First Know What Youre Dealing With
Before going into battle, its always best to know who your opponent is. In the case of period acne, this means knowing how to differentiate a hormonal break out from a regular one.
The easiest way to do this is to look at the timing. Acne thats related to your period is more likely to flare up during the week leading up to your period or during your period. Plus, it tends to clear up or improve when your period is ending or over.
Already have acne? You might notice that it gets worse during this time. If you tend to have clear skin, you might notice a pimple or two pop up.
Does Hormonal Birth Control Cause Acne
Acne is complicated. Not only are there many different causes, but there are many different treatments as well. Adding to the confusion are the mixed messages surrounding hormones and acne: Do they cause the problem, or solve it?
Dr. Robert B. Topham and our experienced team of skin experts at Holladay Dermatology & Aesthetics in Holladay, Utah, are here to set the record straight, explore the link between hormones and acne, and discuss hormonal birth control as a treatment option.
Tips On How To Prevent Acne Breakout Before Period
Below are a few tips to help prevent pimples during or before ovulation.
- Use non-comedogenic cosmetics and makeup materials, especially sunscreens to prevent pimples during or before ovulation. Moreover, its important that you know which is the best sunscreen for you, based on your skin type!
- Wash your face often with lukewarm water to avoid pore-clogging to avoid acnes during or before ovulation.
- In order to prevent pimples during or before ovulation- avoid pinching any breakouts on the face or body.
- Do not touch your face with dirty hands as it helps in preventing pimples during or before ovulation.
- Maintain a healthy diet, avoid a high load of glycemia also prevents pimples during or before ovulation. Furthermore, you can read about foods that induce periods and regularize your monthly periods with a healthy diet!
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How To Identify Menstrual Acne
It is important for a woman to know if she is really having menstrual acne or any other kind of blemishes. Also, menstrual acne itself has two kinds a regular one and a hormonal breakout. The easiest way to identify is to check for the exact timing of the occurrence.
Period acne begins to appear mainly during the week when you are about to start your period, and, in some women, it appears during their period. Similarly, in most cases, they begin to clear or tend to improve once you finish your period. For women who already have acne, it might start to worsen during this period.
How Does Your Period Affect Your Acne
The hormones in your body affect your menstrual cycle. During your cycle, which typically lasts 28 days, your hormone levels can fluctuate. These hormonal changes tend to be the cause of cramps, moodiness, and period acne.
A hormonal imbalance can lead to an increase of androgens, which are male sex hormones . An increase of androgens can lead to an overactive sebaceous gland and abnormal shedding of skin cells above the hair follicle. This increased oil production can lead to clogged pores and is the perfect environment for acne causing bacteria to grow.
Hormones play a role in all types of acne, but derms tend to use the term hormonal acne to refer to a type of acne breakout that affects adult women during their menstrual period.
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How To Prevent Acne Before Your Period
There are some lifestyle changes you can try that may help you manage your acne before your period.
Good skin hygiene Bacteria on your face can aggravate premenstrual acne. Keeping your skin clean can help prevent acne before your period. Avoid touching your face too often because your hands can leave bacteria and dirt on your skin. Your phone can carry a lot of bacteria, so cleaning it frequently may also help prevent premenstrual acne.
When you work out at a gym, be mindful of common surfaces that other people may have touched. You can use towels to cover mats, seats, and handles.
Dont smoke Smoking contributes to all kinds of acne.
Maintain a healthy weight A hormone called sex-hormone binding globulin helps fight off acne. This protein acts like a sponge to soak up testosterone in your bloodstream. Having a healthy amount of SHBG means theres less testosterone available to cause acne before your period.
Obesity can reduce SHBG sensitivity, thereby increasing testosterone. Eating a well-balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight may help control acne before your period. Try eating a diet with a low glycemic index with plenty of foods high in zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, and vitamins A and E. These can be found in seafood, cheese, nuts, and spinach.
Getting enough vitamins and minerals can help improve your acne. Keep in mind, vitamins and minerals can help maintain healthy skin theyre not useful as a primary treatment for acne.
What Else Can I Do To Prevent Acne In The Future
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Remember to wash your face after activities that make you sweat.
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Watch your diet. Avoid sugary foods, drinks and processed food.
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Wash your pillow covers regularly.
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Stay out of the sun when possible to limit your exposure to UV rays and use non-oily moisturizers with sunscreen.
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Use your acne products as directed. Applying too much will irritate and dry out your skin.
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Avoid irritating products, such as greasy sunscreens, oils, and cosmetic products.
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Protect your skin from friction from things like tight collars, straps, or helmets.
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Stop The Spot Before It Starts
The best offense is a good defense, so you need to pay extra special attention to your skincare routine during this week of your cycle.
