You May Need A Prescription Treatment
If you’ve tried a ton of OTC products and you’re still breaking out, it’s time to call for backup. Your healthcare provider has plenty of prescription acne treatment options that will help get your acne under control.
You don’t necessarily have to see a dermatologist, either. It’s likely that your family healthcare provider has helped many teenagers with acne. Your regular healthcare provider can refer you to a dermatologist if they think it’s necessary.
The advantage here is that prescription medications are going to be stronger and they usually work faster. Also, they can work even when OTC products haven’t.
If your acne is severe, inflamed, or leaving scars, you should skip the OTC products and start with prescription medications right away.
Use A Spot Treatment Formulated Exclusively For Stubborn Cysts
If you’re looking for a spot treatment for your cysts, you might consider trying the much-lauded Renée Rouleau Anti-Cyst Treatment, which according to Rouleau, contains “a purified form of lactic acid helps dissolve cells blocking the pore, as well as purifying within the pore to help prevent future breakouts.” Bye-bye festering angry mountain on my face!
How To Apply Benzoyl Peroxide And Salicylic Acid For Pimples Around The Mouth
The skin around the mouth is very sensitive and easily irritated by benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid. If you occasionally have single pimples in these sensitive areas, you can use your treatment cream as a spot treatment . To reduce skin dryness and irritation, you can dilute your treatment cream by mixing it with a small quantity with an equal amount of your moisturizer.
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Why Hormonal Acne Happens And What To Do About It
Sick of dealing with pesky pimples well past your teenage years? Read this.
You might assume that pimples disappear later in life. However, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, fifty percent of women ages 20 to 40 deal with adult acne.
Fluctuating hormones, bacteria, excess oil, and dead skin cells all contribute to these types of breakouts. They usually occur throughout your chin, T-zone, and jawline.
It can be challenging to keep your skin blemish-free. Luckily, dermatologist-backed solutions do exist, and were here to help. Read on to learn why hormonal acne happens and what to do about it.
Schedule An Appointment With A Tampa Dermatologist
Cystic acne can be painful and stubborn, but with enough time, care, and patience, its possible to reduce or eliminate symptoms and feel better about your skin.
If youre struggling with cystic acne and are ready to try clinical solutions, schedule an appointmentin personwith Dr. Lisa Diaz today at our North Tampa office.
Disclaimer: This blog is not intended to substitute professional medical advice. Always talk with your doctor before starting or stopping medications or treatments.
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Medication For Hormonal Acne
There are drugs designed to help with hormonal acne. Spironolactone and flutamide are the two primary ones that come to mind , as well as birth control.
The reason birth control pills are helpful for acne is because they enforce hormone regularity on a womans system. The precise pill that is helpful for each woman varies by her particular condition but in general, BCPs are comprised of estrogen and of progesterone. BCPs can for that reason 1) raise estrogen levelswhich either corrects an estrogen deficiency or helps balance the activity of runaway testosteroneand they can also 2) restore proper balance between estrogen and progesterone, which is important for keeping progesterone levels within their proper parameters.
Some BCPs also contain anti-androgenic substances, such as drospirenone, which is an added benefit for women who are living with androgen excess . In all cases, I do not generally recommend that women get on BCP, as it can cause worse hormonal dysregulation in the long run , and does not solve the underlying problem.
Flutamide acts in a similar way to spironolactone, but less effectively, and with more side effects. So spironolactone is typically the drug of choice.
For these reasons, spiro can help, but it cannot be relied on long term. It does not get at the root of the issuedrugs rarely doand the true path to hormonal help is diet and lifestyle modifcation.
How To Get Rid Of Acne Around Mouth
Acne around mouth can easily produce importunate pimples. Mostly women are the ones who tend to experience acne flare-ups, i.e. hormonal acne around chin, mouth and jaw line prior to menstrual ties, pregnancy, and menopause. It is also common to witness the faces of men breaking out around the mouth area.
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Also Check: How To Treat Hormonal Acne Caused By Birth Control
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.”
Effects Of High Testosterone Levels
img source: medicalnewstoday.com
We have mentioned testosterone as a male hormone. It is good to understand its effect on your body. Having high testosterone hormone tends to encourage a lot of acne breakout on various parts of the body.
To verify this, women who suffer from PCOS tend to be victims of acne because they have high testosterone levels in their bodies. Similarly, men on steroids will have hormonal acne breakouts around their mouth regions for the same reasons. This is perhaps proof that hormonal chin acne in men is also a reality.
Finally, for women who have pimples during ovulation, the cause is testosterone since its levels are highest at ovulation. I guess you can now see that testosterone can actually cause acne breakouts.
