How exactly does hormonal acne work?
It makes you feel very irritated, you don’t want to leave the house until it goes away and most of the time it happens every month like clockwork. No, it’s not your period, but your period’s BFF, hormonal acne. It’s no secret that once you start your menstrual cycle your entire body reacts, including your skin. Women in their early 20s and onwards know this routine all too well, and while adult acne isn’t uncommon, that one persistent pimple that shows up on the bottom right corner of your chin every month is enough to push you to find a solution. Any solution.
What causes hormonal acne?
One of the main triggers of hormonal acne, or “cyclical acne” as the Canadian Dermatology Association (CDA) puts it, is menstruation. “Menstrual acne is when acne flares up at the same time every month coinciding with menstruation, typically 7-10 days before the period and subsiding when bleeding begins,” explains Dr. Benjamin Barankin, a Toronto dermatologist and Medical Director at the Toronto Dermatology Centre. “There’s an interplay of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, which vary at different times in the cycle.” You can tell the difference between adult acne and hormonal acne by timing and appearance. “It is [hormonal acne] routinely at the same time each month. The acne is also often deeper and more tender, and often on the lower part of the face (jawline and neck). It is more likely inflammatory nodules and cysts and papules and pustules, rather than blackheads and whiteheads.”
ALSO SEE: Unconventional acne treatments worth trying
Frequency in women in their 20s and 30s
While some adult women in their 20s or 30s may feel they suffer the brunt of monthly-timed breakouts a lot more than they did when they were a teenager, Dr. Barankin says there is no data to suggest that this particular age range experiences it more frequently or not. However, the CDA points out that “three quarters of adult acne occurs in women,” meaning sexual hormone fluctuations and flare-ups during your period, pregnancy or menopause happens a lot more during these times, which can make it feel like it happens too often for your own liking.
Treatment and prevention
First things first, visit a dermatologist and find out what works for your skin. Birth control pills are a popular go-to option to help treat regular acne and Dr. Barankin says it can also help with hormonal breakouts as well by increasing estrogen levels. “It increases sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG), which then binds more testosterone, and thus there is less circulating testosterone to cause acne,” explains Dr. Barankin. “They also reduce oil production and shininess, resulting in less food for the Propionibacterium acnes (P.acnes) bacteria, which grows on the skin.”
ALSO SEE: 13 surprising reasons you’re breaking out
Another option he recommends (as prescribed by a dermatologist) is taking birth control pills in conjunction with Spironolactone, which is an oral medication known to help female adult and hormonal acne, among other unrelated medical issues. His advice is to be diligent with treatments and not to stress about your acne, or anything really, as stress can cause more acne. The types of foods you eat can also be a factor, specifically ones with high glycemic values – but again it all depends on your skin. “A high glycemic diet seems to worsen acne, and in some cases dairy seems to aggravate acne as well, and less commonly nuts can be an aggravator.”
