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Most of us have, at some point in our lives, suffered from some form of acne. We had to endure the painful years of our teens with sudden or persistent breakouts on our chins, foreheads, around our nose, or even on our bodies.
While the exact origins of acne can be complex and different for many people, acne breakouts are commonly due to fluctuations in hormones. Think about it: when you hit your teens, adult sex hormones start flooding and overwhelming your body. People’s bodies and minds change rapidly over time, causing growth in many areas as well as emotional fluctuations. There is no better way to describe acne in your teens than as an emotional rollercoaster. With such complex causes, pimple treatment can seem complicated and frustrating.
For many, acne breakouts and flares tend to settle down when you reach your early twenties, but this is not the case for all. In fact, women are more likely to experience acne throughout their lifetime until they reach menopause. The reason? Women’s sex hormones fluctuate more than men’s do because of their menstrual cycle. Typically, men’s hormones will stabilize into their early twenties, but because the amount of each woman’s sex hormones ebbs and flows throughout the month, even those with irregular periods can experience acne. Below are how certain hormones affect acne.
Estrogen is classified as a female sex hormone. It exists as one of the primary hormones that help women develop secondary sex characteristics and regulate the female reproductive system. It is the cause of pubic and underarm hair growth, the development of the breasts, and the start of the menstrual cycle. It is also critical for women because it keeps cholesterol under control, protects bone health, and influences your mood.
If you experience acne during the same time every month in your menstrual cycle, this could be due to ovulation. Ovulation is the midpoint of the menstrual cycle, when the egg is released. Shortly after, the estrogen levels begin to decline, and this decline coincides with the prevalence of another sex hormone, testosterone.
Testosterone is considered a male sex hormone. Testosterone fuels sex drive, and contributes to the prevalent growth of men’s hair, testes, and sex drive. Women also produce testosterone, particularly in the ovaries, but it is in a much smaller amount. Testosterone is responsible for activation of oil glands in the skin called sebocytes. Small amounts of sebocytes are healthy for the skin, as it helps clear the pore of dead skin cells and excess bacteria.
However, when estrogen falls after ovulation it leaves more room for the testosterone to have more influence on the body. When testosterone stimulates the cell receptors in the oil glands, they can produce excess oil for a female’s skin, which can lead to the characteristic acne a woman receives every month. When estrogen levels rise again, the acne typically clears up.
Top image via Pixabay
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Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Women today don’t want to be in a partnership that complicates their lives further. They need an equal partner with whom they can figure out life as a team, playing by each other’s strengths.
We all are familiar with that one annoying aunty who is more interested in our marital status than in the dessert counter at a wedding. But these aunties have somehow become obsolete now. Now they are replaced by men we have in our lives. Friends, family, and even work colleagues. It’s the men who are worried about why we are not saying yes to one among their clans. What is wrong with us? Aren’t we scared of dying alone? Like them?
A recent interaction with a guy friend of mine turned sour when he lectured me about how I would regret not getting married at the right time. He lectured that every event in our lives needs to be completed within a certain timeframe set by society else we are doomed. I wasn’t angry. I was just disappointed to realize that annoying aunties are rapidly doubling in our society. And they don’t just appear at weddings or family functions anymore. They are everywhere. They are the real pandemic.
Let’s examine this a little closer.
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