Do you find that your acne flares around the same time of your cycle each month? Is it painful red papules, pustules, and deep cysts that mostly appear around your chin and jaw? Did going on hormonal birth control partially clear it up?
If you answered yes to any of the above, then a hormonal imbalance is highly likely the cause of your acne.
Hormonal acne is typically caused by excess oil production and changes to the sebaceous glands, making them more sensitive to male hormones. This acne often appears as large, cystic-type acne that stays trapped under the skin. Learn more about the causes of hormonal acne here.
However, it can also consist of many smaller pimples that come to a head or have a red, bumpy texture.
Typically, the sure sign that your acne is hormonal is that it appears around your jaw, chin, cheeks, temples, and neck but can also be located on your chest, back, and shoulders.
How can you check if a hormonal imbalance causes your acne?
Test your hormone levels!
Read here: Why testing your hormones is critical to eliminate hormonal acne.
There are a few different ways to test your hormones, but we have found that the below methods are the most discerning and accurate ways to pinpoint acne-causing hormone imbalances –
Saliva hormone testing
Testing your hormones via saliva is easy and insightful. By collecting samples of your saliva at home on day 21 (in a 28-day cycle) of your cycle, we can see whether any of your hormones are out of balance and are causing breakouts.
The hormones tested are testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, DHEAS, and stress hormone cortisol. Doing the test on day 21 helps us fully understand how your hormones interact with one another.
Blood testing
Blood testing can give additional insight into what hormones are affecting your skin.
It’s essential to test them on the suitable days of the month so that we’re able to understand what is happening. The hormones below are best tested around days 2-4 of your cycle:
- Luteinizing hormone (LH) and Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH): These two hormones are responsible for successful ovulation, but excess LH can trigger excess production of acne-causing male hormones.
- Prolactin. This hormone, if in excess, can suppress ovulation and suppress the crucial female hormone progesterone
- Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) can bind up critical female hormones, making it less available to suppress the acne-causing effects of male hormones.
- Fasting insulin: This checks if you have blood sugar dysregulation. Too much insulin causes the ovaries to overproduce acne-causing male hormones.
Need help with which testing to go with? Read this article.
Now, testing your hormones is the first step to fixing hormonal acne. The second and most crucial step is to have an experienced practitioner interpret your results for you and guide you on what supplements to take so you can correct your hormone imbalances and clear up your acne.
That’s where we can help you. We have the expertise and experience from working with over 1000 women with hormonal acne to know what to test, what the test results mean and what supplements to take.
To discover how to get our help, click here.
Comments 7
Do you treat people in United States
Author
Hi Tracy, Yes, we have a lot of US patients. For our consultations we use ZOOM and we use testing companies and supplement suppliers to make things easy. To schedule a consultation you can use this link https://happy-healthy-wellbeing-centre.simplecliniconline.com/diary (times in the schedule are for Sydney Australia, not your local time). Healthy regards Hayden Keys
Hi,
Thanks for the article! I have had bad acne for two years and I would like to get my hormone levels checked through a saliva test but my period is very irregular. When would be the best time for me to do the test?
Author
Hi Esther,
We have lots of patients who have struggled with irregular periods. It would be best to book in for an initial consultation to discuss your history so that we can work out a time to test for your individual needs.
To schedule a consultation you can use this link https://happy-healthy-wellbeing-centre.simplecliniconline.com/diary (times in the schedule are for Sydney Australia, not your local time).
Happy and Healthy Regards, Gabrielle
Hi if you are able to do consultations internationally on Zoom, are you able to then help book tests with any local contacts you may have (if any in the UK)? I’d love to talk to your specialists but it would be better if you could then refer me specifically for the tests I need directly without extras. Thanks!
Author
Hi Maria, yes we have accounts with lab companies in the UK so you will be able to get testing done locally while consulting with us internationally. There is also a company in the UK that sells the brands of supplements we use in our clinic here in Australia.
To schedule a time to talk with me or Margaret click this link https://happy-healthy-wellbeing-centre.simplecliniconline.com/diary (times in the schedule are for Sydney Australia).
Healthy regards, Hayden Keys
Thank you for your response. And could I ask what are the approximate/average prices for further testing I may require? E.g. blood/saliva? Thank you.