Many acne treatments are unsafe during pregnancy
Women who are preparing for pregnancy should also be aware that they can develop acne in pregnancy from the raging hormones that their bodies release. This is fairly common among pregnant women and while most don’t develop any serious acne it can still be a hassle. Plus there are those that develop big red swollen cystic acne during their pregnancy and beyond. Your obstetrician will tell you that it’s simply a consequence of the hormones and the acne should subside once you have the baby.
This often sets a lot of women to believing that they have no recourse and must deal with the acne along with numerous other ‘symptoms’ of pregnancy. They often don’t visit the dermatologist or use any form of over the counter acne medication because they are concerned that it could hurt the baby. There are methods for treating the acne in pregnancy that women can develop despite the fact that treatment choices are limited. Topical medications such as erythromycin, benzoyl peroxide, and salicylic acid are listed as category C drugs by the FDA ( Food and Drug Administration) which means that they haven’t been tested in studies on pregnant women but in all the years they’ve been used there hasn’t been a recorded case of the drug being harmful to pregnant women and their babies. You would normally find these in over the counter facial cleansers, masks and creams. On the other hand drugs such as Sulfur, Retinoids and Accutane have been found to be harmful during pregnancy. You should also avoid any oral acne treatment to be on the safe side as these work from the inside out to affect acne and are usually stronger than topical drugs.
That includes herbal supplements! Your dermatologist may on rare occasion prescribe an oral dose of erythromycin or predinisone containing treatments if the acne is very severe in order to keep more facial scarring from occurring. This will only be for a very short time and your dermatologist and your obstetrician should both be watching you closely. You can make use of many herbal products to treat the acne in pregnancy, such as using a regular clay mask or herbal cleanser. Do remember to avoid oral supplements unless you’ve talked with the obstetrician about them and they are deemed safe. To be on the safe side you should write down a list of all the potential acne treatments and have the obstetrician review them with you.
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Martin Hansen is the creator of one of the most up-to-date acne treatment review sites on the Internet today. Find more info on acne in pregnancy and possibly ban your acne forever at http://www.myacnetreatmentreview.com