Acne breakout is not an uncommon thing women may need to face during the monthly menstrual cycle. Thus, when they are getting into the phase where the cycle eventually stops—the perimenopause or menopause phase—it is normal that they think there will be no more problem concerning acne breakouts in the future. However, does acne breakout induced by hormonal imbalance really go away with menopause?

Menopause and hormonal acne

In teenagers, acne breakouts are often found as a result of thriving hormone imbalance. Women also experience hormone imbalance during their monthly menstrual period, making them more susceptible to acne breakout. When women reaches the phase of perimenopause, their estrogen level drops significantly, eventually stops the menstrual cycle. However, this does not mean that women do not experience any hormone imbalance any longer. Although the estrogen level drops, women still have got another sex hormone—the testosterone. Along with insufficient amount of estrogen, testosterone level raises and thus, causing hormonal imbalance in women during their menopausal phase.

Do hormonal acne go away after menopause?

Testosterone is one of the strongest male sex hormones that may trigger the skin breakouts during menopausal phase in middle-aged women. During the phase, estrogen level drops, while testosterone level in women increases significantly, activating sebaceous glands beneath the skin to produce larger amount of sebum. Excessed sebum often lead to blocked pores, causing hormonal acne. In the perimenopause phase, women’s skin cells also regenerate slower, causing more build ups on the surface of the skin. These build ups may accumulate with blocked sebum, debris, and bacteria, causing acne breakouts. These acne problems may starts in perimenopause period and continues to stay during or following menopause phase. Most women who are post-menopausal experience acne breakouts on the lower regions of the phase, that is the chin and around the lips. The main cause for this kind of acne other than the excessive presence of male hormones is disrupted digestive system. Hence, it is important to watch your food intake and your exercise level in order to minimize the risk of acne breakout occurring after you do not experience any menstrual cycles.

Does menopausal acne indicate something serious?

Drastic changes in hormonal levels is often a culprit for occurring hormonal acne during the perimenopause and menopause phase in women. However, scientists have done some research on how these sudden breakouts may indicate a more serious health problem thriving after menopause. Women with no solid experiences of acne breakouts before menopausal phase who experiences sudden acne breakouts after premenopausal phase should be aware of the risk of having a tumor that secretes hormones in one of the ovaries or adrenal gland. These acne may also indicate diabetic problem that needs to be taken into account. Despite this, similar to hormonal acne thriving during puberty, the majority of hormonal acne during menopause is not a serious health problem and can be treated without any risks of complications.

Treating menopausal acne breakouts

Premenopausal syndrome may include some symptoms, such as mood swings, insomnia, and excessive anxiety. These may end up in a high stress level that may aggravate acne problem you are experiencing during this phase. Thus, stress management during the phase is one of the important things to do in order to minimize hormonal imbalance.