Acne is an indicator of a primary hormonal imbalance in the body. Women with PCOS often suffer from acne and oily skin as a manifestation of hormonal imbalance. Excessive androgens or male hormones cause acne in women with PCOS.
PCOS cystic acne is typical in appearance, presenting as large, red, and deep breakouts on your skin - a severe form of acne resulting from hormonal imbalance. PCOS-related acne tends to be concentrated in “hormonally sensitive,” areas-especially the lower one-third part of the face. This includes cheeks, jawline, chin, and upper neck. Stress, along with a carbohydrate-rich diet, can exacerbate this condition further. Dealing with Acne in PCOS women can be a distressing experience. In order to effectively manage these complications, we have to dig deeper and understand the root cause of PCOS.
What is PCOS and why do I have it?
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition in which the ovaries produce an abnormal amount of androgens, male sex hormones that are usually present in women in small amounts. The name polycystic ovary syndrome describes the numerous small cysts (fluid-filled sacs) that form in the ovaries. PCOS affects almost 1 in 10 women of childbearing age. Some of the symptoms are:
1. Irregular or no Ovulation
Healthy ovaries release eggs each month. When there’s a problem with the ovaries, as can happen with PCOS, it can impact fertility and normal menstruation. In fact, PCOS is the leading cause of ovulatory infertility in women.
2. A high Number of Follicles on the Ovaries
Irregular periods may signal that the body is not regularly ovulating. Physical abnormalities, such as an excess number of ovarian follicles (sometimes called cysts in PCOS, though these are in fact follicles), can be determined by ultrasound.
3. Hyperandrogenism (high androgen levels, based on lab tests)
Hyperandrogenism is the presence of too many androgens. These are reproductive hormones like testosterone that can affect ovulation, making it difficult for your body to release eggs. Hyperandrogenism may also be associated with other symptoms, including:
hirsutism, or excessive facial and body hair growth
acne
alopecia (hair loss)
Now, why do I have PCOS?
Most websites or doctors will tell you that the potential causes of PCOS are genetic or maybe environmental. As we just learned high androgens may cause many of the symptoms of PCOS. A cause for high Androgen Levels can be high insulin and and insulin resistance. Unfortunately, insulin levels are rarely checked. You can’t really determine what’s going on with insulin by checking your blood sugar levels. You could actually have normal blood sugars and still have high levels of insulin. Now how does insulin resistance effect our Androgen Levels? It does so in two different ways : When you increase insulin you are provoking a spike of the luteinising hormone which comes down from the pituitary to the ovaries and triggers the Thecalcells to increase Androgens. The second act happens in the liver. A protein made by your liver called "sex hormone- binding globulin" (SHBG) filters our Androgens - When you increase insulin you decrease the ability of the liver to buffer Androgens and consequently a higher amount of free testosterones is being released.
What is Insulin Resistance and how did that happen ?
Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, helps regulate blood glucose levels.
When you eat a diet rich in sugar and processed carbohydrates sugar rapidly enters your bloodstream and a rush of insulin follows. If sugar continues to enter your bloodstream, your pancreas will continually release insulin.
Insulin resistance happens when your body makes enough insulin but doesn’t use it effectively. Normally, sugar is used as fuel in the body. But, with insulin resistance, sugar is converted into fat. As a result, blood glucose can be higher than normal. The body responds by making extra insulin (hyperinsulinemia). If the pancreas can’t keep up with this extra insulin, type 2 diabetes may develop.
There is also a test that you can do to determine if you have insulin resistance. Many doctors are not familiar with this test, but it is called HOMA-IR. This is the best objective test to measure insulin resistance.
According to one recent estimate, insulin resistance is present in about 44% to 70% of people with PCOS.
How can I lower my insulin Levels to reverse PCOS and heal my skin ?
1. Diet
Diet may be the main factor which impacts insulin resistance in PCOS. When you eat carbohydrates, they’re broken down into glucose during digestion. That glucose enters the bloodstream, then insulin takes it out of the blood and into the cell. The more refined carbohydrates and sugar you eat, the higher the demand for insulin. Sources of carbohydrates include rice, pasta, cereal, oats, bread, starchy vegetables, fruit, and tortillas. To improve insulin resistance, it may be better to choose whole grains and complex carbohydrates that are higher in fiber. High-fiber foods are typically lower on the glycemic index (GI). The glycemic index ranks foods according to how they impact glucose levels. Choosing low GI foods over high GI foods may improve insulin resistance. Starting anything new requires consistency to see results. Sticking with your dietary changes is essential, otherwise the effects of insulin resistance will reoccur.
Intermittent fasting is not a diet. It is limiting the frequency of meals, allowing you to rely on fat burning for all the time between meals and while you’re sleeping at night.
RULE: DON’T EAT IF YOU ARE NOT HUNGRY.
This is important because one of the primary triggers of insulin is eating - eating anything. Eating five to six times a day - and let's not forget snacking - will spike insulin. Frequent eating throughout the day causes chronic sustained higher levels of insulin.
Eating less often with no snacks to spike insulin in between meals is the most powerful way to correct insulin resistance. To do this, first start with three meals per day—NO snacks—absolutely nothing between meals but water, and other non-caloric, non-insulin- spiking drinks.
Keeping insulin at a normal level between meals and during sleep allows the pancreas to rest and recover. However, some people have a hard time going from one meal to the next because they experience blood sugar crashes and severe hunger.
The solution to this is to consume more fat during the meal, fats from butter, healthy oils, cheeses like cottage cheese, etc.. Fat not only satisfies you the most; it triggers insulin the least. Consuming lean protein and low-fat meals keeps you hungry, so the answer is more fat. The goal over time is to gradually transition from three meals per day to a shortened daily eating window of only two meals per day. This is not about lowering your calorie intake; it’s about eating less often. The idea is to reduce the frequency of meals you eat and avoid spiking insulin. If you’re transitioning from three to two meals, it is important those two meals contain the same calories and nutrients as the three meals. Your cells will eventually adjust, and you’ll enter full fat-burning mode. Then it gets easy to resist snacking because you have no cravings and are not hungry anymore.
3. Exercise
Exercise helps lower cardiovascular risk in people with PCOS and may improve insulin resistance. It may also improve mood and cognition, reduce risk for disease, improve strength, and help you manage existing health conditions.
Using our Cell Regenerating Face Oil along with a healthy diet and lifestyle is crucial for remaining a healthy glowing skin. Especially Clary Sage Essential oil is known for its antibacterial and antiseptic properties that help balancing acne breakouts. With the powerful symbiosis of all 15 different botanicals Stephanie K Cell Regenerating Face Oil addresses inflammation and can help neutralize free radicals. We receive feedback from women who say that Stephanie K Cell Regenerating Face Oil has improved their rosacea and acne, whereas medicines and creams have failed.
This information is not intended as and does not constitute medical claims or advice, and should therefore not replace the advice of trained medical professionals and healthcare service providers. This information must not be used for diagnosis, treatment, prevention, or cure of diseases or other medical conditions for oneself or others. People with health issues and medical conditions should seek the assistance of properly trained healthcare providers.
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