Hormones cause absolute havoc in the skin. HAVOC!
When we go through any hormonal changes it's so important to be aware that this could have an impact on your skin. For those of use who menstruate, we can easily see changes in our skin as our cycle changes as well.
For me, I tend to break out around my ovulation time (around day 10-15 of my cycle) and also maybe towards the end of my cycle too (just before my period). There are also other changes though where hormones that can cause breakouts and other skin concerns.
ANY change in hormones can have an impact on the skin I have found. For example...
pregnancy
miscarriage
breastfeeding and stopping breastfeeding
going on or coming off contraception (including the pill, coil, implant and injection)
when your contraceptive injection is due
stress and lack of sleep
going through puberty
menopause and peri-menopause
Now, unfortunately, the last two points above can take a little longer than the rest as hormones are constantly fluctuating, but the other points I have found are quite similar in time frame (obviously everybody's skin is completely different as are their circumstances, but this is what I have seen while treating the majority of clients).
I have found that somewhere between three to six months is a good time to give your skin to adjust back to 'normal'. Sometimes this can take up to twelve months if you have had a substantial hormonal shift as well.
I have found this especially with contraception. After around three months you should start to see a change in the skin - whether it be you breakout around the jawline a lot more and t-zone or your skin starts to clear up. Then by the six month mark you should be able to see if your skin is starting to calm down if it's been breaking out.
If after six months you are still struggling with breakouts, excessive oiliness/dryness or a compromised barrier, then it might be time to seek professional advice. I love to do online consultations with clients and have a really good chat about their skincare and lifestyle routines to begin to create a new plan to get your skin health back on track. You can book a consultation with me here.
So if you are going through some hormonal changes, don't put so much pressure on yourself and your skin to be perfect. We ALL go through this, especially me as somebody who has always suffered from hormonal acne. The key is to do all that you can to maintain great skin health which should mean that breakouts become fewer and far between and also heal up a lot quicker.
I hope you found this post useful, if you did, please share it with your friends.
Thank you so much for reading,
Emmaline x