, the natural substance that gives color to hair, skin, and irises, says sandra marchese johnson, a dermatologist at the university of arkansas for medical sciences in little rock. The splotches will most likely fade and your skin should return its normal shade within a few months after delivery, though some women never clear up completely.