The Causes Of Hormonal Acne
âThe concern that hormonal acne is more prevalent could be due to several factors, like women talking about it more, increased environmental toxicity, and the prevalence of xenoestrogens â or chemicals that cause hormone imbalances â in our environment,â Dr. Jolene Brighten, a functional medicine naturopathic medical doctor and the author of Beyond The Pill, tells TZR. âWe also need to acknowledge the role of processed food and medications that can lead to nutrient depletions, hormone disruption, and poor gut health.â
âBirth control use is on the rise, and the hormonal changes which occur after discontinuing or starting a birth control pill also cause acne,â Dr. Wood says while Dr. Robinson adds that patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome , a hormonal disorder, will often present with hormone-related acne, as well.
Basically, this type of acne is âmultifactorial,â as Dr. Brighten says. From diet to lifestyle to birth control and plain old hormonal imbalance, there are multiple causes of hormonal acne â and often, more than one is present in each individual patient â which makes it hard to pin down a single effective treatment.
Your Endocrine Systemits Complicated
Your hormones are generated by your endocrine system, which is made up of glands and other parts of your body that make and release various hormones.
There are over 35 unique hormones and science knows much about these hormones and their actions, but we are still discovering so many things related to hormones. For example, we are still avidly researching the way our environment impacts our hormones, from substances in plastics , to flame retardants that are everywhere, in furniture, curtains, and carpets, says Dr. Dillard.
There can be many hormonal disruptors in our environment. Some hormones play more than one role, like players on a baseball team with assigned roles that back each other up in various situations.
Hormones, their interactions with cells, each other and our environment are complex and endocrinologists are hard at work researching and trying understand this complexity and how it impacts our health, he says. You might also compare hormones to instruments in an orchestra, playing different parts of a complicated piece, ideally in sync.
So, if hormones control so much, is there anything you can do to control your hormones?
Yes, no and it depends, says Dr. Dillard.
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Offering a natural toner alternative with its black willow bark extract, olive leaf extract and sandalwood hydrosol formula, the True Botanicals Clear Nutrient Toner is packed with antibacterial and antimicrobial properties to promote a healthier skin environment for those with acne. Its also great for reducing cystic acne redness thanks to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich formula, which even helps prevent wrinkles and regulate oil production.
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Other Causes Of Hormonal Imbalance Acne On Chin
Other causes that can lead to hormonal imbalance acne on chin include:
- Stress reduces the production of estrogen while increases DHEA-S which will not necessarily cause acne but worsen it and slow down its healing.
- Heat heat causes sweating that can clog your skin pores and it is an inflammatory
- UV rays they inflame your skin
- Low thyroid hampers the quick healing process
- Little sleep This affects the production of the healthy hormones that ensure quick healing of hormonal acne.
Hormonal acne chin diet
Some foods such as dairy, grains, omega 6 and nuts can cause inflammation and consequently acne.
- Dairy products they are inflammatory agents, contain some hormones including progesterone that might promote acne breakouts.
- Phytoestrogens soy, flax and nuts tend to have plant estrogen that lower normal estrogen levels on your skin tissues.
What Causes Pimples On Chin
According to Proactiv, pimples start to appear about two weeks before they erupt into breakouts. Pimples and acne zits start when skin pores get clogged with excess sebum and dead skin cells. Within the plugged pores, bacterial activity causes the bodys immune system into action, causing small pus-filled bumps on the skin that are pimples.
Both males and females can get pimples on the face and around the chin. The causes are basically the same, except for a few that may be unique to females than males, or people of different ages. Clogged skin pores, poor shaving, fatty diet, birth control and stress all cause pimples on the chin.
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How Do I Know If My Acne Is Hormonal Get To The Root
Its quite common for skin to take a dive as a result of the postpartum crashing hormones. This can lead to dry, easily irritated, and acne-prone skin. I learned a lot from Dr. Geddes-Bruce, who shared that especially during breastfeeding the hormone your body produces to stimulate milk leads to a state of lowered estrogen, which usually gives us that rosy glow during pregnancy.
In general, there are a variety of things that can cause hormonal breakouts. Sometimes, the liver is needing more support to clear excess hormones or it can be caused by excess androgens .
You can tell your breakouts are hormonal if they are deep, cystic, and affect areas where androgens exert their effectsthe lower cheeks, jawline, chin, and neck. Dr. Geddes-Bruces top tips for hormonal acne include always cleansing your face before bed, keeping a consistent, tailored skincare regimen, and avoiding picking. If youre still having trouble with hormonal breakouts, you can also consider a trial of avoiding dairy and high glycemic foods.
