Which hormone is responsible for skin – Major Factors, Causes, and More

It is a usual question which hormone is responsible for the skin? If you are a woman, you will know that suddenly you can find yourself full of breakouts right before and during your period.
Our hormones are one of the leading causes of acne, both in adults and in adolescents.
This article examines the link between acne and hormones and explains why they affect women more.
We discuss how fluctuations in hormone levels during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause can induce acne.

What is the connection between acne and hormones?

It’s not precisely clear how hormones affect acne, but we know that they are closely related.
Acne is due to many causes, but it is always a hormonal disease.
Hormones are responsible for developing our sebaceous glands, and we only get acne when these glands mature, around puberty.
Our body produces too many male hormones (androgens) at puberty, stimulating sebum production in the sebaceous glands.
The overproduction of sebum (called seborrhea) is one of the factors that can cause acne.
You can find more in order on the causes and triggers of acne and the development of acne.

Hormones and acne have different effects on men and women.
During puberty, testosterone levels (a male sex hormone) rise in both women and men.
In men, it induces the development of the penis and testicles, and in women, it increases muscle and bone strength.
Testosterone also causes acne, which is why the prevalence of this disease is so high during adolescence.
Up to 70% of young people experience skin and acne problems during puberty.
In most cases, acne improves markedly after puberty.
Regardless, up to 40% of adults (aged 25 and over) have acne at least occasionally. Surprisingly, 75 – 85% are women.
It is where the differences begin. While in men, hormones stabilize over the years, in women, they continue to fluctuate.
Mostly between 20 and 40 years old and then again at menopause, women are particularly prone to hormonal acne.

Three factors are responsible:

Zouboulis, Hautarzt, 2014 • 65: 733–750.
Zeichner et al., J Clin Aesthet Dermatolog., 2017; 10 (1): 37-46 and Holzmann, Sharkey, Skin Pharmacol Physiol 2014; 27: 3-8
Pregnancy is another time when hormones fluctuate, and women have higher levels of androgens (male hormones), which can cause acne.
More than half of pregnant women bear from acne problems during pregnancy, at least occasionally.
Those who already have acne-prone skin are more likely to have acne during pregnancy, although some women who had never had acne before their pregnancy have it for the first time.
Hormone levels are highest during the first trimester (the first three months of pregnancy).
Some sources suggest that if the pregnant woman does not have an acne breakout during the first three months, it is unlikely to do so during the remainder of the pregnancy.
Pregnancy acne can appear for the first time at any pregnancy stage and after childbirth.
A few women with acne-prone skin report not having had any acne breakout throughout their pregnancy.
Menopause is something that all women will encounter later on in their lives, usually between 45 and 55 years of age, when their estrogen levels decline. In many cases, menopausal women also experience upsetting emotional conditions like extreme mood swings and anxiety. It’s not surprising that women want to reduce these symptoms as quickly and safely as possible, which is exactly what some of the top-rated menopause supplements are designed to do.