This Happens To The Women You Know During Their Menstrual Cycle

It is all that you hear and much more than you know

By Oly AwambaPublished 2 years ago • 3 min read

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I have always avoided going out during my period. As much as I can help it, I hole up in my home.

Not just because of the pelvic pain and mood swings. Not the bloating or excessive cramps. Not even the period poop.

Because of the acne and skin discoloration.

I have acne-prone skin. That’s a given. But, I manage it quite well.

However, when I am menstruating, every pore on my face becomes hyperactive with oil production and secretion. I get these pimples that look and feel like boils on my face. My face looks very dull. I look sickly.

My friends claim to glow during their time of the month. Well, I do not.

According to Healthline.com, your estrogen and progesterone levels drop just before your period. This can trigger your sebaceous glands to secrete more sebum. Too much can cause clogged pores and breakouts.

When I discovered that my acne worsens during my period, I tried hard to not set up meetings within that time of the month. I shied away from hangouts within that time. Rearranged my entire schedule, to ensure I stayed home during my period.

People look at me weird when I go out with so many bumps. They look at me like I’m dirty in some way. I could never explain to everyone that it’s hormones messing with me. I could only meet their stares with mine. And that is stressful.

As I age, I have discovered this tactic cannot work for so long. I have to work. I cannot limit myself to certain days of the month. So, I looked into different ways to beat nature and look better.

Doing a warm face compress for 10–15 minutes, up to four times a day to soothe pain and draw out pus from the pimples without popping them. This is not very feasible for 9–5 women like me.
Washing my face more often than usual, using gentle cleansers that contain glycerin. This is to ensure my skin retains moisture after every wash.
Having my benzoyl peroxide treatment handy. To apply after every face wash. This works to reduce acne-causing bacteria while moisturizing my skin.
Staying away from sunscreen. I substitute with wearing caps during this time. My body is so sensitive at the time that sunscreen can increase its irritation.
Avoid wearing makeup. As much I can. Too many products combine with the oily face to make things worse.
Completely stop eating nuts and any other oily foods within the period. This is especially hard for me, but I have found a way. Looking at pictures of my face when I do, surely does the trick.
Using birth control pills also help by increasing a protein called sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) in the blood. SHBG soaks up free testosterone in the bloodstream, ensuring they are unavailable to cause acne. This method requires patience, as one may experience breakouts within the first three months of use while it tries to adjust to your body. I have not tried this yet.

The birth control pills work from the inside out to balance the raging hormones.

The other guides are non-hormonal remedies that control how much the effect of the raging hormones show on your face.

Dear women, don’t let that time of the month stop your groove. You’ve got this!

Does your acne act up during your time of the month too? Tried any of these remedies before?