Menopause is not a fun experience for any woman. It is nice to no longer have to deal with the possibility of getting pregnant or having a period, but the change can be uncomfortable, with weight gain, hot flashes, and other unpleasant symptoms. One symptom that many women hate is the renewed appearance of the acne that they thought they left behind when they were teenagers. With all of the hormonal changes that a woman's body is going through, it is very common for women to experience puberty-levels of acne. Here are some tips for dealing with the acne caused by menopause.
1. Consider Androgen Blockers
The first thing that women who are experiencing acne due to menopause need to know is that not all of their hormone levels decrease when they are going through menopause. Just estrogen tends to decrease. Other hormones, such as androgen, stay the same. The difference between androgen and estrogen is a common reason why many women going through menopause, especially early menopause, tend to get acne. You can help reduce the chances that this happens by taking spironolactone or other androgen blockers that will help even out the difference between your body's estrogen levels and androgen levels. If you think that you have the symptoms of perimenopause, or early menopause, start taking androgen blockers as soon as possible to keep the acne from happening in the first place.
2. Look for Products With Retinoids
Retinoids are products that get vitamin A into the skin, which is helpful because it helps your skin repair itself by increasing the production of collagen. By making sure that your skin is renewing itself on a regular basis with a decent amount of speed, you can reduce the chances that you get acne and speed up healing after previous bouts of acne. If you use a salicylic acid, a common acne treatment for teens that is not as effective in pregnant women, make sure that it has retinoids in it to increase its efficacy.
3. Increase Anti-Inflammatory Intake
Finally, be sure that you are eating foods, such as flaxseeds or flaxseed oil, that will decrease inflammatory conditions such as acne in your body. This is helpful because it will help your acne heal more quickly.
If you are trying to treat your menopause-caused acne with topical products and they are not working, consider talking to a dermatologist, like one from Jordan Valley Dermatology, that specializes in women with menopause.
Share
