Aging Skin + Acne

March 8, 2024

Premenopausal Skin + Acne

This week’s blog topic was a tough one for me. I was at a loss about what to write.

We had one topic sent to us by a client (SO AWESOME!) but it requires a lot of research on my end because I don’t have a lot of experience with it. And it just happens that this week, the after school activities gods have banded together to make my life from 3pm onwards as scheduling-challenged as possible. Four kids all going different directions and bam – you have a lady with not a whole lot of time for research.

So then I turned to Pamela and asked her for a topic. She gave me one but honestly, sorry Pamela, it didn’t inspire me too much.

Here it is Wednesday and I have NO TOPIC. I feel urgency and we all know that when that happens, you get writer’s block. Even more pressure.

Then, as I was dutifully washing my face this morning, I snapped this picture of myself (don’t judge) to send to Pamela.

Why did I send it to Pamela? Why am I wearing mask on my chin only?

Well… at the ripe and mature age of 47, I am now breaking out consistently on my chin. We are talking high school level breakouts. And while I am deeply ingrained in the acne community, I have to admit that for the last 30 years, my skin care routine has been blissfully simple – wash, salicylic acid, vitamin c gel and moisturizer – no serious acne medication in sight.

But after complaining about it for the last 3 months – both to Pamela and my primary care physician – I realized two things:

1/ Hormonal acne is real. And yes, I am, at 47, likely starting to experience some serious hormonal changes.
2/ Just because it is hormonal doesn’t mean I can’t treat it, prevent it. You CAN teach this old dog new tricks and after 30 years of stress free, clear skin, I am not willing to go back to the pre-pubescent skin I once had as a teenager!

Why would my skin be changing at 47?

Most likely, actually VERY likely, I am going through perimenopause, which is the time right BEFORE menopause when your body’s production of estrogen and progesterone, key female hormones, rises and falls. It’s a bit of a hormonal roller coaster and that often leads to acne breakouts.

Some additional wonders of perimenopause include the thinning of skin, drying out of skin, increased facial hair growth and hair loss. So you get MORE hair where you don’t want it and less hair where you do. I mean, even writing all this down is making me depressed!

So if you are anything like me, and are experiencing some serious changes to your skin, we can help. There is something you can do – trust me…. I am in the throes of it myself!

– Call us. Text us. Send smoke signals. Anything you can do to let us know what is going on and we will help you figure out the right routine for your skin at this moment.
– Start the routine. We promise we won’t make it too complex. Wash your face twice a day, apply your medication. Remember it takes 3-4 months for a pimple to form so you have to be consistent with your routine to see the changes you want. Sounds overwhelming, I know, but it is easy. How long does it really take to wash your face? 5 minutes a day? That is totally worth it to have clear skin, in my opinion.

Ok fellow Gen-Xers, I am really sorry for such a Debbie-downer post. Let’s look at the silver lining. We will all have clear skin! We will embrace this period of our lives with positivity and joy! 🙂

Remember we are always here for you… call, text or email today! And don’t forget to check in!

Call/text: 925.933.8425
Email: clearskin@ninjaskincare.com