Acne During Pregnancy

Why is Acne During Pregnancy So Unpredictable?

Many pregnant women complain of getting acne during pregnancy. Even women that have never experienced acne breakout in their lives have struggled with pregnancy skincare for acne during pregnancy. It is a mystery why this happens. The cause is thought to be hormone levels that change and surge through a woman’s body during this gestational period during pregnancy. Due to these unpredictable changes, acne during pregnancy can begin flaring up from the first few weeks of pregnancy. It can begin in the form of mild blemishes and come and go throughout the pregnancy. Occasional acne breakout during pregnancy can continue throughout the full nine months. It could be severe enough to require some sort of skin care system.

Women have complained of acne appearing mainly on the face, chest and back areas during pregnancy. Some have concerns about acne with subsequent pregnancies. Occurrences can be different in every woman. While some will have moderate to severe outbreaks, others will not be bothered with acne during pregnancy at all. As with the pregnancy itself, each case is different. Women that are affected during a first pregnancy may not have acne during subsequent pregnancies, or vice versa. What is sometimes referred to as the subsequent pregnancies acne problem, is simply a myth. Mostly, levels of appearance in acne during pregnancies is due to an elevation in hormones. And that will be different with each pregnancy.

Is it safe to treat acne during pregancy with acne medicines?
The presence of acne during pregnancy causes women some concern as to how to treat it and what acne skincare during pregnancy is considered to be safe. Many women are reluctant to use treatments and are cautious about using drugs to treat acne during pregnancy. Several drugs that are used to treat general acne breakout are unsafe for the fetus if used during pregnancy. Most acne drugs have been tested and researched to use on acne during pregnancy. The bottom line is that it is just much safer to use a good cleanser.

Some acne drugs, especially a drug known as Accutane, are known to cause severe birth defects even if only used within a few months of becoming pregnant. Also, most drugs that are usually used do not treat a hormonal cause and instead attack bacteria that may be causing a breakout. Since it is known that acne during pregnancy is usually caused by fluctuating hormones, using these drugs would be ineffective since they don't address the root cause, pregnancy.

Even some over the counter face washes have come under question as to how safe they are in skincare treatments for acne during pregnancy. The main ingredient of concern is glycolic acid, which is found in several face washes that are marketed for treating and preventing acne. Research has been done on pregnancy skincare. Top dermatologists agree that there is no reason to prevent using these products to treat acne during pregnancy. However, each woman must decide to whether or not she feels comfortable using these products during the pregnancy period. Acne while pregnant is no fun. So, it is best to consult a physician before starting any treatment for acne during pregnancy.

When it comes down to it, there really is no cure for acne during pregnancy. The best advice for pregnancy skincare is to simply wash the affected area with mild soap twice per day and avoid using makeup, if possible. Just remember, it's usually hormones and that it is only temporary and will go away within a few weeks after your baby is born.