Hormonal Acne: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention Tips

Hormonal disturbances can affect our bodies in many ways, including breakouts. Those red, inflamed, painful lesions on the skin can embarrass you immediately. They could be due to your high insulin/cortisol levels, unhealthy diet, puberty, menses, menopause, pregnancy, inactive lifestyle, some pill intake, or poor skincare.

Whatever the cause, no need to worry, hormonal acne can be controlled and even avoided to some extent.  In this blog, an acne treatment doctor in Delhi from Delhi Wellness Clinic will discuss everything you need to know about hormonal acne, including its causes, signs, diagnosis, treatment, and preventive or complementary care.

What is Hormonal Acne?

Hormonal acne, also known as adult acne, is a type of acne caused by excess natural oils on the skin, influenced by hormonal changes. It can affect both men and women, but mostly it develops in women who are going through menses, pregnancy, or menopause, and those who are on hormonal medications or suffering from PCOS or other ovarian/metabolic conditions.

How causes Hormonal Acne?

Acne or breakouts, in general, are the result of clogging of pores with impurities, extra sebum (natural skin oil), dead skin cells, and sometimes bacteria. Hormonal acne develops when excess sebum produced by hormonal fluctuations clogs pores. The triggers could be excessive stress, high humidity, disturbed sleep, use of comedogenic or oil-based skin and haircare products/cosmetics, improper skincare, and an unhealthy diet and lifestyle.

What are the Symptoms of Hormonal Acne?

Here’s how hormonal acne will manifest:

• Deep, tender, painful breakouts with or without pus- the papules (red bumps of 2-5mm diameter), pustules (pus-filled papules), nodules (deep, hard, large, painful bumps), or cysts (pus-filled nodules)
• Inflamed, red, tender to touch lesions on the lower cheeks, jawline, chin, neck, back, or chest
• Recurring and persistent breakouts, especially in oily-skinned people.

These signs can help dermatologists identify the type of acne during physical examination and confirm the diagnosis after discussing skin and hair products/cosmetics in use, sleep habits, stress, prescription medications, and any health changes related to hormonal changes.

Best Treatment Options for Managing Hormonal Acne by Skin Experts

Hormonal acne is effectively treated with a dermatologist-recommended, multimodal approach tailored to the specific type.

• For early-to-moderate hormonal acne, dermatologists recommend topical prescriptions such as retinoids (to accelerate skin cell turnover), benzoyl peroxide (to kill acne-causing bacteria and reduce inflammation), salicylic acid (to chemically exfoliate), and azelaic acid (to reduce inflammation/redness).
• For moderate to severe acne: Dermatologists may prescribe an anti-androgen drug (spiron-olactone), a birth control pill to manage hormonal fluctu-ations, an oral antibiotic to inhibit inflammation and acne-causing bacteria, or isotretin-oin if the breakout is most severe. They may even recommend prescription-strength medical peels or laser therapy.

For anyone suffering from hormonal acne, the treatment is incomplete without complementary care. The best treatment outcomes are achieved only with proper skincare and lifestyle.

Prevention Tips for Hormonal Acne

Follow these skincare, diet, and lifestyle-related recommendations to avoid recurrence or worsening of hormonal acne:

• Regularly see a dermatologist for skin health check-ups
• Use only those skincare products and cosmetics that come with a label “non-comedogenic”, “oil-free”, or “non-acnegenic”
• Use active ingredients like benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid to clear pores, and retinoids to promote skin cell turnover.
• Be gentle with the skin. Avoid touching, picking, scratching, or rubbing the skin with breakouts. Twice daily, cleanse the skin with a mild, non-scented cleanser
• Follow a low-glycaemic diet, as a rise in insulin can trigger sebum production. Ensure reduced intake of dairy foods to keep hormone levels at a healthy level. Also, include foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, and probiotics for healthier skin. 
• Relieve daily stress with yoga, meditation, and an active routine. Also, have a well-rested night's sleep. Stress and disturbed sleep can spike cortisol and sebum production, which is why breakouts occur.

Final Thoughts

Hormonal acne is a common occurrence due to today’s fast-paced, stressful, sedentary lifestyle. It is mostly seen in adulthood, amongst women, due to hormonal changes or issues. Though there are many over-the-counter acne remedies, none can provide the relief that a dermatologist's prescription can.

One can meet acne treatment doctors in Delhi at Delhi Wellness Clinic. They provide a tailored treatment plan to control hormonal acne breakouts. If your acne is persistent and has a hormonal cause, seek a prescription, an advanced solution, and even skincare routine recommendations from experts at Delhi Wellness Clinic.

Schedule a consultation to learn more about treatment options and to achieve clearer, healthier skin free from acne.

Also the cost of acne treatment in Delhi starts from INR 2,500 and can vary from treatment to treatment. Visit for details.

FAQs on Hormonal Acne and Its Treatment

How to identify if acne is hormonal?

If red, tender breakouts develop on the U-zone of the face (lower cheeks, jawline, and chin), frequently in adulthood, and over-the-counter remedies are not helping, it's hormonal acne. Such acne is often identified in menses, pregnancy, menopause, or the PCOS condition.

How is fungal acne different from hormonal acne?

Hormonal acne presents as deep, inflamed, painful cysts or nodules. It develops on the lower half of the face due to excess sebum production triggered by hormonal imbalance. Fungal acne presents as itchy, uniform, tiny bumps due to overgrowth of Malassezia yeast on sweaty areas such as the forehead, scalp, back, and chest.

Can men suffer from hormonal acne?

Hormonal acne is not a gender-biased skin concern. It is just a result of excess sebum triggered by hormonal imbalance, which can happen with men too, probably due to hormonal therapy.

Can hormonal acne be avoided?

Hormonal acne results from hormonal fluctuations. As its cause is internal, no one can escape its occurrence. The condition is manageable or controllable with a proper skincare routine and healthy lifestyle habits.

Which is the best way to treat hormonal acne?

Consult with a dermatologist for comprehensive guidance on skincare and prescription professional treatment. With a combination of the right skincare, physical treatments, and a healthy lifestyle, hormonal acne can be cleared away.

When to see a dermatologist for hormonal acne?

If acne is deep and first-line treatments are resistant, seek a customised, best-suited treatment plan from a certified dermatologist. If treatment is neglected, there will be potential scarring and issues with self-esteem and confidence.