(Female Specific) Typically a woman who is not taking any hormone regulating medication will experience the following hormonal activity during the course of a normal menstrual cycle: At mid-cycle her estrogen levels reach their peak then decline as she nears her period. After ovulation, the ovaries begin to produce the hormone progesterone which as mentioned earlier will cause the sebaceous glands to begin producing sebum (oil) which in turn provides the food the P Acnes bacteria craves – which leads to acne. This seemingly never-ending cycle is a monthly nightmare for women suffering from hormonal acne. By the time the last blemish is about healed BAM – there we go again, back into the cycle of more acne.
Women with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) typically have acne triggered by hormones as one of many symptom of their disease. Visit WebMD for details on PCOS. A wonderful support and information site for women suffering from PCOS is SoulCysters. (Excerpted from What Causes Acne from distressedDERMA.com)
Submitted by Ms. distressedDERMA on Wednesday, 19 March 2008
March 20th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
I was happy to see the topic addressed, but was hoping there’d be some info directly in the article about controlling the hormonal acne (besides regulating hormones with drugs). Are there proven dietary or topical treatment strategies (especially those available over the counter as opposed to prescribed). I see that there are some links to other pages, I’ll check those out at a later date to see if the info I was hoping for here is posted in one of the there(s). If not there either, I’ll look forward to an update to this article or a new posting? Thanks!
PS What ever happened regarding the ‘reduction’ or not of hair growth from the No NO device? I’m quite skeptical for the results it claims. (I wax and highly doubt that it’s any more effective than that, i.e. suspect the ‘reduction’ in hair growth is really just that different hairs grow in different cycles so that there is the appearance of a reduction without any real reduction in the total number of hair follicles that produce hair – It is my understanding that this is what happens with waxing.)
March 21st, 2008 at 11:47 am
Hi Diane,
Hormone related acne is very difficult to treat without prescription assistance. Having said that I have been very successful with my skin care, diet and lifestyle (exercise/activity)regimen in keeping my skin clear.
I’ve been off birth control pills for nearly three years and my skin condition is under control – without the help of medicine. I work very hard at keeping my skin clear. Now instead of constantly being in the throes of daily breakouts I may experience one or two pimples right before my period. Those of course are quickly banished with a two minute Zeno Acne clearing device application.
Here are links to posts I’ve written that can help you manage your hormonal acne:
Diet and Clear Skin: The Omega 3 Factor
Acne and Anti-Aging Skin Care routine that works for me.
Regarding the no!no!, I love it and am so thankful to the person(s) who invented it. Sure it takes a lot of commitment and it is expensive but the results are well worth it. My arm hair used to be so thick and just disgusting. Made me feel less feminine and I always wanted to hide my arms. Thanks to the no!no! I now confidently wear sleeveless shirts and love my arms. There is just a fine amount of hair and I can live with that.