Estrogen and Acne: How to Tackle Hormonal Acne Symptoms

As an acne sufferer, you may already know that estrogen and acne are connected. Even if you don’t, you’ve probably spent a good deal of time searching for the best ways to treat your hormonal acne symptoms. 

Generally, hormonal acne is a known cause of skin issues, most notably clogged pores and breakouts. However, hormonal acne contributes to another skin issue that you may not have realized. It accelerates the aging process! Yes, hormonal acne can lead to premature wrinkles, sagging and dry skin. Let's take a look at what causes this, and what you can do about it.

Hormonal Acne Symptoms in Adults

Most people who experienced acne in their teenage years know there is a link between hormones and acne. When it comes to adult acne, women are different than men. Men generally have 1 major hormonal acne episode in life, which is during puberty. 

Women, on the other hand, have multiple hormonal fluctuations throughout their lives. These include puberty, starting or stopping birth control, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. As women, our hormones also naturally shift every 7-10 years. If you are a female who is acne-prone, you can expect these hormonal fluctuations to trigger acne breakouts in your adult life. 

Hormonal Imbalances in Women

The best way to address your adult hormonal acne symptoms is by troubleshooting to uncover all of your hidden acne triggers and devise a game plan. In some cases, a hormone imbalance can be a significant trigger, making it difficult to clear your skin without a solid understanding of what the hormonal imbalance is and how to correct it. 

In these cases, I highly recommend hormone testing by a hormone specialist* to see which specific hormones are out of balance and how to rebalance them correctly. Too much estrogen can be a problem, but a lack of estrogen can be just as bad. 

When a woman goes through menopause or has a hysterectomy, her hormones change dramatically. This change includes a significant decrease in estrogen. 

A lack of estrogen affects the skin in various ways:

• It decreases collagen, elasticity, oil production and the ability for skin to hold onto water moisture
• Skin becomes dry, thinner, less supple
• Fine lines and wrinkles become more obvious

How to Identify & Treat Hormonal Imbalances

In addition to an anti-aging skincare regimen, I recommend having your hormone levels tested. Balancing these levels will not only significantly improve your skin health, but your energy and mood as well. 

If you are experiencing hormonal acne symptoms in adulthood and think you have a hormonal imbalance, I always recommend you see a specialist before self-diagnosing and taking any herbs, supplements or vitamins. 

Until you’re tested, there is no way to truly know what the imbalance is. Understanding your hormonal imbalance is the key to identifying the best ways to treat it. Please don’t hesitate to reach out for my recommendation on a naturopath who specializes in hormones.