Firstly, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! The spike in testosterone and dip in estrogen can leave your skin dehydrated yes, and oily too hello, combination skin! so make sure youre drinking your half gallon of water a day.
Next, brush up on the correct order to use your skincare products. In particular, remember to use a cleanser with salicylic acid the week prior to your period, as this acne-busting ingredient helps to remove excess oil and give your pores a deep clean.
And, of course, if you can see or feel a pimple starting to form, go ahead and start treating it with your ESPADA the blue light therapy will combat the bacteria thats forming.
What Questions Should I Ask My Healthcare Provider
- How severe is my acne?
- What lifestyle changes should I make to prevent hormonal acne from forming?
- What are the side effects to my acne treatment?
- Can I take this treatment if I become pregnant?
A note from Cleveland Clinic
It can be frustrating to see breakouts on your skin as an adult, considering they are most frequent among adolescents. Talk with your healthcare provider if your acne is persistent and they will be able to offer advanced treatment options to eliminate pesky pimples.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 09/10/2021.
References
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How Can I Prevent Getting Period Pimples
If you have period related acne, then you can help to support and nourish your skin from the outside by using skincare products throughout the month that have been specially developed to support non conformist skin.
Our collection of cleansers, day and night moisturisers, serums and supplements are made using silica salts that alkalise the skin, helping to keep acne and other skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis under control. We developed them because we too have stressed out skin that doesnt respond well to other skincare products.
You can also use exfoliating products that contain salicylic acid, a type of fruit acid that gently removes the top layers of skin. This helps to clear the pores and rid the skin of dead skin cells and cellular debris that can become trapped in the pores by excess sebum and lead to spots and period pimples.
Extra Tips To Help Manage Your Period Acne
A healthy diet is one thats rich in fruits and vegetables, along with wholegrain carbs such as brown bread, pasta and rice. Protein-wise, aim for lean cuts of meat if you eat meat, such as chicken or turkey breast, along with white fish and eggs. Plant-based protein sources include tofu and other soya products, beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, nuts and seeds. Healthy fats should be included too, such as oily fish, avocados and walnuts.
Eating such a healthy diet thats rich in antioxidants will support the health of your skin, as well as all the other parts of your body.
A healthy diet is also one that keeps sugar and dairy to a minimum.
Both are inflammatory foods that can raise insulin levels that in turn can cause an increase in androgens and sebum – a bad mix for acne prone skin.
Finally, dont be tempted to overload your skin with a plethora of skincare products that all promise to do the same thing – reduce your acne breakouts. Keep things simple with a skincare regime such as ours here at Sönd and give your skin all it needs to stay happy and healthy.
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The Week After Your Period
After a bumpy ride , your estrogen and progesterone hormone levels have gone back to normal and so will your skin.
What to do: For a stubborn cystic zit , dab cortisone on the spot , says Dr. Bowe. And PS, nows not the time to slack. Sticking to a skin care routine, even when youre acne-free, will help prevent pimples next month.
This article appeared in Seventeens March 2015 issue. Check out the current issue, available now!
Is Hormonal Acne Caused By Pregnancy
When you are pregnant, hormonal fluctuations can cause acne. Often, acne gets better as your pregnancy progresses. There are several treatments that you should avoid during pregnancy, including topical retinoids, salicylic acid and isotretinoin. Ask your healthcare provider about the safest acne treatment for you to reduce and eliminate breakouts during pregnancy.
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Symptoms Of Premenstrual Acne
Premenstrual acne might include two different kinds of pimples: blackheads and whiteheads.
Blackheads are also called open comedones because they are open at the skins surface. They look black because of their exposure to oxygen.
Whiteheads are also called closed comedones because they are closed under the surface of the skin.
Apart from blackheads and whiteheads, other types of bumps from acne before your period may include:
- Papules Small raised red bumps that occur due to infection and inflammation of hair follicles
- Pustules Small red pimples with a white or yellowish pus-filled center
- Nodules Solid, painful lumps underneath the skin
- Cysts Large lumps that are underneath the skin, generally painful, and contain pus
The area around your chin and jawline is more prone to getting premenstrual acne.
Does Anyone Get Acne After A Period Rather Than Before/during
- #1 01-29-2003 01:33 PM by LookingForHealthIt seems that once the period is just ending, bam some bumps randomly appear.Another question for people with mild/moderate…how the heck are you supposed to know if it is your cleanser doing the harm? I have been using it for about 3 months and then very seldomly 3 annoying ugly pimples come at once. The rest of the time it is clear.When I put mint julep mask on a spot for a few nights, one morning when I washed it off it turned into a dry patch of skin flaking away, lighter skin there too. beware!
- #2 01-29-2003 05:06 PM by Sparkle0036normal to get acne after your period…the hormones just go crazy during that time of month, so its normal to get them before, during, or after. if you want to know if your cleanser is doing harm, you have to switch cleansers. the breakouts you are describing may be normal breakouts, not necessarily in response to cleansers or other factors.
