How Hormones Affect Your Acne

Some scientific studies suggest that acne is mainly due to hormones, hormonal imbalances and hormonal changes. Basically, individuals who are prone to acne possess oily skin due to the high level of androgens and testosterone in the body. The flip side of this is that the androgens and estrogens are an essential component in maintaining healthy skin.

Acne in women generally starts appearing during the teenage years all the way up to the age of 24 years old. Acne results in lesions on the face, cheeks, chin and forehead, but can also reside on the back or chest, as well.

To further prove the point, the hormone androgens are known to trigger the onset of this skin disorder. It stimulates the enlargement of sebaceous glands, resulting in the production and secretion of sebum. Recent studies have concluded that there is no organic use for this substance, except cosmetics manufacturers synthesize sebum to add to their products in an effort to re-create the natural skin replenishment cycle.

Once the sebum is produced by the sebaceous glands, it accumulated in the hair follicles. It then travels to the hair shafts where it reaches the external layers of the skin. During this process, dirt and bacteria mix with the sebum, clogging the follicles. this provides a fertile breeding ground for the bacteria, ultimately causing the acne.

Hormones regulate a number of bodily functions. Even a slight imbalance in hormone levels may result in complications and disruptions in the body's processes. On the other hand, a good hormonal balance will decrease the possibility of developing the skin disease.

At puberty, the adrenal gland secretes hormones such as dihydroepiandrosterone sulfate or DHEAS. Combined with testosterone, these hormones induce the sebaceous glands to produce extra sebum. This is why the skin disease is more prevalent among teens.

Moreover, males have larger amounts of the hormone, testosterone. This is the reason that boys tend to have more severe cases of acne. The constant flux in hormone levels makes teenagers with acne that much harder to treat.

Initially, a teen's acne condition may respond to a specific topical acne medication, but later, as their body experiences hormonal changes, the acne treatment may cease to be effective. To accommodate these changes in hormones, physicians often rotate their acne prescriptions.

In adult women, acne cases often show signs of worsening approximately a week before menstruation. This condition generally affects those women in their mid-twenties up to the early forties. Experts advise that women experiencing these acne conditions should seek the advice of a dermatologist to help determine the real cause of such conditions. Under certain situations, many acne breakouts in adult women may be due to hormonal imbalance.