Menstruation is part of a woman's natural life cycle, which repeats monthly for most of her life. Despite the naturalness of the process, it brings considerable discomfort to the fair sex.
And it is associated not only with painful sensations in the sacrum and lower abdomen, but also with the condition of the skin on the face or body.
A woman's body is much more hormone-dependent in its natural processes than a man's body. Every month, an egg matures in the girl’s body. If she is not fertilized, her period begins in about two weeks. The entire menstrual cycle is divided into four phases, each of which is distinguished by its own hormonal changes. Why do acne appear before menstruation?
Factors that trigger acne
Before you start speculating why acne suddenly appears before your period, it is important to understand the mechanism of its occurrence.
There are only four situations that result in rashes:
- Progesterone. An insidious male hormone, also produced by the female body. It activates skin secretion;
- Increased sebum production. From its excess, the epidermis becomes fat. Namely, those with oily skin are more susceptible to acne;
- Rapid growth of the acne bacteria population. These are opportunistic bacteria that live on the skin, along with other microbes. Normally, they form part of the microflora of the skin and even perform useful work - they eat excess sebum;
- Blockage of sebaceous ducts. These are small tunnels near the surface of the epidermis, created to remove skin secretions. Their overlap, regardless of the cause, causes oil to accumulate under the surface of the skin, forming whiteheads.
Everything else that girls associate with the formation of rashes on the face are only provoking factors that influence one or several of these causes. Most often, under the influence of some external or internal catalysts, a chain of reactions is immediately started, leading to the formation of acne on the skin.
- Some reason provokes an increase in the production of skin secretions. In a healthy body, this skin secretion is produced in quantities sufficient to protect the skin from environmental influences and maintain water balance.
- Acne bacteria living on the skin eat sebum. Having received additional nutrition, they begin to rapidly multiply, infecting the ducts of the sebaceous glands. Little traitors.
- The keratinized cells of the upper layer of the epidermis block the exit of bacteria and excess skin secretions. This completes the pimple formation process. The larger the plug, the deeper the accumulation of fat or pus occurs (depending on the presence of infection). Deep abscesses can put pressure on nerve endings, causing sharp pain when pressed.
Many factors can provoke an acceleration in the production of skin secretions. From poor nutrition with excess fat content, to improper hygiene, which involves drying out the upper layer of the epidermis by frequent washing. But among the provocateurs of sebum production, the leading hormone is progesterone.
Dependence of rashes on the face on the menstrual cycle
The girl’s body is forced to depend throughout her life on cycles governed by hormones. Each cycle is divided into separate stages, during which the effect of some hormones increases and the influence of others decreases. The male body does not “storm” like this for a month. This explains the fact that women are more emotional, while men are stable and balanced.
A stable cycle between menstruation lasts 28 days. Ovulation occurs exactly in the middle, and on the 18th-20th day the peak production of the male hormone progesterone occurs. This is due to its main task during this period - preparing the uterine mucosa to receive a fertilized egg. If the egg is implanted, then pregnancy occurs. When this does not happen, the menstrual cycle continues, ending with menstruation. Progesterone levels drop until the next time the body needs its help again.
But hormones are tricky. While helping in one place, they can harm in another. Carrying out its direct duties, progesterone plays pranks in the periphery - it increases the rate of sebum production in the upper layers of the epidermis. This causes the formation of pimples in the same place according to the scheme described above.
Having understood the process, it becomes clear why rashes on the face, back, chest and other parts of the body appear cyclically. During the greatest activity of progesterone, acne and other rashes appear, and with the onset of menstruation, when the level of this hubbub drops, they gradually disappear. How quickly they heal and whether they leave behind marks in the form of spots or scars depends on:
- quality of the epidermis;
- procedures performed (or not performed) for the purpose of treatment.
In cyclical rashes, which have an obvious dependence on the phase of the menstrual cycle, progesterone is to blame. This is a male hormone, the production of which is normally increased by a healthy female body 7 days before the start of the expected period and decreases with its onset.
