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Treatment of Acne Vulgaris During Pregnancy and Lactation

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Abstract

Acne vulgaris is a common problem encountered by pregnant and lactating women. Unfortunately, in clinical practice, treatment is often not optimized as a result of the lack of safety data and unified recommendations on the use of the various anti-acne therapies. In this narrative review, current data on their safety is summarized. We recommend the use of topical medications as first-line treatment for acne vulgaris in pregnant and lactating women. These include antibiotics (erythromycin, clindamycin, metronidazole and dapsone), benzoyl peroxide, azelaic acid and salicylic acid. Oral agents and/or light-based therapy may be considered as second-line treatment. The former consists of oral macrolides (erythromycin and azithromycin), cephalexin or zinc compounds. Blue–violet or red light phototherapy may be used as monotherapy or in addition to topical and/or oral therapies. Hormonal therapy, antibiotics consisting of tetracyclines, co-trimoxazole and fluoroquinolones, and both oral and topical retinoids should be avoided.

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  1. National Skin Centre, 1 Mandalay Road, Singapore, 308205, Singapore

    Y. L. Kong & H. L. Tey

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  1. Y. L. Kong
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Kong, Y.L., Tey, H.L. Treatment of Acne Vulgaris During Pregnancy and Lactation. Drugs 73, 779–787 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40265-013-0060-0

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