Struggling to get rid of your hormonal acne? Here are three major misconceptions you need to know that might be slowing down your healing.
As I went through the journey of getting rid of my hormonal acne naturally, I did a ridiculous amount of research. Something I continually found through this research and talking with others are three massive misconceptions. I admit, I believed all of these at one point. It significantly slowed down my acne healing journey, and I want to help you avoid following the same route.
MISCONCEPTION #1: IF I HAVE HORMONAL ACNE, I MUST HAVE EXCESS TESTOSTERONE AND ANDROGENS
I can probably make a very safe guess that you’ve heard this before- your acne is related to testosterone and androgen production. While this can absolutely be true, this is not what everyone’s issue is.
I was so sure I had excess testosterone, I did everything I could find online to naturally lower it in my own body. This included drinking spearmint tea and taking licorice root. I was seeing absolutely no effects on improving my acne. After finally getting the appropriate blood work, it turned out that not only were my testosterone levels not high, but they were low. I was annoyed with myself for not considering this as I’ve always struggled with fatigue, gaining muscle, and trouble sleeping. The acne culprit you may ask? Low progesterone. Who would have thought. Well, I did, but no one took me seriously.
It can be negative to your hormonal health to assume this misconception, and I strongly urge you to explore with your doctor the real culprit so you can treat it accordingly!
MISCONCEPTION #2: CLASSIC TOPICAL ACNE TREATMENTS WILL SOLVE MY HORMONAL ACNE PROBLEMS
This one was learned the hard way, but hey, we all make mistakes. Mistakes that end in flaking skin and worsened acne. When it comes to trying to get rid of hormonal acne, we need an internal strategy as well as an external strategy.
Don’t get me wrong, skincare is incredibly important. However, we need to get to the root cause of our hormonal acne rather than just treat it on the outside, to heal long term. This will leave you (and your bank account) burnt out. When it comes to healing our hormonal acne internally, I come back to highly suggesting you find a health practitioner who will give you a hormone blood panel workup. Just a reminder, oftentimes you will not get the most accurate results for hormonal blood work until you have been off the pill for at least six months. Testing where your hormones are at in their natural levels = more identifiable acne trigger = more effective acne strategy.
So what should I do for my skincare?
This isn’t to say you should be afraid to use topical treatments, as they absolutely can have a benefit to the treatment of your acne. Just be mindful of slathering on a mix of treatments in hopes that it will solve the issue, damaging your skin barrier in the process. (Watch out for my future posts where I talk about all things topical acne treatments, how they work, and how they can be causing your skin more issues when not used properly.)
What should you do for your skincare while trying to get rid of hormonal acne? Incorporate hydrating and moisturizing products that will not clog your pores. Aim to use these products and then apply an acne treatment after about half an hour if you are wanting to use one. While we’re on the topic, watch out for my other upcoming post about my absolute favourite products for flaking, acne prone skin. In the meantime, here’s the best moisturizer of all time in my opinion.
MISCONCEPTION #3: BIRTH CONTROL PILLS WILL CURE MY HORMONAL ACNE
This is a big one. Think of the pill as a band aid solution. It essentially works by shutting off the connection between our brain and hormone receptors, causing them to not function as they normally would, causing less hormonal acne. The problem, as I’m sure you can guess, is when we go off the pill, our hormones kickstart and wake up again (this can take a while). We ripped off the bandaid, and more often than not the acne will return with vengeance.Please remember: Birth control pills absolutely have a time and a place in one’s health journeys for various reasons. For me, I went on it specifically for my acne at 14, and I don’t regret enjoying my teenage years not obsessed with my skin issues. After educating myself on the matter when I needed to come off for other health reasons, it was scary but empowering. I was at a time in my life when I could tackle my hormonal issues, get rid of my hormonal acne naturally, and was in a better headspace to advocate for myself. You are on your own journey and know your body best.
-Love: Melissa