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Along with pregnancy, a women's body experiences many hormone-driven changes that affect the skin, causing acne breakouts and a lot of anguish for the future or nursing mom, mainly because so many acne products aren't safe to be used during pregnancy. If you're in the same situation, you're very right to be hesitant about applying any kind of adult acne treatment gel, and should definitely ask your doctor first.

That's because the effects of many acne treatments are either untested or proven to be harmful to a growing fetus or nursing baby, which is a result of the possibly harmful drugs or chemicals they contain. And when you're awaiting your baby, the last thing you want to do is to take unnecessary health risks.

Acne and Pregnancy: Drugs to Avoid

For example, the retinoid isotretinoin (the active ingredient in the popular oral acne treatment Accutane) creates such a high risk of birth defects in a developing fetus that women of childbearing age who take them must agree to use two methods of birth control and have regular pregnancy tests. Doctors also don't recommend Retin-A, another popular acne treatment, because of its similarity to Accutane, although not enough studies have been done to determine its consequences for a developing fetus.

Another medication you should think twice about taking for acne during pregnancy is tetracycline, the main ingredient found in many oral antibiotics, which can negatively affect the baby's teeth. Yet undetermined are the risks of corticosteroids such as hydrocortizone, as not enough studies have been done to determine if they're safe, although they have been linked by some evidence to prematurity.

Even common topical treatments such as salicylic acid based acne skin care products found in adult acne treatment gel or cream are being discussed. Although there is no evidence linking them with birth defects or harm to babies, some women avoid using these kinds of drugs just as a precautionary measure. Again, you should discuss any kind of adult acne treatment with your doctor.

What's more, you shouldn't consider a procedure such as microdermabrasion or a chemical peel to get rid of pregnancy acne. With pregnancy comes more sensitive skin, so these treatments may result in scarring or discoloration and are not advisable as an acne or acne scar treatment option for pregnant women.