Treating Pregnancy Acne Safely

Several changes take place in a woman’s body during pregnancy. Among these changes, your skin may break out in mild or severe acne. Although you may have used several products or procedures to treat acne pre-pregnancy, they may affect the baby’s health when used while pregnant. Therefore, it is recommended that you seek the best dermatologist near you for acne treatment in Houston to enjoy beautiful skin during pregnancy.

What Is Pregnancy Acne?

Pregnancy acne is pimples or cysts that arise during pregnancy due to hormones that increase oil secretions. This skin breakout affects even women without previous history of acne and varies in severity from woman to woman. You may have mild or severe acne.

Most pregnancy acne clears up once your baby is born since there is a reduction in hormone production. However, the immune system function also returns to normal therefore resolving the acne. Mild pregnancy acne can be self-treated at home with self-care, but a dermatologist near you should treat severe cases of pregnancy.

Pregnancy Acne Causes

1. Hormones

Progesterone is a hormone responsible for supporting the growth of your baby in pregnancy. As a result, levels of pregnancy hormones increase in the first and third trimesters. These hormones stimulate the skin’s oil glands, resulting in overproduction of sebum or skin oil, leading to pregnancy acne. Pregnancy acne is especially severe in your third trimester since androgen levels increase to help prepare the body for labor.

2. Suppressed immunity

While pregnant, your immune system changes constantly and may be suppressed. When the body’s immunity goes down, your skin cannot fight off acne successfully, leading to pregnancy acne.

3. Stress

Levels of stress hormones may increase while pregnant and trigger breakouts.

Pregnancy Acne Treatments

As much as you want to have beautiful skin during pregnancy, the developing baby’s health is a priority. Unfortunately, several over-the-counter products commonly used to treat acne contain ingredients that can cause congenital disabilities when used by pregnant women. These ingredients seep into the bloodstream and interact with the development of the fetus.

Therefore, before embarking on any acne treatments, you should consult your obstetrician and the best dermatologist near you. They will recommend products and treatments that are safe for your use while taking special precautions to consider your welfare and your unborn baby’s.

Dermatological Treatment for Pregnancy Acne

During pregnancy, your skin is extra sensitive. Although most dermatological procedures are not harmful to you or your baby, they are not recommended due to their adverse effects on your skin. In addition, while pregnant, the treatments may not have the same positive results as they might if you are not pregnant. Therefore, the dermatologist will help you design a safe and effective skincare routine.

Acne treatment in Houston consists of elective dermatological treatments which will leave you looking your best while protecting the health of your child. Among the treatments offered at Aviva Dermatology is an option known as a Facial.

The specialist cleanses and exfoliates the skin to get rid of your acne. For beautiful glowing skin, procedures such as extractions to clean out clogged pores, cortisone injections to shrink cystic pimples, and glycolic acid peels are combined with prescribed antibiotics.

Self-Care for Pregnancy Acne

• Wash your face with a gentle cleanser and lukewarm water morning and night, followed by a light moisturizer.
• Do not scrub or over-cleanse your skin since the oil glands of your skin can be overstimulated.
• Choose oil-free products free of fragrance.
• Do not pick or pop the pimples to reduce chances of scarring permanently or infection.
• If you have oily hair that comes into contact with your skin, shampoo it daily to avoid acne flare-up.
• Avoid touching your face as the bacteria on your fingers can lead to more acne.
• Frequently change your pillowcases,

Acne Treatment Benefits

1. Treating acne prevents scars from developing due to breaking out.
2. Adverse effects to your self-esteem and confidence due to acne are repaired once the acne is effectively treated.
3. Acne treatment stops post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation (PIH) or dark spots where the acne developed and lingered.
4. Treating acne can prevent future breakouts.

At Aviva Dermatology-Houston, we create customized skin treatment plans for the whole family. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us for comprehensive and compassionate care for all skin conditions, including pregnancy acne, acne scar surgery, laser treatments, microdermabrasion, PRP, infusion facial, micro-needling, and chemical peels.