Survey study, 2010
What causes or increases the risk of premenstrual acne?
Mental stress, spicy and fried foods, stomach problems, family history, and hormone-related issues showed a clear relationship with worse premenstrual acne. Age and season did not show a clear relationship.
What they did
Researchers reviewed medical records of 660 patients with premenstrual acne seen between February 2006 and October 2009. They collected information about diet, stress levels, medical history, family history, physical features, and medical conditions affecting hormones.
What they found
Spicy and fried foods, mental stress, stomach problems, family history of acne, longer hairs around the nipples, and thyroid, adrenal, or ovarian cysts all showed a clear relationship with moderate to severe premenstrual acne. Age and season had no clear relationship. About 67.4% of women with moderate premenstrual acne had inflammatory bumps on the forehead area.
What it means for you
Premenstrual acne is linked to diet, stress, stomach health, genetics, and hormone-related conditions. The main limits are that this was a review of medical records from one location, so information may not be complete or accurate, and people may not have reported all details about their habits.
660
patients reviewed
67.4%
with bumps on forehead area
About the study
- Original title
- High-risk factors of premenstrual acne
- Authors
- Fanjun Meng, Ying Xu
- Journal
- Chin J Health Manage
- Year
- 2010
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 660
- What was tested
- None; the study identified risk factors through medical record review.
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.3760/cma.j.issn.1674-0815.2010.04.009