Keep Proper Personal Hygiene
Ensure you always clean your skin well to reduce the buildup of sebum that might clog your skin pores. Sebum buildup tends to trap bacteria and encourage acne breakout on the chin. Furthermore, ensure you frequently exfoliate your skin to get rid of any dead skin whose accumulation can cause acne when working with other factors. Other routine personal hygiene practices you should embrace include:
- Wash your face only twice with an alcohol-free soap. More times only if your face is dirty due to what you might have been doing i.e. Wash your face twice and only twice every day, in the morning and at night.
- Regularly wipe your cellphone with cleansers you use to cleaning your TV screens and computers or go for a hand free option.
- If you have a partner with oily skin, stop sharing pillows and ask them to use oil-free hair products and non-comedogenic skin products to avoid pimple-causing agents from reaching your skin.
- Use soft water since hard water tends to clog pores. To get soft water buy Jonathan Product Beauty Water Shower Purification System to help filter your water as well as balance its pH.
- Avoid touching your chin with dirty hands since it will spread the oil, dirt and bacteria.
- Try Origins Zero Oil Deep Pore Cleanser
How To Get Rid Of Hormonal Acne
In conventional medicine, hormonal acne can be treated in a few different ways including:
1. Topical cream
The most common topical cream prescribed for hormonal acne is Tretinoin a generic form of Retin-A. While this does not work to rebalance or address your hormones, it can help reduce inflammation and the appearance of acne and scars over time.
2. Birth control
These daily pills contain hormones that balance the circulation of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in the body.
3. Antibiotics
Antibiotics such as types of tetracycline are commonly prescribed for acne. While they can help fight acne-causing bacteria, they dont work to help rebalance hormones that are driving hormonal acne breakouts.
4. Isotretinoin
A form of vitamin A, this medication works to lower surface inflammation, the buildup of dead skin cells, and decrease the production of oil by reducing the size of your sebaceous glands.
In functional medicine, we aim to treat hormonal acne by addressing the root cause and focus on more natural remedies such as:
1. Daily cleansing
Daily cleansing with gentle, natural products can soothe inflammation, get rid of bacteria and dead skin cells, and reduce the production and buildup of oil.
2. Rebalance hormones
Certain supplements have been shown to help improve the appearance and occurrence of hormonal acne:
4. NAC
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Does Sugar Cause Hormonal Acne
Research shows that refined foods, dairy products, and sugary foods and beverages may be associated with acne development and worsen its symptoms. Therefore, its best to eat whole, nutritious foods.
Why do I get pimples after eating chocolate?
In addition to the fat component of chocolate, which has been linked to blackheads, some research suggests that chocolate may have pro-inflammatory influences in the skin, which could contribute to inflammatory acne, characterized by red papules and pustules, especially in the presence of known acne-causing bacteria.
Does drinking water help acne?
Prevents Pimples and Acne. Certain kinds of toxins will clog your small pores on your epidermis and can cause issues like acne and pimples. By drinking more water, you ensure that you wont suffer from severe pimples and acne. The more hydrated your skin, the less your pores will clog.
Does chocolate give you pimples?
Despite decades of research, there has been little proof that single foods like chocolate directly cause acne. But that doesnt mean that diet has no influence. Its more likely that the sugar in your chocolate bar or cupcake are to blame for new pimples or deeper breakouts than the cocoa itself.
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Am I Stuck With Acne Forever
On its own, acne does seem to go away with age. According to one study, acne becomes less common after age 44. And for some women, acne ends with menopause.
Until then, fortunately, there are treatments for adult acne. Most people find a combination of products work best. Treatment takes time — usually 4 to 12 weeks — and you need to continue it for it to work.
What Should You Look For In A Cleanser
In general, avoid overly aggressive and harsh cleansers, especially if youre already using a prescription topical ingredient. With dry and sensitive skin, a creamy cleanser may be a better option. For oily skin, a gentle, foaming cleanser may be better. If someone has a lot of blackheads, something with salicylic acid can be helpful because it seeks out oil and unclogs pores. Benzoyl peroxide also has antibacterial properties and can help remove dead skin.
