How Hormones can Mess Up with Your Skin?

Having acne is something so many people have suffered with or still do suffer with. Anyone that has dealt with, or is currently dealing with it, will tell you that it can easily be one of the most frustrating skin conditions to deal with. A big reason why is that is, is that there are so many different causes for it, so many different products, and even so many different medications, that it seems to take forever to even get close to banishing it from your skin.

One of the many causes of acne is hormones. This is why so many women notice that their skin clears up completely while pregnant. For many people, finding out that the cause of their acne is something so complicated, they feel defeated and think that they will have to spend hundreds of dollars on medications and products that they aren’t sure will even work just to get a chance at clearing their skin of the painful, and sometimes embarrassing bumps. One such product many people want to know more about is proactiv, learn more here about does proactiv really work? However, you don’t necessarily need to spend all that money and time on medications or expensive products. There are many things you can do to help balance out your hormones and start getting that clear skin you so desire.

How can I know my acne is hormonal acne? It can be hard to tell if your skin is simply acne prone or if there may be a deeper problem. Hormonal acne is very difficult to diagnose because hormones aren’t exactly very easily measured. However, there are little things that you may notice that can point towards your acne being caused by hormones. For example, does your acne get worse a couple days before, or during, your period? If it does, this is a huge indicator that you could be suffering from hormonal acne.

Diet: A huge part of controlling hormones in your body is by having a healthy diet. For women, this is extra important around the time of your monthly cycle as that is when your hormones get the most out of balance. While there is conflicting evidence about this, it is believed that excess testosterone is the hormone that causes acne and that estrogen promotes clear, glowing skin. This would explain why, for many women, pregnancy clears up their skin better than anything else they have tried.

Diet greatly affects how much of every hormone is produced, which in this case is a very important element in sorting out your skin ailments. High glycemic index foods can raise testosterone levels significantly. Excess testosterone leads to excess sebum production, which in turn causes clogged pores, inflamed skin, and acne. However, high glycemic foods aren’t the only diet-related culprit of high testosterone. Click here and here for foods you can eat to lower your testosterone levels.

Birth Control: One method many dermatologists use to reduce or banish hormonal acne completely is by prescribing a birth control medication. By increasing the levels of estrogen and progesterone, you lower your levels of androgens (testosterone is an androgen) therefore helping with the hormonal imbalance immensely. It may seem obvious, but if you are trying to conceive, do not use this method. If all else fails, consider talking to your doctor to see if this is a good choice for you.

Overall Skin Health: Hormonal acne is a condition that can take a long time to get under control and for some people, even when they do get it under control, they still have the occasion rebellion from their skin. The best course of action you can take when this happens is simply to ensure that you have overall good skin health to help your skin heal quickly and without scarring. Some simple tips for keeping healthy skin are: make sure that you are hydrated, always protect your skin from the sun and harsh weather conditions, moisturize, and exfoliate regularly.

If none of these tips work for you, and your acne is impairing your quality of life, consider making the investment to go see a dermatologist. No, it isn’t guaranteed to be a solution but it is worth a try if you still can’t control your skin.