Acne
How do hormones affect acne?

Hormones are an important cause of the development of acne. Not only teenagers can have to deal with this, it also often occurs in adults. This can also cause scars. Hormones are responsible for the development of the sebaceous glands. Acne only develops when the sebaceous glands mature. Because this happens during puberty, many teenagers get acne at that time. During puberty, the body produces an excess of male hormones (androgens) that stimulate the production of sebum in the sebaceous glands. The overproduction of sebum (seborrhea) is one of the symptoms that can lead to acne.
Difference between men and women
Testosterone levels increase during puberty in both men and women. Testosterone can cause acne, which is why acne is so common during puberty in girls and boys. After adulthood, there are more differences between men and women regarding acne. This is because men's hormones stabilize over the years, while women's hormones continue to fluctuate. Women are especially sensitive to acne in the age category of 20 to 40 years and during menopause.
Acne and the menstrual cycle
Many women suffer from pimples around their period. This is because the female menstrual cycle causes hormone levels to rise and fall. The average menstrual cycle lasts 28 days. During this cycle, every day is different in terms of hormones. During the first half of the cycle, the pituitary gland secretes two hormones, namely Follicle Stimulating Hormone and Luteinizing Hormone. These hormones control the ovaries and their hormone production. At that time, estrogen is dominant over progesterone. During the second half of the cycle, estrogen levels drop. The progesterone level rises and this hormone becomes dominant. This stimulates sebum secretion and causes acne to increase.
Acne and menopause
During menopause, women can experience all kinds of skin problems due to hormone fluctuations. Acne can be one of them. During menopause, the female body undergoes major changes. The hormones estrogen and progesterone are produced less and less. In addition, skin cells lose their ability to retain moisture and it takes longer for the skin to renew itself. This makes the skin thinner, making it more sensitive and therefore more susceptible to impurities.


Acne in men
Blemishes in men are often caused by folliculitis (an inflammation of a hair follicle with bacteria) that can be caused by shaving. But other factors also play a role, such as the secretion of fatty substances over the entire face by the sebaceous glands, which are more numerous and active in men. Male hormones stimulate the oil glands in the skin. The sebaceous glands are often overactive and therefore cause acne.