Hormonal adult acne typically forms on the lower part of your face. This includes the bottom
of your cheeks and around your jawline. And it can affect all genders and ages,
but especially more frequently in adult females. In this video,
we will go over what causes hormonal acne as well go through as many treatment options as we can.
If you guys are new here, my channel is all about helping you make informed decisions
about your health and wellness, and I would love for you to gently tap on that like button
down below to help this video reach more people, and if you really like the content,
then consider subscribing as well. Now without wasting any more time, let's dive right in.
So: Hormonal acne develops when we get hormonal changes that increase the amount of oil your skin
produces. When the oil interacts with the bacteria on the pores, near where the hair follicles are.
Acne develops. The influxes of these hormones usually arrive from 4 things. Menstruation,
PCOS, Menopause, and increased androgen levels. With menopause, it is going to most likely be due
to that drop in estrogen levels or an increase in androgen hormones like testosterone. Not to forget
to mention, that in adult female acne, there is an increase in the number and sensitivity of the
receptors located in sebocytes and keratinocytes to circulating androgenic hormones. So this is
why hormonal acne can be so vicious sometimes. But not to worry, since well go over what you can do.
The first: is to eliminate all the triggers that make it worse. Stress is one, pollution
is another, especially if the city you live in has high pollution and smog, high humidity,
diet as well, especially if it consists of a ton of refined carbs and sugars. And lastly squeezing
and picking at the acne. Pastules, papules, cysts, you dont want to be picking at them.
Secondly, If your hormonal acne is mild, you may be able to use topical retinoids. Retinoids are
derived from vitamin A. Many of the retinoid creams, gels, and lotions are available over
the counter. You may want to see your doctor about a prescription-strength formulation,
if youve tried them in the past and they havent helped. Adapalene is an over the
counter third-generation retinoid that can decrease oil production. I made a video about
it as well that you can watch up here. Basically what it does is, It speeds up and regulates the
shedding within your oil glands, so bacteria dont have anything to feed off of to create
inflammation in the first place. Its kind of like being one step ahead of the game. But of course,
you have to keep in mind that purging will occur. For some, The adapalene purge can
last for about 16 to 18 weeks, but for some it can be 4 to 8 weeks. Everyone's skin is
different. So keep all that in consideration. And comment below if you have any tips for it.
Thirdly, if your hormonal acne is a little bit more moderate and stubborn and is affecting your
quality of life. You can talk to your doctor to see if the benefits outweigh the risks for
anti-androgen medicines like spironolactone. What it does is that it can prevent your body
from producing more androgen and allow your hormone levels to stabilize. In the adult
female acne guide study, the combined use of spironolactone with topical retinoid seems
to provide a superior response to the retinoid treatment isolated in Adult female acne.” But
do keep in mind that the side effects can cause breast enlargement and tenderness.
And since it is a diuretic at the end of the day, frequent bathroom trips will be common.
The fourth tip: in addition to spironolactone your doctor might also add birth control,
only after they can assess you would be a qualified candidate to take them together.
The Spironolactone blocks androgens from binding to receptors in the skin,
while birth control pills can help regulate your hormones and decrease testosterone levels. The
combo can bring noticeable changes after three cycles, or about three months. And
many will do fine afterwards with a clean and gentle skincare routine.
And last tip is getting the AviClear treatment. Which can be used for cystic, inflammatory,
and hormonal acne. And IT can be a great option if youve exhausted all your others and dont want
to be on acutane or are not a candidate for it. Especially if youve been on doxycycline or other
antibiotics and they havent worked either. Or maybe they have worked, but after finishing them,
the acne comes back. Well, with aviclear, Its a laser acne treatment developed by CUTERA,
that achieved FDA clearance on March of last year. Not sponsored by the brand or anything. But if it
can safely and effectively deliver 1726 nm beams of energy to the skin and can specifically target
and suppress the sebaceous gland. The treatments look very promising. And Its about 3 treatments
total and each of them take about 30 minutes. And you might be thinking that its just a laser,
but with AviClear, its unique since it leaves the melanin alone and only hones in on the
sebaceous glands and the great part about it is that it's safe for all skin types and tones.
And remember, in addition to any acne skincare treatment regimen. Wash your face in the morning
and the evening. Apply no more than a pea-size amount of any acne product for the whole face.
A big mistake I always see people make is: Applying too much, which can dry out your
skin and increase irritation. Wear sunscreen every day, broad spectrum spf 30 or more. And
only Use noncomedogenic products to reduce your risk of clogged pores. You want to increase as
many chances of success so that you can finally beat hormonal acne and get the skin you want.
Curious to hear from you guys though. Have you struggled with hormonal acne. Do you have any
tips you want to share? Leave them down below. In the meantime, Click the subscribe button if you
found any value in this video. And until then guys, ill see you on the next one.