You may be familiar with the sudden breakout spot on your chin that appears just before and during your menstrual periods. There is no denying how debilitating acne can be, especially when they come just before a long-awaited holiday trip or a special celebratory occasion. Often, people commonly suffer from acne and can’t seem to find any relief until they turn to cystic acne treatments.
Hormonal acne commonly appears in women between the ages of 20 to 40. But how can you tell whether your acne is related to fluctuations in your hormones? Certain key characteristics are used to pinpoint and spot if a pimple is hormonal.
The timing of the breakouts
Acne often flares up at predictable times and often manifests in a cyclical pattern, due to the nature of hormones during the phases of menstrual cycle. When monthly fluctuations in women’s progesterone and estrogen levels occur, they will experience
characteristic breakouts especially the week before the menstrual cycle, or during ovulation.
The location of the breakouts
This is a common telltale sign of a hormonal breakout. Acne that appears around your lower face – especially beneath the cheekbones, chin and along the jawline, are most likely related to hormonal issues, as compared to acne that appears on the forehead or nose. This is due to excess hormones in the body that stimulate the oil glands, making it a prime spot for breakouts to occur.
The appearance and sensation of the breakouts
Surface-level spots such as blackheads and whiteheads differ from hormonal acne, which tends to be deep and tender to the touch. Due to changes in hormone levels, there is an overproduction of sebum and overgrowth of skin cells, which causes the skin’s pores to become blocked and thus, lead to infection and inflammation.
These painful cysts can appear as deeper bumps under the surface of the skin that cannot be extracted the same way as blackheads and pustule pimples. It is important to see a professional in treating cystic acne as doing it on your own can worsen the skin condition, and cause serious infections and scarring. Cystic acne also has a higher risk of scarring, thus acne scar removal treatments can effectively improve on the textural changes and indentations that occur on the skin, and get rid of acne scars.
How to deal with hormonal acne
There are several ways to deal with hormonal acne and treat it effectively. Your skin and health need more attention now, so drinking plenty of water and eating a healthy, balanced diet can help you to feel in shape and more in control. Incorporate foods rich in phytoestrogens which can be possible to help balance the natural fluctuation of hormones.
Your skincare routine can also be improved, using with key ingredients such as glycolic acid that helps to remove dead skin cells, and retinoids which helps in reducing blockage of pores. In turn, this can reduce outbreaks and the formation of acne scars.
It is also best to consult with an aesthetic doctor to find a customized solution and address your acne condition with minimal side effects. Our acne treatment has 3 phases: to calm the skin, prevent new breakouts, and get rid of acne scars. We will prescribe a tailored skincare regimen including creams and pills, and use a combination of peels and laser treatments to reduce pore size, improve oil production and promote scar healing.
For example, the Infini Fractional RadioFrequency (FRF) treatment is able to reach deep below the skin, up to 3.5mm, to stimulate deep collagen production which is necessary to remodel the scar fibres and smoothen the surface of the skin. The patented system uses insulated microneedles to deliver heat energy past the scar tissue, which results in mild redness and low downtime. Healthy collagen fibres replace old scar tissue, and with increased collagen levels, you can also achieve a more lifted and contoured face.
Another popular acne treatment is the AGNES treatment from Korea, which aims to treat acne permanently with low downtime. Partially insulated needles are used to administer radiofrequency energy with precision and destroy the offending, hyperactive sebaceous glands that are responsible for acne. As such, the hair follicles will no longer get inflamed and infected, which clears your acne problem permanently. The insulated needles also ensure prevention of skin burn or damage, as it target the sebaceous glands directly without affecting other areas of the skin. AGNES treatment provides a long-term solution for those looking to deal with their stubborn acne issues without oral medications or costly laser treatments with temporary results.