A Guide To Understanding And Taming Your Acne During Periods

Why Do We Get Period Acne?

Turns out bleeding for 5-7 days wasn’t enough, that our period decides to grace us with belly ache, bloating, cramps and the most irritating of them all, period acne. Period acne is basically linked to all of the hormonal changes going on in our body and the release of these constantly fluctuating hormones. So here’s a thorough guide on why and how to deal with these stubborn acne.

What Is Period Acne?

Is it just a pimple? Or is it the signs of a period breakout? Period acne is the consistent flare-up or worsening of acne once every month. Ideally, these acne breakouts are more prominent towards the lower half of your face like chin, jawline and cheeks and are red, inflamed raised looking bumps. Here are the major players of acne during period:

1. Blackheads:

If you think your acne is stubborn, meet its strongest competitor- blackheads. They are formed when a clogged pore remains open and the head of the gunk in this pore oxidizes making it look black.

2. Whiteheads:

When your blemish remains under the skin and begins to appear white due to being there for a long time, a white head may form on your skin. Since it appears just below the skin’s surface, do not squeeze them out.

3. Papules & Pustules:

These are types of inflammatory acne. When it is small, pesky and pink bumps that tend to hurt, it is papules. However, when it turns red with white or yellow tops filled with pus, it is pustules.

Why Do We Get Pimples During Periods?

As mentioned right now, period acne is caused by fluctuating hormones. The two hormones in our body namely, progesterone and estrogen keep on going on a fluctuating joyride inside our body during this time. The level of these two hormones go down causing an increase in the production of sebum.

Consequently, your skin tends to become more oily which can clog your pores and trigger breakouts in the form of acne. Furthermore, these hormones are also responsible for enhancing skin inflammation and producing more acne causing bacteria that can lead to these stubborn breakouts.

How To Get Rid Of Period Pimples

The answer in taming period pimples lies in skincare. To prevent immediate flare-ups and even supporess the ones that are already there, you need to follow a thorough skin care routine. Here is what you must do.

1. Choose the Right Cleanser:

From what we have seen and read so far, most of acne also appears because of bacteria and dry skin build up, so if we constantly try to keep our skin away from this, acne flare-ups might reduce and not worsen up. Therefore, choose a mild yet powerful cleanser with the goodness of antibacterial ingredients to tame period acne. Tea tree oil, niacinamide, salicylic acid, etc help to reduce the appearance of acne by killing the acne causing bacterias.

2. Opt For A Light Moisturizer:

So it is evident that your skin does not need more oily or greasy products to clog up your pores. Therefore, choose a lightweight, gel or water based moisturizer. Heavy moisturizers can worsen up your acne, so it is important that you choose a moisturizer with the right ratio of hydration to sebum control. Go for any squalene, BHA or hyaluronic acid moisturizer that will keep your skin hydrated and oil production in control.

3. Use A Spot Corrector/ Acne Treatment:

Treating your acne is just as important as trying to curb it. Therefore, don’t forget to use your acne treatments and spot correctors. Use a tea tree oil or benzoyl peroxide spot treatment to heal your pimples during period.This kills the acne causing bacteria and helps the pores shed dead skin cells eventually unclogging them. 

How To Avoid Pimples During Periods Naturally

Can it be prevented? Yes. If it can be tamed, it can be prevented. By simply making some important lifestyle changes, we can be sure to prevent period acne. Here is how:

1. Maintain A Healthy Diet:

We have all heard it countless times that the skin is the mirror to the body. What you eat ultimately reflects on our skin. Therefore, to avoid future acne breakouts, maintain a healthy diet. Avoid sugars and drinks like caffeine or alcohol. These have a high glycemic index that can increase your acne. Instead, eat foods like kale, broccoli, bananas, blueberries, yogurt, etc which are rich in antioxidants and help fight your acne causing bacteria.

2. Follow Your Skincare Routine To The ‘T’:

If you are troubled with acne prone skin, you can not skip out on skincare. Skincare is not a one time thing and only following it religiously will help you tackle your skincare woes. Use the right cleanser and make sure you remove your makeup before bed to avoid the accumulation of bacteria on your skin. You can also use a gentle toner to ensure your skin is clear before you move on to acne treatment and moisturizer. Don’t suffocate your skin with products since that can cause clogged pores.

3. Exercise Daily: 

Not only is exercising regularly recommended for a healthy lifestyle and easy period but it can also help with period acne. Apparently, sweat produced during exercising dilates your pores and pushes out the dirt and grime from the surface of it, thereby controlling acne. Regular exercising also causes you to wash your face more often giving way to a clear, healthy skin. 

There are probably various reasons for your acne to still flare-up. We also suggest you consult a dermatologist or a gynecologist if your acne is quite consistent and adamant, for it might be the reason for an underlying health issue too. Besides that, if you follow these skin and health care practices carefully, we can guarantee that your acne will subside eventually. Though after doing all this many girls still cant get rid of periods cramps, here are few best remedies to fight period cramp.

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