What Is Hormonal Acne: Characteristics, Treatment, Causes & Prevention

Believing that hormonal acne only occurs in adolescence is a misconception since at any time in life a hormonal imbalance can occur and therefore you can have it at any age.

There are many triggers for an outbreak of pimples regardless of age, such as: a poor diet, and also the use of cosmetics, however, what I want to talk about today is about acne of hormonal origin.

Once you know everything about this ailment (its characteristics, its causes and consequences, its treatments) you can prevent or treat it so that it does not become a nightmare, because from a mild hormonal acne, a severe cystic one can arise, the kind that leave marks deep into the skin.

We have already talked about acne on other occasions, do not be left with doubts and take a look:

What is hormonal acne?

It is a benign condition caused by hormonal changes such as: puberty, the menstrual period, during the first trimester of pregnancy, and also in menopause; There are other reasons why a hormonal imbalance occurs, such as stress.

These skin problems cause in those who suffer from it problems of confidence, insecurity, and low self-esteem due to its unsightly effects, this is the main reason why it must be attacked and prevented at all costs with natural, medical, and personal care treatments. .

How is it detected? How to combat it?

Detecting it can be simple, but really who will determine it with precision is the dermatologist who will analyze your hormonal levels and depending on the result you will know if it is hormonal acne or another type.

This ailment is caused mainly by the male hormone testosterone produced in the testes and ovaries , which is why it affects both men and women, at any stage of young and adult life.

To combat it you can use oil-free and soft creams, you must keep your skin hydrated, you also have to wash your face at least twice a day, and do not handle any outbreak because you can infect it and cause scars.

Read and discover more on this topic with  Best Acne Treatments

Hormonal acne characteristics

• The outbreaks occur when they are in stages where there are some hormonal imbalances : the period, pregnancy, menopause in women and puberty and stress in men.
• The duration of this type of acne ranges from 3 months to 5 and 30 years.
• It produces psychological and social impact on people every time the hormones are altered and these acne breakouts produce.
• They can leave scars sequelae.
• Its location is generally on the cheekbones, jaw, and cheeks.
• The shape and size varies, it can be a closed comedonic acne at first and then turn into a slightly painful papule.

Causes of hormonal acne

The main reason is the increase in androgens , they are male hormones present in both men and women, and this increase in hormones stimulates the production of the sebaceous glands, which results in pore obstruction due to excess sebum.

So the causes are generally: when women are in their menstrual cycle, pregnant or in the menopausal stage, also when they have polycystic ovary syndrome.

The causes in men are mainly puberty, and stress, although it is common to see mild, moderate and even severe acne in men, it can be due to other factors such as tobacco, or lack of facial hygiene.

Hormonal acne symptoms

• Breakouts of pimples at some point related to your menstrual cycle.
• Emotional stress that destabilizes hormones and leads to pimples.
• If your skin darkens around the skin folds, it could be hormonal imbalances that cause acne.
• Outbreaks in hormonal imbalance caused by pregnancy.
• Appearance as a symptom in menopause .
• Appearance of open and closed pores in places on the face such as the jaw.

Hormonal acne pathologies

It is a very common skin disease in people of all ages but even more so in adolescence, and although it seems harmless, this pathology causes problems of self-esteem in people and of interpersonal relationship due to the appearance it produces on the skin.

Due to this skin pathology, inflammatory lesions appear, pimples, papules and pustules that are filled inside with sebum, bacteria, dead cells and sometimes pus, and that is why many people prefer to isolate themselves from the social environment for fear of being rejected.

Women are the most affected with this type of hormonal acne , due to the multiple increases in hormones that they suffer at each stage of their life, and through which men do not pass, but men are also affected because they produce more testosterone than the woman .

Unfortunately, this pathology has a great probability of leaving marks on the skin and for this reason it ends up marking life forever, of young people, and adults, women or men, if it is not taken care of and fights in time, the marks are forever.

Areas of the body where hormonal acne can appear

It usually appears mainly in the ¨U¨ area of ​​the face , that is to say: in the jaw and chin , it can also appear on the neck and back , it is what differentiates it from the vulgar one that appears on the forehead and eyebrows in their majority.

It can also appear on the shoulders and buttocks ; However, in each part of the body where the pimples appear, they have a different origin, it could be due to the hormonal, cosmetic, comedonic, or seborrheic type.

More information on this topic with  Acne on the back, chest and shoulder: How to eliminate them, prevent them and causes

Hormonal acne levels

When testosterone levels change, the sebaceous glands increase the production of sebum and this increase clogs the pores, causing the appearance of pimples that are classified in different levels , from mild, moderate to severe.

Light

It has appearances of very reduced pimples, they are commonly comedones, it does not require medical treatment because it can be cured with a good facial cleansing routine and a good diet, and of course consult a dermatologist to tell you if it is a hormonal acne another type.