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Sorting Through The Myths
Acne is the most common skin condition in the United States, affecting 40-50 million people, and its also the least understood. If you do an internet search for treating acne, you get over 32,000,000 search results in under two seconds. Rather than wading through an internet search, here are a few facts about acne:
For years, many people believed that what you ate contributed to acne, especially chocolate. The fact is that theres very little evidence that ties diet to acne, which doesnt mean to say that what you eat doesnt influence or worsen your acne, but theres scant research to back up that claim.
As well, your hygiene doesnt appear to play a role in acne. Yes, you should keep your skin free from dirt, but trying to scrub away acne may actually make it worse by irritating the condition. The bottom line is that acne may be aggravated by excessive dirt, grime, and sweat, but hygiene doesnt cause acne in the first place.
Types Of Acne Around Mouth
Before we go deep into the different treatment strategies that can help us get rid of these spots, we should first know what were dealing with. To be clear, not all spots appearing around your mouth are acne.
Distinguishing these spots from one another is the key for effectively managing them . Below are some of the most common kinds of spots that can appear on your mouth area:
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Wash Your Face Twice Per Daybut Don’t Overdo It
Washing your face morning and night is a typical part of a daily routine, but it’s especially crucial if you’re prone to breakouts. If you exercise or sweat regularly, it’s even more important. While sweating isn’t necessarily harmful , letting sweat sit on the skin can be. Sweat might mix with bacteria and dirt on your skin and, therefore, clog pores and lead to acne.
Be sure to wash your face with a gentle cleanser following a workout or sweat session, and clean exercise products regularly. That being said, over-washing can be problematic, as too much exfoliation may lead to inflammation. Harsh scrubs might irritate and tear the skin, much like picking and should, therefore, be avoided.
What Is The Best Diet For Women With Menopausal Acne
Most dermatologists agree that diet plays a role in acne. Although the exact effect of food on acne is not apparent, it disbelieved that reducing cows milk dairy and high glycemic food and refined carbs can help with acne treatment and reduce the frequency and severity of acne breakouts.
Try to limit alcohol and caffeine and ditch the junk food. To improve your skin and reduce your acne breakouts, look for foods rich in the fatty acids omega-3 and 6, such as oily fish and chia and flaxseeds, and fill your diet with whole-grain, fiber-rich products. Cruciferous vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower are beneficial because they contain a DIM compound that helps with hormonal balance. You can also look for DIM supplements .
Drink a lot of water. Dehydration makes your skin rough and dry. When the skin too dry, the skin oil glands produce more oil to moisturize the skin. The excess of skin oil mixed with the dead skin cells clog the skin pores and can cause more acne.
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Is Menopausal Acne A Form Of Hormonal Acne
Many women begin to experience menopause in their 40s and 50s. This causes a natural decline in your reproductive hormones, resulting in an end to menstruation.
Some women experience acne during menopause. This is likely due to a drop in estrogen levels or an increase in androgen hormones like testosterone.
You may still experience menopausal acne even if youre using hormone replacement therapies to ease your menopause symptoms. This is because some HRTs use an influx of the hormone progestin to replace the estrogen and progesterone your body loses. Introducing this hormone to your system can cause your skin to break out.
In most cases, prescription medication can clear up menopausal acne. Some women may find success using natural treatment methods. Talk to your doctor about which options may be right for you.
What Actually Happens
When you have a hormonal imbalance, cortisol, a stress hormone goes up. When this hormone is broken down, it forms androgen male hormones that will encourage more sebum to be produced in your sebaceous glands. Of course, when too much oil is produced, it has to go somewhere i.e. come out as an acne breakout.
Read Also: How To Naturally Increase Testosterone Levels In Males
Can Acne Cause Scars
Acne does sometimes result in scarring. It happens when the acne penetrates the skin and damages the deeper layers. Inflammation makes the acne pores swell and breakdown occurs in the wall of the pore. Scarring can, of course, be a source of anxiety, which is normal. But before it can be treated, your healthcare provider will determine what type of acne caused the scars.
There are several available treatment options. Chemical peels, dermabrasion, laser resurfacing, microneedling and surgery can all be used to treat acne scars.
Acne Breakouts Around Mouth: Causes Treatments And More
- Acne occurs when pores become blocked by a buildup of dead cells, oil, dirt and bacteria.
- Acne around the mouth is caused by hormones, frequent touching and cosmetic products.
- This condition can be treated with over the counter or prescription medication, and home remedies.
Acne is a skin condition that develops when dead skin cells, bacteria and sebum , become trapped in the pores of the skin. It appears as whiteheads, blackheads, pustules, nodules and cysts. Acne around the mouth can effectively be treated with a combination of medication and an anti-acne skin care routine.
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What Causes Acne Breakouts Around The Mouth
Have you ever wondered why acne might be popping up around your mouth region specifically? One of the most common places for pimples to appear is on the face along the T-zone due to the high number of sebaceous glands on the forehead and chin. Acne is also more likely to appear near the mouth if the skin is frequently touched. Here are a few other culprits that may be contributing to your acne.
