Are You A Woman That Struggles With Adult Hormonal Acne?

Adult Acne & Hormones

For numerous women, it happens like clockwork every month: cramping, bloating, mood swings, and acne. Experts realize that hormones affect acne, but research on the subject has long been relatively limited, until now. Research conducted recently by dermatologist Alan Shalita, MD, established that almost half of all women experience acne flare-ups during the week preceding their menstration.

This specific form of acne, hormonal acne, may fail to be affected by traditional therapies, such as topical Retinoids and systemic or topical antibiotics. Numerous clues can help your doctor identify hormonally influenced acne:

• Adult-onset acne, or breakouts that appear for the first time in adults
• Acne flare-ups preceding the menstrual cycle
• A history of irregular menstrual cycles
• Increased facial oiliness
• Hirsutism (excessive growth of hair, or hair in unusual places)
• Elevated levels of certain androgens in the blood stream

While hormonally influenced acne generally begins around age 20-25, it can strike teens and mature women as well, and is most persistent in women over the age of 30. These patients normally experience lesions on the lower face, particularly the chin and the jaw line. While some might have breakouts on the chest and back, most have pimples exclusively on the face. Hormonally influenced acne is normally moderate and limited to inflammatory papules and small inflammatory nodules and occasional comedones. But wait , how does it start? Will some of the best acne products prevent it?

Adult Hormonal Acne

Puberty is where all this begins. Commencing sometime before adolescence (around the age of nine or ten) the adrenal glands begin to produce dihydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), an androgen. Other androgens, the “male” hormones at work in a woman’s body, such as testosterone and dehydrotestosterone (DHT), join in at the onset of puberty. All of these hormones stimulate the sebaceous glands to secrete more of the skin’s natural oil, or sebum. This is why oily skin and acne are so common among teenagers.

Naturally, since boys have more “male” hormones, teen acne tends to be worse in men. The treatment of acne in teenagers can be challenging, because their hormones are in a consistent state of flux. They could initially respond well to first-line treatments, such as topical Retinoids and Benzoyl peroxide, perhaps accompanied by an oral antibiotic. As their bodies develop, however, they may undergo severe hormonal shifts, and stop responding to the current medications. Courses of acne treatment might need to be adjusted more regularly with teenagers to accommodate these hormonal changes.

Adult hormonal acne can be a harsh cycle. Many women pass into adulthood without “outgrowing” their acne. Others may not acquire it until their 20s or 30s, experiencing continual breakouts the week before their period. Why? Over the course of a standard menstrual cycle (if a woman is not taking any kind of hormonal contraceptive pill), estrogen levels peak at mid-cycle, then decline as she nears her period. After ovulation, the ovaries commence to produce progesterone, an additional hormone that stimulates the sebaceous glands.

And with the excess oil comes acne. Hormones are responsible for acne in a percentage of women that are pregnant, as well; the sebaceous glands start high gear while in the third trimester, creating oily skin and frequent breakouts. Quite a few women sometimes experience acne just after menopause, when estrogen levels commence to decrease and testosterone becomes the dominant hormone.

What you can do? According to Dr. Shalita, the “wait and see” attitude is particularly ineffective for hormonal breakouts: “Acne that gets worse during a woman’s monthly cycle isn’t something which women will grow out of as they get older. Seeing your dermatologist to determine the best treatment plan for acne flare-ups is advised for the most productive result.”

The best adult acne treatment is not necessarily going to be a prescription or medicated product. Thousands of men and women are finding that natural acne products work just as well and sometimes much better. Natural acne support systems are safer for the body and health.

For relief from hormonal acne try Acnezine Acne Support System.