Is it fair to blame your acne on your hormones?

Hormonal imbalances in your body can lead to severe acne and that once-a-month flare-up. So then what is it about hormones that create such havoc with our skin?

Androgen and Estrogen balance creates harmony for the skin; think of it as a biochemical Yin and Yang. Upset this fragile balancing act can lead to blemishes, galore.

What Causes Acne To Develope?

Acne is not caused by a single event but the result of multiple steps going “wrong”. Acne is a disorder of Keratinization.

"The formation of the cells that line the gland beneath the skin’s surface is dysfunctional"

Under normal conditions, the epithelial cells lining the neck of the sebaceous gland should invisibly exfoliate unde onto the skin’s surface through the pore.

However, these cells have a sticky surface, causing them to form a plug and preventing spontaneous exfoliation within the gland.

At the same time the plug has formed, the androgens have stimulated the sebaceous glands to enlarge and make extra oil.

The P. acnes bacteria that live within these glands are essentially served a feast of oil.

When more oil is produced, it causes these bacteria to multiply rapidly

Your gland is plugged, the oils continue to form whether or not they are able to reach the skin’s surface, more bacteria form then inflammation to develope.

This cycle continues until the gland can no longer contain itself, expanding under pressure until it pops beneath the skin’s surface. These are the events that contribute to the formation of inflammatory or cystic acne.

Acne treatments help stop this chain of events to clear and prevent recurrences.

Hormonal intervention to stop acne is aimed at preventing androgens from stimulating sebaceous gland activity; reducing sebum (oil) formation and can help minimize pore visibility.

Did we say pore size? Believe it or not, fluctuating levels of progesterone during our menstrual cycle is directly associated with larger pore size throughout the month.

Progesterone causes fluid retention and tissue swelling.

We are all familiar with premenstrual "bloating".

You can thank progesterone for your monthly puffiness. As the levels of progesterone rise and the skin swells, the pores are effectively compressed shut.

This has 2 effects; by day 26, your pores never looked so minimized. However, this compressing effect causes sebum (oil) to build up beneath the skin’s surface contributing to the formation of extra monthly blemishes.

Can Stress Have An Effect On Acne?

Stress increases circulating glucocorticosteroids and is a  factor into the hormone driven flare-up.

The ovaries produce both estrogen and testosterone. In women, estrogen should be in much higher concentrations, masking the androgenic or “male” effects of testosterone.

All women produce androgens and when they outweigh estrogen either through total amounts or genetic hypersensitivity to the mere presence of androgen that can cause problems.

Next Page - Can Birth Control Pills Help Reduce Acne?