Question about skin health --- !

[OnyxSnowfall]

I'm a female in my mid-twenties...

 

I have break-outs, mostly facial, roughly two weeks before my menstrual cycle occurs... that clear up for roughly two weeks until... yes.

 

I am wondering if my endocrine system could be imbalanced, and if so, how is that treated or ... what else could be causing it at my age? I'm a raging BPD that needs long-term therapeutic treatment LOL, who had chronic PTSD, which is why I'm leaning towards an endocrine imbalance... but I'm wondering if this can be controlled through a particular diet and exercise?

 

I exercise regularly (toning and cardio) and my diet has brought tears to my relatives anyway (I snack on fresh fruits, vegetables, oats and raw nuts ... I usually make health conscious home-made dishes and don't care for processed and chemically laden ingredients etc... I try to eat balanced meals with variety in mind... I also don't over-eat).

 

I do have a few "vices": chocolate, coffee, wine and sweet tea (especially chai & honey & sugar littered green tea) that I indulge in. I drink sweetened tea a lot and eat dark chocolate at least every other day (coffee and wine I only drink a cup/two glasses about twice a week).

 

I've completely cut all of those out of my diet before (for a couple of months anyway), and the only substantial effect that it had on my body (that I could tell) was that I was overall less irritable and I lost some of my booty ... I still had break-outs near my cycle.

 

I've tried several different cleansers / moisturizers / topical treatments over the years to no avail... also, I do take some supplemental pills (fish oil and whole-food vitamins).

 

I just don't know if it's something ultimately benign/superficial or if it's indicative of something else I should be addressing... what makes a consistently "healthy" skin complexion? I suppose I should mention that I also drink a lot of water.

 

if anyone has any experience / knowledge, I would greatly appreciate it

Edited October 6, 2011 by OnyxSnowfall

[january2011]

Every month or every few months, I'm prone to getting one or two of these "period spots" on my face but normally they're not very obvious, especially after a dab of concealer and powder. Because it's not something that I'm living with every day, I don't really worry about it to be honest. Especially if they occur at the same time every month.

 

A few years ago, I was getting breakouts more often and read up on the subject. You might like to try some of these if you haven't already:

 

 

• change pillowcases and face towels regularly
  
• wash your face after a workout
  
• wash your face if you get conditioner on it when you're washing your hair or wash your hair separately rather than at the same time as showering
  
• try not to touch your face during the day, especially if you've been at a computer keyboard
  
• clean your computer keyboard and screen on a regular basis
  
• keep your hair away from your face
  
• clean makeup brushes on a regular basis
  
• check if any of your makeup, especially base makeup like foundation, concealer and powder include ingredients that you might react to
  
• stay away from greasy foods and check ingredient lists for anything that you might react to - an elimination diet might be a useful exercise but you should consult a health professional first
  
• stress management
  
• stay away from skincare containing harsh ingredients like alcohol that strip the oils from your face because your skin is likely to overcompensate by producing more oil
  
• don't use moisturisers that are too rich for the season
  
• make sure your hands are clean before you wash your face
  

That's all I can remember off the top of my head. Hope it helps.

[OnyxSnowfall]

january2011 -- Thank you!!

 

I do let my hair touch my face a lot, and I brush it away with hands that are likely more unclean than clean. I'm going to try wearing the hair back consistently --- I also read there's alcohol in the cleanser I've been recently using --- and while I wipe my keyboard down, the frequency of such isn't much and I don't sterilize it with anything

 

Thank you again, I didn't consider such things

[Cypress25]

It's hormonal. A lot of women have problems with acne that are related to their menstrual cycle, it's pretty common. In your case, it sounds like it's triggered by ovulation. The BC pill might help, as that suppresses ovulation and regulates your hormone levels.