The Skin Nerd: These are the skin conditions linked to endometriosis

What you need to know about the condition that affects 10% of women globally

Two recognised indicators of endometriosis are high levels of oestrogen and inflammation — both of which can also impact your skin health

If you suffer from endometriosis, you are not alone. This chronic, inflammatory gynecological condition affects a huge 155,000 in Ireland and 190 million women worldwide. Along with the potential to affect multiple parts of the body internally, the condition can have an impact on the skin.

Two recognised indicators of endometriosis are high levels of oestrogen and inflammation — both of which can also impact your skin health. Now, having high oestrogen levels and inflammation does not mean you definitely have endometriosis of course, so always seek advice from your GP if you are concerned. What might having both mean for the skin, you might ask? Well, having too much oestrogen in the body can spell trouble for the skin, causing a hormonal imbalance and potentially triggering breakouts or acne for some. As an inflammatory disease, inflammation is not only involved in the development of endometriosis, but the condition itself can cause inflammation in the body leading to inflammatory responses including irritation and rashes. Possibly due to a lack of research and understanding of the correlation between the condition and the skin, few skin conditions have been scientifically proven to be linked to the disease — however there are a select number that experts suggest are most likely to be connected to endometriosis: