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Linea nigra
The linea nigra is that dark, vertical line that extends from your belly button to your pubic area (though some do extend to your rib cage). It usually appears in the twenty-third week of pregnancy, is about 1 cm thick and sometimes first appears as a faint white line.
The linea nigra, which is the result of your lovely pregnancy hormones, is very common, however, not all women will get it. Women with darker skin tones, whose bellies are frequently exposed to the sun and who don’t receive enough folic acid in their diets are more likely to have a darker line.
Luckily, your linea nigra will disappear a few months after you give birth, but some women do see it darken if they try and get a tan afterwards.
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