Is acne a menopause symptom?

Today's topic:

Today on A.Vogel Talks Menopause, I answer the question ‘Is acne a menopause symptom?’ This is something I get asked regularly. So many women find that their skin changes in some ways as they approach and go through menopause. But one of the disconcerting and upsetting symptoms is that some women can end up with acne.

Menopause and acne

Some women find that the skin condition such as acne that they've had beforehand gets worse, but for some women, this is a symptom that just appears out of the blue and it is nearly always hormonal.

If you think about it, how many teenagers end up getting acne as part of their puberty process. And it's really the same thing for menopausal women as well.

But there can be other triggers. It can be due to stress, which, you know, most of us are under at the moment, plus the stress of menopause on our whole core system.
It can be digestive. Any digestive problems can have a big impact on our skin and also our liver can get really stressed during menopause. Now, it's not anything serious with the liver but the hormonal changes just put that little bit of extra stress on the liver, and there can be a direct link between liver function and the skin as well.

Where can you experience menopausal acne?

As well as the face, the other main areas where menopausal acne can occur include the back and chest.

Does acne go away after menopause?

This is a really difficult one to answer. For some women, yes, it will just be part and parcel of the whole hormonal process and it will disappear. But for other women, if your digestion, if your liver gets extra stressed or affected, then this is something that may go on for that little bit longer.

So if your skin does change, if you do find you're getting a lot of spots or outbreaks of acne, then the best thing to do is treat it as soon as you can, just to minimize any more deterioration.

What helps with menopausal acne?

There are a few things I recommend to help menopausal acne, these are:

Help balance your hormones

If your periods have tailed off, if they have stopped, you could look at our Menopause Support. If you're still getting regular periods, then you could look at the herb Agnus castus.

Support your liver

As I've mentioned before, this can get really stressed. Your liver detoxifies everything in the body so if your liver is stressed, then extra toxins that we may be taking onboard from various sources don't get eliminated properly, and the liver will just throw everything out through the skin.

So do some liver work, such as a liver-friendly diet or look at herbs such as peppermint and artichoke because they help to support and improve liver function.

Improve your diet

Highly processed foods, loads of caffeine, high salt and sugar foods, can all put huge pressure on your digestion. And again, if you're getting things like IBS, if you're getting bloating, or a bit of constipation, then where do all the toxins go? They will go out through the skin so you want to, maybe, just improve the diet a little bit.

Drink plenty of water

Again, loads of water to improve elimination. If you're getting constipated, then up your daily fibre intake through lots of extra fruit and vegetables.

Manage stress

We can look at stress too, and who of us is not stressed, and it is a very common menopause symptom. So, you could try calming herbs such as Avena sativa, or magnesium. It's great for everything, so don't forget the magnesium.

Adjust your skincare routine

Also, look at your makeup and your skin preparation. When we start going through menopause, our skin gets thinner. It also gets more sensitive to just about absolutely everything. So if you are still using the same product, the same cleansing routine as you have been for years and years, it may be that this is just not suiting your skin.

So try and go for organic products, very, very gentle ones, maybe even some hypoallergenic ones can be really helpful.

Also, look at the makeup you use and how long you have had it for. I am as guilty of this as everybody! You have makeup that you really like. It might be a favourite eyeshadow or a favourite lipstick and you just end up keeping them for too long. They can get contaminated.

Same if you're using sponges and brushes. How many of us clean those weekly? We often don't have time. So, it's important to take the time to do this because you could be re-infecting your skin regularly.

What if acne gets worse and nothing helps?

For some women, the hormonal flux just tends to go that little bit overboard, so if your acne gets worse and nothing seems to be helping then consult your doctor or a dermatologist who can advise on further treatments.

I hope you found this one helpful. And if any of you have any helpful tips, about any skin conditions that you experienced and you sort it with self-help, then please let us know.

Key points to take away from this blog:

• Acne is a common menopause symptom, which is most often caused by the hormonal fluctuations during peri-menopause and menopause, similar to how teenagers are prone to acne during puberty.
• Other factors can trigger acne, as well as make it worse such as stress and poor digestion, two common problems during menopause
• I recommend improving your diet, supporting your liver, drinking plenty of water and adjusting your skincare routine to help menopausal acne