Period pimples—there’s a lot to unpack there, let me tell you. Mood swings are thriving, cravings for zit-causing sugary foods are at an all time high, and one look at the red bumps taking over your chin just makes matters worse. It’s a vicious cycle, really. But that’s just how the hormonal acne story goes. And while it’d be lovely for this fun stuff to stop after the teenage years, such is not the case. “The prevalence of adult acne is on the rise. An estimated 50 percent of women in their 20s, 35 percent of women in their 30s, and 26 percent of women in their 40s have reported to suffer from acne,” says Joshua Zeichner, MD, board-certified dermatologist in New York City. The primary causes? “Hormones, diet, and stress.”
But before descending into a popping, picking panic mode or buying all the acne spot treatments you can find, hear the dermatologists out. These types of breakouts are completely normal, somewhat expected, and there’s a pretty cut and dry formula to figure out how to treat hormonal acne. The checklist goes as follows: Create a skincare routine with some of the best hormonal acne products, avoid inflammation-inducing foods, reduce stress (easier said than done, I know), and consult with a board-certified dermatologist. To get into all the nitty-gritty hormonal acne details, keep reading.