Image by Michelle Nash
Does Birth Control Help With Hormonal Acne
In many cases, birth control may be prescribed to help with hormonal acne. Dr. Stigall told us that birth control and other androgen blocking medications, such as spironolactone, may be helpful in the treatment of hormonal acne.
Although, she also said, birth control is not a one size fits all treatment and may actually make hormonal acne worse. This is why it is important to visit an experienced dermatologist who can help create a personalized acne treatment plan for you.
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The Best Ways To Treat And Prevent Hormonal Acne
There are several different treatment options that can help you get rid of hormonal acne, but you should start by talking to a dermatologist about how best to tackle your breakouts, especially if you’re experiencing cystic, inflammatory acne. Your derm can help come up with a plan that works specifically for your needs. Note that while over-the-counter acne products can be especially effective if you’re only dealing with mild breakouts, when it comes to cystic acne , it’s likely you’ll need to incorporate prescription-strength acne products and oral medications into your routine, in addition to certain lifestyle changes. But whatever course you take, note that consistency and patience is key.
Here are some additional potential solutions your dermatologist may discuss with you:
The Negative Impact Of Hormone Imbalance And How We Can Help
Hormones help regulate many of your bodily functions. They help you sleep through the night, have babies, grow hair, grow your body, metabolize food, and keep you warm, to name just a few functions that rely on hormones.
If your hormones are imbalanced, this imbalance can have a significant impact on your body, mind, or mood. Everyone has imbalances on occasion like during times of intense stress or, for women, just before or after a menstrual period. Women also experience imbalances during pregnancy, perimenopause , and menopause.
Hormone imbalances usually happen when your endocrine glands, which produce and release hormones, are out of whack. The improper functioning of your endocrine glands can be brought on by many things including:
- Certain medications
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Effects Of High Testosterone Levels
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.
Dont Lean On Your Chin
The biggest bad habit to break is leaning on your chinthe classic thinker pose, with chin propped on the fist, says Dr. Howe. That kind of close contact and pressure pushes the hair follicles closer to occlusion. So do your best to keep your hands off your face. At a bare minimum, make sure your hands are as clean as humanly possible. Wash them often and make a conscious effort to sanitize so you dont introduce bacteria.
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Chin Acne On Children
Although not many cases are reported as in the case of adolescents, chin acne can also affect children. To be specific, this problem is known as baby acne, i.e. small white pimples, usually on the cheeks and sometimes on the forehead, the chin, and even the back of a newborn. It is normal for the skin around the pimples to be reddish. Furthermore, baby acne can affect children who are as young as 2 weeks of age.
Some parents have reported instances during teething as well as in younger or much older infants. If your child has baby acne it does not mean he or she will later have acne problems. For preteens, acne breakouts are normal including acne around chin or acne under chin.
Proper hygiene and seeing a dermatologist is the best ways to deal with baby chin acne since they can be confused for conditions such as keratosis Polaris that can also affect children.
How To Get Rid Of Chin Acne Treatments Prevention & Remedies
This section is going to dwell much on how to get rid of chin acne where some of the good chin acne treatments and home remedies will also be covered. You will also learn some important ways on how you can prevent chin acne since prevention is always better than cure. It is a fact that we have already covered a few ways to deal with chin acne which should not be ignored.
Furthermore, when you notice this problem, it is advisable you take early measures to deal with pimples on your chin because early chin acne treatment can produce quick and better results.
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How To Get Rid Of Back Acne Step Three: Body Wash With Acne Medication
Acne remedies benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid are key ingredients in body washes designed to get rid of acne. Choose an oil-free body wash with acne medication like benzoyl peroxide or 2 percent salicylic acid. Apply the body wash to the affected areas and leave on for a minute or two to allow the acne medication to work its magic. Rinse well. Remember that products that contain benzoyl peroxide bleach fabric and may ruin towels, clothes and sheets/pillow cases. Change to white or something you dont mind bleaching.
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How To Get Rid Of Acne In Adult Men
Treating acne in adult men 1 Adults also suffer from acne. Its not just teenagers who suffer from acne. 2 Know what causes acne . You may have been told this when you were a teenager. 3 Take care of your skin. To be clear, acne is not caused by a messy face. Use caution when shaving. Acne can make shaving difficult .
