Another luteal week, another breakout? Chinese Medicine says your skin is basically tattling on your hormones. Cosmetic acupuncturist Dr Vivian Tam explains why spots flare before bleeding and how treating the inside matters just as much as the creams on your shelf.
Guest Post by Dr Vivian Tam
Hormonal acne has a clear cyclical pattern. It usually worsens after ovulation and before a period and often improves once bleeding starts. It can flare after coming off the pill and sometimes improve while on it. While chin and jawline breakouts are common, location alone isn’t enough to diagnose hormonal acne.
In Chinese Medicine, acne before a period is linked to stagnation. The rise in progesterone can lead to heat and toxin build-up, causing inflammation and slower healing. That’s why the skin can look redder and pores more visible.
When treating acne, I never just look at the skin. Western dermatology often starts with topical products, but breakouts usually return once treatment stops. In Chinese Medicine, we address the root causes: hormones, digestion, stress and inflammation. The most common patterns I see are toxin build-up, blood stagnation, damp heat and digestive deficiencies, often made worse by stress.
Herbs and acupuncture can quickly shift skin. Many people see improvement within two to three weeks, clearer skin by weeks four to six, and major changes by six to eight weeks.
One myth I want people to know is that hormonal acne isn’t just chin and jawline acne. Another is that the pill isn’t a cure - it only masks symptoms and sometimes makes things worse because the body has to re-learn how to self-regulate.
That said, topical products still matter. They help protect the barrier, heal, and renew. But lasting results come when you balance things internally too.
In my own routine, I practise gua sha for lymphatic flow, drink only warm drinks, and use Chinese herbal teas or formulas a few times a week. Adaptogens help when I feel stressed, bitter herbs help when I’m inflamed, and nourishing herbs when I feel depleted. Skin health, like cycle health, is never just one thing. It’s a reflection of how the whole body is working together.
