Period Acne: Causes, Types, Treatment - Taking Care of Your Acne During Period

Why do you get acne during your periods?

As if bleeding for about 7 days was not punishment enough, periods had to come with a host of PMS symptoms, one of the fun ones being acne! Now, period acne is also a kind of hormonal acne that is primarily caused by the fluctuating joyride of hormones having a blast inside your body.

During periods, estrogen and progesterone levels go down, inducing more sebum production in the skin. Rising testosterone levels towards the end of your periods can trigger a similar effect. Excess sebum clogs your pores and triggers breakouts, which can appear in any of the acne forms on your skin. Further, hormones are also responsible for causing more skin inflammation and producing more acne-causing bacteria that contribute to these breakouts.

Apart from acne, periods bring about other PMS symptoms like moodiness, cramps, sore breasts, etc that can stress you out. And, what happens when dear stress plans a visit? More stress-related acne! YAY!

What are the types of Period Acne that you can expect?

If you thought all acne is just acne, then think again. There are various kinds of breakouts that have different ways of troubling you to no end:

• Whiteheads - Appearing just below the surface of the skin, whiteheads form when a clogged pore is closed with a layer of skin above it, causing the top to appear white.

• Blackheads - The surface in blackheads remain open, causing the head of the gunk in the pore to oxidize and appear blackish in colour.

• Cysts - Sometimes, acne forms deep below the surface of the skin and is filled with puss, but do not form a head. This type of acne is known as a cyst and is quite painful and may leave a scar.

• Nodules - These also form well beneath the surface of the skin and does not have a clearly formed head. However, they are smaller than cysts but are similarly filled with puss and capable of scarring.

• Papules - A type of inflammatory acne, papules appear like small, pink bumps that hurt.

• Pustules - Also a type of inflammatory acne, they are red near the root and have a well-formed puss-filled head that is white or yellow in colour.
  
  

Why does period acne sometimes affect your chin and jawline more?

Hormonal acne usually tends to pop up around your chin and jawline area and this is how you can identify that it’s acne caused by hormonal imbalances. This is because the excess oil produced due to a fluctuation in hormones generally occurs around the chin and jaw areas.

What can you do about your period breakouts?

So, you’ve taken a lot of precautions but your acne still decided to tag along with Aunt Flo. In that case, here are a few things you can do about it and see if they work for you:

Use topical skincare

If you use skincare with the right ingredients, then it can be efficient at taking care of your active acne.

• Go for the right cleanser - One of the best ways to get rid of acne is to unclog the pores in order to remove excess oil and impurities. Try the Carmesi Foaming Face Wash that is infused with powerful ingredients like green tea, niacinamide and a unique combination of salicylic acid and Shatavari. It gently cleanses your pores to get rid of excess sebum while cleaning it from within.

• Opt for a light moisturizer - The last thing you want when you have a lot of acne is to introduce a heavy moisturizer that will make your skin more oily. For the right balance of hydration and oil control, use the Carmesi Soothing Moisturizer that has acne-fighting ingredients combined with ones that fight excess oil and provide hydration.

• Use a spot corrector - You can use overnight spot correcting on some of the pesky zits for visible shrinkage from the first application. Go for the Carmesi Acne Spot Corrector that fights active acne and also helps in lightening acne scars.

Try home remedies

You can also try some home remedies that may work for you:

• Turmeric - It has anti-inflammatory and acne-fighting properties that work towards healing both acne and scars while imparting glow to the skin.

• Aloe vera - The angry appearance of acne is caused by inflammation which can be effectively treated with aloe vera. It soothes the skin while reducing redness and the germs in it.

• Honey - It works by clearing the pores of excess oil while also providing effective hydration to the skin, thereby reducing your breakouts.
  
  

What can you do about future breakouts?

Apart from dealing with pimples that pop up, you can also do certain things to prevent them during future menses:

• Maintain a healthy diet - It is very important to maintain a healthy diet in order to prevent future breakouts, especially during your period. Avoid sugary foods and drinks, white carbohydrates and processed food as they have a high glycemic index which can increase your acne. Eat cleaner food and also limit your dairy intake to avoid breakouts.

• Follow a consistent skincare routine - Skincare is not a one-time thing and if you are consistent with it while using the right ingredients, you can tackle hormonal acne effectively. Try the entire Hormonal Acne range from Carmesi for a complete holistic acne care regime.

• Exercise daily - Sweating during a workout routine can dilate your pores and push out the dirt and oil from the inside of your pores, thereby controlling acne. Regular exercise can keep your pores grime free.

• Opt for birth control pills - Try birth control pills that regulate both estrogen and progesterone levels to see a visible change in your acne. Progesterone only pills, however, can make acne worse and so it’s best to steer clear from them if you suffer from hormonal acne.
  
  
• Use a cycle management supplement - If your cycle is messed up, that too can contribute to acne. Use a natural supplement like Carmesi Cyclo+ to regulate your periods and get your hormonal balance back on track, which can also reduce your period acne.