WHY DO I HAVE WRINKLES AND PIMPLES?
How hormones can cause acne in your 30’s, 40’s and 50’s and what you can do to combat it.
Perhaps the only thing worse than dealing with teenage acne is battling pimples in midlife.
It can come as quite a shock to women affected.
At a time when many of us are concerned with fighting the signs of ageing finding ourselves strangely faced with acne also can feel disconcerting.
It creates a twofold problem for women- fighting the double whammy of pimples and winkles.
Adult hormonal acne can present as mild to severe and is most prominent on the jawline, chin and cheeks but can occur anywhere in the body including the back.
Eruptions can be deep, painful and cyclical.
Or they can be small but persistent watery like vesicles with redness.
Adult acne can be accompanied by other symptoms, which includes, but isn't limited to abnormal hair growth, stomach bloating, heavier painful periods or cessation of menstruation altogether with hot flushes. Many of these are also symptoms commonly associated with pregnancy, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Oestrogen dominance, contraceptive pill, increased androgen levels, menopause, or gut related issues.
Stress and lack of adequate sleep can make the situation worse as it puts pressure on the adrenal glands which produce the hormone cortisol which works on the testosterone pathway thus increasing the chances of breakout.
It can be such a difficult and overwhelming time trying to figure out how it started and how to manage it and many women feel embarrassed and frustrated by the impact it has on their day to day life which can erode their self esteem.
SO WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP IT?
CONSULT A PROFESSIONAL SKIN THERAPIST
Firstly, have faith! It’s important that you know that your hormonal acne can be treated and you will eventually have clear smooth skin again.
Your trusted skin therapist is well versed in treating complex skin issues holistically and will work together with you, your GP, and naturopath to resolve your acne issue.
Skin can become less resilient as you age but fear not, your professional skin therapists can take the guess work out of the equation for you by providing solutions that simultaneously address your acne and wrinkles.
After consultation a treatment plan will be specifically designed for you based on your individual requirements and in most cases your professional salon treatments will likely include, but are not limited to, skin peels, LED, microdermabrasion, skin needling, and laser.
Your friendly professional skin therapist will prescribe you products for you to use at home on a daily basis (consistency is key!).
Thankfully, many active ingredients designed to fight acne also help to minimize wrinkles and in most cases you will see an improvement within 3 months provided you follow your treatment plan as prescribed.
In the treatment of middle aged women with acne there are certain factors which need to be taken into consideration:
1. Treatments and at home skincare must be customized for you as an individual.
2.No two skins are the same, especially when dealing with acne.
3.Pregnancy, breastfeeding or certain medications may contraindicate you for certain skin treatments (think skin needling or peels)
4.Your skin therapist will adjust your services accordingly to ensure your safety.
5.If you have rosacea that accompanies your acne then your treatments and products will not only have to address your barrier impairment and sensitivity as well as your acne and wrinkles.
ADJUST YOUR DIET
Take a look at your diet and nutrition.
It's common for adult acne sufferers to be advised to eliminate sugar, dairy and gluten from their diets as they can be inflammatory to the system and as we know, inflammation causes acne and has been linked to ageing.
Make sure that you nourish yourself with lots of healthy whole foods, fresh vegetables and fruits for optimum nutrition.
Try to make your meals as colourful as possible and eat the rainbow.
Berries and green leafy vegetables are packed full of antioxidants that can help fight your acne and wrinkles from the inside.
A healthy diet creates a healthy gut biome and a healthy gut biome leads to healthy skin.
Probiotics are a great option to consider integrating into your diet, particularly if you have been on antibiotics to treat your acne.
Vitamin and Mineral deficiencies can impede your ability to overcome acne and gut testing can reveal if you have deficiencies in iron, zinc, and Essential Fatty Acids, particularly -Omega 3 found in fish, flax seeds and chia seeds.
Deficiencies can be addressed through diet or supplementation.
Drink lots of water !!!
DITCH THE PORE CLOGGING MAKEUP
Using comedogenic (pore clogging) skincare products and makeup will only make your acne worse and hinder any professional treatments you are having so it's vital that you eliminate these products from your beauty regime.
Make sure that you're regularly cleaning your makeup brushes, cleaning your phone screen twice daily and replacing your pillowcase nightly to avoid cross contamination.
If you are unsure which makeup could be clogging your pores ask your trusted skin therapist to assist you.
It may come as a surprise to you, but 80% of your success in clearing your acne and treating your wrinkles will come from what you do at home, both internally and externally.
So caring for your skin twice daily under the guidance of your skin therapist is essential in effectively eliminating your pimples and softening your wrinkles.