hormonal acne symptoms
Hormonal Acne Symptoms
There are a number of women who suffer from hormonal acne. The symptoms provided in this article will help in deciding if your acne is indeed related to hormonal imbalance.
Acne is rated among one of the most common skin problems, not just in the United States, but all around the world. Although people would want to believe that it is a teenage phenomena, there are a number of adults too, who suffer from acne. Such acne is often hormonal. Majority of people in the age group 20 to 30 years suffer from it, either in the mild or moderate form. It is often frustrating, as we all expect it to be left behind, when we leave school. We will see the symptoms, along with causes and treatment, in the article below.
Causes
- There are many reasons, which can cause hormones to go topsy-turvy. One of the causes is the secretion of hormone androgens, leading to overproduction of oil. This oil forms a layer on the skin, which is more prone to breakouts.
- The same condition is seen around menopause, ovulation, pregnancy, and also during menstruation.
- Polycystic ovary syndrome is also known to cause such hormonal imbalance. Such a condition in women should be treated in time, else it can aggravate the condition.
- Medication can also be proved to be a cause. Birth control treatments, hormonal therapies, or steroids can cause breakouts.
- In some cases, acne problems are related to the genes as well. If there is a history of acne in your family, then you should be able to nail the problem by now.
- If you notice acne at a particular time in your menstrual cycle, then it may be related to hormones. You may notice an outbreak during ovulation or menstruation.
- If you are under a lot of emotional stress, chances are high that your hormones will play up, and give rise to acne.
- If you suffer from severe case of hormonal imbalance, chances are high that you will suffer from absent or irregular menstruation along as well.
- Some women also suffer from facial hair growth. The areas affected are often the upper lip, chin, and/or side of the face.
- Change in voice may also be seen.
- Darkened skin folds are a common phenomena associated with hormonal imbalance.
- One of the oldest cures is the use of oral contraceptive pills.
- Often, estrogen-progesterone combination pills are prescribed. However, a low dose is prescribed. The duration of taking these pills will depend on a number of other factors. At the same time, it is important to note that these pills can give rise to a number of other problems like weight gain, nausea, etc.
- If hormonal imbalance is caused due to problems with the adrenal glands, then corticosteroids are prescribed. They are anti-inflammatory drugs, which help in suppressing androgen production. They also reduce inflammation related to severe acne. Like oral contraceptives, corticosteroids also have side effects like weight gain and bone thinning.
- The third line of treatment includes anti-androgens. They help in suppressing androgen production in the ovaries as well as the adrenal glands. These block androgen reception by the cells in the sebaceous glands, which in turn stops acne formation. Irregular menses and breast tenderness are some side effects.