Cystic Vs Hormonal Acne: What It Is & Best Treatment Options
Breakouts and problematic skin is something that commonly plagues those in their teens however, can also pop up during adulthood long after puberty ends. And unfortunately, adult acne is far more persistent.
A 2018 review published in the Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology reported a dramatic rise in adults dealing with acne, with factors such as stress, pollution and hormonal birth control being the most common reasons.
Acne sufferers will know that acne does not discriminate while the occasional pimples are normal and not as frustrating to deal with, cystic and hormonal acne are a different ball game altogether.
It can also be hard to decipher whether those blemishes you have are hormonal or cystic which is why we have prepared an article to help you figure out the differences as well as your best treatment options.
Its Really Getting Me Down Is There Anything Else I Can Do
Any kind of acne can feel demoralising and isolating, and in severe cases can make people withdraw from social events and daily activities. It can have adverse effects on your mental health, so keep in mind that if you are experiencing low mood due to issues with acne, you should discuss this with your doctor. They can try different treatments until you find something that works for you.
Be persistent to find a solution, and in the meantime know that in most cases cystic acne resolves itself over time, so dont be disheartened if you need to try multiple treatment options to find what works for your skin.
Do you suffer from hormonal cystic acne? You may find others with similar issues in our Full Stop FB group. Reach out with questions there, or on Insta at @itsyoppie. Don’t forget that our personalised period box can get full-cycle menstrual care from organic tampons to skin-calming charcoal sheet masks delivered easily and regularly through your letterbox so you’ve got one less thing to worry about during your cycle.
Section jump
What Gets Rid Of Hormonal Acne
Before you get downtrodden about the finicky nature of hormonal acne, remember that its pesky, but perfectly normal. So normal, in fact, that there are many methods to help treat it.
Most people with hormonal acne have tried over-the-counter treatments to no avail. If they arent working for you, you may need to seek the help of a dermatologist, who can offer prescription hormonal acne treatments. In general, its a good idea to see your dermatologist if you have deep or cystic pimples, because they could be a marker of something more serious, such as a thyroid condition or abnormal hormone levels, says Dr. Jegasothy.
If youve stumbled across natural treatments for hormonal acne, like using certain essential oils or other home remedies, Dr. Rodney says theyre not really legitand can sometimes make the situation worse. She recommends trying one of the hormonal acne medications or treatments listed below instead:
The hormonal acne treatment pyramid starts with good over-the-counter cleansers. When choosing yours, look for alpha7 or beta hydroxy acids, such as glycolic, lactic, or salicylic acids8. As you wash your face, each of these ingredients helps exfoliate the skin by unclogging pores to varying degrees of intensity. Finding the right kind that works for you might take some careful experimentation, but the La-Roche Posay Effaclar Medicated Cleanser and the Paulas Choice Pore Normalizing Cleanser are two derm-approved face washes for acne-prone skin.
Read Also: How To Get Rid Of Teenage Hormonal Acne
Try Taking Oral Probiotics
Our digestion can be affected by stress, which shifts our inner microbial systems, leading to inflammation, Rouleau says. This, in turn, changes the type and number of bacteria that live in the gut to unhealthy bacteria.
Eventually the gut lining becomes leaky and toxins are released into the bloodstream causing inflammation throughout the body, she says. can result in a flare-up of breakouts due to the shift in gut bacteria, and subsequent inflammation.
Cystic Acne And Hormones: Oil Production In The Skin
There are three separate layers to the skin, and pores traverse these layers. To adequately protect your body and keep toxins on the outside, the outer layer of the skin must be hydrated and strong.
To do this, pores deliver oil from the bottom layer to the top of the skin. In healthy skin, oil comes up through the pores and oozes onto the surface, lubricating the skin and making it look soft and glowy. Think of it like a well, or a hot spring, or an oil rig.
Recommended Reading: What Is Hormone Treatment For Breast Cancer
Causes Of Hormonal Acne
There are two main indicators: Your breakouts happen along the lower third of your face, and they get worse before your period when there is an excess build-up of testosterone, according to Joshua Zeichner, MD, the director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology and assistant professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.
Besides Aunt Flow, there are a few other hormonal acne causes. Pregnancy and the fluctuating hormones that come along with it, for one. Also, the decline in reproductive hormones can cause hormonal acne due to your body adjusting to fluctuating levels. Polycystic ovary syndrome is another culprit. It can occur in women at a reproductive age and causes a fluctuation in hormones that can increase the length of your menstrual cycle, cause obesity, and result in breakouts.
Treatment For Moderate And Severe Acne
Doctors can help people whose acne involves more severe pimples that may lead to scarring.
Moderate acne may be treated with oral antibiotics. Examples are:
Antibiotics for acne typically need to be continued for 3 months for full results. Topical antibiotics as well as the oral antibiotics may be prescribed as well.
Women with moderate acne who do not respond to oral antibiotics anti-androgen hormone therapy or birth control medication.
