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Acne is a skin condition that affects millions of people worldwide, and hormonal acne is a particular type that is prevalent among teenagers and young adults. In this guide, we will explore the types, causes, and treatment options for hormonal acne.
First published
Hormonal acne is simply a type of acne that happens due to fluctuations in your hormones. It is mostly associated with puberty but can affect women of any age.
Scientifically known as acne vulgaris, hormonal acne is an inflammatory skin condition that happens due to the overproduction of sebum (an oily substance in skin glands).
This results in whiteheads, blackheads, pimples, and cysts under the skin which can make it difficult for common skin medications to work.
Androgens are the main hormone that is responsible for hormonal acne. Androgen is the most important hormone that regulates and produces the oily substance in your skin glands (sebum). Testosterone is a type of androgen that can cause hormonal acne if there's too much of it.
High levels of androgens cause sebum levels to rise which results in the skin breaking out from too much oil. The overproduction of oil causes blocked pores which causes acne.
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The core cause behind hormonal acne is clogged pores. Clogged pores are caused by the androgen hormone, dead cells, or bacteria.
Hormonal acne can also be caused by a hormonal imbalance resulting from pregnancy, menstruation, or the menstrual cycle. Menopause is also a cause of hormonal acne due to the rise in estrogen levels. Apart from this, there are other causes, some of which can be controlled and others you can’t.
Some of the causes of hormonal acne which you can control are:
Causes of hormonal acne that you can’t control are
During pregnancy, you go through a lot of hormonal changes. High levels of progesterone are produced which stimulates your skin glands to produce more oil.
This in turn clogs up the pores on your face, leading to an acne breakout.
During the phase of the birth control pill taking its effect, the lack of estrogen in the pill may allow for higher levels of androgen hormone. This can easily lead to a hormonal acne breakout.
Hormonal acne causes skin breakouts in the form of bumps on your skin that could become red, inflamed, painful, and sore if not treated. If left untreated, hormonal acne can cause scarring in the affected areas.
Research shows that hormonal acne can be broken down into 3 types based on their severity
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Depending on the severity of the acne, it can last up to 4 to 6 weeks after you start treatment.
Hormonal acne is more common in women than in men. A study done in 2019, showed that 76% of the patients were women with a mean age of 35.5 years. It is more common in puberty ages but can still occur during adulthood.
The age of hormonal acne normally happens between ages 20 to 50 years old. At 20 to 40 years of age, pregnancy is more common which causes hormonal acne. Almost 25% of women in their 40s and 50% of women in their 20s face hormonal acne.
The start of menopause happens at older ages and can also cause hormonal acne. This is due to a change in the balance of hormones such as estrogen and androgens.
Hormonal acne mostly causes damaged skin cells which would look inflamed and sore with a red color. Hormonal acne can come in the following ways:
Some of the signs that show that you are facing hormonal acne are:
Fungal acne is the overproduction of yeast and hormonal acne is the overproduction of androgen which leads to more sebum production.
When you have acne around your period, it's most likely hormonal acne but if topical treatments aren’t helping the acne go away, it's bacterial acne.
Some of the key factors that can make hormonal ance worse are:
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Hormonal acne can be treated but it can’t be stopped. At most, you can reduce its symptoms and control it more.
A dermatologist can advise you on what can help your stubborn acne, but it's not the only option.
There are many ways to treat hormonal acne without seeing a dermatologist.
You can reduce your risk of hormonal acne by
Note: Too much washing or scrubbing or contact with water can remove oil from the skin and irritate it more. The skin can respond by producing more oil and so worsening the acne.
Vitamin A, B, C, E. It's better to eat foods with these vitamins (meats, fish, vegetables, and dairy products) but if it’s not possible you should take supplements.
There are several treatment options available for hormonal acne, including:
After 4 to 6 weeks you should start to see a difference in your hormonal acne
They are more effective than traditional acne treatments because the anti-androgen treatments address the cause of the acne, the androgens.
The anti-androgen treatments don’t have any androgens which lowers the number of androgens within the skin which is the main cause of hormonal acne.
Hormonal acne is a common skin condition that can be frustrating to deal with, but there are several treatment options available.
By understanding the causes of hormonal acne and taking steps to prevent it, you can keep your skin looking healthy and clear.
Founder of Elara Care and O.A. Dip. Certified Women's Health Practitioner, Jas is working to create better solutions for women since 2018, sharing her struggles and experiences with female health
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