Pregnancy is a blissful experience, but acne during pregnancy can be annoying. The treatment of acne during pregnancy is many. Medications prescribed by the doctor and some home remedies can help get rid of acne during pregnancy.
Treatment of Acne During Pregnancy: Home Remedies
- Wash your face with oil free mild cleanser and wash your face with lukewarm water. Use herbal soaps containing basil for better results
- Pregnant women should always get good sleep as more rest a pregnant woman gets, the more refreshed and healthy she looks
- Use non medicated astringent to keep the skin free of infections
- Never touch or prick acne and cause irritation as they can cause permanent scars on your face
- Apply in plenty some good oil free moisturizer as moisturized skin is less prone to acne
- Using an oil absorbing micro-fiber cloth for clearing the dust and the oil off the face and thus helps in reducing acne during pregnancy
- Daily exercise to improve circulation as it helps to circulate the hormones all over which results in healthy, acne free skin
- A sunscreen lotion containing SPF 15 or above should be used as there is a chance for darkening of skin, which is called as melasma, and the discoloration of the skin happens during 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy due to the hormonal imbalance
- Consume a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables as a lot for the nutrition is required for your baby. It will also act as antioxidants, which fight free radicals. In turn it can be a good treatment of acne during pregnancy
- Drink lots of water to keep your skin hydrated
- Try a facial, that is a natural type that can reduce the effects of acne during pregnancy
- If the acne is too severe, after pregnancy, go for laser resurfacing or other types of treatment that doesn’t cause any harm to the baby
Treatment of Acne During Pregnancy: Medications
- Benzoyl peroxide application is a safe treatment of acne during pregnancy and can be applied for reducing acne problem.
- Salicylic acid, in lower concentrations is a suggested acne treatment during pregnancy. But higher concentrations can irritate the skin and may cause some allergic effects. So we need to get a prescription before using salicylic acid as a treatment for acne at the time of pregnancy.
- Drugs containing erythromycin and clindamycin are proved safe and effective as a treatment of acne during pregnancy.
Medications to Avoid During Pregnancy
- Tetracycline is an oral antibiotic which can have some after effects like poor bone growth and discolored teeth in babies and other metabolic disorders in babies.
- Salicylic acid is a common ingredient of many skin treatment products, which can lead to the irritation of the skin and some birth defects in newborns.
- Retin-A or tretinon causes some developmental problem for babies, abortions and death of newborn babies. So it is not a reliable method of treatment of acne during pregnancy.
- Isotrentioin can also cause side effects during pregnancy like birth defects, miscarriage and infant death.
Treatment of acne during pregnancy is not limited to only medication. Certain home remedies and self-care tips for acne during pregnancy can be tried. Pregnancy is a delicate state, so take care!
With my first pregnancy I had it bad and nothing I could find would help, with this pregnancy I haven’t had much at all which is amazing for me since I tend to break out even when I’m not pregnant. I think it’s because I changed face washes. I use acne free face wash now. Not the system, just the face wash and oh my goodness, it works!