What Skin Treatments Are Safe During Pregnancy?

Preparing to welcome a little one into your life can be an amazing experience, physically and emotionally. Some changes are welcome (hello, gorgeous curves!) and others not so much (crying at insurance commercials). And then there’s your skin.

Some women enjoy more radiant skin than ever while they’re expecting, but for many others, that “pregnancy glow” just never happens. Thanks to hormones in overdrive, acne, melasma, and other skin problems often flare up—even for women who’ve never had a blemish before in their entire lives.

The problem is that many go-to solutions, such as laser resurfacing and topical acne treatments, are not recommended during pregnancy, either because they break the skin (increasing infection risk), heat tissues to high levels, or involve medications that have not been proven 100% safe for pregnant women or fetuses. Obviously, your baby’s health and your own come first, and most reputable providers will not perform a cosmetic treatment that hasn’t explicitly been shown to be safe for pregnant women out of an abundance of caution. So, what skin treatments are safe during pregnancy? Let’s take a look.

Safe Skin Care Treatments for Pregnant Women

The good news is that pregnancy-related skin conditions typically resolve within a few months after giving birth. The even better news is that there are safe treatments to help keep blemishes under control, balance your complexion, and amp up your glow during pregnancy. Here are a few of our favorites at the Parker Center:

Rezenerate® Nanotechnology Facial

This skincare treatment is one of our favorites for moms-to-be: Rezenerate Nanotechnology Facial.

Many skincare treatments promote collagen production and skin cell renewal by creating a slight injury to the skin—very effective, and perfectly safe for most patients. However, this injury process could pose a slight risk that we feel is best to avoid during pregnancy, just to be extra safe. Rezenerate delivers nanoscopic (100s of times smaller than microscopic) channels of serum through the skin’s surface, effectively helping skin heal and regenerate while bypassing this injury process.

The moisturizing and antioxidant serum blend in Rezenerate includes only the safest ingredients (no salicylic acid), and Rezenerate can be a great option to calm pregnancy-induced acne outbreaks, reduce discoloration, and improve skin texture. Patients enjoy a gentle tingling sensation during treatment, and Rezenerate immediately leaves skin feeling softer, smooth, and glowing. You can also safely repeat treatment every 2 to 3 weeks for maximum results.

Microdermabrasion

This classic exfoliation treatment is fantastic for all skin types—and because it does not involve any chemicals or intense heat, it’s safe during pregnancy in most cases. During this treatment, a very fine tip or blast of crystals is applied to slough away dull, dead skin cells and increase collagen production, helping skin become smoother and firmer. Microdermabrasion can also lessen dark spots or pigmentation problems that appear during pregnancy.

While microdermabrasion in the hands of an experienced provider is already one of the safest skin resurfacing options, some systems are gentler than others. The Parisian Peel microdermabrasion system we use at the Parker Center comfortably delivers a controlled cycle of ultra fine crystal particles, which are blown onto the skin and quickly vacuumed up, along with dead cells and debris.

Skin Care Products

Daily skin care can go a long way to keep brown spots and hyperpigmentation to a minimum, prevent sun damage, and help your skin feel great when more aggressive treatments are off-limits. In fact, omitting sunscreen from your routine could do more harm than good, as skin is more sensitive to sun during pregnancy.

Skin Care To Avoid While Pregnant

Many skincare products, especially those intended to treat acne, melasma, or other skin conditions, contain ingredients you should avoid while pregnant. These include products such as:

Retinoids (Retin-A, Accutane, tretinoin, etc.)
Beta hydroxy acids
Hydroquinone
Benzoyl peroxide
Oxybenzone (which is also found in chemical sunscreens)

If you’re pregnant, you should also stay away from anything containing phthalates (often in fragrances and nail polish), parabens, some essential oils like cinnamon and rosemary, and formaldehyde.

Safe Skin Care

To find safe skin care, work with a board certified plastic surgeon, dermatologist, or licensed aesthetician working under physician supervision, who is experienced in skin care for pregnant patients and knows what products and ingredients are safe to use while pregnant. An expert skincare professional can even turn you toward skincare products you never knew were safe during pregnancy, such as:

SkinCeuticals Phyto-Corrective Gel, which calms inflammation and redness
ZO Skin Health Calming Toner (BalaTone), which moisturizes, soothes and reduces visible pore size

Another reason to a doctor’s office for skincare: the cosmetics industry is largely unregulated, and many OTC and online-order products have no third-party testing their safety. In contrast, physician-only products contain clinically proven safe ingredients and are rigorously tested to make sure each item contains what is listed on the label in consistent amounts—an absolute must when your baby’s health is at stake.

Pre-Natal Massage Therapy

Okay, this isn’t technically a skincare treatment, but pre-natal massage with an experienced, licensed massage therapist can be a great way to boost your mood and appearance when you can’t get your regular BOTOX fix! Recommended after the first trimester, this gentle technique can relieve back pain and sciatica, as well as help reduce visible puffiness in the face and ankles.

Baby On the Way? We’ll Get You Glowing Safely

For guidance you can trust while you’re expecting, come see our experienced skincare team at the Parker Center. Many of us are moms ourselves and understand how frustrating it can be to deal with breakouts, irritation, or a patchy complexion on top of the other changes you are experiencing. During a skin analysis, we will help you find the right treatments to safely improve your skin during your pregnancy. If you like, we’ll even help you design a long-term plan to achieve your skincare goals while juggling the role of being a new mom. Contact us today online or by phone (201) 967-1212 to get started!