Moderate

They appear to be small papules and pustules and in small numbers, usually ten or a little more , they are somewhat easy to treat simply with retinoids and in some cases with antibiotics.

Severe

L os outbreaks are more than 40 lesions on the face primarily and these are distributed between comedones, papules and even cysts or nodules should be treated with medicines such as isotretinoin, or tetracyclines because if not treated in time will leave a mark deep into the skin.

Can adult women suffer from hormonal acne?

Adult women suffer from it , if they are still in their menstrual period , or if they have already passed the menopause stage , both moments of the adult woman’s life cause the appearance of this condition.

Likewise , stress is another reason why an adult woman has hormonal acne, since this causes an imbalance in the levels of cortisol, a stress hormone and as a consequence, pimples begin to appear on the face mostly.

More details on the topic with  Are you stressed? Tips to improve it day by day !!!

Do contraceptives cause hormonal acne?

They can cause it but they can also cure it, the reason is because they block the production of the male hormone , the cause of increased sebum, which clogs the pores, when this hormone is blocked in many women it begins to disappear but in others it does the opposite happens.

Do adult men suffer from hormonal acne?

In view of the fact that men produce more male hormones (androgens) their tendency to have acneic skin is greater than that of women , and especially the adult man since the production of excess sebum clogs the pores, harboring dead cells inside them. grease and bacteria.

The adult man very rarely maintains good facial hygiene and the dirt of the environment, plus the excess production of sebum multiplies the chances of pimple breakouts, as well as stress , it is also the cause of adult men. suffer.

In adolescents, is hormonal acne normal?

Hormonal changes begin with puberty , meaning that hormonal acne is more than normal in adolescents, some only suffer from a mild type, while others can have it severe.

And the probabilities increase if the adolescent’s parents have suffered from pimples, because hormonal changes are compounded by the hereditary factor of one or both parents, as well as normal stress at this stage, love, heartbreak, studies, All of this will contribute to the appearance of hormonal acne.

During pregnancy you can have hormonal acne, why?

During pregnancy many changes are suffered, and among them internally the hormonal change : progesterone, lactogen, human chorionic gonadotropin, these stimulate the sebaceous glands and due to excess sebum production, a blockage occurs in the pores.

Although most pregnant women only have pimples  in the first trimester , because as the pregnancy progresses , estrogen levels increase and this makes the pimples disappear.

See our article on  What is HCG Hormone and its weekly table of values

Babies have hormonal acne, why?

In babies it is known as ” milk granules” and is caused by hormones that the mother has transferred to the baby through the placenta that cause the sebaceous glands of the newborn to produce more fat.

This accumulation of fat is trapped in the baby’s pores and for this reason they get hormonal acne, however it tends to disappear after a few weeks, you should not worry because they do not cause any discomfort, they do not itch or hurt.

During and after breastfeeding you have hormonal acne, why?

When you are already breastfeeding it is possible that you have some outbreaks due to those hormones that are returning to their normal state , and even more so if you are one of the moms who in each menstrual period suffered from acne lesions, because within a few months you cycle will also be regulated.

Is there cystic hormonal acne? What is it?

It is a severe and really unsightly type because the breakouts are papules, pustules and nodules that hurt and the lesions are larger than usual, it  is caused by the same pore blockage but it occurs below the surface of the skin.

It must be said that all types of pimples can be caused by different factors: bad habits, use of cosmetics, excess seborrhea, hormones, all these outbreaks can go from mild to severe , and when they are severe, cysts that can leave marks appear . deep.

These cysts are an accumulation of fluid deep in the skin and generally cause infections, the treatments for this hormonal cystic acne are really strong, and most last more than six months, without ensuring that the scars will disappear.

Much more on this topic with  cystic or nodular acne

Menopause and hormonal acne

At menopause, women begin to produce more sebum as their hormone levels change , estrogen hormone levels drop, and androgens stimulate the sebaceous glands.

This is the reason why hormonal acne is almost certain in menopause , most women present it at this stage in a mild or moderate way, especially on the jaw and chin.

Isotretinoin how does it help against hormonal acne?

Isotretinoin helps fight pimples since it is an oral retinoid that contains vitamin A and is the most effective of treatments because it reduces the production of the sebaceous glands and thanks to its anti-inflammatory, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effect, you will be acne-free from the beginning. of the treatment.

You can read more in this article:  Isotretinoin: Contraindications, Properties and Benefits

Menstruation and hormonal acne

A good number of women in the world suffer outbreaks days before their menstruation goes down, this is because just in these days there begins to be a hormonal imbalance that causes the sebaceous glands to increase the production of sebum and what I have been explaining happens from the start, the clogging of the pores.

Each lesion begins to appear more and more in the first days of the menstrual period and as estrogen levels increase, the pimples begin to disappear before the end of the period. In women with a polycystic ovary, male hormones get out of control and it is difficult to know when the problem will improve.

