Acne during menopause

Introduction

Menopause is a peculiar medical condition and it can be associated with a vast array of different types of symptoms. The most common symptoms which accompany the menopause include poor concentration, achy joints, headaches, anxiety, mood swings, irritability, hot flushes, extreme night sweats, insomnia and acne. The aging process of every woman may sometimes be accompanied by the development of acne. By certain statistics, 10 percent of all menopausal women get affected by the development of skin blemishes and acne.

Acne and Menopause

Acne occurs during the menopause just as if it was the teenage years all over again, and it may range widely in severity. The cause for the development of acne in menopause and teenage years is basically the same. The medical condition is triggered by hormonal changes in the body of a woman. The human skin is jam packed with a large number of sebaceous glands whose main purpose is to produce skin oil which is known by the name of sebum. Sebum is meant to moisturize the skin properly. The skin cells are in the constant process of regeneration in which the old, dead cells get replaced with new ones. Hormonal changes affect the production of sebum in the sebaceous glands and the number of dead skin cells also gets significantly increased. The follicles which are meant to dispose the dead cells and the sebum become clogged, and they may even get infested with certain types of harmful bacteria. All of this leads to the development of acne.

The aforementioned harmful types of bacteria triggered the development of pustules or white heads. This leads to the buildup of sebum under the skin and the affected area becomes inflamed and filled with pus. The development of blackheads is also triggered by the harmful types of bacteria, but they become darker in color due to the leaking in of air. Menopause acne involves a certain type of enzyme which turns the estrogen into androgen testosterone. All of this leads to excessively increased amounts of sebum production, which leads to even more acne breakouts than in the teenage years of a woman. To prevent or alleviate the symptoms of menopause acne, one needs to consume plenty of food items which are rich in dietary fiber and calcium. The consumption of carbohydrates and fats needs to be reduced. Proper hydration is of utmost importance. Various nutritional supplements can also be of great help.