What to do?
In addition to the test, if there is any delay, you must do an ultrasound and make an appointment with a gynecologist. Women have a question: when can an ultrasound examination show pregnancy? Experts say that from the 5th day. You should also take blood tests to establish or definitively refute the fact of pregnancy. If the delay is 10 days, the test is negative, you need to do a test for human chorionic gonadotropin. Pregnancy is indicated if the hCG concentration is more than 25 IU/l.
There are factors that influence the increase in this indicator in the absence of pregnancy. If a woman has a tumor of the kidneys and genital organs in her body, or she has taken hormonal drugs, the hCG level may be more than 25. The same picture is observed with hydatidiform mole and malignant tumor of the uterus.
The result may be negative even if you are pregnant. It is important not to take medications 2-3 days before the test. Results may be inaccurate when the test is done too early. For example, on a 3-4 day delay. You can re-test on the 7th day of delay. The second reason is ectopic pregnancy. In order to exclude this (if your period is late), you need to consult a doctor.
Methods to combat emerging rashes
It is useless to fight rashes caused by any hormonal fluctuations. The menstrual cycle is no exception. Pimples that have already appeared can only be masked and relieve pain if it is present (as is the case with the formation of boils).
What you absolutely cannot do is squeeze out blackheads. Most often they are deep subcutaneous and extremely painful. Attempts to physically remove such pustules lead to damage to the epidermis and an increase in the infected area. Such a pimple against the background of red skin damaged by nails looks even worse than before the manipulations began, takes a long time to heal, leaves a scar and provokes the appearance of other similar pimples next to it.
Fighting blackheads
At their core, blackheads (comedones) are non-inflamed closed pores. When bacteria enter them, they turn into pimples. Their appearance is provoked by an increase in sebum production. The upper part of such a fatty plug oxidizes, which leads to its darkening. Such formations on the skin of the face and body are a prerequisite for the appearance of acne, and therefore require proper removal.
The easiest way to get rid of comedones is mechanically. To do this, it is important to first steam a clean face, without traces of makeup and dust. Herbal decoctions with the addition of essential oils that have antiseptic properties are well suited for this purpose. Comedones from steamed skin are carefully removed with fingers wrapped in a cotton pad. The procedure is completed by wiping with disinfecting tinctures. At the end, it would be appropriate to wash your face with cold mineral water or wipe your skin with chamomile cosmetic ice to tighten the pores.
It is important to cleanse your face of comedones without waiting for your period. Get into the habit of doing this procedure regularly to prevent acne.
Cleansing the skin of dead cells
This procedure is mandatory to prevent the appearance of acne and blackheads. Gentle scrubs, gommages, and clay masks come to the rescue in solving the problem. It is important to cleanse your skin regularly because cell renewal occurs every second. But the main thing is not to overdo it and not leave the skin completely defenseless. Such a mistake will only provoke the appearance of acne.
Scrubs and masks can be purchased ready-made or prepared independently using clay, oatmeal, bread crumb, honey with sugar and other abrasives. Essential oils are added to such masks to disinfect, accelerate regeneration, and stimulate internal reserves. The use of seasonal berries and fruits is popular due to their high content of fruit acids and vitamins that nourish the skin and increase local immunity.
The fight against acne is a long process and does not always pass without a trace. Therefore, it is important to try to prevent the problem rather than solve it later. To do this, you need to regularly cleanse the skin of your face and body, without focusing on your period. It is permissible to do this both at home and with help in a professional salon.
How to treat inflamed acne
If hormonal fluctuations in the period before menstruation still provoke the appearance of acne, then the fight against such rashes should be reduced to drying and disinfecting them.
You cannot steam a face with any inflamed formations. It is not recommended to use masks. A smart solution would be a careful targeted antiseptic effect with alcohol-containing tinctures of herbs (calendula, sage), tea tree oil, and pure alcohol. There is no need to wipe the entire surface of the skin with such products so as not to dry it out. Avoid greasy creams during active breakouts.
