Postnatal acne

[AimzW1805]

I had a baby in June 2018 and since then, my skin has been awful! I should mention that I’m still breastfeeding, I don’t know if that affects anything. My skin is so oily that you can actually see the oil on my face (especially my forehead) and I get horrendous acne on my face and chest. It’s really knocking my self esteem! I’ve tried all sorts of different products and I’ve used them religiously but nothing has worked. I really just don’t know what to do. Any help or advice would be amazing.

[Dr Sharon Wong]

HI there,

So sorry to hear you are having a difficult time with your skin. Unfortunately pregnancy hormones can really aggravate pre-existing or bring on new skin conditions. As you are breastfeeding, safe treatment options are relatively limited but if your acne is not responding to OTC treatments and having a significant impact on you psychologically then you should see your GP for some prescription creams. Some antibiotics can be prescribed but these would need to be checked carefully to ensure they are safe whilst breastfeeding. Once you have stopped breastfeeding and if the acne continues to be severe you could be referred to a dermatologist for consideration of roaccutane.

Best of luck, I hope this helps.

BW

Sharon