Consultant Dermatologist Dr Natalia Spierings of Channel 5’s Skin A&E and author Skintelligent: what you really need to know to get great skin is here to shake things up in the skincare world and isn’t afraid to tell the truth and call out the BS about all things related to skincare.
Drawing on a decade of work as a practicing consultant dermatologist, helping thousands of people achieve great skin, she will empower you with the knowledge to navigate the confusing world of skincare so you never get fooled into buying hundreds of pounds of disappointing cosmetic skincare products again.
Pregnancy acne
Obviously, it is no fun to have acne at any point in your life and I would always advocate treating it asap to avoid scarring. But pregnancy is the one time that I would suggest – if your acne is not nodular or cystic or painful – to try not to stress about it. The most effective treatments for acne can’t be used safely during pregnancy or breastfeeding and I generally advise against taking any new oral or topical treatments during the first trimester especially. I may be over cautious but when it comes to pregnancy, It’s better to be safe than a risk taker.
Top ten tips
- Don’t stress out about it (try not to)
- Focus on keeping your skincare super simple and non-irritating, so basic cleanser that doesn’t make your skin tight or dry feeling, a very basic bland moisturiser and a SPF (I like mineral but it comes down to personal preference)
- Don’t get facials – it can just irritate acne and make everything worse
- Don’t go crazy using tons of random over the counter spot treatments – it will just make things worse
- Don’t pick
- Don’t use toothpaste to ‘dry out’ your spots
- If you do need or want to treat your acne, wait until after your first trimester and if all is well, see a dermatologist if possible at least once to get a good plan together with a targeted pregnancy-safe treatment
- You can wear makeup to cover up any spots during this time period
- Do know and be reassured by the fact that acne often gets better later in pregnancy if you are getting it at the start
- Do know and be reassured that once the baby has arrived and you have finished breastfeeding, there are safe, effective treatments to get your skin back to how it was (or close to it!) and acne free
Melasma
- Avoid sun exposure – this is an obvious one but by ‘avoid sun exposure’ I mean more than ‘just’ using SPF. Most people don’t apply the correct amount of sunscreen anyway so it’s not giving them the level of protection they think they are getting. Avoidance is a better option. That doesn’t mean ‘never go outside’ – It means wearing a hat, big sunglasses and avoiding direct sunlight hitting your face. And of course wear SPF. The hierarchy of sun protection is: avoid, cover up, sunscreen.
- Don’t try to treat it during pregnancy – there are no effective treatments for melasma that are considered safe in pregnancy or breastfeeding. So I suggest just don’t bother. Wait until you can use the right, effective treatments rather than wasting time and money (and getting frustrated) by using ineffective cosmetic skincare products that just don’t work. It’s never too late to treat melasma, the effective prescribed treatments will almost certainly always be available.
- Don’t panic if you start to get melasma during or after pregnancy (or ever). It’s treatable. Yes, you will need to use topical (cream) treatments every day to treat it and also to maintain clearance and this will probably be lifelong, but it is treatable.
- Remember this is a chronic disease that will require probably long-term nighttime cream treatment to keep it clear
- Don’t fall for buying a bunch of random ‘anti-pigment’ creams that cost a fortune and do nothing
- Do not do any laser treatments for melasma during pregnancy (or ever) – the gold standard and most effective long-term treatment is going to be a combo cream with hydroquinone
- Do wear makeup as you feel comfortable to cover your melasma if it is making you self-conscious
- It probably won’t go away immediately once you have the baby but it may get better (but it may also get worse)
- If you need contraception after pregnancy, don’t be afraid to take it for fear it will make your melasma worse – it may do but the need for contraception usually takes precedence and you can still successfully treat melasma even when on hormonal contraception
- Avoid sun exposure – yes I already said this but it is worth repeating!
Dr Natalia Spierings is a Consultant Dermatologist with a Master’s Degree in Aesthetic Medicine. A unique combination of technical skill, depth of knowledge, aesthetic sensibility and communication skills has positioned her globally as a leading dermatologist. She currently splits her clinical time between both the NHS and private sector in London, and at Kings College Hospital in Dubai.
