4 Types of Hormonal Acne (and How to Fix Each One)
If you’ve ever thought, “Ugh, my acne must be from my hormones…” you’re not alone.
Most of my female clients are convinced hormones are the root of their breakouts.
But here’s what no one tells you:
There are actually four very different types of hormonal acne — and figuring out which one you have is everything.
Get this right and you can finally get your skin under control. Get it wrong, and you could spend years stuck fighting breakouts. .
In almost 20 years of treating acne, I’ve helped women clear hormonal acne without changing their hormones — and many see clear skin in just 3 months. Let’s break it down so you can see exactly where you fit in.
Type 1: PCOS-Related Acne
PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) only affects about 6–8% of women, but if you have it, it’s tough on acne.
Your body produces high levels of androgens (testosterone-like hormones) that flood your skin with oil and clog your pores constantly. These breakouts are deep, painful, and notoriously hard to treat.
But there is some good news for women with PCOS. A little-known supplement called myo-inositol.
It’s well-studied, natural, and helps balance insulin, regulate cycles, and lower androgen levels — all of which can improve PCOS-related acne dramatically. It can even reverse PCOS all-together.
If you have PCOS, I highly recommend you look into myo-inositol. It has the potential to get your hormonal acne under control for the long-term.
Type 2: Birth Control–Induced Acne
This one’s personal for me.
When I was 12, I was prescribed birth control for my acne. I only had a couple of pimples at the time — but the pill I was given actually caused much worse breakouts… for the next 15 years.
There are 2 categories of birth control: high in estrogen and high in progestins.
The types high and estrogen can actually help your acne temporarily by suppressing the hormones that lead to breakouts. But the ones high in progestins can cause acne.
These include:
All IUDs (yes, even copper)
Arm implants like Nexplanon or Implanon
The Depo-Provera shot
Pills high in progestins and low in estrogen
And if you’re on one of these and breaking out, don’t worry. You can still get your acne under control without switching birth control — but it takes a consistent, topical routine.
Pro Tip: It is completely possible to have clear skin without taking birth control. If you’re planning to phase off yours, start a benzoyl peroxide routine for 6–8 weeks beforehand. It’s one of the best ways to prevent flare-ups.
Here’s a client of mine, Hannah. Her acne was triggered by the Kylena IUD (which was actually prescribed for acne). With the right topical products, her skin completely cleared in just 3 months.
Type 3: Situational Hormonal Acne
This is acne that flares up during specific life phases:
Pregnancy, monthly cycles, perimenopause, menopause, HRT, or transitioning.
The trick here? Start prevention early.
When my clients begin the right topical products (especially benzoyl peroxide) before breakouts show up, they often never see the hormonal flare happen.
Even if you’re in the middle of it — like my client Brook, who was 6 months pregnant and breaking out badly — you can still get it under control quickly. Her acne was under control in 10 weeks, right before her baby was born.
Type 4: “Not-Really-Hormonal“ Acne
Hear me out on this one — it’s the most common type I see.
If you don’t have PCOS, birth control-related issues, or a situational hormone change… your acne might not be hormonal at all.
Usually, what it really means is that you haven’t correctly identified your real acne triggers, and it’s easy to assume your acne is hormonal because nothing else has worked.
Often, the real causes are:
Pore-clogging skincare or makeup
Hair products
Diet (peanut butter, whey, energy drinks)
Certain vitamins and supplements
Even laundry products
One of my clients thought her acne was hormonal for years. But once we dug deeper, we discovered it was actually being caused by her skincare products and protein shake. As soon as she made those changes, her skin cleared right up.
Once we clean up those triggers and get the right products in place? The “hormonal” acne vanishes.
Here’s the bottom line:
You can clear your skin without extreme diets, risky medications, or changing your hormones — but you need to know what type you’re actually dealing with in order to get the best results.
