Menopause Acne: Popping its ugly head again

Hey, here we are at midlife: We’ve gain a little weight, we’re a tad emotional, and we’ve got acne also. These are just a few of the signs of menopause ...And people wonder why we’re so angry…

A few factors can contribute to acne in general, and menopause acne in particular. Here they are:

• Anything that compromises the immune system will exacerbate acne.
• Emotional stress. Who in the world has stress?
• Nutritional deficiencies. You are reading my diet for menopause aren’t you?
• And here’s the biggie…hormonal imbalances in which the body produces too much androgen.

What do adolescence and menopause have in common?

Oh, just about EVERYTHING. Adolescents and middle-aged women both require additional sleep to cope with the changes in their emotional and biological health. They both experience moodiness because their hormones are a little off. And they both may suffer from acne.

Hormones and menopause acne

Acne can be caused by increases in our androgen hormones such as DHEA and testosterone that can occur at midlife (these hormones increase the production of sebum by the sebaceous glands).

However, androgen levels affect woman very differently, and while one woman- with exactly the same levels as another- has no menopause acne, the other will be covered with acne on her face, back and chest.

You probably came to this page because you want to know what to do about it, not because you want to understand the physiology. So, here are my suggestions:

• Eat a healthful diet.
• Take a good vitamin and mineral supplement .
• Lose body fat. Okaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay, as if it were that easy. Excess body fat increases your androgen levels.
• Try tea tree oil on any pimples you notice. It has antibacterial properties.
• Drink 8 glasses of water every day.
• Get a professional facial with someone who knows what they’re doing. Do this once a month until your acne has cleared.
• Cleanse your skin twice daily (and no more) with a gentle (no alcohol or astringents) cleanser. Over-drying the skin-contrary to what you may think-only causes more pimples because the skin thinks it’s too dry and it overcompensates by producing more grease. Also, you need to preserve the acid mantle of the skin because it is your body’s natural defense against breakouts.
• Eat more beets, kale, celeriac, and artichokes to help cleanse the liver.
• Drink beet juice every day for several weeks.
• Japanese and Thai foods, such as miso and tempeh, help to regulate hormones.
• Use cool water or a toner to close the pores.
• Gently exfoliate twice a week. No more, no less.
• If your skin is dry-which it may be even if you have acne-use a gentle moisturizer.• Exercise encourages the free flow of sebum.
• Use a sauna to sweat out the toxins.
• Take aloe vera juice internally and/or use the aloe vera gel externally on any break outs.
• If you suspect your hormones are the problem, then take herbs such as blessed thistle, squaw vine, cramp bark, and raspberry leaf.
• Vitamin A is essential for healthy skin.

Menopausal Acne Prescriptions

Benzoyl Peroxide and Sulfur-Containing Products are used for their antibacterial and drying properties. Be careful with these because they can be irritating to the skin.

You can talk to your doctor about a prescription for Vitamin A derivatives that will increase skin cell turnover, and/or inhibits sebum production and/or inhibits the growth of acne-causing bacteria. (Warning: do not use if you are pregnant or considering getting pregnant).

Your doctor may also prescribe antibiotics.

Birth control pills can reduce sebum production.

Conclusion

The best way to deal with menopause acne is a two-pronged approach. Do everything you can to try to balance your hormones with a healthful diet, fitness , joy (just everything I talk about on this site) and then use a gentle external approach with gentle cleansing, exfoliating, and professional facials.

Conclusion

Acne in adults is often a result of internal toxicity such as constipation, candida (yeast fungal overgrowth), food intolerances and/or a toxic liver. If you can clean your liver, then you will more likely be able to prevent and treat acne. Once your system becomes overloaded, it starts to dump toxins into the skin. Therefore, a good liver detox may just be your cure.

If you have done all of these methods (or you just can’t), then you will need to speak with your physician about a possible prescription.