Tag: skin

Experiencing severe period pain that stops you in your tracks, or cycles that are unpredictable from month to month, is a clear sign that your body needs attention. Irregular periods and intense pain are not simply something you have to endure. They are powerful signals of a deeper issue, often stemming from hormonal imbalances or underlying reproductive health conditions. Understanding what constitutes a ‘normal’ cycle is the first step toward recognising when your body is sending up a red flag. The second is knowing that targeted testing can find the specific cause, getting you off the cycle of pain and uncertainty. This article outlines all of this. We’ll also explain how our Advanced At-Home Hormone and Fertility Test can uncover the root causes of your symptoms. Take the Test → The Menstrual Cycle: A Vital Sign Your menstrual cycle is far more than just your period; it is a vital sign of your overall health, carefully regulated by cycling hormones—namely oestradiol, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinising hormone (LH). The cycle begins on the first day of your bleed and ends the day before your next bleed. It is broken down into two coordinated cycles: the ovarian cycle (managing egg release) and the uterine cycle (managing the womb lining). Follicular Phase: This first phase, beginning with your period, involves a rise in FSH to mature an egg, which in turn leads to rising oestradiol levels. Ovulation: The mid-cycle surge of LH triggers the release of the egg. Luteal Phase: After ovulation, progesterone rises to prepare the uterine lining for potential pregnancy. A drop in both oestradiol and progesterone, if no pregnancy occurs, triggers your next period, starting the cycle anew. Defining Normal vs. Irregular Cycles Understanding the precise timing of your cycle is essential for identifying potential issues. Normal Cycle Length: An average cycle lasts around 28 days, but a healthy range falls anywhere between 21 and 35 days. Having a one-off longer or shorter cycle is usually nothing to worry about. Irregular Cycle Definition: Your cycles are defined as irregular when they are consistently shorter than 21 days or longer than 35 days. An irregular cycle can also be diagnosed when the length varies by more than 7 days from your shortest cycle to your longest cycle.  Normal Period Duration (Bleeding): A period is normally classified as lasting anywhere between 2 and 7 days, with the heaviest bleeding usually during the first two days. Bleeding that is consistently prolonged or lasts longer than 8 days is often a sign of heavy periods or an underlying structural issue. An irregular cycle is one of the clearest signals of a hormonal imbalance, as the lack of regular ovulation breaks the hormonal rhythm needed for a predictable period. What Causes Painful and Heavy Periods? Severe pain (dysmenorrhea) and heavy periods (menorrhagia) are symptoms with deep hormonal and structural roots. Hormonal Mechanisms of Pain and Bleeding It’s often the imbalance between oestrogen and a lack of proper progesterone that causes cycle issues. If you fail to ovulate, the ovaries don’t produce enough progesterone. Oestrogen continues to build up the uterine lining (endometrium) without opposition. This leads to an excessively thick lining that is difficult to shed, resulting in heavy periods. Period pain itself is caused by the release of chemicals called prostaglandins, which trigger the uterine muscles to contract. Conditions that increase inflammation or tissue build-up in the pelvic region cause the body to release a higher volume of prostaglandins, leading to the kind of crippling pain described as ‘a razor blade pain’.  Finally, heavy, prolonged bleeding can deplete your body’s iron stores, leading to Iron Deficiency Anaemia. This is a common consequence of unmanaged heavy periods and causes secondary symptoms like fatigue, low energy, and hair thinning. Key Conditions Linked to Painful & Irregular Cycles Many complex reproductive health conditions manifest as pain and irregularity. Finding the root cause requires checking for these conditions, all of which Hertility is able to support the diagnosis of through our comprehensive testing and clinical pathways: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): This common hormonal condition is a major cause of infrequent or absent periods (oligomenorrhoea or amenorrhoea). This is driven by elevated testosterone (androgens) which may disrupt ovulation. Endometriosis, Adenomyosis: These are key causes of severe, debilitating pain, chronic pelvic pain, and heavy periods. The chronic inflammation and lesion growth are sensitive to oestrogen levels (Hoffman et al., 2021). Thyroid Conditions: Imbalances in TSH and free thyroxine (hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism) directly disrupt the hormonal signals required for regular ovulation, often leading to irregularity, absence, or heavy bleeding. Early Menopause / Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI): As ovarian function diminishes, signalled by low AMH and high FSH and LH, cycles typically become shorter and more frequent before becoming irregular or absent. POI occurs before age 40, and early menopause occurs between 40 and 45. Uterine Fibroids and Polyps: These structural growths are a common cause of very heavy and prolonged bleeding, and their growth is sensitive to oestradiol levels (Hoffman et al., 2021). Hyperprolactinaemia: Excess prolactin can suppress the release of LH and FSH, inhibiting ovulation and leading to infrequent or absent periods. Hypothalamic Amenorrhoea: Chronic stress, under-eating, or excessive exercise that suppresses the brain’s signalling to the ovaries can cause irregular or absent periods. 