Hormones can drive acne development, which is why teenagers almost always get pimples as puberty strikes, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. But hormones also play a role in acne when adult women get the skin condition. Although most women who get acne have normal levels of estrogen and other hormones, skewed hormonal levels potentially can lead to a worse complexion. Regardless, if you have hormonal acne, your dermatologist can offer some solutions.
Acne Causes
Acne needs three things to develop--too-oily skin, clogged pores and bacteria. Male hormones such as testosterone create oily skin by over-stimulating your skin's oil-producing sebaceous glands, which then produce too much oil. Oil encourages bacterial growth. If your skin cells shed too rapidly, the dead cells will clog pores, and you'll develop acne lesions.
Mechanism
If you're a menstruating woman, your hormone levels fluctuate from day to day throughout your monthly cycle. Women tend to get acne during the last week of their cycles, right before their periods, according to the Mayo Clinic. That's when levels of estrogen and progesterone, two female hormones, fall to their lowest levels. Testosterone and other male hormones then stimulate the skin's sebaceous glands, and you get pimples. So in estrogen-related acne, low levels of the female hormone, rather than high levels, are to blame.
Potential Solutions
Even if your acne is related to the lower levels of estrogen your body experiences right before your period, most dermatologists start therapy with tried-and-true acne treatments, according to the AAD. These can include topical ointments that include antimicrobial drugs such as prescription-strength benzoyl peroxide. You might also get a prescription for a retinoid-type medication such as Retin-A, which has the added benefit of helping to smooth your fine wrinkles.
More Solutions
If standard treatments for acne fail to clear your estrogen-related acne and you aren't planning a pregnancy in the near future, your dermatologist might place you on birth control pills. Oral contraceptives can help to control hormonally driven acne in women by leveling out hormonal swings and curbing male hormones' influence over the sebaceous glands, according to the AAD. However, treatment takes several months or more to begin clearing up your pimples, and it's quite likely your complexion will look worse before it gets better as your hormones adjust.
Considerations
In some women, estrogen-related acne may indicate a more serious disorder, such as polycystic ovary syndrome. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, often suffer from irregular menstrual cycles, infertility, obesity and male-pattern hair growth in addition to acne. If you have PCOS, your estrogen levels might still be normal, but you'll produce too little progesterone and too much testosterone. If your symptoms indicate you might suffer from PCOS, you should talk with your physician and potentially, get tested.
