How to Heal Post-Pill Acne
Did you recently come off the birth control pill and are experiencing a surge of acne?
This is because certain birth control pills suppress the circulation of androgens (male hormones) in the body, which then decreases the sebum production that can cause acne. When you decide to come off the pill, your androgen hormones can suddenly elevate, which causes sebum production and acne to increase. This event is called “androgen rebound.”
Some women report that their post-pill acne eventually sorts itself out when their hormones begin to balance, while others say that it remains an ongoing battle. If you were put on the combination pill for acne to begin with, it is likely that it will return after quitting. However, many women experience post-pill acne even if they have never had an issue with acne before.
When it comes to healing post-pill acne, I find the best approach is one that balances the body naturally. See, when you come off hormonal birth control, you are taking away a drug that masked a lot of imbalances within the body. Those imbalances never went away, they were just covered up by the pill. So when you come off, those imbalances are still there and can possibly be even worse due to the damage caused by the pill.
And yes, the pill causes damage! The pill depletes your body of much needed nutrients, compromises gut health, liver detoxification, and puts added stress on the adrenal glands, all which contribute to acne. In order to achieve healthy skin again, you need to heal your body.
Fortunately, there is a step-by-step approach that has worked fabulously for many women.
1. Cut Out Inflammatory Foods-
Dairy, sugar, gluten, alcohol, and processed foods can trigger inflammation in the body and cause acne. It’s a great idea to embark upon an elimination diet to see what foods trigger your breakouts.
2. Make Sure Digestion is Working Properly-
40% of women with acne suffer from low stomach acid. We need stomach acid to properly break down our foods so that we can absorb our nutrients and prevent undigested food particles from causing inflammation further down the GI tract.
3. Heal Your Gut-
The pill compromises gut health, which means you likely have an imbalance between good and bad bacteria. Plus, you could be suffering from “leaky gut,” a.k.a intestinal permeability, that allows foreign particles to get into your bloodstream where they don’t belong and trigger inflammation.
4. Balance Your Blood Sugar-
Stable blood sugar is the foundation for all hormone balance. If your blood sugar is off, so will your hormones be. Making sure to eat the right amount of healthy protein, fats, and carbs at the right times each day will keep your blood sugar stable.
5. Support Your Liver-
Your liver is your powerhouse organ that processes your hormones and detoxifies your body. The pill can burden the liver so it’s important to support your detoxification center by removing environmental toxins and consuming plenty of liver loving foods and nutrients.
6. Keep Androgens in Check-
I haven’t forgotten about the androgens! The tips I mentioned above will greatly improve your body’s ability to keep your androgen hormone levels in check. There are also wonderful herbs like Saw Palmetto and even DIM (in the right circumstances) that can help to make that happen.
7. Adopt a Gentle, Yet Effective Skincare Routine-
There is a bazillion skin products out there that are formulated for acne. Many of them dry your skin out and disrupt your natural protective barrier. Using a gentle pH balanced cleanser, moisturizer, and proper skin actives is a necessary piece to helping your skin control and heal from post-pill acne.
I highly recommend working with a functional health practitioner who specializes in acne to help guide you on this journey. My 12-week Nutritional Therapy Program provides a customized plan to help you achieve all of these steps. If you’re interested in learning more you can book a free 20 minute discovery call with me here.
I know first hand how continuous acne breakouts can affect the way we feel about ourselves and how we show up in the world. Instead of the endless trial and error and money thrown down the drain trying to fix it, it’s really best to get to the root cause of it all and clear your acne for good!