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Hormonal Acne: What It Is And Why It Happens
Acne does not just affect young teens going through puberty but instead also affects adults of any age. About 40% to 50% of the adult population ranging from 20 to 40 years old have some sort of acne on their body.
While any gender can have hormonal acne in their adult life, it typically affects women more than men. Studies have shown that about 50% of the women population ages 20-29 deal with acne, and 25% of women ages 40-49 also deal with it. Why do women experience more hormonal acne than men?
Women tend to experience more hormone fluctuations compared to men due to puberty, menstruation cycles, pregnancy and menopause. If you suffer from hormonal acne, check out this guide on what it is and why it happens.
Butt Pimples During Your Period Heres What To Do
Every 28 days or so, we girls have to go through hell and back: stomach pain, backache, bloating, boob pain, bad moods, fatigue and bathroom issues are just a few of the delightful things many of us will experience on a monthly basis.
Another unfortunate side effect of this influx of hormones is skin pimples, which seem to pop up overnight just about anywhere on our bodies. One of the most annoying, and frankly embarrassing, places where pimples appear is on our butts not ideal, especially in summer when you cant wait to try out that new bikini.
So, why do periods cause skin breakouts, and how can you best treat butt pimples and get that peachy behind youve been dreaming of?
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What Causes Hormonal Acne
Hormonal acne is acne that occurs when a persons hormone level fluctuates. Fluctuations of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone can cause zits and pimples to pop up. Typically, these fluctuations happen mostly during menstruation cycles, pregnancy and menopause.
During these times of increased hormones, the body produces more sebum, an oily, waxy substance. This then leads to inflammation, changes in skin cell activity and colonization of bacteria in hair follicles. With this combination, acne starts to appear. Medications, antibiotics, specific foods, depression, anxiety, stress and other mentally triggering elements can cause hormonal acne as well.
How Do I Get Rid Of Period Acne
At Sönd we truly believe in the power of a holistic approach to skin management, especially if we suffer from the effects of skin that breaks out into acne spots regularly. This means using the right skincare products, eating well, exercising and avoiding stress.
But if your skin is still breaking out, then there are other ways you can help to manage your period acne by managing your hormones.
One way is to take the oral contraceptive pill that will help to regulate your hormonal fluctuations. Your GP will be able to provide more information and help you decide if the contraceptive pill is right for your needs.
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Why Do You Breakout Before & During Your Period
The hormone progesterone plays an important role in premenstrual and menstrual acne.
Progesterone levels rise during the second half of your cycle and this hormonal change has a direct effect on the sebaceous glands which are the oil-producing glands.
This increase in oil production causes the pores to swell and open, additionally trapping dirt, thus creating a perfect airless environment for acne-causing bacteria to thrive inside the pore.
But when it comes to the skin, hormonal changes do not only affect you during that time of the month they affect you and the behavior of your skin almost all the time.
Hormones can also be blamed for triggering acne breakouts during puberty. In this case, it is the male hormone androgen that fluctuates and directly stimulates the sebaceous glands to produce more oil and cause more clogging.
Additionally, hormones are also responsible for the acne that develops or gets worse during pregnancy. In this case, it is the male hormone testosterone that fluctuates and directly stimulates the sebaceous glands to produce more oil and cause more clogging.
Furthermore, we are also susceptible to acne breakouts due to stress and guess what? This is also related to hormones the hormone cortisol, in particular.
Cortisol is the bodys stress-reaction hormone that can stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce more oil which then leads to more clogging and acne breakouts.
But worry not, there are ways to control this, and we are slowly getting there.
What You Can Do To Manage And Treat Premenstrual Acne
If you have ongoing acne and use products to calm down flare-ups, those same products are likely to help prevent premenstrual pimples as well. The same rules apply: Keep your skin clean using gentle cleansers, kill bacteria with tea tree oil, clear away dead skin cells with glycolic acid pads, clean out pores with salicylic acid, and use benzoyl peroxide to treat spots.
If you dont see any improvement after three menstrual cycles, you may need a little extra help. Thats when its time to come in and see our team to discuss some stronger treatments.
We may suggest prescription-strength topical treatments or even oral medications or antibiotics. Birth control pills are another option, as they help control your hormones, and therefore your acne.
When you have a deep, painful cyst that doesnt respond to medication, we can neutralize it by draining and extracting it here in our office. This stops the pain and also reduces the chance of scarring.
We also offer light-based therapies and laser treatments to rid you of your recurring acne. But whichever product or procedure we use, you can rest assured that weve taken into account your skin type, your medical history, and your overall health.
If your menstrual symptoms are compounded by before-your-period acne, give our office in Holladay, Utah, a call and schedule an appointment with our team.
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