For some it really is a monthly battle. Spots, spots more inflamed than usual, dry skin can all be effects of our skin function in response to our changing hormones throughout our menstrual cycle. Understanding why our skin reacts the way it does throughout the month can really help us determine what is best for our skin.
One thing we do need to remember when talking about how our periods affect our skin is that everyone’s cycle is different and hormone levels will vary from woman to woman. But below I’m going to give you an overview of how the skin functions around menstruation.
Firstly we're going to take a look at our progesterone levels. The few days leading up to our periods, our progesterone levels rise. One of the side effects of this rise in progesterone is that our sebaceous glands (sometimes referred to as our oil glands, found in the dermis layer of our skin) produce more sebum*. This, combined with the increase in progesterone, often causes our pores to become more closed, which means that we can see more spots on our skin. The closed pores make it harder for excess sebum and dead skin cells to escape the pore. This build up of excess sebum and dead skin cells is what causes the spots to occur. These spots can also be more inflamed than normal too. This is because a bacteria that lives on our skin, propionibacterium acnes (otherwise known as P. acnes), loves sebum so much that more of this bacteria occurs.
As our period comes to an end, our progesterone levels plummet which means that so does our skins production of sebum and oils. This is why we may then find that our skin becomes dry.
All is not lost! Whilst our progesterone levels plummet, our oestrogen levels rise. This means that aside from some potential dryness, our skin will appear fresh and clear, caused by an increase in collagen production.
As mentioned at the beginning, everyone's skin is different and there's a number of factors that can affect how our skin does or doesn't react throughout our menstrual cycle.
Just remember, if you do find your skin becomes spotty, don't squeeze them!!!
Squeezing spots can spread the bacteria (causing even more spots!) and can cause scarring.
If you'd like some advice on how to manage your skin, please do get in touch.
*Unsure what these terms mean? Check out our blog post on skin terminology here!
Comments