Acne during pregnancy is very common. It has no link whether you have previously had acne or not. Women usually develop acne during pregnancy due to increase in the level of hormones of the body.



A high level of Progesterone hormones produce more oil in the body, which leads to more acne. Also the hydration level of your body gets changed due to which hormone secretions remain undiluted.

The first 3 months of pregnancy are the ones during which much of the fluctuation in hormones takes place and so this is the time when risks of acne are greater. But as soon as your pregnancy progresses, the estrogen level increases greatly and now the progesterone is produced by the placenta instead of ovaries, which improves the condition of acne. It is usually observed that once a woman have given birth to a child her skin condition returns back to normal as long as her estrogen level remains high. But if a decrease occurs in the level of her estrogen then this gives rise to more and more breakouts.

The type of acne, which is most commonly observed during pregnancy, is cystic, body, pustules and blackheads. Some women are afraid of the thought that if they are suffering through acne during pregnancy their child will also develop it after birth. This is an extremely wrong concept, as there is no direct connection between acne during pregnancy and child developing acne after birth.

Some women consult dermatologists in the initial days of their pregnancy because they think if they will take preventive measures in the beginning it will save them from developing acne later during their pregnancy. This is again a wrong concept because there is no way a woman can prevent acne to develop during pregnancy because it’s not predictable. Some women might develop it during the first 3 months and then it gets disappeared. Other might not develop it during pregnancy and experience it once the child has born. So there is no hard and fast rule and so it is very difficult to suggest any preventive measures. But yes you can do a number of things for the safety of your skin:

• Keep your skin clean and tidy to protect it against bacteria.
• Maintain a well balanced diet including fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Exercise regularly.
• Cleanse your skin to keep it oil-free. If you develop acne during pregnancy cleanse your skin twice a day. Use soap or other suitable cleansers for this purpose that does not leave irritated and inflammatory feeling on the skin
• Quickly dry your skin and apply an oil-free moisturizer.
• Do not rub the affected areas.

These are simple and safe steps to follow which does not affect your health during pregnancy. But if you try to cure your acne condition using oral medicines it can be dangerous for your pregnancy causing abnormalities, birth defects and even miscarriage. Besides oral medicines high doses of vitamin A also leaves extreme side effects on pregnancy giving rise to disabilities and brain malformations.

If you have been suffering through acne for many years and are on any type of oral medications such as isotretinoin or Accutane, retinoids, adapalene or tetracycline antibiotics it is important to discuss your acne treatment with your doctor because a number of these medicines have adverse side effects on pregnancy and also harm the baby. It is also recommended that women trying to conceive should stop using these medicines at least 10-15 days earlier because effects of these medicines remains in the body for at least two months which also affects pregnancy.

The only safe oral medicines that can be used for the treatment of your acne during pregnancy are Erythromycin but it does not cure severe forms of acne. Again it is better to discuss your condition with your doctor and avoid these medicines as much as possible.

The level of water in the skin also decreases during pregnancy making it dry and dehydrated. For this purpose a number of creams and gels containing benzoyl peroxide are available. Most women use such gels and creams with the impression that as these are applied externally they won’t affect their pregnancy. This is again a very wrong concept because these creams and gels are too harsh for your extra sensitive skin during pregnancy. To treat this problem safely it is better to use herbal remedies made up of natural products such as garlic, Tea tree oil, cucumber, lemon, neem etc. These leave no side effects on your skin and body and are completely safe to use on spots and blemishes even during pregnancy. Facial wash or clay masks are also effective for your skin, which removes blackheads, absorbs excessive oils and open clogged pores. Doctors also suggest following a detox diet during pregnancy because it is full of antioxidants, which play an important role in cleaning away free radicals and toxins and controlling oil secretion.

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