Between breastfeeding attempts, hair loss and recovering from delivery, the postpartum period marks a time of drastic change in the body. One area you might not have expected to undergo change? Your skin. While you may have had a pregnancy glow pre-birth, you might be dealing with a whole host of skin issues postpartum. According to Laura Erlich , a holistic fertility and obstetric specialist, you have fluctuating hormones to thank for that.

Right after birth, there tends to be a rush of adrenaline and endorphins (which help with the initial bonding and recovery), but within a few days postpartum, theres a sharp drop in pregnancy hormones, Erlich explained.

Add to this the baby blues a normal but still destabilizing few days that can leave you feeling weepy and down, which can cause an increase in stress hormones like cortisol. This combination of events is extremely depleting for the body, and can lead to lots of issues including skin outbreaks, dryness and rashes, Erlich said.

Thankfully, there are ways to manage these issues. Below, find five of the most common postpartum skin conditions, and how to deal with them.

Melasma

Melasma , also referred to as pregnancy mask, is a condition that involves the darkening of the skin as a result of increased melanin production. It sometimes appears as spots on the face, an increase in freckles, or a darkening of the skin around the mouth, said Erlich, who notes that this same melanin manifests in the linea alba, the dark line that appears on the abdomen from the navel to the pubic bone during pregnancy.