The Best Way To Treat Hormonal Acne, According To Dermatologists

Acne is the most common skin condition in the United States. In fact, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, roughly 40 million to 50 million Americans have acne at any one time.

For many people, blackheads, whiteheads and pimples are a normal part of puberty. But for plenty of others, women in particular, acne can be a stubborn problem that occurs well beyond their teenage years.

Enter hormonal acne.

To be clear, a lot of acne is hormonally driven ― including the kind you may have experienced during puberty ― but, as Dr. Samer Jaber of Washington Square Dermatology in New York told HuffPost, “When most people talk about [hormonal acne], they’re really talking about acne in adult women.”

Jaber noted that adult acne in women is quite common. It can affect women in their 20s, 30s, 40s and even 50s. According to a study cited by the American Academy of Dermatology, roughly 50 percent of women in their 20s and more than 25 percent of women ages 40 to 49 are affected by hormonal acne. And it needs to be treated with extra care.
What causes hormonal acne?

As Dr. Jennifer MacGregor of Union Square Laser Dermatology in New York explained, it’s typically related to a woman’s menstrual cycle and the fluctuations of estrogen and progesterone that come along with it. In an article published by Self last year, Miami-based dermatologist S. Manjula Jegasothy said that these hormonal fluctuations are believed to cause increased oil production in pores, which could result in breakouts. Additionally, Jegasothy said the ratio of progesterone to estrogen can also have an effect on a woman’s testosterone levels, which can contribute to acne.

Source: huffingtonpost