For every woman the biological clock brings once a month symptoms like bloating, acne, cramps, mood swings.
It is a known thing that acne can be related to hormonal changes but the research on this theme has been rather limited.
Recent studies though confirm that about half of all women suffer from acne flare-ups in the week preceding the period.
This particular type of ace known as hormonal acne doesn't respond to traditional therapies (retinoids, antibiotics) Signs of hormonal acne: -Acne outburst that occur for the first time in adults -Acne flare-ups before the menstrual cycle -Irregular menstrual cycle -Excessive growth of hair in unusual body places -High level of androgens in blood -Excessively oily facial skin Hormonal acne starts around age 20 to 25 but can affect equally teenagers and mature women.
The most affected age group is women over 30.
A women suffering from hormonal acne will experience lesions mostly on the chin and the jaw line.
Blemishes on the back and chest can also occur but the majority of them will be located on the face.
The blemishes are usually not severe and are mainly inflammatory papules and small inflammatory nodules and sometimes comedones.
Adult hormonal acne actually starts during puberty! Even before this stage in a girl's life, around age of 9-10 the adrenal glands start being active producing an androgen called dihydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS).
At puberty other androgens such as the males hormones testosterone and DHT (dehydrotestosterone ) start being produced.
These hormones translate into more sebum produced by the sebaceous glands which means more of an oily skin favoring acne.
This is why oily skin is so common in teenagers.
It is only logic that boys have more severe teenage acne since their bodies produce more of the male hormone.
Treating acne in teenagers can be tricky because their hormone levels are changing all the time.
That is why sometimes in the beginning of the treatment their body may respond well to retinoids and benzoyl peroxide maybe doubled by oral antibiotics.
When their bodies develop they will record different hormone levels and stop responding well to these treatments.
  It is common to adjust the acne treatments in teenagers because of their hormonal changes.
Many women get into their adulthood without resolving their ace problem.
Others will only get acne in their 20s or 30s most of the breakouts occurring before their menstrual cycle.
During the menstrual cycle the estrogen levels peak in the middle of the period then decline o their regular level.
Following the ovulation women bodies produce more progesterone, another hormone influencing the sebaceous oil production.
As we well know more skin oil can translate into more acne.
Pregnancy is a time when hormone levels "explode" and so pregnant women can frequently experience acne during the third trimester of the pregnancy.
A smaller percentage of women experience acne after the menstrual cycle when the estrogen levels go down and the testosterone becomes the dominant hormone.
What to do? Hormonal acne is not something you can hope it will go away with age.
So, waiting doesn't really work in your favor.
Seeing a skin specialist and coming up with an action plan is your best move.
There are plenty of great acne solutions out there!