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Why Do I Have Acne
Acne is most commonly linked to the changes in hormone levels during puberty, but can start at any age.
Certain hormones cause the grease-producing glands next to hair follicles in the skin to produce larger amounts of oil .
This abnormal sebum changes the activity of a usually harmless skin bacterium called P. acnes, which becomes more aggressive and causes inflammation and pus.
The hormones also thicken the inner lining of the hair follicle, causing blockage of the pores. Cleaning the skin does not help to remove this blockage.
Dr Zenovias Tips For Male Acne Treatment
To effectively prevent and clear acne breakouts, Dr. Zenovia recommends that men wash their face every morning and night to clean the skin. Dr. Zenovias 10% Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Cleanser gently removes everyday impurities and excess sebum. This cleanser contains 10% Benzoyl peroxide, a powerful concentration that can also be used in the shower to clean the back, shoulders, and chest. Benzoyl peroxide mainly has antibacterial properties but also serves as a keratolytic agent, meaning it works to open congested pores.
Next, apply a spot treatment on any blemishes. Dr. Zenovias 5% Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Spot Treatment is clinically formulated to clear flare-ups and prevent the development of new acne blemishes and blackheads.
In addition, it is important to use a lightweight, oil-free hydrator to moisturize the skin barrier. Many wonder if they need a moisturizer in their acne regimen- and the answer is yes! This is primarily due to the fact that products formulated for acne can dry out your skin. A lightweight moisturizer will hydrate your tissue and preserve that critical barrier necessary for healthy skin. Dr. Zenovias Aloe Vera Blemish Soothing Moisturizer is infused with medical-grade aloe vera to soothe sensitive acne-prone skin. This product is light enough to not make you oily and doesnt contain fragrance. Men love the lightweight feel and neutral scent of this moisturizer!
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Are Some People More Prone To Hormonal Acne Than Others
Although acne affects 80 to 90 percent of teens in the Western world, says Dr. Buka, its more likely to occur in young adults and teenagers. But, that doesnt mean that adults, especially women, are off the hook when it specifically relates to hormonal acne. Dr. Zeichner indicates that it is becoming increasingly more common for women to continue to suffer into adulthood. In some cases, women who have never had acne as a teenager develop it for the first time as an adult.
Hormonal acne typically presents in women over the age of 20 with very tender, red, inflammatory papules around the chin and jawline, notes Dr. Haley. The pimples seem to last forever, and if there is any attempt to squeeze or pick, nothing will come out and only scarring will occur. We typically dont see blackheads and whiteheads all over the T-zone, as in normal teenage acne.
What Hormones Cause Pimples
Hormones Stimulate Your Skin’s Oil Glands And it’s testosterone that plays the biggest role in acne development. Although it’s typically thought of as a male hormone, ladies have testosterone too, just in lower levels than men. Androgens stimulate the sebaceous glands, making them produce more skin oil or sebum.
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Cut Dairy From Your Diet
Burcu Atalay Tankut/ Getty Images
Since, according to Benjamin, chin acne can be attributed to hormones, start by addressing all the factors that could be affecting you hormonally, like the food you eat. Fenton says that a change in diet, especially one thats heavy in dairy, can have a significant difference in your skin. Dairy has been shown to stimulate testosterone production in people who consume it, and spikes in testosterone can worsen acne. Dairy also naturally contains its own hormones, such as estrogen, which can exert their own impact on a persons hormonal balance, he explains.
If youve already made the switch from cows milk to almond or soy milk and are still experiencing breakouts, you might be surprised to learn why. As it turns out, even those dairy substitutes might be the culprits behind hormonal breakouts due to the fact that they both contain high levels of estrogen-like compounds. In short, be wary of dairy and do your research before selecting a nondairy substitute if you already have a hormonal imbalance.
