How To Treat Hormonal Acne In Your 30’s

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.

What Is The Best Topical Treatment For Women With Hormonal Acne

The same as teen acne adult acne treatment should be personalized to the skin type and acne and acne severity type. The best topical ingredient for mild hormonal acne is salicylic acid, retinol, niacinamide, and benzoyl peroxide for moderate acne. Benzoyl peroxide is regarded by the American Academy of Dermatology as the best FDA-approved single anti-acne ingredient. It is frequently more effective than any other over-the-counter prescription acne medication. Unlike adapalene , they are often very irritating new preparation of micronized benzoyl peroxide 2.5% can be used on acne-prone and sensitive skin without significant side effects.

The best cleansers for women with hormonal acne include a low percentage of salicylic acid. Salicylic acid at a concentration of 0.5% can help unclog the skin pores without over-drying the skin. Plant-based ingredients can further help fight skin inflammation and reduce the dryness and redness frequently associated with regular anti-acne cleansers.

Choosing the right moisturizer is crucial for women with hormonal acne. Anti-wrinkle moisturizers can increase the risk of acne breakouts. For best results, look for moisturizers oil-free and specially formulated for acne or acne-prone skin people. Women with normal – oily skin can benefit from an active moisturizer with niacinamide, and women with drier skin can befit from a more hydrating moisturizer.

Dealing With Acne In Your 30s Two Experts Break Down The Causes

No more suffering in silence.

By Lourdes Avila Uribe

Confession time: in my teens, I rarely got pimplesand I loved to brag about it. Sure, the occasional zit would roll around if I spent a weekend mainlining pizza and milkshakes, but it would quickly disappear, leaving nary a mark. For years, my unblemished skin was a source of great pride, and when people asked me my secret I would smugly shrug and say, I guess its just good genes! But dont worry, the chickens came home to roost many years later when I was hit with a horrible bout of acne when I least expected it. But as Ive since learned, getting acne in your 30s is a common, occurrence.

It turns out that there are a lot of reasons why you could develop acne in your 30s. This frustrating phenomenon could be the result of hormonal and dietary changes, environmental factors, the natural aging process, and more.

Luckily, products featuring powerful ingredients at various price points can be utilized to fight frustrating skincare woes. It took me a long time to realize that I didnt have to deal with this on my own, and after years of suffering silently it dawned on me that I could see a dermatologist about the issue. Within weeks, it cleared up and hasnt plagued me since. It was a huge lesson in remembering to ask for help, even if the problem seems trivial.

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How To Treat Your Hormonal Acne

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What Other Factors Contribute To Hormonal Acne

Because many of your daily habits and much of your lifestyle can have an effect on your hormones, it’s important to take that into account when you’re battling adult acne. Stress, lack of sleep, and poor diet will all have a negative impact on your hormones.

Seemingly small changes can also have a big impact on your skin. Often, women in their 30’s choose to come off of the pill or other oral contraception. It often takes a long time for the hormones to balance again, especially if you had been on it for a long time.

Foods with a high glycemic index like simple carbohydrates and sugary drinks lead to an increase in blood sugar levels, which can have an impact on hormone levels.

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What’s The Best Way To Treat Acne

Medicated creams with benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, or alpha-hydroxy acid are the first treatments to try. You can get them over the counter or by prescription. Retinoids — vitamin A-based creams — also work to unclog hair follicles.

Your doctor can prescribe stronger creams, or other medications that help, such as antibiotics, oral retinoids, androgen blockers, and low-dose birth control pills.

Hormonal Acne = Hormone Imbalance

Hormonal acne is different than other kinds of acne in that its always caused by a hormone imbalance.

Different hormone imbalances can cause acne. It can be the result of too much or too little of any of your main sex hormones , but other hormones like DHEA and cortisol can play into it too.

And thats why the Pill doesnt always work for hormonal acne.

At best, the Pill can put a band-aid over imbalances, and mask the symptoms temporarily . Depending on what kind of hormone imbalance youre dealing with, the Pill can sometimes intensify your hormone imbalance symptoms and even make acne worse.

