Pregnancy and Acne - What Pimple Treatment Is Safe for Pregnant Women?

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Pregnancy and acne can go hand-in-hand. Although some women never suffer from pimples throughout their lives, getting pregnant might introduce them to this skin condition. It is natural for some women to experience acne, particularly during the early months of pregnancy.

Acne treatment and medication options can range from facial cream to antibacterial formulas to oral antibiotics. However, most of these are not recommended to pregnant women since they can have side effects, not only for the mother but also for the unborn baby. To get a better idea of how to deal with zits during pregnancy, here are some pointers to take note.

Why some pregnant women have zits

Pregnant women, particularly during the early stages of pregnancy, produce elevated levels of androgens. This causes hormonal imbalance and initiates excessive production of skin oil or sebum which leads to skin breakouts or pimples. Most of the time, the zits just disappear after the first trimester. However, there are cases when acne will persist until the woman has given birth; and might even extend beyond that.

What to do

The first thing that a mother-to-be suffering from acne should do is to consult a doctor. She should never just take any treatment, whether in cream form or in oral form to address the problem without having a talk with a physician first.

More than likely, doctors will suggest a natural cure or an herbal treatment to prevent adverse effects. Women who are about to be mothers can simply use mild soap and warm water to get rid of their acne, or make natural cures out of what's available in the kitchen, like oatmeal facial masks, lemon juice astringent, tomato pulp facial paste and other treatment formulas that are made from natural materials.

In cases when acne is severe, doctors might prescribe topical benzoyl peroxide. This is said to be relatively safe since only a small amount is absorbed systematically. Sometimes, antibiotics like erythromycin are also suggested. These cures are known to cross the placenta only minimally and are easily metabolized. However, both should never be used unless a doctor has given his go signal.

What not to do

There are a host of medication options that should be avoided during pregnancy, one of which is Isotretinoin or Accutane. This treatment has been reported to cause fetal defects and is supposedly a potential cause for miscarriage. Another treatment that should be avoided is tetracycline, which is said to cause bone growth abnormalities in babies. Strong formulas, such as those that contain salicylic acid are also not recommended to pregnant women with acne.

Pregnancy and acne can happen at the same time. But before using any treatment to cure the latter, a woman should always consider the harm it could cause to the former.