Acne is a skin condition that can affect anyone at any age. Though it is possible to control acne using the right skincare and medication, there is some acne medication that has to be avoided by pregnant women and those who plan to become pregnant. These medications should be avoided by these women for the potential harm it can induce to a fetus.
These acne medications are hormonal therapy using drugs with estrogen, flutamide and spironolactone, irotretinoin, oral tetracyclines like doxycycline, tetracycline and minocycline and topical retinoids like adapalene, tretinoin and tazarotene.
If at all a woman in her child bearing years has to take this acne medication to pregnant acne breakouts, she has to avoid pregnancy while on the medication. Here’s why:
1.Hormone therapy using the female hormone estrogen and anti-androgens flutamide and spironolactone can cause birth defects. Moreover, as it is not known if these drugs may pass along to the baby while a woman breast feeds, breastfeeding women too should avoid this treatment option.
2.Though isotretinoin has revolutionized acne therapy with its treatment of severe acne, it can cause severe defects in developing fetuses. So women on this medication have to follow the pregnancy prevention program where they have to take 2 types of birth control a month before starting this acne therapy. It has to end only a month after isotretinoin therapy is stopped.
Moreover, women on isotretinoin have to be carefully monitored by her dermatologist as if any pregnancy occurs while on the medication, isotretinoin has to be immediately stopped.
3.Oral tetracyclines and its derivatives shouldn’t be taken by pregnant and breastfeeding women as this broad spectrum oral antibiotic can inhibit bone growth and discolor the permanent teeth of both the fetus and the baby the mother feeds.
4.As topical retinoids carry statutory warnings of not knowing if these drugs have effects on developing fetuses or breast fed babies, they should not be used by pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women thus have to be very careful in preventing and treating acne. Instead of relying on drugs and anti-acne medication to treat their acne problem, they should drink more water, wash their face twice with mild soaps and avoid oily and spicy food to prevent any possible acne attacks. By preventing acne, there will be no need of curing any acne breakout in these women.
General Acne Info 