Hormonal acne refers basically to acne caused by fluctuations of hormones in the body. Our skin is very sensitive to what it’s happening inside and outside us. Sometimes, it responds to changes in hormones, like estrogen and testosterone. If you have oily-type skin, you might notice an increase in oil production before and during your period.
It is important to know what type of skin you have and how to best take care of it during each phase of your cycle. For instance, it is quite common for oily-type skin to have outbreaks before and during menstruation. Therefore, a good skincare routine will help you prevent and treat hormonal acne.
Hormonal acne is always triggered by dysregulation of hormones level. If you want to know the signs of hormonal imbalance, check this article.
What are the characteristics of hormonal acne?
During puberty, hormonal acne appears in the T-zone. This includes the forehead, nose and chin.
Hormonal adult acne usually appears in the lower part of your face. This includes the bottom of your cheeks and around the jawline.
For some people, hormonal acne appears as blackheads, whiteheads, and small pimples or cysts.
Hormonal acne may be triggered by influxes of hormones from:
- menstruation
- polycystic ovarian syndrome
- menopause
- increased androgen level
These hormones fluctuations may aggravate acne issues by increasing:
- overall skin inflammation
- oil (sebum) production in the pores
- clogged skin cells in hair follicles
- production of acne-causing bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes
Menopause and hormonal acne:
Many women start to experience hormonal acne in their 40s and 50s. This is a natural process due to the decline in your reproductive hormones, which lead to the end of your menstruation.
If you experience hormonal acne during this period, it is most probably due to the decrease in estrogen and increase in androgen hormones, like testosterone.
If you want to treat it, prescription medication or natural treatment will help you clear it. Talk to your GP to see which method works best for you.
Skin care and hormonal acne
If you want to know what type of skincare you need to treat hormonal acne and reduce the blemishes, the best would be to visit a dermatologist. If your acne is not very serious, you might want to try first some over counter methods. This can work for you.
What you should do:
- Pay attention at what you eat
Stay away from processed foods such as:
- pastries
- chocolate
- too much caffeine
- alcohol
- tomatoes/peppers/eggplants/tomatoes
These foods may increase inflammation in your body. Inflammation is linked to acne. The more inflammation you have in your body, the higher are the chances your acne will get worse.
2. Have a simple but constant skincare routine
In this case, less is definitely more. So don’t use too many cosmetic products as this can worsen your skin condition. However, check what will suit you best and stick to that routine.
- Make sure you cleanse your skin regularly and never let make up on over night
- Make sure you hydrate it even though you have an oily type of skin
- Apply masks regularly
- Change products each couple of months, so your skin does not get used to them and they will still be efficient over time
- Try applying oils that will calm inflammation and help with regeneration.
- Always check that the products you use are “non comedogenic” so they don’t block your pores.
3. Check with a specialist
If you see that your condition does not show any sign of improvement over the course of 3-4 weeks, book yourself in for a specialist appointment. Otherwise, you will risk having to deal with more severe acne later on and this will be more difficult to treat. Similarly, there will be higher chances of having scars on your skin, especially if you try to squeeze the spots.