Hormones hormones hormones. You’ve probably heard a lot about these guys by now! But what exactly do they do, and how do they affect your skin?
Hormones are a biggie when it comes to teenage skin. Heck, they’re often the culprit and cause for annoying breakouts. Hormones and acne are closely linked together because hormones are responsible for the development of oil glands and oil secretion. During puberty, your hormones go a little haywire, and you’ll produce an excess of androgens. These hormones (the androgens) stimulate the excess production of oil, clogging your pores and leading to acne-prone skin.
Rising androgen levels cause an increase in oil secretion and the skin’s natural ability to scrape off dead skin cells is reduced. This can be corrected with regular exfoliation to give your skin a nice, deep clean.
But listen up, you’re not alone. Up to 70% of all young people have to deal with problematic skin or are prone to acne during puberty. In most cases the acne improves significantly after puberty. As you reach your teen-years, your body begins to change drastically – including your skin. You’ll usually spot the different (hah, see what we did there?) in your T-Zone (the forehead, nose and chin) and the U-Zone (the jawline). Many teens feel like breakouts just come out of nowhere – and they kind of do, thanks to our hormones!
So, take care of your skin with a regular skincare routine that is especially formulated for pimple-prone skin, and complement that with a skin-happy supplement. It’s more than skin deep here, because treating your skin from within will help to improve its quality significantly, because it will provide your skin with the essential nutrients that it needs to function at its best.
Try not to stress over your prickly pimples though, because stress can trigger your oil glands and make acne worse! There are several things that you can do to support the hormone balance in your body. Manage your stress, eat nutritious and wholesome foods, get enough quality sleep and exercise regularly. This will not only help to improve your skin health but your overall health, too.