Acne After Menopause

While women know it is common to have acne outbreaks during pregnancy or right before their periods, it is not common knowledge that acne after menopause can also occur. Hormone changes are to blame.
Androgens, a group of male hormones which include testosterone, are the primary culprits. In response to hormonal signals from androgens, your skill produces oil. Too much androgen will create excess oil and pimples will develop. In menopause, the levels of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone will drop. That drop will increase the effect of androgens on your body and lead to oilier skin. In turn, oilier skin will lead to more clogged pores. Pimples and bacterial infections will follow.

Acne after menopause can indicate a more serious condition. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, post-menopausal women who get acne could have a tumor that is secreting hormones in the ovaries or in the adrenal gland. Another condition could be type 2 diabetes.

The American Diabetes association states that diabetics can suffer from skin complications which include lesions that may look like acne. The majority of cases of acne after menopause, however, do not indicate any additional medical conditions.

How should you treat acne after menopause? As you now know, the cause of the acne is hormones; therefore, your first treatment could involve hormone replacement therapy. This would increase the levels of estrogen and progesterone in your body and can help to put a halt to pimple outbreaks. Additional menopausal symptoms like mood swings, insomnia and anxiety could benefit from this treatment as well. It is important to note, however, that hormone replacement therapy can increase your risk of heart disease - according to recent research.

There are prescriptions that can help with acne after menopause, and your dermatologist can advise you on the best treatment for you. One medication is spironolactone. This is a diuretic with anti-androgen properties. The medication can cause menstrual irregularities in women who are still menstruating. An eight-year study in the Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery, published in 2002, did indicate that spironolactone can safely treat acne after menopause.

Try using a gentle cleanser once or twice a day as needed. Keep the infected areas clean and always wash your hands thoroughly before touching your face. An oral antibiotic may be needed to fight the bacterial infection that is causing the post-menopausal acne. One such acne powerhouse drug is isotretinoin. This antibiotic has been shown to help adults in their 50s and 60s.