If such inflammations appear constantly, cover a large area of the epidermis and do not go away completely, only worsening a few days before menstruation, then this is a reason to consult a doctor. A surge of progesterone can provoke deterioration of the skin condition due to another problem. The doctor will conduct the necessary examinations, take tests and identify the cause that provokes increased secretion of the sebaceous glands during periods not associated with the active production of progesterone.
To disguise isolated rashes, select a special green pencil. It will make reddened areas less noticeable. Apply foundation over the concealer. Choose high-quality cosmetics that do not clog pores so as not to aggravate the situation.
Inflamed pimples caused by a surge in hormones before the onset of menstruation are best left alone. Such rashes are easier to prevent, so focus on preventive measures. They are designed to improve skin health and prevent the creation of favorable conditions for acne.
Ways to prevent acne before menstruation
It is easier to prevent any dermatological problem than to look for a treatment method later. Answering the question of how to deal with acne before menstruation, we can offer the following options.
It is possible to influence the situation in a radical way, fundamentally eliminating the cause of acne. We are talking about regulating hormone levels (including the culprit - progesterone) with the help of contraceptives. These can be mini-pills, spirals, and patches. It is important to understand the level of responsibility for making such a decision. Do not prescribe pills yourself, read the instructions and carefully consider the possible consequences of taking them. Usually, from the very first menstrual cycle, the level of progesterone no longer increases, due to the absence of the need to fertilize the egg. Which entails the normalization of skin secretion and acne no longer appears.
If the reason for the formation of acne lay in the level of progesterone, then with the start of taking contraceptives, problematic skin will clear up and new acne will stop appearing before menstruation.
Limit direct skin contact with alcohol, alcohol-containing cosmetics, concentrated essential oils and perfumes in the period leading up to menstruation. This time is characterized by an increase in skin sensitivity, therefore the manifestation of nonspecific allergic reactions is possible. They can be in the form of a rash or redness.
Always take proper care of your skin. A complete care package includes nutrition, cleansing and toning. During the indicated period, there is no need for additional cleansing of the skin. Frequent washing and cleansing the face with milk, soap, and scrub lead to even greater activation of the sebaceous glands, which strive to restore the water balance of the skin. Scrubs, gommages, antioxidant and abrasive masks are effectively used once or twice a week, alternating products.
By keeping your skin healthy and clear throughout your menstrual cycle, you can help prevent acne from developing during the potentially difficult period after ovulation and before your period.
To prevent breakouts, follow these tips:
- Choose only high-quality decorative cosmetics that allow the skin to breathe and do not clog pores. Modern foundations are lightweight and made from natural ingredients. Therefore, choosing the right one for any skin type will not be difficult. The same applies to care products. Don’t skimp on them if you don’t want to see rashes of unknown origin on your own face.
- Eat right and drink plenty of fluids. The skin needs nutrition from the inside, the quality of sebum depends to some extent on the diet, a well-moisturized epidermis produces collagen better and is less susceptible to the appearance of wrinkles.
- Strengthen your immune system to prevent bacteria from taking advantage of your vulnerability. This includes proper nutrition, healthy sleep, and exercise. These measures will not only improve the condition of the skin, but will also help cope with premenstrual syndrome itself.
To prevent the appearance of acne on the body and face before menstruation, it is important to prepare the body for a hormonal surge. Healthy skin, good immunity, and a competent approach to hygiene procedures will help keep your face clean and minimize the likelihood of acne.
How to avoid getting a rash
You can prevent the appearance of rashes not only through the use of medications, but also through a number of preventive measures:
- Compliance with the rules of a healthy diet, as well as the inclusion in the diet of foods that help activate metabolic processes.
- Work on strengthening the body's defenses:
- maintaining an acceptable level of physical activity;
- taking vitamins;
- constant ventilation of living spaces and frequent walks in the fresh air.
- Regular and proper facial care (taking into account individual characteristics).
All this will reduce the oiliness of the skin, make it less dry and prone to inflammation, and therefore will help reduce the likelihood of acne.