💡 Think your symptoms may be signs of an underlying condition?  Take our Advanced At-Home Hormone and Fertility Test to investigate the cause of your painful or irregular cycles and get a personalised care plan. Take the Test When to Get Tested If you are experiencing pain that requires strong painkillers, or if your cycle falls outside the normal 21-35 day range, you should seek medical advice. Do not normalise crippling pain. You should consider testing your personalised hormones if: You regularly go longer than 35 days between periods. Your cycle length varies by more than 7 days each month. Your pain is severe enough to interfere with work, sleep, or daily activities (dysmenorrhea). You bleed heavily (soaking through a pad or tampon […]

We’re all sold the ideal of perfect skin by skin care companies. But sometimes the cause of our breakouts is more than skin deep. So how do we know if our skin troubles are hormone-related? Read on to find out. Quick facts: What is hormonal acne? Hormonal acne is acne or breakouts that are related to hormonal fluctuations or imbalances.  Typically hormonal acne is found on the lower face, cheeks and jawline chest, neck, shoulders and back. Hormonal acne can affect people of all ages. Whilst it’s common during puberty when lots of hormonal changes are occurring, it can also be common as an adult, especially for women and people who menstruate, due to hormonal fluctuations throughout the menstrual cycle. What causes hormonal acne? Your skin has many small glands, called sebaceous glands, that produce an oily substance called sebum. Sebum helps keep your skin supple, smooth and healthy.  These glands also have receptors for our sex hormones, particularly androgens like testosterone, and oestrogen. Both of these hormones stimulate the production of sebum. When excess sebum is produced, this buildup causes visibly oilier skin and can clog the pores, resulting in inflammation and acne breakouts. Hormonal acne and androgens When our bodies produce excess amounts of androgens, it can cause hormonal acne and other skin problems. If androgen levels are higher than normal, there is more androgen binding to the sebaceous gland receptors, promoting more sebum production.  There can be lots of reasons for elevated androgens. A common cause is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Those who experience PCOS are more likely to experience excess androgen-related symptoms like acne, excessive facial and body hair growth (hirsutism) and skin darkening.  Trans and non-binary people who begin taking testosterone as part of their transition journey may also notice acne breakouts because of raised androgen levels. Hormonal acne and oestrogen Sebum production is also influenced by the menstrual cycle, specifically by the hormone oestrogen.  Oestrogen fluctuates throughout the menstrual cycle. It’s at its lowest level during your period and gradually rises to a peak at ovulation, around the mid-point in your cycle. Although the impact of oestrogen on the sebaceous glands is not fully known, it has been shown to suppress sebum production at high levels. Therefore when your oestrogen levels are higher, generally your skin will be clearer. This is why lots of people experience hormonal acne flare-ups just before or during their periods when oestrogen levels are low.  Oestrogen is also associated with increased collagen production, skin thickness, skin hydration and wound healing—which all contribute to clear-looking, healthy skin. After menopause, your oestrogen drops. Some people find that this drop causes hormonal acne and may also leave their skin dry, itchy and saggy. For some individuals, HRT to reduce the symptoms of menopause can also cause hormonal acne. How to treat hormonal acne? If you think you suspect you’re suffering from hormonal acne, there a number of treatments you can explore.  Firstly, if you’re not already, begin tracking when you have flare-ups and your periods. You can do this with a period tracking app or just using a calendar. This will help you to understand when in your cycle you’re getting flare-ups and whether it could be due to hormonal fluctuations during your cycle.  Testing your hormones will be able to give you answers as to whether you have raised androgen levels. Our advanced hormone and fertility test can help you identify any hormonal imbalances.  There are topical treatments available that can help with flare-ups, as well as some contraceptives like the combined pill that has anti-androgenic properties. Lifestyle changes like diet, exercise, stress and alcohol reduction can also have a significant impact.  If you’re struggling with your skin, don’t suffer in silence. Reach out to us and get on a plan to find the root cause of your skin issues. References: