Hormonal acne
What's behind your breakouts, and how to find out.
Testosterone and Acne: What Your Levels Mean for Your Skin
Acne tracks the testosterone your skin can actually use, not the total on a lab report. Here's how free testosterone, SHBG, DHEA-S and blood sugar fit together in women and men, why TRT can trigger breakouts, and how to check your levels at home.
How Long Does Birth Control Take to Clear Acne? What to Know
The pill usually takes about 3 months to improve acne and 6 for the full effect, but it masks hormonal acne rather than showing you the cause. Here's the timeline, which methods can make acne worse, and when to test your hormones.
Perimenopause Acne: Why Breakouts Start (or Return) in Your 40s
Falling estrogen and dropping SHBG can tip the balance toward androgens in your 40s, bringing breakouts to the chin, jawline and around the mouth. Here is what drives perimenopause acne and when to get checked.
Do Dermatologists Do Blood Tests for Acne? What to Ask For
Most acne is diagnosed just by looking at your skin. Here's when dermatologists do order blood tests, which hormone tests are typically used, and how to ask your doctor about them.
Acne in Your 30s or 40s When You Never Had It as a Teen
Adult acne is common in women, even without a teen history. Here's what research says about how often it happens, how it differs from teen acne and what drives it.
Acne After Stopping Birth Control: How Long It Lasts and Why
Stopping the pill lowers SHBG and lets androgen activity rebound, which can trigger breakouts. Here's what changes, what's known about how long it lasts, and when to get checked.
Low SHBG and Acne: Why Normal Testosterone Isn't the Full Story
SHBG decides how much of your testosterone is active. When it's low, normal testosterone can still behave like too much. Here's what the research shows and how to read the pattern.
Normal Bloodwork but Still Have Acne? 5 Reasons Labs Miss the Cause
"Normal" bloodwork usually means the acne-related markers were never tested. Here are five reasons standard labs miss what is driving your breakouts, and what to ask for.
Blood Tests for Acne: The Labs That Matter and What They Show
There's no single acne blood test, but a few labs can show what's driving yours: hormones, blood sugar and metabolism, liver and kidney, and vitamin D. Here's what each marker shows and which ones are worth adding.
PCOS Acne: Causes, Where It Shows Up, and What to Test
PCOS acne is driven by high androgens, low SHBG and insulin. Here's how to tell if your acne is from PCOS, why it clusters on the chin and jawline, how it differs from hormonal acne, and which blood markers to check at home.