On this page
Dr. Chrysoula I. Liakou MD, PhD
- Treated online: Yes, usually. Itchy rashes, eczema flares, hives, hay fever and asthma reviews are assessed by photo and video, with pregnancy-compatible antihistamines, emollients, steroid creams or inhalers prescribed when needed; itching without a rash, a blistering rash or a rash with fever go to in-person care.
- What they are: the skin and allergy changes driven by pregnancy hormones, stretching and a shifted immune system: darkened skin, stretch marks in 8 in 10 women, dry itchy skin, eczema flares, polymorphic eruption in about 1 in 160 pregnancies, and pre-existing hay fever and asthma behaving differently.
- Medicines: loratadine and cetirizine are the antihistamines with the longest safety record in pregnancy, steroid nasal sprays and mild to moderate steroid creams are used in short courses, inhalers continue unchanged, and decongestant tablets and retinoid creams are avoided.
- Itch rule: itching of the palms and soles without a rash, worse at night, needs bile acid blood tests through the maternity unit without delay, because intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy raises the risk of early birth and is monitored, not treated with a cream.
- How long: pregnancy rashes and eczema flares settle within weeks of birth, pregnancy rhinitis within 2 weeks of delivery, stretch marks fade to pale lines over 1 to 2 years, and darkened skin lightens over months; asthma returns to its pre-pregnancy pattern within about 3 months.
- Emergency: call 112 for swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, breathlessness with a rash, or an asthma attack where you cannot finish a sentence in one breath, and tell the call handler you are pregnant.
Itching without a rash, particularly on the palms of your hands and soles of your feet and often worse at night, needs blood tests, not a cream: get medical advice the same day from your midwife or maternity unit. Swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or breathlessness with a rash, is an emergency: call 112. A severe asthma attack, where you cannot finish a sentence in one breath, is also a 112 call, pregnant or not.
Can an online doctor treat skin conditions and allergies in pregnancy?
An online doctor can assess most pregnancy skin conditions and allergies by photo and video: itching, new rashes, eczema flares, hives, hay fever and stable asthma. Treatment is chosen from options used in pregnancy, such as emollients, certain antihistamines and short courses of mild steroid creams. Itching of the palms and soles without a rash needs maternity-unit blood tests.
Skin is one of the areas online care handles best, because diagnosis rests on appearance and history rather than physical examination. Pregnancy makes that assessment more valuable, not less: half the usual treatment list needs rechecking against your trimester, and a handful of itch patterns carry meaning for the pregnancy itself that a pharmacy shelf will never flag.
What is treated online in pregnancy skin conditions and allergies, and what needs in-person care
Usually handled online: the everyday skin and allergy problems of pregnancy, with every treatment checked against your trimester.
- Asthma in pregnancy: inhaler reviews and written flare plans
- Eczema in pregnancy: emollients and pregnancy-compatible steroid courses
- Hay fever in pregnancy: antihistamine and spray choices used in pregnancy
- Rashes in pregnancy: pattern named from photos, treatment matched
- Stretch marks: honest advice on what actually helps
Assessed online, but often needs in-person or urgent care: one itch pattern in this section always earns blood tests, which is why its page leads with triage. For scale, the commonest pregnancy-specific rash, polymorphic eruption of pregnancy, affects roughly 1 in 160 pregnancies and is harmless; the itch that matters is the one without a rash.[4]
- Itchy skin in pregnancy: most itch is assessed and treated online, but itching without a rash, especially of the palms and soles, needs same-day maternity blood tests for cholestasis
Pages in this section
Why does pregnancy change your skin?
Pregnancy hormones, stretching skin and a shifted immune system change how skin looks and behaves. Common and harmless changes include darkened patches on the face, a dark line down the abdomen, stretch marks, mild dryness and itching over the growing bump, and more visible veins. Some existing conditions change too: eczema often flares in pregnancy, while psoriasis frequently improves. None of these changes harm the baby.
A smaller group of conditions is specific to pregnancy. Polymorphic eruption of pregnancy is an itchy bumpy rash that typically starts in stretch marks on the abdomen late in pregnancy and, while miserable, is not dangerous; rarer blistering rashes such as pemphigoid gestationis need specialist review.[2] Distinguishing these from hives, scabies or a drug reaction is exactly what photos plus a structured history do well, and it changes both the treatment and who needs to see you. The rashes in pregnancy guide walks through the patterns in detail.
