Acne is a common skin issue that many teenagers experience. At this time, when puberty hits, it causes hormones to spike, and breakouts begin. Many people believe that this acne may disappear after puberty. However, these acne breakouts can still affect their adulthood phase, and the common cause of this adult acne is hormonal imbalance. Untreated acne leads to loss of self-esteem and confidence and potentially contributes to acne scars. The best way to address them is to seek help from a skin specialist in Bangalore.
Hormonal acne mostly affects areas like the face, chest, shoulders, neck, and bu-tt area, and they look like red inflamed pimple clusters. A dermatologist can tailor a plan for hormonal acne and help them achieve clear and confident skin.
What is Hormonal Acne?
Hormonal acne is a type of acne caused by hormonal imbalances or irregular hormonal fluctuations that usually affects adults of the age group 20-50 years. More and-rogen hormones in the bloodstream contribute to more sebum production. The extra sebum clogs the pores along with dirt, dead skin cells, and sometimes bacteria, resulting in the breakouts of pimples, comedones, and cysts.
Hormonal acne produces deeper nodules and cysts, which are usually persistent over a long period. Spots form with hormonal acne mostly occur over the chin, the jaw line, and around the mouth. It sometimes also develops across an entire face and back.
Hormonal acne breakouts can’t be treated by their root, if their underlying cause is hormonal changes during pregnancy, around menses or at menopause. It also follows after discontinuation of birth control; a testo-sterone treatment; family history; a side effect of steroids; or pre-existing conditions like PCOS and other ovarian/metabolic conditions.
Pollution, stress, high humidity, picking or squeezing at blemishes, and poor diet (containing sugars and especially refined carbohydrates) all can make hormonal acne worse.
Tips to Self-Treat Hormonal Acne
Here’s the first approach that one must have:
- A gentle skincare routine- Twice daily cleansing with a mild cleanser and lukewarm water. The application of oil-free moisturizer; use of sunscreen for UV protection; and use of only non-acnegenic/ non-greasy skincare products are all that can help keep skin healthy and hormonal acne at bay.
- A healthy diet plan- If diagnosed with hormonal acne, reduce or eliminate intake of high glycaemic index foods, limit dairy foods, and increase intake of anti-inflammatory foods and antioxidants-loaded foods.
- A healthy lifestyle- Stress management, proper sleep, drinking enough water daily to maintain hydration, resisting the urge to pick or pop pimples, and taking a shower after sweating can help prevent the worsening of acne breakouts.
- Over-the-contour acne treatment- If having mild acne breakouts, try out products containing benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, and reti-noids that work in keeping pores unclogged.
- Natural remedies for acne- Some known effective remedies include tea tree oil, witch hazel, and aloe vera. Experiment with them on the acne-affected/prone skin and see which can be of help.
To see skin improvements, patience and consistency in treatment are the keys.
One can consult Dr. Rasya Dixit for expert advice on acne management. She also provides prescription-strength medication or in-office procedures to treat acne and receive a clear skin with acne scar removal treatments.
How Dermatologists Can Help Treat Hormonal Acne?
A dermatologist-curated treatment plan that specifically addresses hormonal acne may include:
1. Topical treatment- Mild to moderate acne can be treated with a combination of topicals like retin-oids, benzoyl peroxide, antibiotics, and azelaic acid/salicylic acid.
- Ret-inoids work to exfoliate the skin, reduce keratinocyte proliferation, normalize follicular differentiation, and reduce inflammation. These can help clear acne and reduce inflammation, potentially treating scars.
- Benzoyl peroxide is used for its antibacterial effect, keratolytic effect, anti-inflammatory effect, and mild-sebostatic effect.
- Antibiotics inhibit or kill the growth of bacteria that are present on the surface of the skin and clog pores.
- Azelaic acid/salicylic acid works to gently exfoliate skin and unclog pores, kill acne-causing bacteria, and reduce inflammation.
Any of these may be prescribed as the first line of treatment for hormonal acne.
2. Oral medication- If topicals fail to clear hormonal acne, dermatologists prescribe oral antibiotics, oral contraceptives/ hormone supplements, or an-drogen-blocking receptors medicines.
- The laser resort for severe acne is isotr-etinoin which works by reducing sebum production, boosting cell turnover, and shedding the skin cell debris.
3. In-office procedures- Specific aspects of hormonal acne like pain, inflammation, and scarring can be addressed with corticosteroid injections, chemical peeling, and phototherapy or laser-based treatments.
- Chemical peeling involves the use of the best-suited acid solution to cause controlled trauma to the skin, remove dead skin cells, and reduce sebum production.
- Light or laser therapies work to reduce skin inflammation, reduce sebum production, and kill acne-causing bacteria, thereby improving acne appearance.
- For comedones (blackheads and whiteheads), dermatologists perform comedone extraction.
Not Getting Relief from Acne? Hormonal Therapy may help!
Do you want more information about tailored hormonal acne treatments along with personal skincare recommendations in Bangalore? Schedule consultation with Dr. Rasya Dixit, an experienced provider for hormonal acne management.
FAQs on Hormonal Acne
What causes of hormonal acne are under my control?
Hormonal acne can be caused by excessive stress. Also with the use of comedogenic or acnegenic products and lack of sleep. Stress management, careful selection of skincare products, and sleep optimization can help keep hormonal acne breakouts under control.
When should I get my hormonal acne treated?
Get hormonal acne treated as soon as you find that other treatments are not working and to avoid potential scarring that can further lead to lower self-esteem.
How soon after treatment will hormonal acne resolve?
Stay patient when on treatment for hormonal acne. Generally, it takes 4-6 weeks after treatment to notice skin improvement. If not, the treatment may need to be continued for a long time to prevent new acne breakouts.
How long will I need to take my treatment for hormonal acne?
As hormonal therapy for acne can even help prevent new acne breakouts, taking it for the long term appears to be safe.
Meet Expert Dermatologist For Hormonal Acne.
Consult with Dr. Rasya Dixit, a leading skin doctor in Bangalore, if you have stubborn or worsening acne. She can help you to achieve clear skin with the best acne control treatments.
