How To Treat Your Hormonal Acne

Hormonal acne is the type of acne that occurs as a result of hormonal fluctuations. Although it also affects men but it is more common among women. In fact, the Journal of American Academy of Dermatology reported that more than fifty percent of women age 25 and older are suffering from acne.

There are several factors that contribute to the development of acne and these include chronic exposure to high levels of stress, as well as menopause and menstruation. Unfortunately, when breakouts occur, it would seem like even your best drugstore acne treatment is no match for your stubborn acne. However, this does not mean that you should lose all hope. The truth is, there are several effective hormonal acne treatments that you can use. You just have to choose what works best for your skin. In addition to topical and oral applications, some lifestyle and diet modifications are also needed to give yourself a better fighting stance against acne. If you’re not sure where and how to start, read further. 

Apply tea tree oil

Tea Tree oil is known to help reduce acne by decreasing inflammation. Always dilute tea tree essential oil with your preferred carrier oil prior to application. But, before you apply it, it is best to do a skin patch test. Apply a little amount of diluted tea tree oil to the inside part of your forearm. If you do not see or feel any irritation within 24 hours it would mean you can use it as your acne treatment. 

Take zinc supplements

Zinc is a mineral that plays an essential role in hormone production, cell growth, immune function, and metabolism. If you doubt its effectiveness then you should know that zinc is among the most studied supplements for acne treatments. Studies also reveal that a deficiency in zinc makes an individual prone to having acne. One study showed that taking oral zinc supplements helped reduce acne for as much as 80 to 100 percent. 

Avoid sugar and refined grains

One study showed that people who have a high consumption of refined grains face a higher risk of acne. Refined carbohydrates don’t take much time to be processed by the digestive system. In turn, they get absorbed into the bloodstream quickly. This occurrence raises the insulin levels of the body. Unfortunately, increased insulin levels also lead the androgen hormones to become more active which will also increase the body’s insulin-like growth factor. The result would be a faster growth of cells along with increased sebum production. This will then trigger the development of more acne. 

Drink green tea

Green tea contains a lot of catechins which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Regular consumption of this beverage also provides more EGCG or epigallocatechin gallate which is a type of polyphenols that are known to be beneficial in improving acne.

These are a few of the many treatments for acne. However, if your acne continues to worsen or has become very painful that it already affects your quality of life, better visit a skin clinic. Don’t wait for your acne to cause you emotional distress. Take action and know that acne-free skin is possible especially if you’ll treat it under the supervision of a skin professional.