As a woman, suffering from a very visible skin condition such as acne is very embarrassing and uncomfortable. It can make you feel as though every eye is fixed upon you. However, youre not alone. More than 50% of adult women suffer from acne breakouts.
Acne can occur in females throughout their adult life, especially during pregnancy, in early adulthood, during the late twenties and thirties, and during menopause. This is due to the fact that acne is caused by the hormones responsible for the oil glands in or skin.
At anytime a woman experiences a hormonal change such as puberty, your menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause, an acne breakout is likely to occur.
A scientific study has proven that 63% of women prone to acne outbreaks normally find that they have an increase in acne beginning about 7 10 days before menstruation, which subsides when their menstruation begins. This is known as pre-menstrual flares and is connected to the convoluted changes in hormone levels during the menstruation cycle.
Low dose estrogen and progestin birth control pills, as well as androgen receptor blockers may help with regulating hormones and are often prescribed to try treat hormonally-induced acne, but this can be hard to cure.
Androgen receptor blockers (androgen is a male sex hormone) are used due to the fact that women who suffer from acne tend to have higher levels of androgen than usual. However, using birth control pills only containing progestins may only result in making the acne worse.
Female acne can also be a sign of an underlying medical condition. If your acne is is accompanied by thinning hair or even bald patches on the scalp, irregular menstrual cycles or excessive facial hair, this may be a sign of adrenal hyperplasia or polycystic ovaries.
Another possibility is that you might have a hormone-secreting tumour within your ovaries, or your pituitary or adrenal glands. If you suspect this might be the case, visit your medical practitioner as tests will determine the best treatment. Until the medical condition is dealt with, you will continue to have acne.
Allergic reactions to certain types of cosmetics may also cause acne breakouts. This is called Acne Cosmetica, or cosmetic-induced acne. This form of acne can be persistent and endure for years due to the afflicted woman covering up the breakouts with more makeup, and thus causing further breakouts in a vicious circle.
Acne Cosmetica can appear to come out of nowhere, but this is misleading as it can appear to have come out of nowhere. When purchasing any form of cosmetic product to use on your hair or skin, it is best to look for products labelled non-comedogenic or non-acnegenic and avoid choosing oily or greasy products that could increase acne.