The increase in hormone levels during pregnancy is the main cause of many of the physical changes like acne during pregnancy. These hormones can also be the cause of skin/acne during pregnancy. Women who are pregnant can rest assured they are not alone in the fight against acne as many women face the same breakouts while pregnant.

Retin-A Cream is not recommended to be used during pregnancy.

Androgens and acne

The specific hormones responsible for the breakouts or skin/acne during pregnancy are androgens. Androgens increase the oil flow from the sebaceous glands in the skin. the skin naturally sheds dead skin cells to the tune of more than 30,000 a day. These cells are what clog the pores of the skin and cause acne. When the sebaceous glands are releasing more oils than ever before, once the pores clog up - the breakout is inevitable.

Preventing acne during pregnancy

There is very little a woman can do to completely prevent the acne breakouts that happen during pregnancy. As stated before, with more than 30,000 skin cells shedding every day, no matter how many times the face is washed the skin shells will shed and potentially clog a pore.

As a matter of fact, increasing the number of times the face is washed may actually increase the skin/acne during pregnancy. The natural oils of the face lubricate the skin. With too many facial washings, the skin will dry out and cause additional skin cells to shed or flake away. These skin cells will increase the chance of a pregnancy breakout.

Treating acne during pregnancy

There are several ways to treat skin/acne during pregnancy. These include washing the face properly, using the right moisturizers, gentle drying, and allowing nature to take its course.

When washing the face, make sure to use an oil-free facial wash only two times a day. The best times are upon waking and before bed. Scrubbing the face will only lead to irritation and increased skin/acne during pregnancy.

Moisturizing the skin is essential, but make sure the facial conditioner is oil-free. Adding more oil to the skin will only make the condition worse or increase the chance of skin/acne during pregnancy.

After washing the face it is important to dry the face gently. Rubbing the skin with a towel is not an option as irritation can cause additional acne. The proper way to dry the skin is to pat the skin with a soft, lint-free towel just until the skin is free from running water.

Allowing nature to take its course simply means to leave the skin/acne during pregnancy alone. Popping the pimples or squeezing the blemishes will only increase irritation and increase the potential for scarring after the wound heals.

The pregnancy changes in the body are not always beautiful, but rest assured the sebaceous glands will return to normal excretion levels after the baby is born and skin conditions will clear.