Read Also: Can You Take To Much Melatonin Daily
How To Get Rid Of Cystic Acne: Tips From A Dermatologist
Acne is a normal part of life, and not just for teenagersthese common skin blemishes can affect anyone of any age. But if youve ever had to deal with cystic acne, you know just how unpleasant it can be.
Unlike whiteheads or blackheads, cystic acne occurs deep under the skin, resulting in large, painful bumps on the face, back, or chest. These stubborn bumps can stick around for days or even weeks at a time, and getting rid of them isnt as simple as washing your face every day.
In this blog, Dr. Lisa M. Diaz, a board certified dermatologist at Florida Medical Clinic, explains how to get rid of cystic acne and prevent future breakouts. Keep in mind that acne treatments are not one-size-fits-all, so it can take some time to find a treatment that works for you with minimal side effects. But rest assuredyou are not alone, and effective treatments are available.
How To Tell If Acne Is Hormonal Or Bacterial
Acne is the most common skin condition in the nation and can occur at any stage in life. While primarily impacting teens, the American Academy of Dermatology reports that acne is on the increase in adults.
When oil and dead skin cells clog your skins pores, it causes acne. Hormonal levels have a lot to do with acne, but sometimes the issue is compounded by bacterial concerns, presenting as blackheads, cyst-like lumps, or blockages in your hair follicles. You can tell if acne is hormonal or bacteria by its severity if flare-ups occur during hormonal imbalances, and whether topical treatments resolve the issues, or if systemic medications are needed.
Lets break down how to tell if acne is hormonal or bacterial and look at treatment options.
Read Also: Does Non Hormonal Birth Control Help With Periods
Why Are Chin Pimples Often So Painful
The hormonal stimulation of oil glands induces inflammation, which creates oxidative stress in the follicle. Oxidized or damaged sebum boosts the proliferation of keratinocytes, dead skin cells. This keratolytic over-abundance leads to an impaction that allows acne bacteria to thrive and produce still more inflammation. Its the perfect storm that results in the raised, tender red bumps of cystic acne or painful subdermal nodules.
The recurrent nature of hormonal acne can mean the follicles become damaged, and the intensity of the breakout may worsen with each subsequent event.
Why Do Androgens Such As Testosterone Cause Acne
Androgens cause changes in the skin and directly drive inflammation. Here are the three reasons why androgens cause acne:
This diagram shows the complex effects of androgens in the skin that cause acne:
Read Also: Pros And Cons Of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
Acne Doesnt Have To Last Forever
At the end of the day, everyones acne is considered unique. Both cystic and hormonal acne are tough to handle alone, and they arent as easy to treat as blackheads and whiteheads.
Most patients with cystic and hormonal acne are often dealing with painful cysts that are found deeper within the skins surface and cannot be resolved with just topical treatments alone.
Reducing sebum production is a key goal of any acne treatment as decreasing the levels can result in lowered levels of bacteria effectively cutting off any possible inflammation or infection. Offering the best acne spot treatment in Singapore, The Clifford Clinic specializes in dealing with recurring, hard-to-treat cystic acne and employs an active, combination treatment approach to tackle it at its root.
Our aesthetic clinic offers AGNES a permanent solution to banish pimples and stubborn breakouts by employing a tiny microscopic needle attached to a radiofrequency current to target overzealous oil glands and shut it down for good.
The treatment does not come with any side effects and patients can expect a near 90% improvement in their acne condition after three sessions. Minimal discomfort, downtime, redness or scabbing and most importantly, no recurrence whatsoever!
If you have noticed that over-the-counter treatments do nothing for you and are ready to take the next step to bid goodbye to your acne for good book a consultation with us today!
How Does Cystic Acne Develop
Well, for a better answer, a basic understanding of how acne develops before becoming cystic may be helpful.
Generally, acne starts with excess oil being trapped in your pores with dead skin cells. This is when you see the non-inflammatory formsof acnecalled open comedones and closed comedones .
When Propionibacterium acne which normally resides in your skin gets trapped along with excess oil and dead skin cells in your pores, the affected pores will become red and swollen, and inflamed.
The inflammatory formsof acne that will develop include papules, pustules nodules and cysts.
The most severe of all forms of acne is cystic acne.
Also Check: What Is The Cost Of Testosterone Injections
Areas Of The Body Where Cystic Acne Can Appear
The areas of the body where cystic acne usually appear are: the face and shoulders mainly, however in the arms, legs and back are places where they appear and really bother because they are part that you must cover with clothing generally.
When the breakouts appear on the back, the discomfort is enough , resting on the back of a chair, or sleeping on your back, is not easy when you have cystic acne since these are painful and with every minimal contact causes a brief but intense pain.
