Can pregnancy cause acne?

Can pregnancy cause acne breakouts ?

It’s true that there’s some unique glow of pregnancy on women’s face, but no one talks about how the skin breaks out during pregnancy and cause acne. Pregnancy leads to an increase in the secretion of oil that becomes the reason for skin breakout and leads to severe pregnancy acne. Even those women who have never had acne once in their life also experience skin breakout during pregnancy. Hormonal changes have a significant role in causing acne in pregnant women, specifically androgen. 

Cause of acne during pregnancy

• Hormones

During the first trimester, the increased level of hormones becomes the most common reason for acne. Those who can manage their acne during the first trimester are less likely to have acne in their second and third trimester. During the third trimester, androgen levels are significantly higher. The acne will go to a worse condition in this stage. 

• Acne history

Women who had acne before their pregnancy are more inclined to have acne during the whole period. These are considered the acne flare-ups for such women. It actually affects women’s health as they feel more depressed due to their skin breakouts. But natural factors such as hormones modification can’t be restricted. 

• Suppressed immune system

Another factor that adds up the risk of acne during pregnancy is the suppression of the immune system. The immune system helps women to fight against acne. But during pregnancy, the immune system is somewhat suppressed and function lower than normal. The constant changing and suppression of the immune system lead to a worse condition of skin breakout during pregnancy. 

• Stress

A woman feels more stressed out due to skin breakouts, existing conditions, and constant sickness during pregnancy. Stress also worsens acne. 

Treatments or remedies the pregnancy acne

• Constant washing and removing oil from the face can clean the bacteria and germs on the face and prevent acne. It’s a common cure to treat acne whether a person is pregnant or not. 
• It’s necessary to kill the acne-causing bacteria, so antibiotics like clindamycin may help reduce acne during pregnancy. 
• Sulfur-based washes can be used to deal with skin inflammation.
• Oil-free and non-abrasive cleansers can help reduce breakouts during pregnancy. Make sure that these cleansers and face washes are free of chemicals. Use the products that have the label of non-comedogenic or non-acnegenic. 
• Azelaic acid also helps to reduce swelling and redness caused by acne. 
• Maintain a nutritious diet and keep your lifestyle healthy during pregnancy because a wholesome lifestyle can reduce the growth of germs on the face.

Pregnancy acne prevention

Try to change the pillowcases frequently and keep your hands clean. Try to avoid touching the face even after your hands are cleaned. 

Treatments and skincare products should not be used without consulting with your gynecologist because there are chemicals in skincare products that can be absorbed in the body and ultimately harm the baby. So it’s better to take prevention than side effects. 

Bottom Line

Can pregnancy cause acne? It is the harshest question with a drastic answer of yes, it can, but taking constant care of skin and managing a healthy diet can help during pregnancy to lower acne and skin breakouts.