The Dietary Cure for Acne is the natural cure uncovered through the research of Loren Cordain, Ph.D. There are many factors that contribute to breakouts, and diet is a big one. Here are 5 foods that reduce breakouts, and 5 that can make them worse. New Science on How to Beat It. Even though many dermatologists would deny it, hormonal acne is a real and serious problem for women. Gut health and inflammation are both major players in acne. Popular times include 1) at ovulation, which occurs almost precisely smack in the middle of the cycle, two weeks after the first day of bleeding (read about how to pinpoint ovulation in this post), 2) the few days before a period, and 3) at the start of a woman’s period. ![]() ![]() ![]() Hormonal acne can also be present all of the time. For women with hormonal problems such as PCOS (read here to start figuring out if you have PCOS) and Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (read here to figure out if you have HA), this is unfortunately the case. When I had both PCOS and HA at the same time, I had terrible acne every day for three years. ![]() Appearance: Hormonal acne usually occurs in the form of cysts. Cysts are those lovely, pus- filled, painful and inflamed red bumps. They often culminate in a peak of white pus. Hormonal acne also appears as more mild forms called comedones. These are those whitehead “bumps” that never break the surface. Hormonal acne can even show up just as smaller lesions. These are not quite as angry and painful as full out cysts, and may appear more rash- like or just smaller than typical acne. Below is a photo of my own cysts (on a “good” day) back in 2. These are cysts, classified as “stage 3” acne by dermatologists.
![]() There are 4 stages of cysts in hormonal acne. Location: Hormonal acne occurs first and foremost around the mouth. It shows up on the chin, below the nose, around the sides of the mouth, and sometimes up the jawline. As hormonal acne worsens, however, it spreads to the cheeks and the forehead. Other body parts can be affected, too. This usually includes the shoulders, back, and buttocks–where the body’s testosterone receptors are most prominent. The physiological mechanism of hormonal acne. ![]() Hormonal acne is caused by increased oil production beneath the skin. Think of it like a river. Ordinarily there is a healthy flow of oil to the surface. This is important because it lubricates the skin. But when there is too much oil – and when it combines with the normal skin cells and other debris on the surface of the skin – it can clog the pores. When oil clogs pores, bacteria go on a feeding frenzy. This causes inflammation. ![]() The worse inflammation is, the more irritated the oil gland can become, and thus the more red, and the more painful. Yet it is important to remember that hormonal acne does not occur unless there is an oil problem. This is the reason no amount of washing will ever completely eliminate hormonal acne. Admittedly, it can be helped by antioxidant cleansers, serums, or creams. ![]() But it will never go away completely without curing the hormonal acne from underneath. The only way to fix it is from the inside out. Hormonal Acne: Causes of increased oil secretion. The primary causes of oil secretion are male sex hormones, also called androgens. Testosterone is the primary culprit. Another androgen, called DHEA- S, is also very important. They both increase oil secretion. ![]() This effect is worsened when female sex hormone levels – particularly of estrogen – fall. Estrogen balances male sex hormones in the skin. Without a healthy balance, problems occur. The most prominent androgen is testosterone. Testosterone causes oil production in the skin. Why might you have high testosterone? You might have it if you have PCOS.(Acne is one of the clearest indicators of PCOS.)You may also have high testosterone if you have diabetes or insulin resistance, because when the body produces insulin, the ovaries produce testosterone. It’s a very simple yet very damaging process. When might you show hormonal acne from high testosterone? If you still have a menstrual cycle, you may find that you break out around ovulation. This is the middle of your cycle. It is also when your testosterone levels are the highest. But if you have a hormone condition like PCOS – you will probably have hormonal acne most of the time.