06/06/2025 12:36 p.m.

Hormonal Pimples and Greasy Hair During Your Menstrual Cycle

Dr. Niels van de Roemer
Dr. Niels van de Roemer Medical Adviser
What the menstrual cycle has to do with acne and bad hair days.

Is your skin and hair hormone-controlled?

Do you notice changes in your skin or hair as your period approaches? Perhaps your skin breaks out, or your hairstyle doesn’t hold as well? You’re not alone.

Research has shown that hormonal fluctuations throughout the menstrual cycle can influence both skin and hair, and these patterns tend to follow a predictable rhythm.

The Blessing and Curse of Sebum

Why does the cycle influence your hair and your skin?

  • Sebaceous Glands Respond to Hormones – Imbalances Lead to Excess Oil Production
  • Hormonal fluctuations (e.g., during puberty, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, or menopause) can trigger inflammation and pimples.
  • Stress and an unhealthy diet (e.g., high sugar or dairy intake) can further disrupt this balance.
  • Some people are genetically predisposed to experience more skin blemishes.
More information

Our hormones, especially estrogen and testosterone, influence the sebaceous glands in the skin. These are actually your friends. The sebum they produce and secrete keeps your skin supple and, via the scalp, your hair as well. The sebum protects the skin and hair from cold, heat and chemicals. It also increases the skin's resistance to bacteria, viruses and fungi. The main components of sebum are triglycerides, free fatty acids, waxes, squalene (hydrocarbons) and proteins.

Your face and scalp benefit from active sebaceous glands as long as they neither produce too much sebum nor become inflamed. But that's exactly what can easily happen during stressful periods of life, due to an unhealthy diet, and in transitional phases like puberty, pregnancy, and menopause. Some people also have a natural tendency to produce too much sebum. The sebaceous glands have receptors that are influenced by hormones, and if the hormones get out of sync, the sebaceous glands often produce too much or too little sebum - the result: oily or dry skin, greasy or brittle hair. It’s also possible to experience cycle and hormone-related hair loss,

How do testosterone and estrogen levels change throughout the cycle?

Testosterone is more often written about in connection with men. But the healthy female body also produces testosterone, and you need it for both your fertility and your well-being. During the cycle, testosterone production changes in the majority of girls and women as follows:

  • In the first half of the cycle, testosterone production increases slowly
  • around ovulation it reaches its peak
  • a few days later it decreases
  • with the arrival of your period, on day 1 of the new cycle, testosterone production increases again.

Since testosterone promotes the desire for sex, the peak around ovulation naturally makes sense from an evolutionary point of view.

  • Testosterone promotes sebum production, so that skin and hair often look particularly healthy and beautiful around ovulation.

However, testosterone does not achieve this on its own. It also needs the hormone estrogen.

  • This is also produced in particularly large quantities shortly before ovulation, and the production curve in the first half of the cycle is similar to that of testosterone.
  • Estrogen presumably has a helpful effect on the sebaceous glands and ideally a balance is created by the interaction of testosterone and progesterone.
  • In addition, estrogen ensures good collagen production in the skin, which keeps it youthful and firm.

After ovulation - without conception:

  • Estrogen and testosterone production decreases for the time being. Instead, a lot of progesterone comes into play, which tends to stimulate the sebaceous glands.
  • Ideally the balance is maintained and the skin and hair continue to look their best.
  • But surveys show: Many girls and women tend to have problems sometimes or always in the second half of the cycle, and especially about a week before the start of their period, until their period ends.
  • Those with naturally rather oily skin often suffer from an oily complexion, blackheads and pimples during this phase. Stringy, greasy hair is also common. For girls and women with dry skin, this cycle phase can mean the skin reacts even more sensitively, and the risk of eczema, psoriasis, itching etc. increases. Brittle hair can and hair loss is also possible

What is good for your skin and hair during this phase?

