Prego Acne

Prego women often have worse acne in pregnancy, stopping the pill, hormonal fluctuations, abandoning products that were working to control the acne, stopping laser treatments, the hormones are responsible for most of it. Thankfully actually not all pregos do get a worsening of their acne. If treatment regimens that were working prior to pregnancy were abandoned you can have initial flares that aren't very directly related to the pregnancy. So gab to your gyno immediately about what regimens are safe, many are. Like your birth control pills, yes, the pregnancy elevations in estrogen keep zits at bay several ways: less testosterone from the ovary and more sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) from the liver (to bind the male hormones that do escape and circulate). Some study shows that as many as a third of acne cases actually improve in pregnancy, but most women will report some worsening. With all that estrogen circulating how can that be!? Progesterone, made in large doses from the ovary in early pregnancy, and later by the placenta. Progesterone has some androgenic components, is increased during pregnancy (from the placenta), resulting in more secretions from the skin glands. In transition once you deliver your hormones take another roller coaster ride and for some the rapid drop in estrogen, with the ovary still producing the progesterone and some persistence of the progesterone levels because they were so high you might see post partum triggering of acne for the first time. This is called postgestational acne. Maintaining hydration should help, meaning the 8 of water a day. Women should consult their doctor if a topical medication is needed. Azeliaic acid, topical erythromycin or clindamycin and oral erythromycin are all safe to use in pregnancy, the salicylic acids are also considered fairly safe, but consult your own gyno. Topical tretinoin has not been reported to cause risk, but no studies have established safety and should be avoided. Tetracycline are contraindicated during pregnancy, it gets incorporated into bone and has been reported to cause permanent tooth staining or damage, so be sure to call if you were on an antibiotic for acne. Appropriate cleansing with mild abrasion aids has been found to be very helpful, as are the medical grade cleansing brushes like the Clarisonic. Many of the peels and facials are safe in pregnancy.  Lasers are not tested for safety during pregnancy. Most physicians will let you return to using lasers after delivery even if you are breastfeeding.