Do you get acne breakouts during your period? Though the experience can be frustrating, it’s pretty common and there are practical treatments and solutions. We spoke to Dr. Sandy Skotnicki, a renowned dermatologist and author of Beyond Soap, to get her insight on what women can do to treat and prevent acne breakouts during their menstrual cycle. If you’re struggling with menstrual cycle-related acne breakouts, check out this helpful guide.
What’s Happening To My Skin During My Period?
To truly tackle this issue, you should have a thorough understanding of what’s happening. According to Dr. Skotnicki, the reason why you may be getting breakouts during your period isn’t because your hormones are exceptionally high but due to what she labels a “see-saw effect.” During ovulation, your estrogen levels are high. But when an egg isn’t fertilized, your estrogen decreases and subsequently, your testosterone levels spike.
“It is not that most normally menstruating women have abnormal hormone levels, it’s the swings during the cycle that cause breakouts,” Dr. Skotnicki remarked. These “swings” are the catalyst to your breakouts.
Skotnicki says that due to “swinging hormone levels,” your skin may also feel drier during your menstrual cycle.
How Can I Preemptively Stop Period Acne?
Yes, acne breakouts are pretty annoying. But there are a lot of preventative solutions and treatments out there. With years of expertise, Dr. Skotnicki offered some advice on how to preemptively stop period breakouts. According to her, “oral contraception can help prevent these swings in hormone levels.” She also mentioned that “using preventative acne therapies including Retinol can be helpful.” Tretinoin is a vitamin A derivative which speeds up your skin turnover process. In other words, it makes your skin get rid of old skin cells quicker and replace them with newer cells so your pores are less clogged.
When asked about her number one piece of period skincare advice, Dr. Skotnicki said, “It’s not uncommon to expect a ‘period pimple’ and using preventative topical acne medications can help decrease the size or number of these lesions.” So, you can manage this issue with the proper treatments, medications, and skincare routines.
What Else Can I Do To Prevent Breakouts During My Period?
If you’re consistently experiencing breakouts during your menstrual cycle, it could be time to change up your skincare routine. In addition to getting the proper treatments that Dr. Skotnicki and other experts have recommended, you should look into embracing new lifestyle choices. Easy Period has a helpful guide to helping your skin during your menstrual cycle.
Here are some lifestyle choices you can make to improve your skin:
Eating Well
According to a study in JAMA Dermatology journal, there’s a correlation between what you eat and acne breakouts. People who had acne breakouts were likely to eat diets consisting of high fat and high sugar foods such as milk and meat. On the other hand, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, a low-glycemic can result in less acne breakouts. Low-glycemic foods include fruit, vegetables, and beans. Though it’s hard to change your diet altogether, you should work on integrating these healthier foods into your daily meals and cutting out high sugar and high fat foods. Strike a balance and as you change up your meals, take notes on what kinds of food is driving your acne breakouts.
Improve Your Sleep Quality
Since there’s a correlation between sleep and acne, you should improve the quality of your sleep. When you don’t get enough sleep, your cortisol levels rise and you subsequently become more prone to acne breakouts. To improve your sleep quality, you should exercise regularly and stay away from screens prior to bed. When you workout, however, you should remember to clean your gear on a regular basis to prevent bacteria from building up.
Drink More Water
Another fantastic way to prevent acne breakouts is to keep yourself hydrated. Especially during your menstrual cycle, make sure you’re getting your proper intake of fluids.
It’s Time To Make Periods Less Complicated
If you are experiencing acne breakouts during your menstrual cycle, you should implement Dr. Skotnicki’s advice by looking into a Retinol and adjusting your lifestyle so your skin is less susceptible to acne. However, there are other things you can also do to make your periods feel less complicated. Easy Period is a tampon delivery service that focuses on your convenience. By exclusively selling eco-friendly, organic tampons, Easy Period prioritizes what’s good for your body. In addition to creating and delivering quality products, Easy Period has spearheaded social media campaigns to eliminate the stigma that come with periods.
Getting acne during your menstrual cycle is annoying but it’s quite manageable. As long as you use the right treatments and tips, you can get this under control. Take a look at how Easy Period can help with your menstrual concerns today.