You’ve probably heard the saying – fix your gut, and everything else starts to fall into place. Turns out, your skin might be part of that story too. Those stubborn hormonal breakouts that show up right on cue each month may not just be about hormones alone, but also what’s happening in your gut. And if that’s the case, could something as simple as what you eat – like adding the right kind of fibre – actually help you work your way towards clearer skin?
Dr Karan Rajan, a UK-based surgeon and popular health content creator, has highlighted a potential way to tackle hormonal acne – drawing on the gut-skin connection to support clearer, healthier skin. In an Instagram video shared on April 20, the surgeon highlights, “If you struggle with hormonal acne, eating more soluble fibre could actually help your skin. But remember that acne is complex and multifactorial. Your gut health is just one determinant alongside many other factors.”
Why do you get hormonal acne?
According to Dr Rajan, oestrogen and progesterone – the body’s primary female hormones – are metabolised in the liver and transported to the gut bound to bile acids for excretion. However, a specialised group of gut bacteria in the colon, known as the estrobolome, can reactivate oestrogen and recirculate it back into the bloodstream.
The surgeon explains, “Oestrogen and progesterone, the main female hormones, get broken down in the liver, packaged up with bile acids and then sent to your gut. But in your colon, there’s a special group of bacteria called the estrobolome. These bacteria have an enzyme that can reactivate oestrogen and send it back into your bloodstream. This recycling process is called Enterohepatic Recirculation.”
This process can disrupt the delicate balance between oestrogen and progesterone, often tipping it towards oestrogen dominance. One of the most common ways this shows up is through hormonal acne – typically the deep, stubborn breakouts that appear along the jawline or chin, especially around your menstrual cycle.
Dr Rajan notes, “When your estrobolome is overactive, you end up reabsorbing more oestrogen than your body actually needs. This creates what’s known as oestrogen dominance – too much oestrogen relative to progesterone. And one of the ways this can manifest is hormonal acne, particularly jawline and chin acne that flares around your menstrual cycle.”
How does soluble fibre help?
According to the surgeon, adding more soluble fibres in your diet can help in two “magical” ways.
Flushes out excess oestrogen
Dr Rajan highlights that soluble fibre forms a gel-like substance in the gut that can bind to excess oestrogen and bile acids. This helps trap them and carry them out of the body through bowel movements. He explains, “First, it forms a gel that physically traps excess oestrogen and bile acids. So, you literally flush them out in your poop instead of reabsorbing them.”
Feeds beneficial bacteria
Soluble fibre also nourishes beneficial gut bacteria that do not promote excessive oestrogen reabsorption, helping to keep the estrobolome in check. A lower activity of these oestrogen-reactivating microbes is generally favourable, as it allows other fermenting, health-supportive bacteria to thrive.
Dr Rajan stresses, “Second is that soluble fibre feeds types of beneficial bacteria that don’t promote the excessive reabsorption of oestrogen. So, essentially, you’re rebalancing the estrobolome. Fewer oestrogen recycling bacteria and more fibre fermenting ones.”
Anti-inflammatory benefits
The surgeon further notes that when soluble fibre is fermented in the gut, it produces short-chain fatty acids – compounds known for their anti-inflammatory effects. These help regulate low-grade inflammation across the body, which in turn can improve skin health. By supporting this gut-skin axis, they may play a role in reducing acne.
He emphasises, “Soluble fibre fermentation produces short- chain fatty acids. These act like little internal fire extinguishers, reducing low-grade inflammation throughout the body and this could potentially reduce exacerbations of inflammatory acne via the gut-skin axis.”
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
