Is period acne a thing

Your period is coming up within a week and then all of a sudden, you get pimples on your chin.  Is it related?  I mean, is period acne a thing?

What is period acne?

Do you get acne right before your period?  Does this happen to you every month?  Or, if you are in perimenopause, does it happen whenever you are about to get your period?  This is period acne.

As your hormones rise and fall throughout your cycle, this means that there can be an increase in sebum production and that can lead to an increase in acne.  Period acne is especially annoying because it generally occurs on your chin and can be quite painful.  Are you still wondering, ‘is period acne a thing’?

In fact, the pimples can be under your skin so popping them to get any relief isn’t even a possibility.  Should you pop pimples?  Popping pimples isn’t recommended, especially in this case, but see how to pop pimples the right way.)

Why this happens

When hormone levels drop, your body produces more oil which can lead to clogged pores and breakouts (and not to mention inflammation).  Incidentally, it also means that you might get moody.  Then there’s the increased stress, which can exacerbate it all.  To make things even better, sometimes you even get period poop.

Is period acne a thing?

So, yes, period acne is a thing.  Annoying, yes – but definitely a thing but there is relief.  Here’s what to do:

• Take a warm compress and put it on the pimple.  Leave on for about 10 minutes.  You can do this 3 times a day.  This could help to draw out the pus.
• Use a cold compress if there is pain or swelling / inflammation.  Do this for 5 minutes a couple times a day.
• Use benzoyl peroxide as a spot treatment.
• Wash your face twice a day – once in the morning and once in the evening.  Don’t overdo it.  You can rinse again mid day if you’ve been sweating a lot or your face got dirty for some reason.
• Exfoliate regularly but remember that you don’t need to exfoliate every day.  Exfoliate according to your skin type.
• Watch your diet – no processed foods because this leads to further inflammation / acne breakouts.
• Avoid products / ingredients that lead to clogged pores.  See ingredients to avoid for acne.