Do not forget to also read  Ovulation Symptoms: Calendar, Symptoms, How to detect it and Types

Hormonal acne vs bacterial acne

The bacterial type is one that is caused by a bacterium that lives on the surface of the skin known as: Propionibacterium acnes  can be cured easily since it is not an infectious acne, it is not contagious, and on the other hand the hormonal appears in the stages of a woman’s life where there is a sudden change in male hormones.

The increase in sebum is produced by bacteria while hormonal acne stimulates the sebaceous glands in hormonal imbalances , and causes this increase in fat, both clog the pores and develop pimples in the person.

What to eat if you have hormonal acne

There are several types of acne that can be controlled by having the right diet and hormonal is one of them. You can improve it and also prevent it if in your daily diet you avoid the consumption of fatty, processed and refined foods ; It is preferable that you eat fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants, vitamins C and E, which help to maintain healthy skin.

Although food is not the real culprit of pimple breakouts, these fruits and vegetables will improve any type of acne lesion you have because they greatly benefit the skin ; And don’t forget to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

Don’t miss this article  19 tips for a Healthy Eating

Hormonal acne, is there a cure? What is it?

You cannot expect that with a treatment you will eliminate breakouts for life, these will always want to appear at every moment in which hormones are out of adjustment (menstruation, pregnancy, menopause) but there are many personal care that you can do to avoid getting worse and only have a few pimples only.

These personal care are not something from another world, you should start by having facial hygiene twice a day , then use products that are appropriate for your skin type and do not worsen sebum production, likewise you must have a quiet life free of stress, use natural product masks and finally do all this, days before each menstrual cycle, or if you are pregnant or in the menopausal stage with greater intensity.

Medical treatments against hormonal acne

Dermatologists often prescribe topical retinoids, antibiotics, antimicrobials, benzoyl peroxide, azelaic acid, isotetrinoin, and oral contraceptives . Each treatment will be according to the type of acne that the person has, so be careful not to self-medicate, consult your dermatologist beforehand, who will ask you a series of questions and an exam to find out what it is.

Homeopathic treatment

The homeopathic treatments consider particular factors of the person , the symptoms that each one suffers in a personal way and in turn their psychological, physical and emotional state as well as their family, life and medical history; and in this way develop the right and precise remedy for the type of pimples you have.

It is a very effective treatment since it does not focus only on disappearing the pimples, but also attacks the other triggers  and prepares the remedies that will eliminate the outbreaks and everything that is causing them.

Learn more about Home Treatments for Acne Blemishes

Natural treatment to relieve hormonal acne

When you prefer a natural treatment before a doctor, you get multiple options in the naturopathic markets, the advice of your grandmother and on the web, really the effectiveness depends on each person because each one will have a hormonal acne breakout of different levels, there are those who only have comedones, less than five, as there are those who have more than ten papules.

In any case, natural treatments are a good option to alleviate the appearance of pimples, for example: you can make a homemade mask of brewer’s yeast and lemon juice, and you apply it every night or twice a week for 20 minutes and rinse. There are also other alternatives such as aloe vera, acupuncture, and evening primrose oil.

Do not forget to read these articles that surely interest you:

• 16 Best Natural Homemade Facial Masks: Anti-wrinkle, Moisturizing, for Acne, Blemished and Oily Skin
• Natural Treatments for Acne

How does aloe vera help?

Aloe vera helps combat this problem thanks to its moisturizing properties due to a substance known as lignin that penetrates the deep layers of the skin and provides vitamins and nutritional substances that prevent moisture from being lost.

It also has rejuvenating, bactericidal, anti-fungal properties that keep the skin healthy and free of pimples, regenerates all cells and prevents the new appearance of acne outbreaks.

You may also be interested in Aloe Vera: Side Effects, Benefits, Composition and Uses

Acupuncture

With acupuncture , anatomical locations on the skin are stimulated by small metal needles in order to reduce the stress hormone , and help women who have hormonal imbalance.

With acupuncture, the body is able to release its own natural and relaxing painkillers that treat anxiety, stress, even depression, and by improving this, hormonal acne that appears is in episodes where there is a hormonal change will also be improved .

Evening primrose oil, how does it benefit?

The evening primrose plant is known as the woman’s plant and this name is due to the fact that its medicinal properties provide benefits mainly to female conditions such as hormonal changes that cause symptoms such as: hot flashes, headaches, bad moods and acne.

That is why evening primrose oil is one of the most recommended natural remedies , especially because it alleviates many of the symptoms caused by hormonal imbalance when the woman is in her premenstrual days, in the aforementioned menopause, it acts as a soothing in stressful situations.

All these benefits prevent the appearance of hormonal acne and make you look irritable, glowing, beautiful and calm during these days with nothing more than a few drops of evening primrose oil.

You can read more on the subject in  Evening Primrose Oil: Contraindications, Benefits, Side Effects and Uses