Solving acne for good is an inside job, especially when it comes to hormonal acne. The signs of hormonal acne are pretty obvious: deep, cystic lesions that tend to be on jawline, chin and mouth area. Often the break-outs will correspond with the menstrual cycle as well. Not awesome. I lived with hormonal acne for years until I finally learned how to heal from the inside out.
So how do you get rid of hormonal acne? As I was preparing to write this post, I realized that the answer to this question is actually a big old book. Meaning, I could write chapters on how to effectively solve hormonal acne. Instead, in the interest of time and space, I will have to give you the Coles Notes version. If you want more detail, check out my video below. Lots more info there.
What hormone causes acne?
A class of hormones called androgens cause acne. Specifically, an activated androgen, call dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is the main culprit. This hormone increases oil production in the pores of the skin, which directly causes the formation of acne.
Women do not normally have high levels of androgens in their body. When androgen levels rise, our bodies respond strongly.
What causes increased androgens?
Often a combination of the below creates the perfect storm for the creation of acne. For more details, watch my video posted below.
- Insulin dysregulation
- Impaired detoxification
- Inflammation
- High Estrogen levels
- Low Progesterone levels
- High Prolactin levels
- Stress
- Cut sugar out of your diet
- Avoid exposure to toxins (best tip is to avoid the 3Ps – non-organic poultry, plastics, and pesticides)
- Support your liver with herbs such as Milk Thistle, Dandelion and Burdock
- Eat 4 cups of cruciferous vegetables per day
- Heal your digestion
- Reduce the amount of stress in your life
- Meditate