One itch pattern outranks all others. Itching without any rash, classically of the palms of the hands and soles of the feet and worse at night, can be intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, a liver condition of pregnancy that raises bile acids and needs blood tests and maternity-team monitoring, because it can affect the baby and may change the plan for birth.[1] Do not treat that itch with creams and wait: contact your midwife or maternity unit the same day. If your itch comes with a visible rash confined to the bump, the odds are far friendlier, and the itchy skin in pregnancy page explains the difference.
📷 Before your appointment: take two or three photos in daylight: the affected area from about 30 cm away, a sharp close-up, and one wider shot showing how far the rash spreads, including whether it involves stretch marks, palms or soles. Good photos let the doctor tell an eczema flare from hives or a pregnancy-specific rash, which is the decision the treatment hangs on.
Can I keep taking my asthma and allergy medicines while pregnant?
Usually yes, and for asthma it is essential: keep taking your preventer and reliever inhalers, because poorly controlled asthma is a greater risk to you and your baby than the standard inhaled medicines used to treat it.[3] Stopping inhalers on discovering a pregnancy is one of the most common, and most reversible, mistakes doctors see. For hay fever and allergies, treatment is adjusted rather than abandoned.
For hay fever, doctors usually start with the options least absorbed into the body, such as saline rinses, certain steroid nasal sprays and eye drops, and where tablets are needed, loratadine and cetirizine are the antihistamines most often used in pregnancy; sedating antihistamines and most decongestant tablets are generally avoided unless specifically advised.[1] For eczema, emollients remain the foundation, and short courses of mild to moderate steroid creams are commonly used in pregnancy under medical guidance. If your asthma is waking you at night, your reliever lasts less time than it used to, or a cold has set your chest off, book a review rather than riding it out: worsening asthma in pregnancy is treated actively, and a severe attack is always an emergency.
Online care or in-person care for pregnancy skin and allergy problems?
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Situation | Likely first step | Suitable for online care? | Where to go instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Itchy bump, dry skin, eczema flare or stretch marks | Emollients plus a pregnancy-compatible treatment plan | Usually yes | In-person review if infection develops or nothing helps |
| New rash in pregnancy | Photo and video assessment to identify the pattern | Often yes | Specialist review for blistering, rapidly spreading or unclear rashes |
| Hay fever or mild allergy symptoms | Advice on the antihistamines and sprays used in pregnancy | Yes | In-person care if symptoms escalate beyond the everyday |
| Itching of palms and soles with no rash, worse at night | Same-day bile acid and liver blood tests | No | Your midwife or maternity unit today |
| Lip, tongue or throat swelling, breathless with a rash, or a severe asthma attack | Emergency treatment | No | Call 112 now |
Not sure which row your skin is in? A doctor can tell you in one consultation.
See available times →What the doctors help with here
- Naming the rash: eczema, hives, polymorphic eruption of pregnancy, fungal infection or something else, assessed from your photos and history.
- The cholestasis check: every itch consultation asks about palms, soles and night-time itching, so the itch that needs blood tests is never treated as dry skin.
- Pregnancy-compatible treatment: emollients, suitable antihistamines, steroid cream courses and thrush-like fungal treatments, matched to your trimester.
- Keeping asthma controlled: inhaler technique, stepping treatment up or down, and a written plan for flares, with urgent-care thresholds spelled out.
- Honest cosmetic advice: what actually helps stretch marks and pigmentation, which is less than the cream aisle suggests, and which products to avoid in pregnancy, such as retinoid-containing creams.
When you need maternity services instead
See your midwife or maternity unit the same day for itching of the palms and soles without a rash, any rash that arrives with fever, abdominal pain, bleeding or reduced fetal movements, and jaundice or dark urine with pale stools alongside itching. In-person or specialist care is the right route for blistering rashes, rashes that cannot be identified confidently from photos, suspected chickenpox or shingles exposure in pregnancy, which needs prompt advice through your maternity team, and asthma that is deteriorating despite treatment. Emergencies go to 112, not to a booking page: throat swelling, anaphylaxis or a severe asthma attack. For everything else in this section, online assessment is usually a safe and fast first step.
