It is a popular misconception that acne only affects teenagers. It is more common in adult life than many people realize, and it is especially frequent in pregnant women due to the hormonal activity associated with pregnancy. This presents special difficulties because many standard acne treatments have been found to be very damaging to the unborn baby.
Pregnancy acne treatment therefore has to look for am acceptable balance between dealing with the patient’s acne symptoms and at the same time protecting the unborn baby.
Pharmacology Warnings
Please note that we cannot cover all of the dangers here and patients should always consult their physician before commencing any treatment.
Many of the most popular acne remedies are not advisable for use in pregnancy acne treatment. Whether taken by mouth (orally) or applied directly to the affected skin (topically), they have real potential to harm the unborn baby. Caution is also required in acne treatment for breast-feeding mothers. The very first thing to do is, as ever, consult a physician prior to commencing acne treatment. For severe acne outbreaks, a consultation with an experienced dermatologist could be the best option. Dermatologists are skin specialists who have more specific dermatological experience and expertise than most general medical practitioners.
Some of the most effective medications contain retinoids, for example Accutane. However, these must never be used by women who are (or may be) pregnant. There is a body of reliable clinical evidence which makes it clear that retinoid usage can lead to severe birth defects.
Topically-applied products containing benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid are amongst the most common pharmaceutical acne treatments. These products are not safe to use during pregnancy. Instead, consider using over-the-counter medications based on glycolic acid but be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions in order to avoid adverse side effects.
Alternative Medicines
Over the years, many natural products have been proposed as acne treatments. These may be worth considering for pregnancy acne treatment as they have few if any side effects. Indeed, some might argue that many of them have no effect whatsoever. Note that there is no clinical evidence supporting their effectiveness, either.
An enormous range of natural ingredients has been proposed for acne treatment. This includes honey, cinnamon, mint and lemon or orange derivatives such as juice and peel. There are many others. The ingredients are prepared as a cream, paste or lotion that is regularly applied to the skin. Sometimes a daily regimen is specified, and this at least may be beneficial to the patient.
Some alternative acne remedies are simply scams. Expensive herbal remedies are available online and in some retailers. There is no clinical proof that they have any useful benefits, although they are likely (but not guaranteed) to be safe for pregnancy acne treatment. As ever, be suspicious of expensive herbal preparations and the often risible claims made for them.
Some long-established sham treatments come around again and again. Favorites must include homeopathy and acupuncture. These are amongst the oldest known medical scams. Both claim to fix almost every known illness, and they are frequently suggested as “cures” for acne. Can just one mode of treatment fix everything? No, of course it can’t.
Acupuncture: Old But Not Worthy
Acupuncture is an alternative therapy with its roots deep in ancient traditional Chinese medicine. There is no clinical evidence in support of any of the methodologies or effects claimed by acupuncture practitioners. The mere fact that the same treatment is supposed to cure almost all human illnesses should be enough warning. Much as in homeopathy, though, the procedure is unlikely to harm the fetus so it is probably safe as a pregnancy acne treatment.
A Closer Look At Homeopathy
In homeopathic remedies, successive dilution is used so that all traces of the original active ingredients are lost. The resulting potion is supposed to somehow remember that the active ingredients were once present, but of course there is no physical mechanism by which this memory effect could arise. The claims made for these products should be treated with the derision that they deserve. At least the buyer can be pretty confident that homeopathic remedies are inert and hence are likely to be safe to use as a pregnancy acne treatment.
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