Vaginal Acne Treatment Options
Treatment options for vaginal acne vary according to the type and cause. Contact with allergens, hormonal changes, sweat, or viral infections can all lead to the same result, but they require different treatments.
In most cases, an over-the-counter solution recommended by your dermatologist will help reduce redness and itching. Ceasing the activity or changing the clothing that caused the acne may also reduce the risk of recurrence and help your treatment work.
Lets take a closer look at conditions that can trigger or worsen vaginal acne.
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Hormones And Acne: Whats The Connection
Acne occurs when the hair follicles in your skin become clogged with oil, dirt, and dead skin cells. While diet, certain products, the environment, and some medications can contribute to the problem, the underlying culprit is often a hormonal issue heres why.
Although commonly called male hormones, both men and women have androgens in their bodies. Since androgens are responsible for sebum production, and sebum is responsible for clogging pores and causing breakouts high levels of androgens often lead to acne.
Practical Tips For People With Acne
Self-care advice for acne may help with the problem, or avoid making it worse.
Tips include:
- where possible, avoiding environments with high humidity that cause excessive sweating
Over-washing is not good for acne.
Too much washing and scrubbing can remove oil from the skin and irritate it more. The skin can respond by producing more oil and so worsening the acne.
Acne is treated according to severity. Mild acne can be treated with over-the-counter products as well as with medicines offered by doctors.
There is no quick-fix treatment for acne. All treatments take weeks to show effect.
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Why Do Androgens Cause Hormonal Acne
For the majority of women, hormonal acne occurs because their skin is sensitive to the normal levels of androgens like Testosterone.
Although considered to be a male hormone, it is normal for women to produce small amounts of Testosterone. Testosterone is an important hormone for women as it helps strengthen bones and muscles, provides a healthy libido and regulates the menstrual cycle. Androgens are the name for male hormones. Women produce other androgens as well as Testosterone. These are dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate , dehydroepiandrosterone , androstenedione . These three androgens are not very active by themselves and have to be converted to Testosterone or Dihydrotestosterone first.
Testosterone is produced by the ovaries and the adrenal glands. However, cells in the skin also make Testosterone from DHEAS. Skin cells, especially the cells in the sebaceous glands, also make DHT from Testosterone.
Hormonal acne also occurs when there are conditions in which too many androgens are produced such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.
The Week After Your Period
After a bumpy ride , your estrogen and progesterone hormone levels have gone back to normal and so will your skin.
What to do: For a stubborn cystic zit , dab cortisone on the spot , says Dr. Bowe. And PS, nows not the time to slack. Sticking to a skin care routine, even when youre acne-free, will help prevent pimples next month.
This article appeared in Seventeens March 2015 issue. Check out the current issue, available now!
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What Else Can Cause Acne
Testosterone fluctuations arent the only cause of acne. The following may also be contributing factors:
- Genetics. If one or both of your parents had acne, youre more likely to be prone to it, too.
- Excess bacteria. A specific strain of bacteria that live on your skin called Propionibacterium acnes play a role in causing acne.
- Cosmetics. Some types of makeup may clog or irritate the pores on your face.
- Medications. Some medications, like corticosteroids, iodides, bromides, and oral steroids, may cause acne.
- A diet high in refined carbs. Eating a lot of refined and high-glycemic carbs, like white bread and sugary cereals, may contribute to acne. However, the acne-diet connection is still being researched.
Its difficult to treat hormonal acne without stabilizing your hormone levels. However, adopting the following healthy habits may help reduce acne caused by other factors:
- Wash your face twice a day with a gentle, nonabrasive cleanser.
- Use warm water. Dont scrub your skin too hard. Be gentle!
- When shaving your face, shave downward to avoid ingrown hairs.
- Avoid touching your face or picking at your pimples. This exposes your pores to more bacteria that can make your acne worse.
- If you smoke, quit. Research has shown that smoking can increase your risk for getting acne.