When to get in-person care
Contact your midwife or maternity unit the same day if you itch without a rash, especially on your palms and soles, or if any skin problem comes with fever, pain, bleeding or a change in your baby's movements. Call 112 immediately for swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, difficulty breathing, an asthma attack that does not respond to your reliever, or feeling faint with a spreading rash.
Skin changes that are normal in pregnancy, and ones that are not
Most pregnancy skin changes are cosmetic and harmless: darkening of the midline, deeper pigment in the face, spider veins, mild acne and dry, stretched skin over the bump. They need moisturiser and patience more than medicine, and most fade after birth.
Two patterns deserve real attention. Intense itching without much rash, especially of the palms and soles and worse at night, needs a same-day blood test to check for obstetric cholestasis. And any new blistering rash, a rash that is spreading fast, or a rash with fever belongs in front of a doctor promptly rather than on a waiting list.
Everything in between, the eczema flares, hives and itchy bumps that make late pregnancy miserable, sits well online: these are diagnoses made largely by sight and story, and treatment is about choosing the creams and tablets with the strongest pregnancy record rather than the strongest label.
How Mobi Doctor works
- Book a time that suits you: open daily 7am–11pm CET. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, exact price up front.
- Upload photos of your skin, then speak to a licensed doctor: a private video call: you describe what you feel, the doctor asks what matters, and you agree the right plan together.
- Leave with your plan: everything agreed before you hang up: your plan, and a prescription to use at a pharmacy near you where medication is clinically right for you. If your doctor decides you need to be seen in person, you get a full refund.
No sign-up needed
Not sure which page fits? Tick every symptom you have to see each page that mentions it. It finds the right page, not a diagnosis: a doctor gives you that on a video call.
Tap the body — an area or a point — to browse symptoms anywhere
Not sure this is the right page? Look up any symptom in the full symptom checker, or book and describe it to a doctor.
Frequently asked questions about allergies and skin conditions in pregnancy
What causes skin changes in pregnancy, and which are normal?
Normal pregnancy skin changes include darkening of the nipples, a dark line down the abdomen, patches of pigmentation on the face (melasma), stretch marks, spider veins, red palms, more sweating and spots, and dry or itchy skin over the growing bump. They are caused by oestrogen and progesterone, extra blood flow and stretching, and most fade after birth. An allergy or skin condition you already have, such as eczema, can also change course.
What symptoms of a skin condition or allergy in pregnancy need a doctor?
See a doctor for a rash that itches enough to disturb sleep, spreads, blisters or weeps, for eczema that is cracking or infected, for hives that keep returning, for hay fever that wrecks sleep or worsens asthma, and for any itching without a rash, especially of the palms and soles. A rash with fever, a rash after contact with chickenpox or measles, or swelling of the face or mouth needs in-person care without delay.
Can an online doctor prescribe antihistamines or steroid creams during pregnancy?
Yes, after a consultation, when treatment is right for you. Loratadine and cetirizine are the antihistamines most often used in pregnancy, and short courses of mild to moderate steroid cream are standard for eczema and itchy rashes; the doctor chooses by your stage of pregnancy and symptoms, with the prescription usable at a pharmacy near you. A prescription is never issued without a consultation, and anything needing a swab or examination is directed in person.
Why is itching on my palms and soles urgent in pregnancy?
Because it is the classic pattern of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, a liver condition in which bile acids rise, usually after 28 weeks, causing intense itching of the palms and soles, worse at night, with no rash to see. Higher bile acids raise the risk of premature birth, so the diagnosis is made by blood tests and the pregnancy is monitored closely, sometimes with earlier delivery. Contact your midwife or maternity unit without delay.
Is it safe to keep using my asthma inhalers while pregnant?
Yes. Keep taking your preventer and reliever inhalers exactly as prescribed, because poorly controlled asthma lowers the oxygen reaching your baby and raises the risk of premature birth, while the inhaled medicines have decades of reassuring use in pregnancy. Needing a reliever three or more times a week, waking with wheeze, or a recent attack means your asthma needs a review, which the doctor can do by video.
Do creams prevent stretch marks?
No cream or oil is proven to prevent stretch marks, which depend on genetics, how fast the skin stretches and hormones rather than on moisturising. Moisturising still helps the dryness and itch of stretching skin, and the marks fade from red or purple to pale silvery lines over a year or two after birth. Avoid retinoid-containing anti-stretch-mark products in pregnancy; laser and retinoid treatments belong to after breastfeeding.
