What is Hormonal Acne ???
Hormonal acne is different than other kinds of acne in that it is and will always be caused by a hormone imbalance. This can be as a result of too much or too little of any of your main sex hormones (testosterone, estrogen and progesterone ), but other hormones like DHEA and cortisol can play into it too.
Causes of Hormonal Acne
As the name implies, hormonal acne is caused by hormones, specifically imbalances in the levels of hormones circulating in your body. It’s normal for hormone levels to rise and fall throughout the day and month. For instance, cortisol should be highest in the morning and drop throughout the day. Levels of estrogen and progesterone rise and fall with the menstrual cycle. Since it’s pretty obvious that hormones are what cause hormonal acne, the solution is finding what’s messing with your hormones and which are imbalanced.
Gut Issues
The gut is the center of EVERYTHING in our bodies. Gut issues (such as IBS, SIBO, leaky gut, and gut dysbiosis) don’t only cause hormone imbalances, but they are also a sign that something is off with your hormones. The digestive system and endocrine system (responsible for creating and managing hormones) 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. Hormones also control some of the functions of the gut (like peristalsis—the constriction and relaxation of the gut that carries food through the digestive system). That’s why some women experience diarrhea and constipation around their menstrual cycle. The bottom line is if you’re having digestive issues or hormonal issues, you must consider taking action on improving the health of your gut.
Excess Androgens
Any kind of hormone imbalance can potentially cause hormonal acne to flare up, but by far the most common imbalance that causes hormonal acne is excess androgens. In fact, excess androgens are the most common hormonal dysfunction in women of reproductive age. Androgens are hormones that produce “male traits” and include testosterone and DHEA. Healthy women should have androgens in their body, but excess levels cause a lot of problems such as acne, unwanted hair growth, and thinning hair on the head. Excess androgens are almost always present in PCOS—Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, but there are other causes, including medications, genetic conditions, and tumors on the ovaries or adrenal glands.
Those causes of excess androgens are rare, but more common causes of excess androgens include excessive high-intensity exercise, prolonged stress, and undereating. Stress disrupts the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, causing it to produce higher quantities of the androgens DHEA and DHEA-S, which are then converted to testosterone. Even in women without PCOS, excess androgens can be the root cause behind hormonal acne. Left untreated, excess androgens can cause long-term problems like infertility, heart disease, and diabetes. Excess androgens can also cause insulin resistance.
How To Treat Hormonal Acne Naturally
Take Care of Your Gut First, it’s important to remove foods that are irritating your gut or triggering inflammation. Common culprits include gluten, dairy, vegetable oils, and refined sugar (see my book, Coconuts and Kettlebells, for more information about how to do an easy elimination protocol to see which foods are the culprit).
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, it’s important to eat probiotic rich foods regularly, and add in a high-quality probiotic supplement that will support your microbiome (this is the one I recommend). For a more in-depth look at healing the gut, check out 3 Simple Gut Healing Strategies That Will Revolutionize Your Health.
Ditch the Dairy
If you have hormonal acne (and especially if you have PCOS) you will definitely want to consider eliminating dairy. Dairy is rich in hormones, and one of them—called insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)—can be particularly problematic for people with acne. IGF-1 mimics insulin and increases oil production and inflammation in the skin. You’ll want to eliminate dairy for at least four weeks, and bring it back in different forms to see how your skin responds.
Eliminate Sources of Chronic Stress and Reduce Cortisol Output
Hormone imbalances are strongly connected to stress. Chronic cortisol, a stress hormone produced by the adrenals, can disrupt the entire endocrine system. Common sources of chronic cortisol output include lack of sleep, over-exercising and undereating, constant anxiety and worry, unresolved trauma or mental and emotional stress, and even chronic inflammation from a poor diet. For hormones to be in balance—and hormonal acne to go away—you must prioritize eliminating sources of chronic stress in your life, improving mental and emotional health (therapy or meditation), and getting at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Get to bed before 11pm to make sure your cortisol rhythms are properly balanced.
Avoid Acne Aggravators and Use Safe Topical Treatments
Hormonal acne is an internal problem, but external factors can absolutely make it better or worse. One of the biggest aggravators for acne is UV radiation from the sun. If you’re dealing with acne, you need protect your skin from the sun. However, it’s important to never use chemical sunscreens on your skin. Not only can they aggravate the skin (making your acne look worse) but oxybenzone is a known hormone disruptor. Mineral sunscreen is a safe and effective way to protect your skin from the sun.
The Best Natural Treatment for Hormonal Acne:
1. Don't over wash your face with harmful cleansers that might strip your skin of natural oils (I recommend using any Cetaphil or CeraVe products for cleansing and moisturizing your face).
2. Use an oil-free moisturizer
3. Take oral vitamins and minerals like Omega's, Vitamin B, D and E, Zinc and for skin appearance, Primrose oil.
4. Drink more green tea (great for detoxing your body + loads of antioxidants)
5. Don't scrub your face.
6. Tea Tree oil/ cream is your friend, apply it onto active/aggrevated acne areas after washing your face.
For more info on PCOS and this article, go to https://coconutsandkettlebells.com/hormonal-acne-causes-and-treatment/
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