Your guide to hormonal acne
For many, acne is an emotionally stressful issue that cannot simply be "creamed away" with a few creams and serums. For people with clear skin, it is perhaps easy to say that we should love ourselves and our skin despite blemishes. From personal conversations and sometimes from my own experiences, I know only too well that it takes a lot from those who struggle with these sometimes very painful blemishes. Acne is often equated with a lack of hygiene and is therefore often associated with shame. This is difficult to gloss over.
But I don't want it to remain a shameful topic for you and lead to insecurities in the long term. You shouldn't have the feeling that you have to hide. Quite the opposite! I want acne to be seen as something normal. Which doesn't mean that we shouldn't do anything about it. After all, it is a sign that something is not quite right. But I hope that the more the subject comes up, the more we know about it, the less stressful it will be. I want you to come to terms with your skin! :-)
Dealing with acne has so much to do with your own attitude. What makes you beautiful to others is you, your story, your experiences, your attitude and your radiance! Not blemishes or skin imperfections. This way you take the pressure off yourself and the journey to the actual cause becomes easier.
That's why it's so important for me to educate you about acne and show you what you can actually do about it - besides having a positive attitude! :-)
And because so many customers have asked us via the various channels, I will focus in particular on hormonal acne. It is one of the most common.
Find out more in this article:
- How does acne develop?
- What specifically causes hormonal acne and how does it manifest itself?
- Why are women particularly affected by hormonal acne?
- What can I do against acne and which products will help me?
- What improvement can I really expect from care products?
- My personal tips for you
1 How does acne develop?
In a nutshell: acne is a disorder of the sebaceous glands. It is an inflammatory "multifactorial" skin condition. This means that there are many different causes that can influence or trigger the development of acne:
- Hormones
- Nutrition
- Genetics
- Stress
And as always, our hormones play a super important role here too! I've already mentioned it in other blog articles, but our hormones work together in a very delicate and vulnerable system. This system controls important functions in our body. This is why hormonal fluctuations are often reflected in our skin. We have an exciting podcast with hormone coach & integrated nutritionist Kati Siemens recorded. We talk about the basic function of hormones, how our balance gets out of whack, what this has to do with our skin and, above all, how we can bring our skin and our hormones back into balance. Kati also explains what the first steps are when we suspect that something is wrong hormonally and that our skin wants to draw attention to itself with its very own language. For example, with hormonal acne.
Puberty is predestined for this! 70 to 95% of the population are "affected" at least once in their lives. Acne is one of the most common diagnoses in dermatologists' surgeries.
In most cases, the combination of seborrhea (excessive sebum production) and hyperkeratosis (excessive keratinization of the outer skin layer) forms the basis for micro-inflammation of the sebaceous glands and hair follicles. The skin finds it harder to shed old horny cells. The pores become blocked and sebum accumulates.
The abundance of sebum provides a great breeding ground for some bacteria that are naturally found on our skin. One bacterium is particularly fond of this: Propionibacterium acnes, which is why it gives acne its name. Propionibacterium feels at home in excess sebum and metabolizes fatty acids on an assembly line. Its excretion products cause inflammation, resulting in unpleasant pressure pain and redness. Blackheads, pustules, papules/pimples and lumps develop. Preferably on skin areas with many sebaceous glands. These include the face, neck, back, shoulders and upper chest area.
But how could it be otherwise, not all acne is the same. Of course, acne manifests itself differently in each person and in different degrees of severity and manifestations. A visit to the dermatologist is therefore recommended for severe forms. That's why I'm mainly giving supportive tips and recommendations for milder forms here. However, you may have already tried a few things and nothing has really helped you yet. That's why I want to take a holistic look at the topic and give you a few ideas. There is certainly still something you can change to achieve an improvement. :-)
2 What specifically causes hormonal acne and how does it manifest itself?
Why do I particularly want to talk about hormonal acne? Because it is sometimes the most common form of acne.
In this case, these hormones then lead to the above-mentioned seborrhea and/or hyperkeratosis and, in addition to our hormones, our skin also gets out of balance.
During puberty, blemishes are mainly located in the T-zone, i.e. on the forehead, nose and chin.
In adulthood, we see the effects more in the lower part of the face, on the underside of the cheeks and in the jaw area. Because the inflammation is often deep under the skin, cosmetic products can rarely reach it. However, they can still alleviate acne. Nevertheless, it is immensely important that you take a holistic view of your body and not just treat the areas externally and selectively.
3 Why are women particularly affected by hormonal acne?
Men and boys are actually more frequently affected by acne. This is simply because sebaceous glands are particularly sensitive to androgenic hormones. Androgens, including testosterone, are sex hormones that are responsible for the development of the male sex organs. They are found in men, but also in us women.
During puberty, sex hormones increase equally in both sexes. However, as boys' skin is naturally thicker and oilier, the threshold for acne to develop is somewhat lower than in women.
In addition, the hormonal balance in men balances out over the course of their lives.
However, women also experience hormonal fluctuations more frequently in later life: during pregnancy, before the menopause, due to hormonal contraceptive methods or hormonal diseases with increased androgen levels. If we have too many of these in us, we may not ovulate or have our period. The cycle and fertility are therefore disrupted. This form of hormonal disorder is called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCO syndrome).
Another trigger is stopping the pill. I have already covered this topic in detail in this blog post in this blog post. Temporary post-pill acne can occur after stopping the pill. This is because the pill suppresses sebum production and, depending on the form of the pill, inhibits androgens, i.e. the "male" hormones. Although this can curb excessive body hair or pimples while taking the pill, the androgens shoot up again after stopping the pill and with them the production of sebum.
4. what can I do against acne and which products will help me?
