Acne Awareness Month: Hormonal Triggers and Prevention Strategies

"The most important thing is to try to treat acne before it pops up to that stage, so it's better to start from the basics rather than going after it when it's already popped up," said Kord Honda, MD. Honda is a dermatologist and dermatopathologist at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and a professor of dermatology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Ohio. In an interview, he discussed the hormonal drivers of acne and common skin care misconceptions tied to Acne Awareness Month.

Patient Population and Treatment Trends

Honda said most patients present in their mid-teenage years, with care often continuing through college and into early adulthood. A smaller group of new patients present in young adulthood, occasionally into the early 30s.

"Most commonly they'll come in mid-teenage years and we follow them often through college and maybe into their early adulthood," Honda said.

Pimple patches have become a popular treatment trend over the past several years. Honda noted his own daughters use them. Before pimple patches, patients commonly used spot treatment with benzoyl peroxide for active breakouts.

Hormonal Drivers of Acne Development

Acne onset follows puberty, when hormone activation enlarges the sebaceous glands and increases their activity. In women, menstrual cycle-related hormonal fluctuations can contribute to acne and may warrant a different treatment approach.

Spot-treating visible pimples carries a risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and scarring. Honda said the priority is preventing blackheads from progressing to whiteheads, since whiteheads are typically what prompts spot treatment or pimple patch use.

"It's much more important to treat it at that point, and also we want to control the acne before we go for any of the scarring or the residual of the acne, such as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation," Honda said.

Common Skin Care Misconceptions

Honda addressed a persistent misconception linking acne to poor hygiene.

"People sometimes think that the dirtiness of their skin is what leads to acne, and that's not true," Honda said.

He attributed acne development to sticky skin cells, active oil glands, and a bacterial component rather than dirt. Overwashing the face does not improve acne and can cause irritation. Layering additional products raises the risk of allergic reactions and irritation rather than acne itself.

Honda advised choosing non-comedogenic products, since comedogenic formulations contribute to blocked pores, sebum buildup, and blackhead formation, the initiating factor in acne.