Pregnancy glow? More like pregnancy acne!

For a while now, I have been enjoyed relatively clear skin. Gone were the hormonal breakouts I used to suffer when it was that time of the month, with my chin being the worst hit are with at least one large, sore red bump appearing and sticking round for a couple of weeks before reducing and disappearing. 

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I'm not sure what caused my skin to clear up but the hormonal acne I used to get has really died down this past year. I still get blemishes and red patches, but these are mostly under the skin and I can't really complain too much.

Well, now I am 14 weeks pregnant, I can report that I don't have the pregnancy glow (yet, if it even exists!), but I do seem to have developed a spot of pregnancy acne. So far, it's not so bad, but those red bumps I haven't missed have started to pop up, over night, and I am really not keen - especially as it's warm now and any make up I put on seems to melt away as the day progresses.

Apparently, pregnancy acne is really common, with around 50% of expectant women expecting to develop it at some stage. It can vary in severity from mild to severe and from person to person, with the first and second trimester being the most tricky times, due to the changes in hormones. This can trigger excess sebum production, which is why your skin can feel more oily. 

This is what I think people mistake for the 'pregnancy glow'...!

With oilier skin, pores can become more easily clogged and therefore you're more prone to pimples and spots.

And did you know that an old wives' tale says that the spottier you are in pregnancy, the more likely you are to have a girl?!

Of course, those kinds of things are only ever right 50% of the time...


Every pregnant woman is different. For some, the acne can stick around throughout the pregnancy, but will usually disappear once the baby is born and things return to 'normal'. If you have noticed a few more spots than normal, this can be a sign of early pregnancy, as it's pretty common to have an outbreak around the fourth or fifth week of pregnancy, just as the hormones start to kick in.

However, for other women, they can find that their skin clears up while pregnant; how lucky are they?? I have a skin condition called psoriasis and the doctor advises that this can sometimes dramatically improve for sufferers during their pregnancy, although, there are other women who find their condition worsens. For me, I am quietly confident that some psoriasis patches are improving, but my skin can go through stages like that anyway.

As for the spots, it could be pregnancy hormones or the warmer weather. There's some great advice for coping with pregnancy acne out there; of course, keeping your skin clean, and your hands washed regularly too, can minimise the build up of sebum and dirt and we all know we shouldn't pick at pimples, no matter how tempting. You can use some treatments too if things really do need a helping hand, but it's always worth checking what solutions are available and remember, it's likely only to be temporary and if you do experience bouts of acne during your nine months waiting to meet baby, try not to let it get you down as you aren't alone and it'll be worth it all in the end.