- If you wear makeup, use water-based, noncomedogenic makeup products. These wont clog your pores.
- Completely remove any makeup or cosmetics before bed.
Other Causes Of Acne Under Chin
There are many other causes of pimples on the chin which we might not have mentioned that include:
- When you stop using contraceptives, you might have acne in case it is caused by hormonal changes.
- Too much sweating can cause clogged skin pores and thus encourage breakouts.
- A poor diet such as foods with high Glycemic Index as well as foods that are inflammatory
- Smoking tends to increase breakouts especially blackheads, whiteheads and acne.
Note: Infections such as cold sores, discoid lupus erythematosus, wart, rosacea, facial ringworms, abscess, actinic keratosis, insect bites, boils, moles, melanoma, perioral dermatitis, among many other conditions can also affect your chin causing pimple-like infections. Ensure you see a dermatologist in case you doubt if it is actually acne under chin.
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Chin Acne Causes Or What Causes Acne On Chin
As already mentioned, any pimple or acne comes by when a pore in your skin gets clogged, usually with dead skin cells. Sometimes bacteria get trapped inside the pore, too, causing the area to become red and swollen. There are many things that could be behind or cause acne, and to be specific cause chin acne.
While looking at what causes chin acne, we are going to mention general causes and go to a few specific cases where we will discuss them in detail. You already know a few causes from what we have covered so far. So, what are the reasons for acne on the chin?
What Causes Hormonal Acne
In a nutshell, hormonal acne is caused by fluctuations in hormones which stimulate our sebaceous glands and produce excess oil. “During the pre-period hormonal shift, oil in the skin can get thicker at the same time, increased progesterone causes water retention, which makes the pore lining narrower. The thicker oil attempting to get into a thinner opening creates an ideal environment for breakouts,” Rouleau explains.
While this alone may cause a breakout to appear, Dr. Joshua Zeichner, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and director of cosmetic & clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, says that there may be other contributing factors, such as diet and stress. In regards to diet, he points out that foods with a high glycemic index raise blood sugar, promote inflammation, and are associated with acne breakouts this includes foods with high sugar or starch levels.
And while we know the importance of wellness for the body and soul, he also says it has an impact on your skin. “The same hormones that prepare our bodies to deal with stressful situations also have and impact on our oil glands,” the dermatologist says. “It has been well documented that emotional stress, like a school exam or a deadline at work, is associated with acne breakouts.”
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Who Can Get Hormonal Pimples
The short, and unfortunate, answer is anyone. Hormonal pimples are usually thought of as a teenager problem because teenagers hormones are raging and changing as they go through puberty, which is a prime environment for acne outbreaks.
However, once out of puberty, women tend to suffer from hormonal breakouts & pimples more than men, due to the high fluctuations of hormones throughout a womans life and something called androgens.
How Is Acne Treated
Over-the-counter products work to help clear up acne for some teens. It may take time to find one that works best for you some may not help and others may irritate skin. OTC acne products come in different strengths. The most popular and effective OTC acne-fighting ingredient is benzoyl peroxide. Another ingredient, salicylic acid, can help dry up pimples.
If OTC products dont work for you, get a doctors advice. Doctors can prescribe special gels or creams, pills, or a combination of both. It may feel a bit awkward to talk about your acne with someone, but your doctor is trained to help get your skin looking its best.
Its tempting, but popping or squeezing a usually wont get rid of the problem. Squeezing can actually push infected material and pus deeper into the skin, which can lead to more swelling and redness and even scarring, which can be permanent.
If youre taking a prescription acne medicine, finish your entire prescription even if your skin clears up, unless your doctor says its OK to stop. If you stop too early, theres a chance your skin could break out all over again.
Eating nutritious foods can help keep you healthy and your skin will benefit from getting enough vitamins and minerals. But you dont need obsess about what you eat or how often you wash your face to control acne. If no OTC product works for you, talk to your doctor or a about how to manage acne.
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