Acne can have multiple causes; it could be because of your diet, skin care, genetics,and hormones. Apart from these, studies show that acne is a reflection of something that is happening inside your body rather than directly on your skin.

That is why treating hormonal acne with topical treatments would never actually cure the root of the problem. It’s basically like placing a temporary solution on a more long-term problem. However, as and when problems related to thyroid functions cause the acne, it becomes a little more difficult to treat as it isn’t normally diagnosed as the primary cause.

Acne and Hypothyroidism: How Are They Related?

Acne caused by hormonal imbalance is not something that can be addressed by traditional treatments, which is why most pharmaceutical companies market birth control pills as a method of treatment. Although it may seem effective at first, using oral contraceptives causes a further imbalance in your hormones. Hypothyroidism-based acne affects 5-10%of the population, and this is because hypothyroidism is mismanaged most of the time.

If you have acne and are unable to pinpoint the exact cause, it would be smart to consult dermatologist. Not all acne cases are the same, and when your dermatologist knows what he or she is doing, they would always try to get to the bottom of the problem. Seasoned dermatologists would request hormone tests to see if your acne is hormone-related.

Acne caused by hypothyroidism has very distinct characteristics.For one, it is cystic in nature and improves with the introduction of a thyroid hormone. It’s not cyclical, and the acne is distributed all over the body. Although there are other hormonal imbalances that can cause acne, it is observed that hypothyroidism worsens that kind of acne.

Hypothyroidism-based acne is often overlooked because hypothyroidism is difficult to detect. You may test the blood to check thyroid functions, but that doesn’t often give a diagnosis of hypo or hyperthyroidism. In order to treat the acne, you should treat hypothyroidism.

Treating Hypothyroidism With Additional Thyroid Hormones

A way for people to treat hypothyroidism is by taking thyroid medications. For most cases, this will place T3 to be able to convert from T4. This balances out your hormones,thus improving the acne problem. For others who are unable to convert T4 to T3,using traditional treatments can be ineffective because the thyroid isn’t getting enough of the needed thyroid hormone in the problem areas.

To improve treatment, dermatologists suggest the use of Armour Thyroid, WP Thyroid, or Nature-Throid. If none of these medications work, then you may be dealing with a non-hypothyroidism case. If you don’t want to introduce chemicals to your body, there are ways to increase T3 naturally. You can do this by taking supplements that are rich in zinc, Omega 3, vitamin A, and vitamin K2.

Treating Your Gastro-Intestinal Tract

Another thing that is worsening your acne problem may be related to your GI tract.Hypothyroidism causes the GI tract function to slow down, which results in constipation,bacterial overgrowth and fungal overgrowth in the small intestine, increased intestinal permeability, and changes in bacterial concentration. These can worsen acne as well as cause other skin changes.

Sometimes,treating the thyroid will reverse these effects, but not always. However, more often than not, hypothyroidism needs more intervention than just the addition of thyroid hormones. If you experience bloating or gassiness, you can treat this by taking herbal supplements or drinking tea. This is an example of basic interventions you can turn to treat GI problems that may be related to hypothyroidism.

Changing Your Unhealthy Lifestyle Habits

Another thing that can cause low thyroid function is an unhealthy lifestyle. Excessive stress is known to worsen acne. To treat this, you should find an outlet to de-stressor try to pinpoint what is causing it.

Aside from that, the food you ingest can have extreme effects on your physiologic functions. Some doctors suggest that you switch to grass-fed, free-range meals to avoid putting in too many synthetic components in your body. Drinking six to eight glasses of water a day(more if you have an active lifestyle) is also important. Cellular hydration is necessary to promote normal functions in the body.

Another way to eliminate waste is by exercising and building up a sweat. Hypothyroidism causes a lot of physiological imbalances and acne is just one of the symptoms. Managing acne means addressing anything that may be throwing your body out of whack.

Consult a dermatologist to figure out what is causing it your acne, and an endocrinologist will give you insights on how to treat hypothyroidism and what habits need to change to improve your physiological functions. Managing hypothyroidism-based acne doesn’t have to be difficult when you are aware.