Why You’re Getting Post Birth Control Acne and What to Do
In each pore of our skin, we have sebaceous glands that produce sebum, an oil-like liquid, which helps to moisturize and protect our skin. When too many dead skin cells collect on the top of the skin in conjunction with high amounts of sebum, this can create a clog in our sebaceous glands and will result in inflammation. Our body will respond to this inflammation by sending white blood cells to the site of the clog which forms the white-headed pimples called acne. Hormones can have a strong effect on the amount of sebum is produced and our inflammatory response.
Birth control works by administering artificial forms of estrogen and progesterone in the body to make it think that you are pregnant and will therefore not ovulate. Your body learns to trust this administration of the artificial hormones and it will close off your body’s natural brain-ovary communication to produce hormones. After lots of time of using birth control, you become dependent on not being able to regulate your hormones, so when you stop using birth control you’ll find hormonal imbalances to be common. Post birth control acne is a common complaint of many women who quit their use of the pill, though they may not have had acne that much during their use of the pill.
Source: NIH
Here are 5 reasons why you may be getting post birth control acne.
1. Androgen Rebound
Androgen rebound is one of the reasons for post birth control acne. This is because birth control naturally lowers testosterone levels because of increased estrogen administration. When you stop using birth control, your ovaries can respond with androgen rebound where a surge of testosterone (an androgen) will be produced. This can cause post birth control acne because testosterone gets converted into DHT and this is what causes the increase in sebum in the sebaceous glands to further produce acne. Elevated DHEA levels, an enzyme, combines with testosterone to make the DHT.
Additionally, females get a testosterone peak around ovulation, since you were not ovulating while using birth control, once you stop using birth control this peak can seem more dramatic and increase post birth control acne.
Zinc, omega 3s, vitamin D, lower stress, stay hydrated, turmeric and cinnamon are all great things to help reduce acne by lowering testosterone levels.
Source: European Journal 20725580
2. 5-alpha metabolism
The 5 alpha metabolism is another reason for what causes post birth control acne. The 5 alpha-reductase pathway is an enzyme that helps to convert testosterone into DHT which as mentioned, causes an increase in sebum production. 5 alpha is favored under inflammation, stress, and insulin resistance which can all be affected by hormonal changes and imbalances. This specific pathway is not the only way to produce DHT because the 5-beta pathway can be up to 3x less symptomatic for acne. There are also two forms of the 5 alpha-reductase pathway, type 1, and type 2. A study has found that the inhibition of type 1 5 alpha-reductase pathway is beneficial to reduce sebum production and hormonal acne.
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3. Estrogen / Progesterone Imbalances
Another reason you are getting post birth control acne is because of estrogen and progesterone imbalances. Estrogen and progesterone need to be produced in a balanced ratio during your cycle. Balanced estrogen is found to be beneficial for inhibiting the androgen activity with sebaceous glands and additionally can have regulatory effects on the genes that function in negative acne production. When estrogen is produced too much, you can develop overly dry skin, which causes inflammation and irritation and the sebaceous glands will respond by producing more oil. After you stop using birth control you may not be ovulating for a few months afterward because your body is not good at regulating hormones yet. Due to this, after you stop using birth control, estrogen imbalances cause progesterone are common which causes post birth control acne.
Source: 25506579
4. Nutrient Deficiencies
Certain nutrients are vital for skin health. It is well accepted that birth control can create nutrient deficiencies by decreasing the absorption of your gut. Here are some of the common nutrients that can be deficient and the reason you have post birth control acne.
Zinc: Zinc is a great mineral that can be used for a lot of health benefits, but it specifically can be beneficial for enhancing skin appearance and decreasing acne. A mechanism for this is that zinc has anti-inflammatory properties and it also can effectively reduce cutibacterium acnes which is a bacteria linked to acne production in the skin. Additionally, zinc can inhibit sebum secretion and production by its antiandrogenic property. This is why zinc is a nutrient to help decrease post birth control acne. High zinc foods include meat, shellfish, legumes, seeds, nuts, and eggs.
Source: 25120566
Vitamin B6 and B12: The B vitamins help to support hormone detoxification in the liver which allows for the reduction in estrogen dominance and estrogen imbalance. B vitamins are another one of the nutrients that help to reduce post birth control acne. The liver detoxification helps with hormone metabolism to make levels all in the correct ratio which helps balance testosterone to lower DHT. They also help with supporting mood neurotransmitter processes, and this will aid in reducing anxiety and stress which are other independent factors for acne production. Foods high in vitamin B6 and B12 include meat, eggs, seafood, lentils, spinach, eggs.
Source: 7001015
Magnesium: Magnesium is another nutrient important to be stable to reduce post birth control acne. It helps with so many cellular functions in the body such as DNA synthesis, energy production, maintaining membrane structure, and specifically insulin sensitivity. It has been shown to help improve insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control, making magnesium extremely effective for PCOS management and to lower testosterone naturally. By lowering testosterone, this will reduce the conversion of testosterone into DHT which is the form that increases sebum production. High magnesium foods include salmon, halibut, spinach, edamame, nuts, avocado, dark chocolate.
Vitamin C: Vitamin C is another one of the nutrients that can be depleted and cause post birth control acne. It has many benefits in maintaining strong health status. One reason is that vitamin C has many antioxidant properties that help to reduce inflammation. Additionally, the vitamin has properties to improve hormone production and fertility in women. High vitamin C foods include citrus fruits, red pepper, broccoli, brussel sprouts, tomatoes.
Selenium: Selenium is a mineral and is the final one of the nutrients that aids in reducing post birth control acne. A study found that it has positive associations in progesterone production. High selenium foods include brazil nuts, fish, oatmeal, sunflower seeds, spinach, mushrooms, lentils.
Source: 25120566
5. Gut Issues
Another one of the causes for the post birth control acne is if you have gut issues. The gut contains a large diversity of bacteria that aids us in regular bowel movements and digestion. When this bacteria is reduced or overpopulated, it can cause issues, one of these being acne. Studies have found that the gut microbiota or bacteria have a connection to acne production due to the inflammatory response it results in. In addition, studies have shown that gut flora can transport excess microbiota to the skin directly. This is because when the intestinal wall becomes permeable, the bacteria can enter the bloodstream and collect in the skin which can clog the pores to create acne. Ways to heal the gut include eating more fiber, drinking plenty of water, lower stress, and incorporate probiotic foods like miso, tempeh, yogurt/kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut.
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TAKE AWAY MESSAGE:
There are several reasons why you’re getting post birth control acne. If you’re looking to understand the root causes of your hormones, check out my hormone testing packages HERE.