(If you struggle with PCOS or think that you may have it, you may want to check out my handy guide on overcoming PCOS.)2. Another androgen, called DHEA- S, causes oil production as well. Yet unlike testosterone, which is a sex hormone, DHEA- S is a stress hormone. It is produced primarily in the adrenal (stress) glands. Whenever a woman is under any degree of stress, her body faces a choice: it has to decide if it wants to produce normal sex hormones like progesterone and estrogen, or if it wants to produce stress hormones like DHEA- S. For this reason, Hypothalamic- Pituitary- Adrenal (HPA) Axis dysregulation is usually the first place to look to as the origin of DHEA- S problems. Women with a lot of stress – whether from emotions, poor sleep, or under- feeding – have higher levels of DHEA- S levels. Estrogen fights acne. Estrogen helps promote clear skin. It does this in a number of ways. First, it has the power to off- set high testosterone levels in the blood. Estrogen increases levels of sex- hormone- binding- globulin (SHBG), which in turn binds testosterone and makes it impotent. Second, the skin has many estrogen receptors in it, so estrogen directly performs a balancing and soothing function at the site of acne. For women with chronically low estrogen, hormonal acne is often a consistent problem. They have acne 1. In women with relatively healthy hormone systems, low estrogen can still be a problem. This is because estrogen levels fall at the end of each menstrual cycle, and are low at the beginning. Having such low estrogen levels during this time can lead to monthly breakouts. Because hypothalamic amenorrhea is characterized by low hormone, and particularly low estrogen levels, boosting estrogen is one of the main and most helpful ways women with hypothalamic amenorrhea cure their acne. Because menopause significantly decreases estrogen levels–almost to zero–this is also the primary reason women in menopause can see a re- emergence of hormonal acne after decades of clear skin. Finally, progesterone can also play a role in acne. Progesterone, in high doses, acts as an inflammatory agent, and can cause acne to flare up. Progesterone levels are highest during the days leading up to menstruation, which explains why many women experience outbreaks at this time. Synthetic progesterone, such as that found in birth control pills, can also cause acne. Whether a certain variety of the pill causes acne for you or not, however, is entirely dependent upon your own body chemistry and how your body reacts to external hormones. Know only that if you noticed a change in your skin while experimenting with birth control methods, this is most likely why. You may want to consider a birth control method that has a different kind of progesterone in it, or one that has a different progesterone- estrogen balance, to see if it helps relieve your acne. Aggravators of hormonal acne. There are many factors other than hormones that can worsen hormonal acne. Here is a list of the most common: Stress: Stress plays an important role. It acts as an inflammatory agent, especially if cortisol levels remain high for a long time. Stress also decreases production of healthy, skin- supporting hormones like estrogen, and increases production of acne- causing stress hormones like DHEA- S. Stress is not necessarily the cause of hormonal acne, but does exacerbate it, and prevent proper healing. Heat. The sun’s rays are some of the most potent acne inflamers out there. Protect the skin on your face with at least an SPF of 2. Inflammatory foods: grains, dairy, nuts, and omega 6 vegetable oils can all contribute to poor gut health and inflammation. Dairy: While already mentioned for being inflammatory, dairy deserves special mention because it is a highly hormonal food. Growth hormones can both cause androgen levels to rise as well as promote production activities that lead to acne. I have seen enormous success with women with hormonal acne eliminating dairy for their skin. Phytoestrogens (“phyto estrogen” is greek for “plant estrogen”) have the power to act as estrogens in the body. This may sound like a good thing for acne, but this role is ambivalent and should be treated with caution, especially with the skin. Different estrogen receptors read different kinds of phytoestrogens differently, such that phytoestrogens usually perform estrogen- lowering effects in skin tissue despite what they do in other locations. Low carbohydrate diets: Having sufficient glucose stores is important for skin healing, and can speed the recovery of acne lesions. Glucose is also helpful for preventing hypothyroidism. Find out 8 of the most important signs you need to eat more carbohydrate here. Poor sleep: Sleep both enables healing and promotes healthy hormonal production. Hypothyroidism: Without sufficient levels of T3, the active form of thyroid hormone, in the blood, a woman’s skin cells lack the ability to heal properly. That way you can target the problem and treat it effectively. Unfortunately not all of us can afford this, so it’s okay to guess. Nevertheless, the better an idea you have of what is going on in your body, the more specific you can be about what to do to fix it. In general, hormone dysregulation that leads to acne can be broken down into a few broad categories: 1) high testosterone from PCOS (specifically the overweight and insulin resistant type of PCOS),2) low estrogen from low body fat levels, chronic restriction, or living in an energy deficit,3) low estrogen from menopause,4) high progesterone from general hormone imbalance, possibly related to PMS,5) any of these conditions worsened by stress or hypothyroidism, and. The ultimate hormonal acne solution. The solution to all of these problems is to correct the hormone imbalance.
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November 2017
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