Do I need to avoid peanuts or other foods in pregnancy to prevent allergies in my baby?
No. Avoiding peanuts, eggs, milk or other common allergens in pregnancy is not recommended and does not prevent allergy in your baby; eat a normal balanced diet unless you are allergic to a food yourself. What does help is keeping your own eczema, hay fever and asthma well controlled, not smoking, and, after the birth, introducing allergenic foods to the baby from around 6 months as weaning advice suggests.
Which allergy tablets are considered suitable in pregnancy?
Loratadine and cetirizine are the antihistamines doctors turn to first in pregnancy, because they have the longest reassuring record and do not usually cause drowsiness; chlorphenamine, an older sedating antihistamine, is also used, including at night. Steroid nasal sprays and sodium cromoglicate eye drops are compatible with pregnancy. Decongestant tablets such as pseudoephedrine are avoided, particularly in the first trimester, and they hide in many combined cold and allergy remedies.
How long do pregnancy skin conditions and allergies last?
Most pregnancy skin changes follow the pregnancy: itchy rashes such as polymorphic eruption settle within weeks of birth, eczema flares calm as hormones settle, pregnancy rhinitis clears within about two weeks of delivery, and pigmentation fades over months. Stretch marks fade but do not vanish. Cholestasis itching stops within days of birth but returns in most future pregnancies, and asthma returns to its previous pattern within about three months.
What can I do myself for itchy or irritated skin in pregnancy?
Moisturise generously with a plain, unperfumed emollient several times a day and use it as a soap substitute, keep showers short and lukewarm, wear loose cotton, keep the bedroom cool, use a cool compress or a fridge-chilled emollient on itchy patches, cut nails short, and avoid new perfumed products. For allergies, saline nasal rinses, wraparound sunglasses, showering after being outdoors and keeping windows shut in high pollen reduce the need for tablets.
Can skin problems and allergies in pregnancy be prevented?
Partly. Moisturising from early pregnancy keeps dry, stretching skin comfortable and reduces eczema flares; staying on preventer inhalers and starting hay fever treatment before the season prevents the damage of uncontrolled allergy; high-factor sunscreen limits melasma; and avoiding known triggers and perfumed products prevents much irritation. Stretch marks, polymorphic eruption and cholestasis cannot be prevented, only recognised early and managed.
I have been near someone with chickenpox or measles. What should I do?
If you are not sure you are immune, contact a doctor or your maternity unit without delay, even though you feel well: a blood test can check immunity, and preventive treatment works best in the first days after contact. Chickenpox in pregnancy can be serious for you and, at certain stages, the baby, and measles raises the risk of miscarriage, so this skin infection is an in-person question, never a wait-and-see one.
How do I tell the pregnancy rashes apart?
Polymorphic eruption (PUPPP) is an itchy bumpy rash starting in the stretch marks late in a first pregnancy, sparing the navel, and harmless; atopic eruption of pregnancy is an eczema-type rash on the limbs and trunk, usually earlier; pemphigoid gestationis is rare, starts around the navel, blisters and needs a specialist; hives come and go within hours; and a rash with fever is assessed in person. Photos let the doctor tell them apart.
- Itch in pregnancy, NICE CKS, Clinical Knowledge Summaries, reviewed 2024.
- Dermatoses of pregnancy, DermNet New Zealand Trust, reviewed 2023.
- Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention (GINA report), GINA, Global Initiative for Asthma, 2025.
- Polymorphic eruption of pregnancy, DermNet, DermNet New Zealand Trust, 2024.
- Itching in pregnancy, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed February 2026.
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. Guideline links are provided for transparency; treatment decisions are made with your doctor.
Related conditions
From the Mobi Doctor podcast
The 10 Most Common Travel Illnesses
The travel illnesses doctors see most often in Europe, and how to handle each one away from home.
Listen · 23 Feb 2026 → Podcast · 13:26How to Stay Healthy on a Long Flight
Practical steps for circulation, hydration and infection risk before, during and after a long flight.
Listen · 23 Feb 2026 → Podcast · 15:41Debunking Gut Health Myths
What the evidence really says about gut health, and the popular claims that do not hold up.
Listen · 23 Feb 2026 →Speak to a doctor about allergies and skin conditions in pregnancy over video, usually within 15 minutes
Licensed doctors · open daily 7am–11pm CET · exact price before payment
See available times →