  1. Self-observation is the first step.

Observe yourself and note how exactly your skin changes during your cycle. When is it at its best, when is your complexion blotchy, when do you get pimples? When do you tend to have bad hair days, when is your scalp particularly itchy? Within a few months you should have a good overview of your typical pattern.

Tip: Use cycle tracking as a helper.

With focused cycle tracking using a fertility computer and your basal temperature, you can consciously compare your skin and hair changes with your individual cycle phases.

  1. Analyze what influences these changes.

Does lack of sleep make your symptoms worse, does outdoor exercise help? Are there foods that make things worse or better? Which skincare ritual, which products have which effects and when? You should also note the changes over the course of the year, because dry heat andwarm, humid summer air naturally have the opposite effect, and for many people the skin is reactive for a few weeks during the transitional periods - winter to spring and fall to winter.

  1. Find your personal cycle-skin-and-hair strategy.

Find your cycle-skin-and-hair strategy. If you know, for example, that pimples are imminent about seven days after ovulation, you can perhaps counteract this with skincare. If your hair is dry around the time of your period, you may want to wash it less often or use a more mild shampoo and conditioner. It may also be useful to use different skincare products during different phases of your cycle.

  1. If nothing helps, seek medical support.

If you are particularly affected or struggling with these changes, please don't hesitate to seek medical help. Whether in gynecology, dermatology, or initially through your general practitioner, there are ways to strengthen your skin and/or hair. Sometimes, skin or hair issues can also indicate a hormonal imbalance, such as a thyroid disorder or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In this case, it’s especially valuable to get a diagnosis and receive the appropriate guidance or treatment.

Even without a further diagnosis, you may benefit from medications and/or cosmetic treatments that reduce inflammation, alleviate itching and pain, prevent new skin problems, and slow down hair loss. Some girls and women are prescribed birth control to regain control over their skin and hair, however, make sure to receive a thorough consultation regarding the benefits and risks for your specific case.

FAQs

Why do I get pimples before my period?

Because in the second half of the cycle, hormone levels (especially estrogen and testosterone) drop while progesterone rises, which stimulates the sebaceous glands and can promote inflammation.

Are hormonal pimples normal?

Yes – many women experience skin blemishes during certain phases of their cycle. It only becomes problematic if you suffer significantly from them.

What can I do to better understand hormonal skin issues?

Cycle tracking can help you connect your skin issues with your cycle phases. Over the course of several months, note:

  • When do pimples or itching occur?
  • When does your skin feel particularly good?
  • Are there patterns around ovulation or your period?

By recognizing your personal "problem phases," you can take targeted action to address these issues.

Meet the family

Know your cycle, understand your body.

Discover the perfect cycle tracker for your needs

www.ratgeber-hautgesundheit.de/haut/talgdruesen/#aufbau-funktion

www.netdoktor.de/anatomie/talgdruese/#:~:text=Dort%20überziehen%20sie%20die%20Haut,vor%20Hautkrankheiten%2C%20Krankheitserregern%20und%20C

Bui HN, Sluss PM, Blincko S, Knol DL, Blankenstein MA, Heijboer AC. Dynamics of serum testosterone during the menstrual cycle evaluated by daily measurements with an ID-LC-MS/MS method and a 2nd generation automated immunoassay. Steroids. 2013 Jan;78(1):96-101. doi: 10.1016/j.steroids.2012.10.010.

Pierard-Franchimont C, Pierard GE, Kligman AM. Rhythm of sebum excretion during the menstrual cycle. Dermatologica. 1991;182(4):211-3, www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/247796

Birch MP, Messenger A. 'Bad hair days', scalp sebum excretion and the menstrual cycle. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2003 Jul;2(3-4):190-4. doi: 10.1111/j.1473-2130.2004.00103.x

Falcone D, Richters RJ, Uzunbajakava NE, Van Erp PE, Van De Kerkhof PC. Sensitive skin and the influence of female hormone fluctuations: results from a cross-sectional digital survey in the Dutch population. Eur J Dermatol. 2017 Feb 1;27(1):42-48

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