Hormonal Acne Treatment

Hormones play a major role in the occurrence of acne outbreaks. While it’s normal to experience such breakouts during puberty, there are cases where the outbreaks persist into adulthood. Hormonal acne can affect both genders. However, it seems to affect women more than men. This type acne is caused by hormonal imbalance which comes as a result of excess androgen production. Androgens are hormones which play a role in the secretion of sebum in the oil glands. Excess sebum in the skin pores can cause clogging and hence acne breakouts. Some of the hormonal acne treatment methods available include the following.

Antibiotics

There are different types of antibiotics which can be used to treat hormonal acne. These can be grouped according to their functions as follows.

Anti androgens

These drugs are administered to control the release of androgens in the body. They work by slowing down androgen production or blocking the production altogether. Such antibiotics include birth control pills. Anti androgens can have side effects which include irregular menstrual periods and stomach upset in women.

Topical antibiotics

Although hormonal acne is caused by hormonal fluctuations in the body, their formation is more like that of other acne types. Since excessive sebum and bacterial action leads to the clogging of skin pores, topical antibiotics can be used to unclog the pores as well as kill acne causing bacteria. Some of the commonly prescribed topical acne antibiotics include clindamycin. Apart from antibiotics, topical applications of lotions containing acne fighting ingredients an also be used.

Oral antibiotics

As with the topical antibiotics these can also be used to help unclog the skin pores and reduce inflammation. Commonly prescribed antibiotics include tetracycline and erythromycin. Something worth noting about the topical and oral antibiotics is that they usually don’t help restore hormonal balance in the body. They can also have possible side effects such as irritation to the skin, dryness and stomach upset.

Anti inflammatories

These drugs help to control the inflammation caused by breakouts. They are taken orally and have possible side effects including weight gain and loss of bone mass.
Although the antibiotics used to treat hormonal acne have been grouped according to their functions, it isn’t uncommon to find antibiotics which combine more than one of these functions. In addition, for the best results, it is recommended that you use a combination of both oral and topical antibiotics in order to get the best results.

Exercise

Regular exercise helps the body maintain a healthy hormone balance. In addition, it helps to keep skin pores active as they remove toxins from the body. Also, exercise is a great way to relieve stress. Exercise also helps the body burn off excess body fat. Excess at in the body has been found to play a role in the development of acne. Some daily exercise will help you get rid of hormonal acne.

Stress management

Studies show that women who experience high amounts of stress daily are more vulnerable to hormonal acne than those with less stress. Stress plays a big role in the disruption of the body’s hormone balance. If you find that you are constantly stressed, it might be the cause of your breakouts. Finding stress management activities such as exercise will help you treat your acne.

Rest

During the day, the body is actively secreting hormones to enable proper functioning. However, the body requires periods of rest where it regains hormonal balance. Androgens are responsible for keeping the body active. If the body doesn’t get enough rest daily, this might trigger excessive production of this hormone. This can lead to the development of hormonal acne.
Hormonal acne can be hard to get rid of. The condition can suddenly affect you even if you managed to get through puberty without and acne breakouts. Since it’s primarily caused by hormone imbalance in the body, treatment methods should be geared towards maintaining a healthy hormonal balance.  I have compiled a short report detailing 5 easy steps to help you get rid of acne. The five steps mentioned will help you manage your hormone levels allowing you to treat acne and reduce chances of recurrence.

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