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Meet the Experts
What Is Hormonal Acne?
An acne breakout can usually be traced back to eitherhormonal or bacterialcauses.
Studio Firma / Stocksy
(Yes,fungal acnedoes exist, but we’ll keep it simple for now.)
If acne is hormonal, its appearance often coincides with the fluctuation of, you guessed it, hormones.
Believe it, says Dr. Hadley King.
Estrogen actuallyimprovesacne and is responsible for making skin look generally fabulous, King explains.
Try noting when, exactly, your breakouts tend to occur relative to the phases of your 28-day cycle.
But Dr. Jennifer Herrmann says its easiest to begin decoding breakouts starting with the follicular phase.
In other words, the follicular phase is when skin usually has peak clarity and radiance.
According to King, progesterone starts to rise before ovulation and continues rising after ovulation is complete.
“The mid-cycle rise in progesterone stimulates increased production of sebum,” she notes.
Your body basically reaches its boiling point, as far as all skin-provoking hormones are concerned.
“During the luteal phase, estrogen levels drop and progesterone levels rise,” says Dr. Joyce Imahiyerobo-Ip.
“Furthermore, testosterone-to-estrogen ratios are also elevated during this phase.
“This, in combination with slightly higher body temperatures, creates a perfect environment forP.
acnes, the major bacterial culprit of acne, to flourish, thus leading to breakouts.”
The luteal phase can wreak other skin havoc besides pimples.
(There’s always a silver lining, folks!)
It usually appears as cysts, whiteheads, or blackheads.
Suspiciously located pimples aren’talwaysindicators of hormonal breakouts, Ciraldo warns.
In that case, book an appointment with a healthcare provider ASAP.
King says topical meds don’t always get hormonal acne in check.
Anti-androgen medications work by suppressing production of androgens, like testosterone, or blocking androgen receptors in the body.
The FDA has only approved certain formulas for treating hormonal acne.
These contain ethinyl estradiol, the progestin norgestimate, norethindrone acetate, or drospirenone.
Contraceptive pills containing androgenic progestins (i.e., norgestrel and levonorgestrel) may actually exacerbate breakouts.
The Pill isn’t your onlybirth control optionfor preventing pimples.
One of those meds is spironolactone, also sold under the brand names Aldactone and CaroSpir.
Try these dermatologist-recommended skincare picks for acne.
She recommends the affordable AcneFree Oil-Free Acne Cleanser, which contains 2.5 percent benzoyl peroxide.
The beta hydroxy acidsalicylic acidis another ingredient to look for on skincare labels.
“This can help lift thick sebum and dead skin cells that lead to clogging,” she explains.
Over-the-counter retinoidsincludingretinol, the gold-standard anti-aging ingredientare also smart buys.
And don’t forget aboutadapalene, a potent acne fighter that until recently was available only by prescription.
She suggests picking up AcneFree Adapalene Gel, only $10.
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