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OUR EXPERTS...
I’m 41 years old and still get acne breakouts during my period. What
is this and do you have a remedy?
By RWM Editorial
Acne breakouts often occur when our hormones become unbalanced, such as
during puberty, menses and menopause. In the case of menses, hormonal acne
flares up when the egg is interrupted from being completely released from
the ovary. When this occurs, the body secrets an excess of male hormones
called androgens. Birth control pills are commonly prescribed to cure acne
outbreaks because they stop ovulation, however, safer, more natural
alternatives can be found through nutritional supplements and diet.
A high quality multivitamin that contains minerals is a must for acne
prevention. “High quality” is stressed here, as not all multivitamins are
created equally. It is recommended that you buy your product from a
reputable health food store as they have more product knowledge and stock
higher quality supplements then big box stores. A good multivitamin contains
vitamins A, B6, B3, D and E as well as beta carotene, folic acid, zinc,
chromium picolinate, selenium and minerals. This combination of nutrients
and minerals help to break down excess hormones.
During menses the oil glands in the skin become more active. Pimples occur
when the skins pores become clogged with this oil, dried skin and bacteria.
A quality multivitamin reduces the oil production from the glands, fights
bacteria and oxidates the skin.
Aside from a good multivitamin, there are other effective supplements
available. Evening Primrose or Borage Oil is a common herbal extract for
fighting acne. Dandelion root detoxifies the liver and Chaste Tree Berry
normalizes hormones.
Diet also plays a huge role in the health and appearance of our skin. Recent
research has revealed that high-glycemic foods such as eating refined
carbohydrates and sugar leads to an increase in insulin and an insulin-like
growth factor called IGF-1. This is said to also activate excess male
hormones causing the skin to excrete large amounts of oil, know as sebum.
Sebum promotes the growth of the bacteria that also clogs the pores. Simply
put, stay away from the carbs, your face and hips will love you!
A final note - garlic is a wonderful food when it come to ridding yourself
of acne as it acts as a natural antibacterial.
For more details on this subject or to have your health questions answered
by a local expert, please email
experts@risingwomen.com |