Check in this article 15 Essential Tips to have a Peaceful and Restful Sleep
What Can I Do About My Cystic Acne
While medications that treat regular acne arent strong enough to work on cystic acne, its certainly not a lost cause! There are many cystic acne treatment options available, including:
- Antibiotics that control bacteria and reduce inflammation
- Birth control to regulate your hormones
- Ointments like benzoyl peroxide to kill bacteria and calm inflammation
- Creams like retinoid to help unclog pores and assist antibiotics
- Medications like isotretinoin to shrink sebaceous glands and reduce oil production
- Steroids injected into cysts by a doctor
Read Also: What Is An Average Dose Of Melatonin
Treeactiv Cystic Acne Spot Treatment
- Not Just One But Two: Your favorite spot treatment acne clay now offers a pack of 2 jars, so you can cover more stubborn acne wherever they are a small amount is enough, so each jar of this proactive face and body acne treatment kit will last long
- Comes With Pimple Patches: Our Aloe Vera & Sulfur acne treatment for active breakouts comes with cleansing Hydrocolloid patches in 3 sizes each acne patch or sticker targets every zit, dot, bump, whitehead, and blackhead, ensuring you’re acne-free
- Your Instant Acne Remedy: Unlike other anti-acne products, our clearing pimple spot treatment with Bentonite Clay and pure Tea Tree Oil for acne provides rapid and visible results by unclogging pores, removing dirt, and lessening the look of redness.
- Offers 120+ Treatments Per Jar: A little goes a long way with our fast-acting acne cream that shrinks zits fast with Peppermint Oil, Eucalyptus Oil, Lemon Oil, and Spearmint Oil, our acne spot treatment for face and body is gentle on all skin types
- Quick-Absorbing Zit Prevention Clay: Our cystic acne treatment for face with a natural formula gets absorbed into the skin fast this nighttime solution for marks and blemishes works well with our Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment Face Cream Moisturizer
Treatment Of Adult Female Acne
AFA is a therapeutic challenge because it presents a tendency to relapse, even aftercycles of oral antibiotics or isotretinoin.3 The typical evolution of AFA, with frequent relapses, makesmaintenance treatment essential.45
In choosing the treatment, numerous factors must be taken into account: acneseverity, response to previous treatments, psychosocial impact, possibility ofpregnancy, slow response to treatment and increased risk of sensitive skinirritation. Individual preferences and costs are also important factors.2,7 In the Brazilian population, the diversity of phototypes, with alarge contingent of patients prone to post-inflammatory hyperchromia, as well asclimatic variation limit therapeutic options, contributing to their complexity.Figure 3 presents an algorithm for treatingAFA.
Treatment algorithm of adult female acne
Don’t Miss: How Can I Balance My Hormones To Stop Acne
How To Choose Acne Treatment For Hormonal Cystic Acne: The Buying Guide
How do you choose the acne treatment for hormonal cystic acne? You must consider many things, such as the brand name, price, and product quality. In addition, you should also consider whether it is suitable for your needs or not.
So how do you choose the right acne treatment for hormonal cystic acne? Here are some tips that you can use to help you find a good product:
What you Should Keep in Mind When Buying acne treatment for hormonal cystic acne
When shopping for a acne treatment for hormonal cystic acne, there are several things to consider. You need to think about the quality of the product, the price, and even how much it will benefit your life. However, you also need to keep these factors in mind:
Cystic Acne Spot Treatment
- Offers 120+ Treatments: A little goes a long way with our cleansing acne cream that shrinks zits in no time, you’ll be surprised by the good results when you wake up our proactive acne spot treatment for face and body is ideal for all skin types too
- Get The Acne-Free Skin You Need: Our cystic acne treatment with pure Tea Tree Oil for face now offers twice the amount for the same price, so you can combat more stubborn zits add this acne minimizer to your regimen to achieve blemish-free skin fast
- Your Instant Acne Remedy: Unlike other products, our adult and teen zit clay wastes no time our Sulfur and Bentonite pimple spot treatment offers rapid results by unclogging pores and lessening the look of acne, leaving your skin clearer and fresher
- Directions For Use: Apply a tiny amount of our zit, whitehead, and blackhead clay rinse after 15 minutes for best results, leave it overnight and use it with our hydrating Acne Treatment Face Spray and gentle Acne Treatment Face Cream Moisturizer
- No More Redness And Irritation: You don’t need to suffer in pursuit of beauty, so use our pimple cream spot treatment to say bye to breakouts with only plant-based ingredients, our zit cream eliminates acne-causing irritants without causing discomfort
Read Also: How Many Mg Melatonin Is Safe
Refine Your Cleansing Regimen
Its important to find a cleansing and skin care regimen that is right for you. For some people this comes easily, while others have to try several products before they determine which ones are right for their skin.
Ask your dermatologist for advice. There may be prescription skin care products that work better for you than those found over the counter. Your dermatologist may also be able to tell you what products to try from the drugstore and what to avoid.
You will likely want to look for noncomedogenic face washes, moisturizers, and sunscreen. These products are formulated to avoid clogging the pores, which may cause or worsen acne breakouts.