Treating Pregnancy Acne

It is an extremely common thing to get acne when pregnant. This is because the hormonal changes that take place when pregnant really do have massive potential for breaking out the skin. If you know how to treat acne, then you can prevent any scarring from taking place and thereby also reduce emotional distress.

Acne happens to be one of the most common changes in the skin to occur when a person gets pregnant. This is according to a whole host of studies and research. The good news is that there are over-the-counter and also prescription meds available for this condition. The unfortunate thing, however, is the fact that there do remain some concerns about using these products when a woman is pregnant.

Let us take a closer look at how to treat acne when you are pregnant. Let us also take a brief look at what acne during pregnancy looks like and whether or not if the condition can persist after pregnancy.

Treatments

The hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy are the primary cause of acne. The two hormones that are mainly responsible for causing acne are testosterone and androstenedione. These two hormones belong to a family of hormones that are known as androgens. When a woman has these hormones in levels that are too high, it can lead to infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome, and acne as well. According to a study that was conducted in 2014, the levels of these hormones rise significantly in the first trimester of the pregnancy and it continues to rise throughout the process.

These hormones are responsible for stimulating too much oil production activities in the sebaceous glands of the skin. The glads then produce more sebum than is necessary and that can clog pores and also cause lesions of acne.

The treatments available for acne in the market today all focus on the control of sebum production and also on clearing up pores that are clogged. Women who suffer from this condition can treat their pregnancy acne with either medication or with the help of some at-home treatments.

Medication

There are a lot of acne products available in the market that have both benzoyl peroxide and also salicylic acid. The latter is one kind of beta-hydroxy acid. It reduces acne in the skin by dissolving the skin that is dead and as a result, clears up the pores. On the other hand, Benzoyl peroxide works by killing off the bacteria that causes acne in the first place, and it also clears up pores that have excess oil and skin cells that are dead.

Pregnant women can make use of these products that contain the aforementioned ingredients and use them safely. It is important to note, however, that the ingredients mentioned do have the potential to cause some forms of skin reactions. This includes the following.

• dryness
• irritation
• peeling

According to the ACOG, the prescription meds listed below should be avoided by pregnant women. That is because these medications increase the chances of complications in pregnancy and also increase the likelihood of congenital disabilities.

• Isotretinoin
• topical retinoids
• hormonal therapy
• oral tetracyclines

The above-listed medications should be strictly avoided by women when they are pregnant. It is advised to get the help of a doctor to know about the particulars of medication that can work best at this particular moment in time.

Try Home-Remedies Like Light Therapy

Light therapy is an extremely popular method of therapy that is used for a wide range of issues. It is used to treat seasonal affective disorder most commonly, but it can also help with a range of other conditions, including acne during pregnancy, even eczema.

When you undergo a light therapy session, what you are doing is basically just sitting near a device that is known as a light therapy box. The box emits light, and the basic idea here is to recreate the light that is found in the outdoors, in an indoor setting.

Light therapy is mainly thought to affect the chemicals within the brain that are mainly connected to both mood and sleep as well. Using a light therapy box or an LED light mask really does have a lot of potential to treat acne during pregnancy as well.

One of the major benefits of this type of therapy is that it can be done in the comfort of your own home. That means that during this time of the pandemic, you can safely get a light therapy device or an LED face mask and get at-home treatment for your pregnancy acne

This type of therapy also produces very few side effects. It also has the potential, as we have already mentioned before, to help with a variety of other conditions. Some of these are common conditions that pregnant women face, including sleeping issues.

Meta Description: Pregnancy is a time when women are already going through a whole host of changes in their bodies. Getting acne during this time can be very emotionally distressing. Read on to know more about what can be done about pregnancy acne.