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How To Reduce Acne During Pregnancy

All the romance novels and television movies make us think we’re supposed to look dewy-faced when we’re pregnant. So why do so many of us look pizza-faced instead? The culprit is the hormone androgen. The level of androgen in a woman’s body increases while she is pregnant, and this increases the risk of acne during pregnancy. If you experienced breakouts during your menstrual periods, you are especially likely to become the victim of acne during pregnancy.

Unfortunately, the standard treatments, including Retin-A, Tetracycline, and Accutane, are not options for pregnant women due to the risk of harming the fetus. Accutane, especially, has been linked to birth defects, and tetracycline may cause problems with the baby’s bones and teeth. Retin-A has not been linked specifically to any fetal problems, but doctors do know that around 10% of Retin-A crosses the placenta to reach the fetus.

With the most recent treatments considered unsafe for pregnant women, women who suffer acne during pregnancy must consider more old-fashioned methods of treatment.
You might think sweating would be the last thing you want to do, but surprisingly, regular exercise can help reduce acne during pregnancy. Exercise will help decrease your level of stress. Being stressed out can make acne worse. Exercise will also improve the blood flow throughout your body which will make all of your skin healthier.

Check out our Acne Tips for more general info on how to improve your complexion whilst suffering with acne.

Another way to decrease breakouts is to watch what you eat. Fried foods and excessive sweets have been linked to blemishes. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables can help improve your acne during pregnancy.
You should wash your face at least twice a day. Use a mild, oil-free soap, and don’t scrub with a washcloth. Using a harsh soap and scrubbing at your skin will strip away the natural oil, sending the message to your glands to produce more. When you wash, use your hands or an oil-absorbing cloth to cleanse your skin. Then pat your skin dry and use an oil-free moisturizer.

If you make sure it is make-up, make sure it is not oil based. Be sure to wash it off before bedtime. Excessive make-up can cause acne during pregnancy.
Finally, don’t squeeze or pop pimples. This will only lead to scarring. Also, try to avoid touching the pimples and then touching other areas of your face, as this could cause acne during pregnancy to spread.

If your skin problems become too uncomfortable, speak with your doctor. You may want to consult with a dermatologist, but you should make sure the dermatologist knows you are pregnant. Just to be safe, consult with your ob-gyn before taking any medications for acne during pregnancy prescribed by another doctor.
Pimples while you are pregnant can make you feel self-conscious just when you want to open up to the world and enjoy it the most. Luckily, most acne during pregnancy starts to resolve by the end of the first trimester. Skin problems are usually far less of an issue later in pregnancy.  

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How to beat adult acne once and for all

I am 21 years old and still battling acne. I’ve tried different over-the-counter acne medications, but none help. Some seem to even make the problem worse. What do you recommend?
Common acne (acne vulgaris) is the most common skin disease, affecting about 80 percent of people some time between the ages of 11 and 30 years. Acne also can occur in newborns and adults over age 30. Without treatment, acne can sometimes result in permanent scarring, adversely effect social development in teenagers and cause feelings of depression.

Acne usually begins during the pubertal period. An increase in the production of oils by the glands of the skin, accompanied by a failure of the cells lining the pores to migrate to the surface, cause the lesions of acne: open comedomes (blackheads); closed comedomes (whiteheads); and cysts. In some forms of acne, bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes, can grow.
Some of the risk factors for developing acne include adolescence, certain medications, anabolic steroids and living in a hot, humid climate. Also, the oils in some cosmetics, hair products and suntan lotions can exacerbate acne. Acne also can worsen the week before menses and during pregnancy. Don’t worry about what you eat. Foods, such as chocolate or pizza, have not been shown to cause acne.
The treatment of acne begins with avoiding picking at, squeezing and scrubbing acne lesions. This will only make it worse. Wash your face with a gentle cleanser such as Dove or Neutrogena. Use cosmetics and lotions that are oil free and noncomedogenic (it will usually say so on the bottle).

There are many over-the-counter and prescription medicines available to treat acne. If acne doesn’t improve with over-the-counter medicines, see your physician. He or she will take into account the type and severity of acne when beginning treatment.
Treatment often begins with a topical agent such as benzoyl peroxide, antibiotics (erythromycin, clindamycin, doxycycline), or products derived from vitamin A (such as Retin-A, Renova, or Differin). Combinations of these medicines are commonly prescribed.
Acne may flare initially when starting a topical medicine. The vitamin A derived medicines, especially, are very drying and irritating to the skin when first started. They also make your skin more sensitive to the sun. Use a moisturizer and sunscreen to lessen these effects.

For more severe acne, treatment may consist of topical agents combined with oral antibiotics. Certain oral contraceptives have been shown to improve acne in women.
The most severe forms of acne are treated with Accutane. This medication can have very serious side-effects.

In most cases, acne can be successfully treated.
Write to Dr. Dennis Cardone at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Department of Family Medicine, 1 Robert Wood Johnson Place, New Brunswick, N.J. 08903. Or e-mail him at askthedoc@umdnj.edu.

Sourced from http://www.nj.com

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