Patient handout · Skin Care
So many things change during pregnancy, and your acne treatment may need to be one of them. Here's what you should know about using acne treatment while you're pregnant.
If you're pregnant, immediately stop taking these medications and do not use them during your pregnancy. These medications can cause severe birth defects.
It's more challenging to say what can safely treat acne while you're pregnant. Researchers don't give pregnant women medications, so there are no studies to tell us what happens when pregnant women use a treatment. Our knowledge base comes from animal studies and from women who have used acne treatments while pregnant. From this, researchers have learned the following about acne medications:
Topical Antibiotics (you apply to your skin): Applying clindamycin during pregnancy is thought to be safe. Before using it while you're pregnant, it's best to check with your obstetrician or skin specialist
Oral Antibiotics (you take by mouth): Cefadroxil is an antibiotic that can help clear severe acne. Researchers haven't seen birth defects when giving pregnant animals large amounts of this antibiotic. The antibiotics often used to treat acne, such as azithromycin and clarithromycin, also seem safe during pregnancy. However, a few women have had a baby with a birth defect while taking one of these. We don't know for sure whether the antibiotic caused the birth defect. We recommend you stop taking doxycycline, minocycline, or tetracycline by the 15th week of pregnancy.
Azelaic acid: This is thought to be safe to use during pregnancy. In animal studies, researchers haven't seen birth defects.
Benzoyl peroxide: Often found in acne treatment, you can buy this medication without a prescription. Experts say it's safe to use in limited amounts. For this reason, you should talk with your obstetrician or dermatologist before using it while you're pregnant.
Dapsone (brand name, Aczone®): This medication hasn't caused birth defects in animal studies. While that's great news, we don't have much information about what happens when pregnant women take it. This is a newer acne treatment. For this reason, experts recommend that doctors be very cautious when they prescribe dapsone to pregnant women.
Laser and light therapies: Lasers have been used to treat medical conditions in pregnant women safely. As such, lasers are considered relatively safe for women who are pregnant. If you are considering using a laser or light treatment for your acne while pregnant, please make an appointment to see a skin specialist first. There are many different types of lasers and light treatments. Some require a numbing solution or medicine, which could affect your baby.
Salicylic acid: Often found in acne treatment, you can buy this medication without a prescription. It is generally considered safe when used for a limited time. For this reason, you should talk with your obstetrician or dermatologist before using it during your pregnancy.
As you can see, we don't have much information about what can safely treat acne during pregnancy. Your health also plays a role in what acne treatments you can use while you're pregnant. If you want to treat acne during pregnancy, it helps to get expert advice from your obstetrician or a skin specialist before using any acne treatment.
Appointments available at Hillside Medical Clinic in Victoria and Kensington Medical Clinic in Burnaby.