The Hormone Acne Connection
No Comment
The hormone and acne connection has been shown to be related to hormonal fluctuations. Many hormones circulate throughout the body, but it is the presence of androgens (male hormones) in particular that is associated with acne.
Levels of testosterone and other androgens increase significantly during puberty in both boys and girls. Testosterone works with the enzyme 5-alpha reductase to create a converted hormone known as dihydrotestosterone (or DHT). Acne is commonly associated with puberty because skin conditions change as a result of these pubertal hormonal triggers.
DHT stimulates the sebaceous glands in the pores, which then causes them to begin producing more sebum. This increase in sebum production results in oiler skin. As skin becomes more oily, the chances of pores becoming clogged increases as well. A clogged pore is the beginning of an acne lesion (or an acne bump/pimple/blemish/etc.).
Androgen hormones are released from the adrenal glands, testes, and ovaries. Due to the higher levels of androgens in the male body, it is often the case that males experience more severe and longer lasting acne than females. Research has found that girls who are obese at start of puberty “are at risk for having high levels of androgens”. The result may be that they, too, would experience more severe acne going into adulthood.
A study involving 400 females, aged 12-52, was conducted to determine the effects of a woman’s menstrual cycle on acne. Results confirmed that there is a distinct rise in the development of acne just before a woman begins to menstruate, with 177 of 400 participants having regular occurrences of premenstrual hormone acne. It was shown that ethnicity, severity of acne, and oral contraceptive use did not affect the rate of outbreaks whereas age did. It was noticed that women over the age of 33 experienced a higher rate of breakouts than younger women, along with a greater amount of inflammation too.
With women, in addition to the life phase of puberty, pregnancy, and menopause can translate to triggered hormonal changes that affect the skin. At times when the female body is lacking estrogen, there is often an increase in the production of testosterone. This sharp decrease in estrogen with a rise in testosterone is often seen during perimenopause, and menopause. During these life cycles, women may experience hormone acne breakouts or have a worsening of current acne. Medications, including steroids and certain birth control drugs, can also interfere with hormonal production.
Image credit: lanuiop
Related posts:
Leave your response!