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Take Your Vitamins And Herbs
While hormonal acne is stubborn, there are some easy strategies you can take to balance hormones for acne relief naturally and it starts with vitamins and herbs.
Vitex for Acne
In women, hormonal acne typically manifests along the jawline and chin. If this sounds familiar, taking Vitex for acne may be a successful treatment.
Vitex agnus castus, also known as Chasteberry, is a womans herb thats been traditionally used for hormonal imbalances. Its been used for menstrual symptoms of low progesterone in the luteal phase . These symptoms include depression, crying, mood swings, acne, nervousness and anxiety.
Vitex has also been used as a natural remedy for treating such symptoms of high estrogen levels as pain, tender breasts, bloating and heavy periods.
Current research shows that Vitex can support healthy hormone levels and relieve pre-menstrual symptoms. It can also be an effective natural hormonal acne treatment.
How does Vitex for Acne Work?
The Vitex herbs act upon the pituitary and hypothalamus glands by increasing luteinizing hormone production and mildly inhibiting the release of follicle-stimulating hormone . This results in a shift in the ratio of estrogen to progesterone, with a rise in progesterone. The ability of the Vitex to increase progesterone levels is an indirect effect.
Vitex itself is not a hormone, but rather an herb that helps the body balance natural estrogen and progesterone. By balancing the estrogen, the androgens then come into balance as well.
How To Get Rid Of Chin Acne With Ice
If you are looking for how to prevent acne on chin and neck from getting worse, then try using ice. It is one of the best remedies for how to get rid of chin acne.
How to use?
- Take a clean cloth and wrap in it some ice cubes
- Press the cloth gently against the acne prone area
- Rub it slowly in circular motions covering the entire region
Benefits of ice
Ice can effectively reduce the blood flow in the affected area and ease the pain and redness caused due to acne breakouts.
Precautions
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What Causes Chin Acne
Like other forms of acne all over your face and body, there are multiple reasons your chin may be breaking out. Similar to other acne, chin acne may be caused by a combination of factors including increased sebum production, clogged pores, inflammation, and bacteria, says a board-certified dermatologist in New York. In some individuals, there may also be a hormonal component that can contribute to acne as well.
Here are some common reasons youre finding pimples on your chin.
What Gets Rid Of Hormonal Acne Fast
What else can I do to clear hormonal acne?
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How To Prevent Acne
While theres no completely foolproof way to get rid of acne forever, there are habits you can add to your routine that may help keep breakouts at bay. Here are some ideas:
- Wash your face properly: To help prevent pimples, its important to remove excess oil, dirt, and sweat daily.
- Use a moisturizer: Even if you have acne, keeping your skin hydrated is essential. When skin is dry, it produces oil to counterbalance, which may result in excess sebum and clogged pores.
- Limit makeup: Using a lot of makeup may clog pores and trigger breakouts. If you do use makeup, make sure its noncomedogenic and fragrance-free to prevent skin irritation. Always wash makeup off, especially before bedtime.
- Resist touching your face: Touching your face can transfer bacteria and pore-clogging impurities onto your skin.
- Limit sun exposure: Frequent sun exposure dehydrates the skin, which, over time, causes it to produce more oil and block pores.
- Dont pop pimples: Popping pimples may cause bleeding, severe scarring, or infection. It may also increase inflammation and clog surrounding pores, making your pimple problem worse.
People with moderate to severe acne should seek professional help to find relief. Prescription-strength acne treatments are available.
It may be time to seek professional help from a dermatologist if you:
Even if you have a mild case of acne, it may be helpful to visit a doctor regularly to see how your skin progresses with treatment.
What Is Hormonal Acne Anyway
First, its important to understand the difference between hormonal acne and good old-fashioned pimples. Hormonal acne is intrinsically linked to your hormones, resulting in cyclical breakouts that usually coincide with a persons menstrual cycle, Joshua Zeichner, M.D.2, board-certified dermatologist and director of cosmetic and clinical research at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, tells SELF. It can also match up with other hormonal shifts in your life, meaning your menopausal acne or postpartum pimples could be hormonal.
One important thing to note: Hormonal acne is technically not a medical term, board-certified dermatologist Ife J. Rodney, M.D.3, founding director of Eternal Dermatology + Aesthetics and professor of dermatology at Howard University and George Washington University, tells SELF. However, when a person tends to get very specific types of breakouts around the time of their period or when their body is experiencing vast hormonal shifts for other reasons , dermatologists generally describe it as hormonal acne.
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