Pregnancy and Acne
Pregnancy and acne can often go hand in hand. Particularly during your first trimester, as your hormones are rapidly changing, new acne lesions can sprout up. Dr. Schweiger notes that, “During pregnancy, it is very important to treat your acne with the help of a dermatologist. It is not safe to try over-the-counter treatments for your acne, as many of them have not been proven to be safe for use during pregnancy. Your dermatologist can recommend prescription medications that have been studied for use during pregnancy, and in-office treatments that will not cause any harm to your baby.”
Here are the basics to keep in mind when facing acne during pregnancy:
- Speak with your dermatologist – even over-the-counter acne treatments can be unsafe for using during pregnancy
- Practice good skin care – wash your face in the morning and the evening with a cleanser formulated for acne-prone skin. We often recommend that our mothers-to-be use the Clarisonic Cleansing Brush with their cleansers, in order to deeply clean out clogged pores and prevent acne.
- Ask your dermatologist about treatments that are safe during pregnancy. We like the Isolaz acne treatment and Blue/Red LED light therapy for our patients who are expecting. Both treatments kill the acne-causing bacteria, without using medications that aren’t safe for the baby.
- Consider extractions for clogged pores. A medical facial with extractions will help to clean out clogged pores and get rid of blackheads and whiteheads that occur during pregnancy.
Click here to learn more about treatments for acne during pregnancy.
