Differin and Pregnancy
Acne is quite typical during pregnancy because elevated hormones levels in this period bring certain skin changes. During pregnancy acne can either clear or get worse. In early pregnancy period acne proves to get worse but as the pregnancy progresses acne often improves.
As far as acne treatment medications are concerned a particular notice should be laid upon whether it is harmful or not for a pregnant woman. Acne treatment in non-pregnant women is usually through prescription medications such as Retin A, antibiotics such as Tetracycline, Erythromicine, Oxycycline and Accutance. But the use of many of these medications is not appropriate during pregnancy or for women who are planning to become pregnant.
Differin is in Pregnant Category C which means that it is not known whether is it safe for a pregnant woman to take. No conclusive human tests have proved whether Differin can harm a fetus though animal tests have ascertained some birth defects. From some other research done on the use of Differin during pregnancy it has been noted that topical adapolene should only be used by women of childbearing age after they received contraceptive counseling. Still, it is strongly recommended that topical adapolene should not be used by pregnant women. That is why it seems safer to answer this question stating that Differin may not be used during pregnancy. Studies indicate that there have been reports of birth defects by women who were exposed to topical retinoids and adapolene during pregnancy.
In any case if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant and are exposed to acne disease, you must apply to your doctor for the counsel before you use Differin. This is also necessary if you are breast feeding because the drug may be excreted through the mother's milk. So you should discuss it with your doctor whether to continue breastfeeding while taking Differin treatment.
Thus, the use of Differin treatment during pregnancy can negatively tell on the health of the women. But there are other alternative treatments that can be tried. They are considered relatively safe while treating acne such as Benzoyl peroxide which is often recommended for the treatment of acne for pregnant women. You may also use mild creams that contain Aloe Vera properties, mild medicated soaps and gels for the treatment of acne during pregnancy. But before starting any sort of acne treatment during pregnancy, a woman must first get advice of her medical practitioner to ensure that it is completely safe for her