Experiencing changes to your skin can be confusing and stressful. Hormones often have a big impact on your skin health. We all know how hard puberty was on our skin and the damage that might’ve done to your confidence growing up. Many people think that after puberty, breakouts and acne will disappear, but unfortunately this isn’t always the case.
Adults can still receive hormonal breakouts and acne if they have frequent hormonal imbalances and changes. These may be caused by menstruation, PCOS, menopause, increased androgen levels, pregnancy, stress and contraception.
Interestingly enough, hormonal acne in teenagers is more likely to occur on your forehead, chin and nose. Whereas, it’s more common for adults to have it on their cheeks and jawline!
Your skin is the largest organ in your body, covered will tiny sebaceous glands. You may have heard of sebum before, it is an essential oil secreted by these glands to maintain healthy skin. The sebaceous glands have receptors within them that respond to hormones like oestrogen and testosterone.
Both men and women produce these two hormones, however, men have higher levels of testosterone and women have higher amounts of oestrogen. While androgens like testosterone can produce more oil in the skin, oestrogen (in high doses) can stop oil production. Oestrogen can also increase collagen production, hydrate your skin and support the healing of wounds.
With this information being presented, you can now understand why hormonal imbalances and changes can affect your skin. For example, the week before a woman’s period begins, her oestrogen levels drop, which can result in more oil production and your pores become clogged.
Similarly, when menopause occurs, your oestrogen levels rapidly drop, and testosterone increases. This leads to dry or itchy skin, acne, sagging and wrinkling. These are only a few examples of when hormones can affect your skin. There are many reasons as to why hormones change in the human body and it’s important for you to understand exactly what causes yours.
How can you treat hormonal acne and breakouts?
There are several things that you can do to treat your skin. Many people start off with simple changes such as: diet, exercise and supplements. We recommend that you see a qualified dermal therapist to receive a skin plan tailored to your specific needs and conditions.
Don’t know where to start? Contact us today to begin your better skin journey.