Pregnancy Acne

Acne is a skin condition that is affected by your hormonal balance, and during pregnancy that balance is not balanced! Many women look forward to the healthy pregnancy glow when their skin has never looked better.

But, a number of women will be plagued with flare ups of pimples, whiteheads and blackheads. Some women may see it as a trivial side effect of pregnancy, but others will be self-conscious. In a time of life when their entire appearance is changing over night, now their face has reverted back to their teen years.

During pregnancy your body secretes more hormones to support the developing baby. Some of those hormones include an increase in androgens, or male hormones. This increase in androgens is another trigger for the development of acne.

Women have several options to treat their acne during pregnancy, to reduce the outbreaks until their hormones balance out after delivery. Topical medications that may be successful include Glycolic acid and topical antibiotics such as erythromycin, clindamycin, azelaic acid and metronidazole.

If topical antibiotics are not successful or gets worse your physician may consider oral antibiotics. This is not the first line of defense against acne but there are 3 antibiotics that are Category B medications and are considered safe during pregnancy which are azithromycin, cephalexin and erythromycin.

Light based therapies are another option for pregnant women. The therapy is designed to kill the bacteria on the skin, slow the secretion of facial oils and reduce the inflammation on the face.

Both red and blue light therapies are successful in the treatment of acne. These light treatments are not usually covered by insurance for office visits. However, there are light therapy modules that are available for home therapy which cost between $150 and $350.

Skin care should include twice daily cleaning with lukewarm water and a mild cleanser. Any cleansers that include abrasives are too inflammatory for the skin. You should also use a broad-spectrum sunscreen to protect your face and skin from brown spots during pregnancy.

Try to keep your skin cool and dry and clean it thoroughly and quickly after working out and getting sweaty. Use air conditioning or several fans blowing on your to reduce the chance of overheating.

Take care with your hair as well. If you have oily hair you should shampoo daily and be careful to keep your hair off your face. Avoid picking or scratching your acne. This can increase the chance of scaring on your face and could possibly drive the infection deeper into your skin.

Stick with oil-free products in your cosmetics or skin care products. Look for products that say they are water-based or noncomedogenic or nonacnegenic.

RESOURCES

American Academy of Dermatology: Acne can put a damper on hopes of glowing skin during pregnancy http://www.aad.org/stories-and-news/news-releases/acne-can-put-a-damper-on-hopes-of-glowing-skin-during-pregnancy

American Pregnancy Association: Acne and Pregnancy http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/acnetreatment.html

Sonia Dakar: 5 Tips to Clear Pregnancy Acne http://www.sonyadakarskinclinic.com/how-to-get-rid-of-pregnancy-acne/#.U3akpfldWSo

MayoClinic: What's the best way to treat pregnancy acne http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/pregnancy-week-by-week/expert-answers/pregnancy-acne/faq-20058045

What to Expect: Acne During Pregnancy http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/whose-body/acne.aspx

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