If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, you may need to consider different options for treating certain health issues.
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) offers some suggestions for pregnant women living with the common skin conditions eczema and psoriasis.
“Women may consider their health care decisions differently during different stages of their lives,” says Chicago dermatologist Dr. Elizabeth Kiracofe, an expert in eczema and psoriasis.
“The potential for motherhood requires constant vigilance in evaluating medical choices, which is why it’s important for women living with eczema and psoriasis to partner with a board-certified dermatologist,” she said in an academy news release.
Psoriasis and eczema affect men and women differently, according to the AAD. Women who are harder hit by the conditions are also more likely to experience depression, some research has shown.
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You don’t have to stop treatment altogether
“The medicines most commonly used as a first option to treat both eczema and psoriasis do not affect birth control, impact fertility, time to conception or the ability to breastfeed after pregnancy,” Kiracofe shares. “However, traditional medications that suppress the immune system are often not recommended during pregnancy.”
Among the safest and most widely used treatments are moisturizers to help the skin’s ability to protect itself. Other safe and popular options are low- to mid-strength corticosteroids to treat mild flares, and phototherapy, in which the skin is exposed to a specific type of ultraviolet light under a dermatologist’s supervision.
It’s important to bring a dermatologist into the conversation early, to discuss the best and safest options with a woman’s ob-gyn, Kiracofe adds.
“It is unfortunate to me how often women think they have to stop all treatment during pregnancy, so I am always happy to share that