Hormonal Acne: Causes and Treatments

Hormonal acne challenges us when we just want a clean and clear face. But acne often arrives just as unexpectedly as it disappears. Besides being a physical menace, it also causes mental stress. Most often, external remedies don’t work. This is because the problem is internal. Acne is frequently a result of hormones coursing throughout the body and operating as messengers. Since women and teenagers are the ones most subjected to hormonal changes, they are most vulnerable to hormonal acne.

Acne is formed when the pores around the hair follicles become blocked with dead skin cells and oil secreted from the skin. It may be manifested in the form of blackheads, whiteheads or pimples. Sometimes the clogged pores may even get infected and take the form of cystic lesions. Any of these can be a cause of concern.

          Hormonal acne is closely linked to hormone fluctuations in the body. Interestingly most of the hormones that cause acne are male hormones but women are the most affected by them. This is because women experience a lot of hormonal changes at the various stages of life. On the contrary men secrete almost the same ones throughout except at pre-puberty and puberty. The frequent hormonal fluctuations in women are the most general causes of acne. There are a number of androgenic hormones involved in this process, too. For example, acne produced from androgens is a symptom of polycystic ovary.

Hormonal acne is caused when hormones, released from the respective glands are directed towards the skin. If there is an increase in the secretion of these hormones the skin pores swell up and eventually burst. This problem is most visible in women when they are going through the vulnerable period of the menstrual cycle. This causes mental distress along with a physical reaction. Most women try anti-acne creams but normally these don’t work. It is important to find out the real cause of the specific acne and treat it from within.

Adult women generally suffer from hormonal acne for which the standard remedy is the use of antibiotics, or topical preparations like Accutane. But surveys reveal that most women use over-the-counter common medicines rather than resorting to these general treatments. In working-women, levels of male hormones often go up most often due to stress. As if to add insult to injury, several female hormones start acting like male ones! Treating acne with countering hormones is an effective way to calm the eruptions and, in most cases, it yields positive results. Starting, changing the dosage or stopping contraceptive pills may also result in acne. This is because of the chemical changes that ensue once the hormones fluctuate. Extra oil is secreted from the sebaceous glands, which may lead to a flare-up of acne!

Due to the advancement in medicine regarding hormonal acne, the silver lining is the diverse ways in which it can be treated. A general prescription would include regular applications of topical antimicrobials such as benzoyl peroxide and antibiotics. Topical retinoids and anti-androgen medication may provide further help. Estrogen-inducing oral contraceptive pills are also useful because these fight androgen secretions.

So the next time you get those pimples that won’t go away, pass up the over-the-counter topicals and try the internal remedies. Find out the “root” of the problem and work towards clearing it up forever. Then you can flaunt a flawless appearance without worrying about hormonal acne! 

 

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