What is period acne and how to treat them?
One of the signs of physical maturity in healthy girls is the beginning of the monthly cycle or, as it is commonly called, period. This monthly cycle that happens every month happens to regulate the body’s hormones. Along with this monthly bleeding, other events occur such as abdominal pains, stiff and painful breasts, abdominal bloating or pimples and acne on the skin and especially the face, which have different intensities in the body of different people.In this article, we talk about these pimples and how to recognize and treat them. So, what is period acne and how to treat them?
Pimples appear almost a week before the start of the monthly cycle, and when the bleeding starts, their number decreases and then disappears. This happens in almost 65% of women and almost reduces their self-confidence during this period.
These pimples are sometimes big and painful and have a purulent state, and in some people they are similar to small or subcutaneous pimples during puberty. There are simple solutions to prevent and treat period acne, which you can use to maintain your beauty and attractiveness during this period.
What are the causes of pimples before period?
The main reason for the formation of pimples and acne before the period is the hormonal changes that occur in the body. Every woman should go through this process every 28 to 31 days so that the process of ovulation and egg storage functions well. At the beginning of the period, the level of estrogen in the body increases, but at the end of the period, the hormone progesterone increases. Before the start of the monthly cycle, these two hormones decrease in the body, and testosterone, which is a male hormone, is produced in the body.
The increase in the level of male hormones in the body, plus the changes that occurred in the previous cycle, causes pimples and acne on the skin. In the middle of the bleeding time of the previous cycle, the increase of progesterone hormone stimulates the glands to secrete fat and sebum, and the skin becomes swollen and inflamed. On the other hand, increasing testosterone before and during bleeding will stimulate these glands more and release sebum production. This increase and release of sebum in some people causes transparency in the skin of the face and in others it causes pimples and acne.
On the other hand, the increase in the level of skin fat and the occurrence of pimples causes the immune system to wake up and try to eliminate the factors that cause pimples. The immune system fights with the bacteria in the pimples and acne, and this stubborn fight will have no result except inflammation of the skin and causing more pimples and acne.
Eating what foods aggravate period pimples?
Eating certain foods during your period can increase the number of pimples and cause skin inflammation. These foods include all kinds of fast foods, spicy and fatty foods and fried foods. Consuming large amounts of dairy products also irritates these pimples.
Red meat, pasta and white bread are also effective factors in skin inflammation and causing period pimples. Consuming too much sweets and sugar also causes pimples. In order to minimize the number of pimples, it is better to limit the consumption of these type of foods, especially near the beginning of bleeding and during it.
What is the cause of period acne?
Internal body infections
Taking some hormone control drugs or some types of birth control pills,
Consumption of allergenic foods,
Weakening of the immune system,
Genetics and the presence of previous pimples on the skin,
Beginning puberty or approaching menopause.
Types of pimples that occur in women
In addition to period pimples that occur during bleeding, there are other types of pimples that occur outside of this period but with similar reasons. These pimples often heal on their own, but you can use the remedies we described in the previous articles to control or reduce them.
Pre-menstrual pimples: Some people have red pimples on their face before period. The cause of these pimples is the fluctuation of estrogen and progesterone hormones. Some physical changes, such as changes in the amount of non-sexual hormones in the body, and external factors, such as rapid weight loss or consumption of allergenic foods, are other causes of these pimples.
Pimples without period: You may have experienced that your bleeding starts irregularly and happens earlier or later than the scheduled time. These changes in the period system, which are usually caused by changes in the level of hormones, cause pimples on the skin. In fact, the changes that occur in women's bodies before menstruation can cause period acne to appear sooner or later than you expect.
Acne during pregnancy: During pregnancy, the most hormonal changes occur in the body. These changes, along with external factors such as stress, consumption of allergenic foods, consumption of certain drugs, etc., cause period pimples. These pimples sometimes remain on the skin until the end of the person's pregnancy. Never make arbitrary decisions to prevent and treat these pimples. Using some lotions under the supervision of a doctor can prevent them from increasing; However, it is not recommended to take oral or topical chemical drugs during this period. Because it can harm your fetus
What should we do to reduce period pimples?
Wash your face 2-3 times during the day to open the skin's breathing passages.
Use anti-acne creams to reduce or eliminate skin oil.
Try not to use cosmetics, but if you have to use them for any reason, be sure to use oil-free creams and cosmetics.
Never let makeup stay on your face for too long. Be sure to remove your makeup completely before going to bed and wash it off using toners and creams compatible with your skin.
Eliminate stress and include healthy foods in your diet. Fatty and spicy foods and sweets are not suitable at all.
Avoid wearing tight and plastic clothes or jeans during bleeding.
The incidence of period pimples increases dramatically in people who smoke. Smoking thins the blood and slows the blood circulation. Lack of blood supply to the skin also aggravates facial acne and especially period acne.
Home remedies for period acne
With the help of home remedies, you can control period acne and prevent it from spreading on the skin. Also, these solutions affect the health of your skin and can have positive effects on the quality of the skin after the period and maintaining its health.
Honey: Honey is a delicious and useful food that is very effective and efficient in treating body infections due to its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. To treat pimples and acne, you can apply honey all over your face 2-3 times a week. Keep the honey on your face for 10 to 15 minutes and then wipe it off and wash it with cold water.
Green tea: Drinking green tea 2 to 3 times a day can be effective in treating period acne. It is also recommended to use lotions and creams in which green tea extract is used if they are fat-free.
Lemon: Cut a fresh lemon and apply it all over your face. The vitamin C in lemon is very useful for the freshness of the skin. If you can do this 2-3 times a week (even when you're not close to your period), it's great.
Tea tree oil: Tea tree oil is used in many creams and lotions. This oil has anti-inflammatory properties and its use is very effective in preventing and treating period pimples. Tea tree oil may cause skin sensitivity in some people; Therefore, before using this oil on your face, test it on your arm or elbow. If after 24 hours you don't see any signs of sensitivity, you can apply it on your face skin. Avoid if you have dry skin.
Mint extract: You can brew mint leaves like tea and apply the obtained extract to your face with a piece of cotton. After 10 to 15 minutes, wash your face and use a moisturizing cream suitable for your skin.