Thyroid and Acne: Is There a Hidden Link?

Proper function of the thyroid gland is not only essential to good health, but it can also affect your looks. If you suffer from adult acne, you might want to find out if your thyroid is to blame.

The small, butterfly-shaped thyroid gland located at the base of the throat is responsible for producing thyroid hormones that regulate metabolism. These hormones affect virtually every cell in the body, and the skin is a major organ that can be affected by an underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism, according to Livestrong. Skin-related symptoms of hypothyroidism can include some hair loss, thickening and drying of the skin, and acne.

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When the thyroid gland isn’t producing enough thyroid hormone, the body doesn’t have what it needs to fight acne breakouts. According to Thyroid Foodie, vitamin A along with adequate levels of thyroid hormone help the body produce progesterone. Progesterone is crucial in helping the skin heal adult acne.

Women who experience adult acne sometimes wrongly attribute it to hormones related to the menstrual cycle, and they can miss the possible connection to thyroid function.

While patients with adult acne can take supplemental progesterone to clear up the skin, it is important to first confirm that an underactive thyroid gland is to blame.

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If it is, the priority should be treating the underlying hypothyroidism since it has more important implications on overall health and metabolism, said Thyroid Nation. Once the hypothyroidism has been treated and hormone levels become balanced, the acne may clear up.

All cases of adult acne are not connected directly to thyroid function. If your acne is related to underactive thyroid, you will likely have other classic symptoms of the disease described by Mayo Clinic such as increased sensitivity to cold, fatigue, weight gain, muscle weakness, elevated blood cholesterol levels, slow heart rate, and depression. If you have these symptoms and your adult acne is not responding to otherwise effective acne treatments, ask your physician if thyroid function testing is appropriate.

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