Hormones And Your Acne

Your hormones play a great role in the outbreak of acne, a skin disease that is characterized by zits, inflamed follicles, and oily skin. Any change in the levels of your hormones can easily lead to the production of excess oils, triggering the growth of pimples. Unfortunately, hormonal changes are unavoidable and some instances or stages in life can have a great impact on your hormones.

As you well know, these are the times when changes in your hormone levels usually happen, resulting in more breakouts:

Adolescence - As your body begins to grow and develop, your body releases certain kinds of hormones. One of these hormones is androgen, a substance that can make your oil glands overactive, leading to excess oil production. These changes help explain why many teens experience acne.

Monthly period - If you notice zits suddenly appearing days just before your menstruation, don't fret since this type of acne is very common among females. The monthly ovulation process triggers a woman's body to release certain hormones. And yes, this hormonal change can also lead to more acne breakouts.

Pregnancy - When you get pregnant, your body prepares itself for the growing fetus by releasing certain amounts of hormones. And of course, these hormones can also trigger your oil glands to become overactive, producing more oils and causing more zits.

Menopause - This is the time when women experience the effects of estrogen deficiency. The levels of male hormones in females also start to decline but since estrogen is completely lost, an imbalance between the female and male hormones may result into adult acne. The skin also loses its elasticity during this phase, making it more prone to acne scars and lesions.

Stress - When you're under stress, your body responds by producing hormones. This hormonal change can then lead to more breakouts. The specific hormone produced during stress is cortisol, an internal element that can make your oil glands create more oil.

Aside from these factors, medications such as birth pills, some kinds of anti-depressants, and steroids can also alter your hormonal levels. If you wish to take these medicines, be sure to consult a doctor first since they could make you more vulnerable to acne breakouts.

A sudden change in your hormone levels can never be prevented since this is part of your body's natural responses. What you and your dermatologist can do is to try to control it so as to avoid excess oil production and breakouts.

There are plenty of treatments that can help prevent hormonal acne and some acne medications can help regulate your hormonal levels. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of these hormone-regulating medicines such as birth pills is only temporary. Once you stop taking them, symptoms of acne such as zits and blackheads may reappear.

Dealing with hormone-caused acne can require more than one kind of treatment. If you think your acne breakouts are due to changes in your hormone levels, talk to a dermatologist about the most appropriate treatment.

Kat Daez is an in-house writer for an online media company, Intelligraph Corporation. She currently writes articles about acne and its various medications.