If you have ever been pregnant ( or are an expectant mother now ) you have probably suffered from acne. Acne during pregnancy is not too uncommon and is experienced to different levels of severity and can last for a few weeks to months.

The good news is that typically acne soon disappears after the birth. For the few women who already suffer from acne prior to pregnancy the condition can be made worse and may not go away.

So why is it typical to suffer from acne during pregnancy, what are the causes? Whilst there is no definitive answer explaining why acne occurs, the generally accepted reasons are related to hormonal changes.

During pregnancy there are massive changes to the body and large changes to your hormonal activity is experienced. It is these high levels of hormones that trigger increased production of oil in the sebaceous glands of the skin, leading to increased oily skin.

Mild cases of acne can probably be treated by using a mild soap or cleanser to keep your skin clean. What if your acne is more severe? You should be aware that prescription acne treatments are not suitable as they will be harmful to your baby. In this case you may like to look at stronger topical treatments that are available without prescription.

If you do suffer from acne during pregnancy you can be fairly sure that the condition calms down once you have given birth. Otherwise you can look to try over the counter acne treatments that have been clinically proven to get rid of acne.