Pregnancy and the skin.

Physiologic skin changes and certain dermatoses characteristically occur during pregnancy. Any cutaneous change is rarely ignored, as the patient is concerned about her own and her fetus's well-being. Physiologic changes include pigmentation, vascular growth, varicosities, telogen effluvium, and striae. These changes are reviewed along with other dermatoses usually associated with pregnancy. Some dermatoses of pregnancy are infrequently reported, as an understanding of possible etiologies remains limited for the varied dermatoses.