Your Breakout- Is It Hormonal?
Are you a little too familiar with the monthly appearance of cystic acne around the jaw line—the deep-rooted, long-lasting kind that’s largely due to hormones?
Those hormonal breakouts are not limited to women and teenage girls. I see about as many teenage boys as girls in my salon, who suffer from these hormonal breakouts. The breakouts that teenage boys suffer are naturally, not associated with a monthly cycle, but are still hormonal as their bodies grow and change.
Hormonal acne can also show up between the eyebrows, on your temples, and around your eye area because of hormonal changes that happened each month, which can stress the liver. Cysts that appear from the corners of the mouth and directly down to the chin could represent imbalance in your colon, and can manifest as excess mucus clusters and angry, red cysts.
I know it seems counter intuitive, but some skin oils do help, not cause breakouts. Try some oils rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, lightly applied under your moisturizer. They are non-comedogenic (don’t cause pores to clog) and nourish the skin. Add a product to SPOT TREAT (not to rub all over your face) containing salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is derived from willow bark and is a wonderful way to unclog your pores.
Enzymes are your friends during periods of breakouts. They are gentle exfoliators and remove the top layer of dead, pore clogging skin cells. Choose products with lactic acid, honey, pineapple, or papaya. To increase the effectiveness of your enzyme, use it in a steamy shower. First cleanse your face using the appropriate gentle cleanser, pat dry, apply a thin layer of the enzyme to your face and allow it to remain in place until you finish your shower, then rinse thoroughly. It is important to “feed” your skin after exfoliation, so use the serum and moisturizer for your skin type. If you exfoliate in the morning, be sure to apply a physical sunblock to protect your skin from damaging UVA and UVB rays.
Small changes in your diet can help too. Eliminate processed sugars and substitute fruit or honey to curb those cravings for sweets. Adding lots of green leafy vegetables and healthy fats to your diet is also important, as are B vitamins and magnesium.
And I cannot stress it enough, you must drink plenty of water. As a guide to the amount you should drink each day, take your weight and divide it in half. The result is the number of ounces you need daily.
No one should have to suffer through a breakout alone. Get help from a professional and stick to a good home care program to continue the treatment benefits you receive in the salon.