Thats why if youre struggling with hormonal acne, I dont recommend turning to the birth control pill. for more information).

Instead, you need to find the root cause of your hormonal acne and work on balancing hormones naturally.

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Home Remedies To Safely Treat Your Pregnancy Acne

If you have pregnancy acne and are looking for natural treatment and home remedies youre in the right place.

Pregnancy and acne together may make your life more challenging. Pregnancy alone is tough and if you happen to get acne on top of that then you may not be in such good moods.

Pregnancy acne is one of the most common skin changes due to the hormonal shifts that take place throughout pregnancy.

You want to treat these acne lesions to avoid scarring and because theyre annoying. You may get pregnancy acne on your face, chin, chest or back.

There is no doubt that there are tons of pregnancy acne products out there.

Thats great but when youre pregnant you want to be careful about anything youre using on your face because it gets absorbed and may reach your fetus.

So you know pregnancy acne is common but whos to blame? Testosterone and androstenedione which belong to androgens.

If these hormones reach abnormally high levels they may cause PCOS and infertility. Insane, right?

Reasons For Adult Acne

Yes, adults get acne. Some adults continue to get acne well into their 30s, 40s, and even 50s. It is even possible to get acne for the first time as an adult. Dermatologists call this adult-onset acne. It is most common among women going through menopause.

Women tend to get adult acne more often than men do. If youre getting acne as an adult, it is likely due to one or more of the following reasons.

Fluctuating hormone levels: An imbalance can lead to breakouts.

Women often experience fluctuating hormones:

• Around their periods

• During pregnancy, peri-menopause, and menopause

• After discontinuing birth control pills

Stress: Researchers have found a relationship between stress and acne flare-ups. In response to stress, our bodies produce more androgens . These hormones stimulate the oil glands and hair follicles in the skin, which can lead to acne. This explains why acne can be an ongoing problem when we find ourselves under constant stress.

Family history: Does a close blood relative, such as a parent, brother, or sister have acne? Findings from research studies suggest that some people may have a genetic predisposition for acne. People who have this predisposition be more likely to get adult acne.

Hair and skin care products: If you have adult acne, you should read the labels on your skin care and hair care products. Make sure that you see one of the following terms on every container:

• Non-comedogenic

• Oil-free

• Wont clog pores

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What Causes Hormonal Acne

The simple answer here is a change or fluctuation of hormones, but that doesn’t quite tell the whole story. All acne starts with a foundation of disordered skin shedding, which is genetic, says esthetician and acne specialist Sofie Pavitt. Then other factors such as oil production and bacteria form a series of events that cause the breakouts. So hormonal acne is a term we use when your hormones are ramping up oil production in your skin. In other words: It’s not necessarily the hormones themselves causing breakouts, rather these hormones cause excess oil production, which in turn can lead to the clogged pores that trigger breakouts.

Besides your period, other factors that can increase hormonal fluctuations include oral contraceptives, stress, and potentially even dietary sources with hormonessuch as natural growth hormones in dairywhich can also exacerbate hormonal acne, says New York dermatologist Rachel Nazarian M.D. And while you may not think of stress as a hormone, cortisol, the hormone it produces, can also increase oil production, which, again, leads to those painful red bumps.

Take Care Of Your Gut

No, its not sexy or exciting, but taking good care of your gut health is almost always the first step toward healing.

First, its important to remove foods that are irritating your gut or triggering inflammation. Common culprits include gluten, dairy, vegetable oils, and refined sugar .

Second, regularly consume foods rich in nutrients that can heal the gut. Foods that are rich in omega-3s and fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin D, such as salmon, sardines, and pasture-raised eggs, all play an important role in supporting proper gut function since Omega-3s help to reduce inflammation, and low Vitamin D has been associated with decreased immune function.

Drinking bone broth, which is rich in collagen and glutamine, can also help to restore gut integrity.

Third, its important to eat probiotic rich foods regularly, and add in a high-quality probiotic supplement that will support your microbiome . For a more in-depth look at healing the gut, check out 3 Simple Gut Healing Strategies That Will Revolutionize Your Health.

