WORDS FRANCESCA SPECTER
Photograph Stocksy
While we hoped hormonal skin was just a teenage phenomenon, the reality is not so simple. Whether it’s that time of the month, a pregnancy or the menopause, our hormone levels (think oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone) play a vital part in determining our complexion. Now the relationship between hormones and our skin is in the spotlight more than ever, as adult acne is on the rise – 54 per cent of women over 25 now have the condition, according to one recent study. Unruly hormones – the result of stress – are largely to blame, according to Dr Louise Newson, who heads up the Newson Health Menopause and Wellbeing Clinic: ‘Having continual stress can increase our hormone levels,’ she says, ‘which then leads to an increase in oil production in our skin and acne.’ What’s more, the hormonal contraceptive pill (taken by a quarter of 16-49-year-old women) is another factor which can affect skin for better or worse, according to consultant dermatologist Dr Anjali Mahto.