Puberty brings changes not only in the body of women but also in the hormonal composition. Puberty affects the hormonal balance in the body, causing breakouts and acne. A lot of factors are responsible for the occurrence of acne.
What is Hormonal Acne?
Hormonal acne is simply nothing but breakouts on the skin. The breakouts could range from blackheads and whiteheads to pimples and even painful cysts. The excess sebum production clogs the pores on the skin, causing inflammation and breakouts.
The bacteria Propionibacterium acnes cause the appearance of breakouts on the skin. Hormonal acne causes the pimple to appear on the back, shoulders, face, and chest. Many notice this acne appears days before their period. The acne can become painful and even filled with puss.
What You Need to Know About Hormonal Acne
The principal cause of acne is excessive sebum production. It blocks the glands, which eventually leads to inflammation causing the appearance of acne. It appears during their periods and even in menopausal and pregnant women.
Sebum production is high because of the high levels of androgens or male hormones. The increases in these hormones lead to breakouts and inflammation, sebum formation, and skin debris. The excess sebum encourages bacteria growth, leading to pimple formation.
It is easy to identify hormonal acne. It is mostly breakouts on the chin and jawline. This kind of acne tends to appear in the same spot and the same pattern. It leaves acne scars. The range of these breakouts can go from mild skin congestion to severe and painful cystic acne.
To identify the cause of acne, one needs to look out for the symptoms. Easy identification leads to early treatment.
Hormonal Acne Symptoms
To go for hormonal acne treatment, you must first identify the symptoms. There are several tell-tale signs of thrush. Some women experience any one or all of these symptoms.
1: Pimples Around Chin and Jawline
The areas where the acne prominently occurs are the chin and the jawline. Women are more likely than men to have acne grow in these areas of the face. The acne breakouts happen as a result of increased progesterone levels. The appearance of acne may aggravate during this time.
2: Breakouts Recur Every Month
In many women, acne makes an appearance once every month. If you notice that your acne keeps reappearing, it is likely due to several reasons. One of them is stress. Inadequate sleep can cause the skin to break out.
Also, the hormonal imbalance can cause acne to return every month. It is a hormonal issue if the breakouts happen in the same spot every time. You can use hormonal acne supplements to treat them.
3: Occurrence of Painful Cysts
Cysts are painful, pus-filled bumps on the skin. Hormonal acne causes cysts to appear. The bumps lie under the skin; even aestheticians cannot manually extract them. The cysts are tender as they have pus inside them. Oil accumulates in the cysts, becoming inflammatory. Such cysts are subacute or chronic.
4: Occurrence of Papules and Pimples
Another kind of acne that occurs is papules. Excess oil, hormones, and bacteria cause these inflamed bumps. Unlike cystic acne, they are not pus-filled.
5: Whiteheads and Blackheads
The hormonal imbalance also causes the appearance of excess blackheads and whiteheads. Blackheads and whiteheads are small pimples that form a head or cyst. They remain on the surface. These brownish spots have gunk. It tends to exacerbate. The white spots are tiny dots of bacteria latching onto your skin.
6: Occurrence of Pustules
The last symptom to look out for is pustules. They are quite similar to papules, except they are full of pus. They can become extremely painful and inflammatory.
Main Causes of Hormonal Acne
1: Excess Sebum Production
Overproduction of sebum is one of the main reasons for acne. It clogs the pores leading the bacteria to grow and thrive on the skin. It causes painful acne that can exacerbate with a lack of acne treatment.
2: Puberty
An increase in the androgen levels also leads to the overproduction of sebum, leading to acne breakouts.
3: Menstruation
Menstruation causes hormone fluctuations that trigger acne; many women experience PMS, where the estrogen and progesterone levels fall. It causes skin breakouts.
4: Menopause
A reduction in estrogen levels and an increase in the androgens during menopause can lead to acne.
5: PCOS
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) happens when high androgen levels intercept the production of estrogen and progesterone. Women get oily skin and acne.
Treatments for Hormonal Acne
1: Topical Retinoid
It is the first line of defense for mild to moderate acne. Retinoids clear the dead skin cells so they do not bind together and clog the pores. They are best for the long-term treatment of mild to severe acne cases.
2: Birth Control
Oral contraceptives are known to clear acne as they prohibit androgen production. It reduces excessive sebum production.
3: Isotretinoin
It is a Vitamin A derivative that helps to maintain good skin by eliminating underlying causes of cystic acne. Its high potency makes it a secondary treatment after retinoid.
4: Antiandrogen Drugs
They reduce the excess androgens by blocking the androgen receptors. It improves cystic acne by reducing sebum production.
5: Glucocorticoids
It inhibits androgen production, which often causes acne.
6: Antibiotics
The antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of the antibiotics in hormonal acne supplements are an alternative if the topical medicines do not work for you.
Conclusion
You can use certified products to treat herpes from the GetOva site. The site has online consultation that provides treatment for each case. They will assess the symptoms of hormonal acne causes. Then they provide consultation and personalized treatment plans as per the assessment.
People with acne scars must immediately consult a medical professional for hormonal acne treatment. Also, with acne treatment, the recurrence chances reduce drastically.
FAQs Related to Hormonal Acne
What is the fastest way to cure hormonal acne?
Professionals’ medications will help cure acne most effectively with little to no chance of recurrence.
Does retinol help with hormonal acne?
Yes. It acts as an exfoliator that removes dirt-causing acne.
How do I know if my acne is hormonal?
Look out for the following symptoms- whiteheads and blackheads, recurring pimples around the chin, recurring breakouts and painful cysts, etc.
How do you fix hormonal imbalance acne?
Go for topical treatment with retinoid with a professional consultation. Birth control and antibiotics can also help.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Book a consultation with Ova Singapore’s medical team to learn more about reproductive healthcare treatments here.