What Causes Spots On Your Chin Specifically
‘Spots that occur on any part of the face are largely down to hormonal and genetic changes,’ says Dr Mahto.
‘But women who have gotten acne after the age of 23 often do see it mostly on their chin, jawline and lower cheeks. This is what we called the “U-zone,” rather than the traditional “T-zone,” which tends to affect teenagers.’
So chin acne as a fully grown-up, pay cheque-collecting woman is very normal. But, why is it so typical in this region, as opposed to, say, your forehead? ‘We dont know why that is,’ says Dr Mahto. Gah. The good news is, we do understand more about why said hormonal and genetic wobbles do contribute.
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Causes Of Cystic Acne
Cystic acne occurs when bacteria, dead skin cells, and sebum get trapped beneath the skins surface and become infected. This leads to a large, swollen cyst that can hurt just to touch.
There are a number of different reasons why this condition might occur more frequently or more severely in some people but not others. Understanding the different factors that contribute to cystic acne flare ups will help you and your dermatologist devise a custom treatment plan together.
Acne Around The Mouth
Let’s face it acne is a nuisance. But, breakouts around the mouth are even more frustrating. They’re painful, they’re stubborn, and these unpleasant pimples seem to show up at the most inconvenient times. For some, breakouts are totally random and show up without warning pimples are an almost constant struggle for those with acne-prone skin. Fortunately enough, acne around the mouth is treatable and preventable with the proper techniques.
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When To Seek Medical Advice
If you have mild acne, speak to a pharmacist about medicines to treat it.
If these do not control your acne, or it’s making you feel very unhappy, see a GP.
You should see a GP if you have moderate or severe acne or you develop nodules or cysts, as they need to be treated properly to avoid scarring.
Try to resist the temptation to pick or squeeze the spots, as this can lead to permanent scarring.
Treatments can take up to 3 months to work, so do not expect results overnight. Once they do start to work, the results are usually good.
What Are The Best Treatments For Menopausal Acne
Since menopausal acne has different causes, it should also be treated differently than typical acne breakouts. Notably, adult female acne also tends to relapse, so maintaining treatment is essential. It’s essential to wash the skin daily with a non-drying cleanser and invest in ingredients that control oil production and strengthen its outer barrier to reduce water loss.
Topical treatments are widely used and very useful, but supplements taken orally are also a good option.
Retinol for menopausal acne
Retinol is a derivative of Vitamin A, and you indeed have seen it hailed a sort of miracle ingredient in skincare products. It is one kind of retinoid, more potent than retinyl palmitate, which is also found in many cosmetics. Retinol stimulates the shedding of dead skin cells, help clear clogged pores, and boost collagen production.
Retinol is useful for treating menopausal acne because it helps control sebum production–which, as we’ve mentioned, is one of the leading causes of acne during menopause. Like other retinoids, retinol improves the appearance of wrinkles and dark spots associated with aging.
Benzoyl Peroxide for menopausal acne
Niacinamide for menopausal acne
Anti-androgen drugs for menopausal acne
DIM Supplements for menopausal acne
Read Also: How To Balance Out Your Hormones
Look For These Active Ingredients
Products containing benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid have been scientifically proven to help treat acne. They kill bad bacteria associated with acne and accelerate skin cell turnover.
Pro tip: Stick to face wash if you have sensitive skin. Leave-on masks and other products might cause irritation. Wash your face daily for the best results.
Adult Acne: How To Get Rid Of Hormonal Acne Naturally
If youre someone who suffers from hormonal acne, chances are youve tried numerous home remedies for acne but may not be getting the results you hoped for. Thats likely because this type of acne can be complicated to treat, considering it occurs for reasons beyond having clogged pores, which is often the case with other forms of acne.
How can you stop hormonal acne? One of the first steps is working on balancing your hormones, such as by eating a nourishing diet, managing stress and getting enough sleep.
The next layer in your treatment plan is using the right types of cleansers and topical products. That means those that help clean and soothe your irritated skin without worsening symptoms.
The good news? Youre not alone if youve developed adult-onset acne, since this affects most people at one point in their lives or another based on a variety of factors.
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What Not To Do When You Have Menopausal Acne
- Do not over-wash or scrub your skin as this can irritate the skin, damage the natural skin protective barrier, and trigger more.
- Avoid oil-based serums or exfoliating scrubs.
- After three months, discard mascara, foundation, and lipstick after a year, and eyeshadow and powder after two years.
- Do not sleep with your makeup, even if it’s non-comedogenic.
- Do not touch or pick at your skin. However tempting. It may be a stress reliever, but it can turn into an acne excoriée. Also known as ‘picker’s acne,’ it’s a condition where you feel compelled to pick your skin, resulting in scarring.