Hormonal acne is one of the most common concerns we talk to women about. It can be painful to deal with, and can really really give the old self-confidence a knock.
Even if you sailed through the awkward teenage years zit-free, a change in your hormone levels or contraception can be enough to cause a flare-up around the jawline, cheeks and neck.
But all is not lost, with the right support to correct what’s is going on with your hormones, you can achieve healthy, clear skin again - which is exactly what Laura did.
Laura is a skin therapist herself, who runs R&R skin clinic and has a very holistic approach to skin health.
We are beyond happy for Laura (and her glowing skin!) and asked her kindly if we could share her story.
Here’s what she told us.
How it all began
I started questioning my hormone health in 2017 after stopping my hormonal contraception of 10 years (Depo Provera). I had not received a period for 10 years and wanted to give my body a break from hormonal contraception to discover what my ‘normal’ was.
It took a loooong time for my periods to return (about 10months) but when they did, they were like clockwork with minimal symptoms (yay!).
After a few months of normal cycles, I decided to review my contraceptive options and opted for a copper IUD as the absence of synthetic hormones appealed to me (as a non-hormonal option).
And then things really got interesting...
Since the IUD insertion, my periods and PMS symptoms slowly got worse and worse. I had never experienced acne as a teen but was now consistently experiencing large, inflamed, cystic breakouts around my chin/jawline.
The pain associated with these hormonal breakouts was horrible – the constant throbbing on my face a non-stop reminder that my skin was not behaving.
My self-esteem was plummeting. I am a Beauty Therapist and was highly embarrassed at work that clients would judge my skin. I tried every acne treatment on offer to me, and while they would help to improve healing or reduce inflammation, it wouldn’t stop the next crop of fresh breakouts from coming through.
On top of this, I experienced slight weight gain, a physical change in my body shape, a change in where I would typically ‘hold’ weight, and my cycle was also long and irregular (anywhere from 30 to 50 days).
Throughout various stages of my cycle, I would also experience a variety of other symptoms including tiredness/lack of energy, extremely sore breasts, nausea/dizziness and strong pains around the time of ovulation and during my period.
Having such unpredictable symptoms made day-to-day functioning challenging. I was OVER IT.
Taking action
In 2019 I went to a Gynaecologist who suggested I may have PCOS. I was sent for blood tests for Testosterone, FSH & LH, and an internal ultrasound. The blood test results came back within ‘normal range’ for the hormones tested. The ultrasound showed an unusually high number of follicles on my ovaries.
The conclusion was vague and I was essentially told nothing was wrong but I may be borderline for PCOS.
It was all very confusing.
Testing with Eve
I had been following BePure and Eve Wellness for a while. As a former Food Scientist, I had always appreciated Ben Warren’s approach to Health & Wellness.
I was intrigued by the hormone test and so incredibly fed up with dealing with my symptoms so in May of this year ordered The Eve Test Complete. I wish I had of done this sooner!
The process was so simple (the hardest part for me was figuring out my ovulation to time when to take the test).
I was beyond happy when my personalised results report came through. It was fascinating and all made so much sense! My progesterone was essentially non-existent (probably a result of 10 years of progestin injections!) and my oestrogen metabolism was favouring a wrong pathway.
For the first time in 3 years, I felt hopeful and motivated to make a change.
A few months later...
I took on board the lifestyle suggestions in the report and ordered one of the recommended hormone support supplements from BePure. After just 1 month, my skin has cleared completely!
I have now experienced 2 full menstrual cycles since receiving my test results which have already reduced in length with lessening PMS symptoms.
My hormones are obviously still stabilising but I am positive that things will continue to improve.
Overall, I am thankful for this journey. I have learned so much and am much more aware of my hormones, body and the way it functions. It has also made me a better Beauty Therapist, giving me insight and a deepened appreciation for a holistic approach to acne & skin concerns (I’m even strongly recommending my clients get an Eve Hormone Test!).
I am so grateful for Eve Wellness and BePure for putting me on the right path and helping me to feel more like myself again.
Thank you.
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