Hormones and Acne

Hormones might just be the mystical powerful force that controls the entire universe. Okay, not really, but hormones are the superpower juices that control our bodies in amazing ways. People blame their bad attitudes on hormones, thank hormones for their massive muscles, criticize hormones for unwieldy hair, or disparage hormones for making them so short.

What are hormones anyway, and what in the world do they have to do with zits? Hormones are important. They do a lot of good, but in the meantime they can produce some unwanted results.

How hormones control your body

Your body’s endocrine system is responsible for manufacturing hormones. From your adrenal glands, hypothalamus, and other locations throughout the body, hormones are slowly secreted and occasionally released into your bloodstream as chemical messengers, producing the following of effects—just a sampling.

• Body growth

• Energy metabolism.

• Changes moods.

• Suppresses or enhances your immune system.

• Gets your body ready to get born, give birth, start puberty, etc.

• Tells you when you’re thirsty or hungry.

Like I said, hormones are important. Without them, life wouldn’t even happen. With them, life is not only possible, but also so much more exciting.

But what’s the deal with my hormones and my acne?

Even though acne isn’t a hormone, it is a side effect of hormonal activity. One of the many hormone solutions that your body makes is called androgen. Androgen is one of the most potent of hormones. As one of its many effects, it tells the sebaceous glands to make more oil. As the glands pump out extra oil, it can contribute to the outbreak of acne.

Puberty is major hormone time. That’s why the onset of acne usually coincides with the onset of puberty. Hormones ebb and flow at other times in life, too. That’s why some women experience more acne at some point in their monthly cycle. The hormone progesterone also causes the sebaceous glands to make additional oil, leading to acne. Acne can even occur post-menopause, after the age of forty. When the female hormone estrogen gets low, testosterone takes the stage as the major hormone, which can again prompt the sebaceous glands to make oil, and again lead to additional acne.