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Management of Acne in Pregnancy

  • Therapy in Practice
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Abstract

Acne is one of the most common dermatological conditions to affect women of childbearing age, so it is important to consider the safety of long-term acne treatments on women who could become pregnant. In this review article, we clarify what management options are available to treat acne during pregnancy. Topical treatments, typically first-line for acne, such as azelaic acid, clindamycin, erythromycin, metronidazole, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, dapsone, and retinoids, were reviewed. Systemic treatments, such as zinc supplements, cephalexin, cefadroxil, amoxicillin, azithromycin, erythromycin, and corticosteroids, typically second-line for acne, were also reviewed. Alternative treatments such as light therapy and cosmetic procedures were also evaluated. Due to recommendation of sunscreen utilization during acne treatments, sunscreen usage during pregnancy was also assessed. Management of acne during unplanned pregnancy was discussed in further detail regarding safety and adverse effects. Through summarized tables and examples of studies demonstrating safety and efficacy of treatments, the following is a resource for providers and patients to utilize for management of acne during pregnancy.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI, USA

    Akash Rau

  2. Department of Cutaneous Surgery and Dermatology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA

    Jonette Keri

  3. Miami VA Hospital, Miami, Florida, USA

    Jonette Keri

  4. Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Jenny E. Murase

  5. Department of Dermatology, Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group, 701 East El Camino Real (31-104), Mountain View, CA, 94040, USA

    Jenny E. Murase

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  1. Akash Rau
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jenny E. Murase.

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Conflict of Interest

Dr. Murase is on the speakers board for Non-Branded Disease State Management Talks for UCB and Regeneron, has served on advisory boards for Sanofi-Regeneron and Bristol-Myers Squibb, and has provided dermatological consulting services for UCB, AbbVie, and UpToDate. Dr. Keri and Mr. Rau have no conflicts to declare.

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The first draft of the manuscript was written by AR, and critical revisions were done by JK and JM. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Rau, A., Keri, J. & Murase, J.E. Management of Acne in Pregnancy. Am J Clin Dermatol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40257-024-00851-6

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