Hormonal Acne - How I Dealt With It

If you’re reading this article, the chances are you’ve already experienced what it feels like to have acne, or, you know someone who’s been dealing with it.

Acne is a very common skin condition that many of us will face at some point in our lives.

Apart from a short phase of forehead spots during the beginning of puberty, I’d never really experienced acne. A few whiteheads here and there, and they’d disappear in a couple of days. Strangely enough, it wasn’t until I had past my mid-twenties, that I then began to experience a particular form of acne…hormonal acne to be specific.

It was strange, and sudden. I really didn’t understand what was going on, and where all of these spots had decided to show up from. I had perfected my usual skincare routine and knew just what my skin needed in order to thrive, but for this, I simply wasn’t prepared.

I started to empathise more with frequent acne sufferers and what they must have to go through on a daily basis. I felt overwhelmed, when I would count the amount of spots I had in just one small area of my face. I felt as though my skin looked clogged and unhealthy. The most painful part for me however, was the constant scarring that each spot left behind after it had gone. I’ve struggled with hyperpigmentation for most of my life and it seemed that just as I had started to clear some of that up, I was back to square one.

Let’s be clear, this article is not to make anyone feel worse about the way their skin looks, or to make people feel ashamed of their acne. It was a big deal for me personally because I hadn’t dealt with it before and, oh yes, I am the owner of a skincare brand! Hardly the best way to promote my products.

After doing my research and observing patterns, I realised that my acne was linked to my hormones (add stress and sleep deprivation to the mix too).

What is Hormonal Acne and how does it start?

Acne can generally show up in different forms such as cysts, whiteheads, blackheads and can show up in different areas such as the chest and back area, along with the face. Hormonal acne is exactly what it sounds like – spots that are triggered by what’s happening internally with your hormones. Common hormonal triggers include; puberty, menstrual cycles, menopause, birth control and pregnancy.

A common sign of hormonal acne is the formation or spots/cysts around the lower part of the face, on the cheeks and around the jaw area.

How to Stop Hormonal Acne

I wish there were a ‘one size fits all’ answer for