Part of growing up is finding a hygiene regimen that works for you, but that goe beyond finding the best all natural deodorant or the best organic tampons. Most problems teens and young women face involve acne, but more specifically, hormonal acne. While there are hundreds of companies now claiming to have the cure for acne, do they actually work? Also, if they work, will these treatments work on hormonal acne? Most of the time, topical treatments will help to reduce breakouts, but to honestly treat the hormonal condition, it is necessary to find a hormonal therapy that works. However, it can also be helpful to understand the causes of such a condition before discussing possible treatments or the legitimacy of an acne cure.
Causes of Hormonal Acne
Hormonal acne is typically a direct side effect of women’s menstrual cycles. The fluctuations of progesterone and estrogen can lead to increased oil production in the pores, which often results in breakouts. However, beyond the normal hormonal changes, testosterone levels can also be affected during the menstrual cycle, which also contributes to oil production and acne. Therefore, women will typically experience worse breakouts in the week leading up to their period due to increased progesterone. However, women in menopause can also experience hormonal acne due to the decrease in female hormones. Beyond these typical contributing factors, stress can also produce hormonal acne.
Therefore, if you are curious about whether you are experiencing hormonal acne, there are several ways to tell. Hormonal acne will typically have breakouts that occur cyclically, often right before your period. Also, these breakouts will occur heavily along the jawline or the mouth. Last, hormonal acne creates deep, painful pimples. T-zone acne, whiteheads, blackheads and oily skin are signs of regular acne, not hormonal.
Treatments for Hormonal Acne
Salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide and an acne essential oil blend can help treat hormonal acne. While most over-the-counter remedies are not super effective against hormonal acne, those topical treatments containing those ingredients can reduce inflammation and clear up skin. Additionally, CBD has anti-inflammatory properties that may be beneficial to the skin – if you’re interested in learning more about CBD, you may find the articles and information over at https://cfah.org/ to be helpful. However, many dermatologists do recommend using topical treatments in combination with oral and hormonal therapies and diet changes. For example, birth control pills can reduce hormonal acne flare-ups because they regulate the menstrual cycle. However, patients should be careful about which birth control options they use because those releasing progestin can actually make the condition worse. Blood pressure medication can also help reduce acne when used in low doses. However, many doctors recommend a mix of topical treatments and dietary changes, like eliminating or reducing sugar and gluten intake.
While all of these options can have positive effects on your hormonal acne, do they cure the condition? No. Acne is something that can be controlled, and while the presentation of symptoms might fade over time, especially with a vigilant skincare regimen, acne will not disappear entirely.
However, if you suffer from hormonal acne, then you can seek a topical treatment and skin care regimen to combat the effects of acne. Most available products can be used by dedicating only a few minutes per day. Therefore, find a skincare and acne treatment that works for you and stick to it.
