Acne pretty much hits us all in our teens, but it comes back for some adults between the ages of 20-40, hitting you like a tornado. When a girl enters adolescence, to when she starts menstruating and women going through menopause as well. It keeps coming back like a nightmare.
So, here’s the deal. We know you’re dealing with half of the truth about hormonal acne, so we’re going to give you a run down about it and how you can deal with it (both clinically and at home).
Hormonal Acne, yes, is due to hormonal imbalances and women being the gender that goes through a roller coaster ride of hormonal changes throughout their life are sadly the most favorable candidates for hormonal acne. Here are typical identifying characteristics for hormonal acne.
- You are in your twenties and beyond and still have acne.
- This kind of acne mostly appears on chin and jawline.
- You may notice blackheads, whiteheads, and cysts that remain deep in the skin and are tender to touch.
- The acne shows up once a month and that also around the date of your period.
- You are stressed and can flare up the breakouts.
HOW DO YOU GET IT
You can fall prey to hormonal acne if your hormones like estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and cortisol are out of whack. These hormones are intricately associated with the health of a female and their imbalance can fuel many problems including hormonal acne. Notice when you are stressed acne makes a guest appearance to add it to it!
When there is an increased level of estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone in a female body it causes excessive production of sebum which can accumulate bacteria in it leading to inflammation and a breakout. Cortisol the stress hormone can affect the production of all these hormones.
TABOOS SURROUNDING HORMONAL ACNE
Say the term hormonal imbalance and women will think of menopause, hot flashes, and mood swings but hormones regulate a plethora of functions from appetite, sleep, stress, fertility, to libido hormones. Discussing female’s health issues like hormonal problems or irregular periods is often regarded as if this is by choice or due to wrong lifestyle etc but in fact, this is just like any other ailment that can affect anybody anytime.
But thankfully everyone’s talking about it, and wants to find a way to deal with it.
There are several clinical remedies for hormonal acne such as:
- OTC products
- Antibiotics
- Isotretinoin
- Retinol
- Birth control pills
To know what is the best option for you consult your dermatologist. Medicines like isotretinion and retinol are strong chemicals which should only be used if and as prescribed by healthcare provider. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, and females planning to have babies in upcoming 6-8 months should only use medicine after proper consultation with their doctor.
LIFESTYLE CHANGES TO CLEAR HORMONAL ACNE
Besides medicines, some lifestyle changes and natural ingredients can also be tried to tame hormonal acne. Lifestyle changes like:
- Eat a plant-based diet
- Keeping your hands away from acne. dont squeeze or pop it
- have a cup or two of green tea every day.
- Consume antioxidant-rich foods.
- Supplements like fish oil and zinc are also helpful.
- Cut on dairy and consume low-glycemic index foods.
- Take measures to decrease stress in daily life
DESI TIPS TO HELP WITH HORMONAL ACNE
Also, these 5 natural ingredients are the most powerful weapons against hormonal acne.
- Aloe vera- moisturizes the skin without irritating or clogging pores.
- Honey cinnamon mask- Has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties
- Tea tree oil- Helps in clearing acne by its anti-inflammatory properties
- Green tea- Soothes skin and has antioxidants that are beneficial for the skin.
Disclaimer: The Guest Contributor has studied medicine.