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Ways To Eliminate Hormonal Acne

If learning how to get rid of hormonal acne seems complex, heres your wrap-up.

If youre experiencing hormonal acne, theres no need to endure the breakouts. Visit an Epiphany Dermatology location near you to find the best treatment plan for your skin.

Adult Acne: How To Get Rid Of Hormonal Acne Naturally

By Jillian Levy, CHHC

• Risks and Side Effects

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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Best Herbs For Hormonal Acne

Vitex/Chaste Tree

This herb helps clear hormonal acne by indirectly raising your progesterone levels. Vitex works on your pituitary gland and suppresses the release of a hormone called prolactin .

Stress causes your pituitary gland to release extra prolactin which in turn suppresses progesterone production. Less progesterone means more oil and more acne. So Vitex prevents this happening.

Common signs youre making too much prolactin are feeling irritable before your period and your breasts swell or are tender before your period.

Licorice & PaeonySaw Palmetto

This herb stops testosterone exerting a strong effect on your cells. The weaker the effect of testosterone the less oil your skin produces and the less acne you have.

Blue Flag

What Are The Symptoms Of Hormonal Acne

For teenagers, hormonal acne breakouts in teenage girls will often appear in the same places as the typical teen acne, forehead, cheeks around the mouth, and chin.

In adult women, hormonal acne is located in different areas, on the lower half of the face, around the mouth, chin, and lower jawline. Though the chin and jawline are the most common locations for hormonal acne, pimples can also appear on the face and neck sides.

Like teen acne, hormonal acne will include (comedones( blackheads and whiteheads, papules, pustules, a cyst. Many women with hormonal acne will also have under-skin bumps = cysts that are not red and are not seen on the skin’s surface.

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How Can I Treat Hormonal Acne Naturally

Hormonal acne is exactly what it sounds like – acne caused by hormonal imbalances and changes. Hormonal acne is prevalent in women who go through hormonal fluctuations during menstruation and menopause. The standard treatment of hormonal acne includes prescription birth control pills, oral antibiotics, spironolactone, or Accutane prescribed by dermatologists. People looking for natural treatment of hormonal acne should look for treatment creams with salicylic acid , tea tree oil, and green tea extract combined with oral DIM cruciferous supplements to improve hormonal balance.

Root Cause Of Hormonal Acne #: Gut Issues

The gut is the center of EVERYTHING in our bodies. Gut issues dont only cause hormone imbalances, but they are also a sign that something is off with your hormones.

The digestive system and endocrine system are so closely intertwined it can be hard to see where one ends and the other begins.

Your gut helps create and detox hormones out of the body, so problems with gut function can lead to hormonal issues. Both too little hormones and too many hormones can be the result.

Hormones also control some of the functions of the gut . Thats why some women experience diarrhea and constipation around their menstrual cycle.

The bottom line is if youre having digestive issues or hormonal issues, you must consider taking action on improving the health of your gut.

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Why Am I Breaking Out

What’s causing this uptick in adult acne for women? The truth is, the answer isnt completely clear. Unfortunately, we dont totally understand the difference in the cause of acne in teens versus adult acne, New York City dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, M.D., says. The main causes of acne are oil, acne-causing bacteria on your skin, sticky skin cells blocking your pores, and inflammation. Hormonal fluctuations, stress, and diet all likely play a role as well. One potential difference: When youre a teenager, your hormones are naturally fluctuating and you cant control it, says Jordana Mattioli, a medical esthetician in NYC. But when youre an adult, your hormones are fluctuating because of things like inflammation and stress.

To clarify here, theres a difference between the occasional breakout and persistent adult acne. If youve got a few zits popping up here and there, the culprit may be easier to identify: It could be anything from overexfoliating to the hair products you use to your pillowcase. We broke down a whole list of reasons you might be breaking out thats worth a look if your pimples are intermittent. But if you do have chronic acne that never seems to go away, thats where it gets more complicated.