The cause of acne before menstruation actually comes from your body

Abdominal pain, changes mood, and flatulence are some of the signs that often appear before menstruation. Apart from all these signs, another symptom that is most often complained of is the appearance of pimples. So, what exactly causes acne before menstruation?

The process of forming pimples

The formation of acne before menstruation is actually no different from acne in general. The process starts with the production of sebum by the oil glands in your skin. Sebum is an oil that functions as a natural lubricant for the skin.

After being produced by the oil glands, sebum will come out of the follicles through the pores to the surface of the skin. The follicle is the inner part of the skin's pores, which are where hair, oil glands, and sweat glands grow.

Sometimes, sebum can't get out of the follicle due to clogged pores. This blockage is formed from a mixture of sebum, dead skin cells, and hair. This is what then became the forerunner to the cause of acne.

Acne is formed when bacteria infect the blockage and sebum builds up in the follicle. The bacterial infection then triggers an inflammatory reaction characterized by swelling, pain, and redness.

The severity of acne depends on the type of bacteria that infects. Not all bacteria on the skin can cause acne. Usually, the bacteria that most often triggers acne are Propionibacterium acnes.

Causes of acne before menstruation

The average menstrual cycle lasts 14 days. During this cycle, some of the body's hormones change, such as the hormones estrogen and progesterone.

The production of the hormone estrogen increases during the first 14 days, while progesterone only increases in the next 14 days. Then, the amount of the two hormones will decrease near the time of menstruation.

At the same time, the production of the hormone testosterone does not change. Testosterone is a male reproductive hormone, but women also have it in small amounts.

Although a little, the amount of testosterone during menstruation tends to be higher than estrogen and progesterone because the production of both is decreasing.

In fact, a high amount of testosterone causes acne to appear before menstruation. The reason is, high testosterone levels during menstruation cause sebum production to increase.

For some women, increasing sebum can make the face appear brighter. However, excess sebum production can also clog pores and trigger acne breakouts.

Acne can appear more and more when the amount of the hormone progesterone increases again. The reason is, the increased amount of the hormone progesterone causes the skin to swell. The pores get smaller so that sebum is trapped in the follicle.

How to prevent acne before menstruation

The cause of acne before menstruation comes entirely from hormones and not because you do not keep your face clean. However, those of you who are prone to having acne before menstruation can prevent it in the following ways:

Clean your face regularly twice a day
Do not touch your face with your hands
Clean the phone screen that is in contact with the face
Avoid cosmetics that contain oil
Shower immediately after sweating or exercising
Always clean your makeup after activities
Eat a nutritionally balanced diet and limit foods high in fat and sugar

Avoiding acne before menstruation is difficult, because the cause of this condition comes from your own body. Hormonal changes can't be prevented either, so what you can do is prevent acne from getting worse.

Acne will go away on its own after the menstrual period is over. However, if the pimples that appear are very annoying, you can consult a doctor to get the appropriate treatment.