Hormonal Acne and its Effects on Adults and Teenagers

Teenagers are not the only ones who suffer from acne as this problem afflicts adults as well. Studies on the subject indicate that incidences of acne have increased, in the recent years especially in adults. There have been no conclusive evidences of the specific causes for acne, but studies are being conducted at a more focused level on the causes of acne, resulting due to hormonal reasons. Hormones become imbalanced during the various stages of puberty, pregnancy, menopause or menstruation and this in turn, stimulates the sebaceous glands, which trigger acne.
Acne can prove devastating for adults as none of the drugs that are sold over the counter for teenagers work to arrest this problem.
Acne that is brought about by hormonal imbalances gets activated when teenagers are in their twenties and continues till they are adults. During the ages of 11 to 14, acne is brought on when the teenager goes through puberty and, androgen production is at its maximum. Since hormonal acne is directly associated with androgen, the glands get over-stimulated with the hormones and this is the reason for acne development.


Due to problems with hormonal imbalance, women tend to get affected with acne twice as often as men. Women get acne when they are beset with Premenstrual Symptoms (PMS.)The other reason for acne is when women suffer from PCOs (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome,) which is a disease that affects hormones, due to lack of or irregular menstruation, hair loss, infertility and various other factors. Adrenal Hyperplasia is another condition that is similar to this problem.
Women who are 35 years and older and approaching menopause may find themselves subject to acne flare-ups even though this is a new development in their lives. Menopause has the power to trigger acne due to the hormonal imbalances induced during this period.
Stress is another important factor that brings about hormonal imbalance. Our bodies start producing Cortisol, in large numbers, to cope with the increased rate of processes that begin to take place due to stress. The processes that take place may result due to glycogen being released when protein is converted to energy. Cortisol is also responsible for digestion, repressing cell regeneration and endocrine regulation. When the body is stressed out, it begins to focus on the Cortisol levels instead of the processes and this brings on acne, depression, fatigue etc.
Doctors normally prescribe oral corticosteroids, oral contraceptives, anti-androgens etc. There are various options available to try to stabilize this problem. These treatments may bring about adverse reactions, so one should be careful not to worsen the conditions. Most people prefer to use natural methods to treat hormonal acne, as it is safer and more convenient.
Dermatologists are of the opinion that diet does not affect acne but many people who are plagued with this problem know the benefits of avoiding carbs, trans-fats and refined sugar to control the levels of acne. It is definitely a plus point to adopt a healthy lifestyle in order to balance hormones to deal with hormonal acne.