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Dr. Terry Hoffman, OB/GYN (left) and Dermatologist Dr. Oanh Lauring

Mercy's Drs. Terry Hoffman and Oanh Lauring address safety of beauty products during pregnancy on WBAL-TV11's "Woman's Doctor"

Doctors said while pregnant women worry about the food and drinks they take in, they should also think about the products they put on their skin.

Mercy Medical Center's Dr. Terry Hoffman, OB/GYN, noted that, for the most part, over-the-counter products are fine. "A lot of times you get acne and wonder, can we use proactive? Yes, the stuff you dab on your face is perfectly fine, but prescription stuff -- absolutely not," Dr. Hoffman said. Retin-A for acne or aging is not good. Over-the-counter products that contain retinol may be okay, but should be used sparingly. Mercy dermatologist Dr. Oanh Lauring agreed, saying exfoliators can help skin, as salicylic acid and glycolic products can help acne. "In some cases, they will need oral antibiotics, and a couple are safe during pregnancy, but you have to be careful because some are not," she said. Dr. Hoffman added that hair coloring and perms are fine, but tanning should be skipped. "I tell patients that you don't need to tan -- just don't. Put it off. It's OK to be pale when you're pregnant," she said. According to Dr. Lauring, cosmetic procedures such as Botox and fillers are not for pregnant women. "Occasionally, someone has a mole that is really worrisome to me and I will use local numbing and remove it. That's something I'll do," she said. Dr. Hoffman agreed. "Fillers? No. Those are injectibles. It's OK to be a little wrinkly -- it's OK!," she said. To view WBAL's interview with Drs. Hoffman and Lauring on "The Woman's Doctor," please click this link:
http://www.wbaltv.com/womansdoctor/22207752/detail.html.