Hormonal Acne in Teenagers

Things change during the teenage years—that is one thing that everyone is well aware of. Some changes are more obvious that others, but for both males and females, hormones begin to play a more prominent role in physical development. The body is changing and with those rapid changes, there is often the onset of what is known as teenage acne. Is this acne due to hormones, or is it simply something that comes from growing older? To a certain extent, the answer is yes—to both facets of the question.

Hormonal Acne in Teenagers

Hormonal acne in teenagers is quite common, and it is a simple result of getting older and the skin changing with the rest of the body. During adolescence, the skin not only grows to accommodate the changes in an individual’s height and weight, but it also grows in thickness, experiencing its own changes. Hair follicles become more active, and subsequently, acne becomes more probable.

Boys who are becoming men experience an incredible spike in the production of testosterone. It works with an enzyme to create the byproduct di-hydrotestosterone. Di-hydrotestosterone works in the skin to trigger the sebaceous gland into producing more sebum, one of the main factors in the development of hormonal acne. Later in life, the same di-hydrotestosterone can be blamed for most male-pattern baldness.

Girls who are becoming women and dealing with menstruation will experience a decrease in estrogen during their monthly cycle. During this period, the increased balance of testosterone can also frequently cause an outbreak of hormonal acne. Ultimately, there’s no escaping every zit. Hormones will cause a few blemishes on even the most beautiful skin.

Treating Hormonal Acne in Teenagers

For teenagers dealing with their inevitable rite of passage, puberty, and all things associated with it, there are ways to manage hormonal acne. Zits and pimples may persist, but they can be controlled to a certain extent. It is worth mentioning that there is no cure for acne; however, with a focused effort, it can be fought from the inside and the outside.

People generally begin to develop poor dietary habits as teenagers. This is when refined sugars often become prominent in daily consumption, and instead of water, fruits, vegetables and low-fat proteins. Most teens will opt for soda over water.

While a little sugar is fine in and of itself, consistent consumption is going to take a toll on the body’s overall function. With that, one thing that should be preached to teenagers suffering from hormonal acne is to drink plenty of water. Water is the key to offering the body its sought after balance.

Beyond what is put into the body to help in offering optimal nutrition, a consistent and effective skin care regimen should be offered to the skin.

The skin should be gently exfoliated daily as part of the cleansing process. This will help to remove the dead skin cells that may become part of a clogged pore, and eventual pimple or zit. It is also a good idea to use an acne skin cream such as benzoyl peroxide to treat hormonal acne. When used liberally benzoyl peroxide will help to break down the bacteria on the skin’s surface, as well as aid the skin in its natural shedding process. The peroxide will also help to cleanse the pores of excess sebum.