Today hormonal treatments are widely being used to treat acne. In fact these treatments that include the use of oral contraceptives have been utilized by dermatologists for many years now.
How Do Hormones Affect Acne?
Studies have revealed that acne first erupts during puberty when hormones called androgens cause the oil glands to enlarge. This results in blocked oil pores and increased oil secretion. The excess oil under the skin leads to initial non-inflamed acne such as white heads and black heads.
Then, when this acne combines with bacteria and starts proliferating, the oil under the skin serves as the ideal environment for it to thrive. Slowly the non-inflamed acne also turns into pimples, lumps and pustules. And you know the rest!
Hormonal Therapy Really Works!
• Oral Contraceptives
Once a person gets afflicted with acne, it gets increasingly difficult to get rid of it. Even though there are a number of effective acne treatments, finding the correct treatment option is often confusing. One sure shot treatment is hormone therapy.
Oral contraceptives contain the hormones estrogen and progestin that are known to directly affect the amount of androgen production in a body. This is the main reason why the use of these hormones has a healing impact on acne. Estrogen helps decrease the production of adrenal and ovarian androgens besides inhibiting the production of enzyme 5-alpha-reductase. This leads to a reduced DHT level. Progestin is also known to have erratic effect on acne. The person can also be treated with cyproterone acetate – an antiandrogenic progesterone derivative in combination with an estrogen component.
Some commonly available OCs are Diane-35®, Tri-Cyclen®, Alesse®, and Yasmin®. All these contraceptives contain minimal androgenic activity and prove to be the perfect therapeutic treatment for women suffering with acne.
The above hormonal therapy can be used by women in the form of:
1. An additional therapy along with topical agents for mild and non-scarring acne.
2. As primary treatment for moderate, non-scarring acne along with topical solutions and a course of antibiotics.
3. As treatment in scarring along with systemic isotretinoin for extreme inflammatory acne.
• Spironolactone: This is a synthetic steroid, an anti-androgen that helps bind the body’s androgen receptors. It blocks the androgens from binding with the cells, reduces 5-alpha-reductase enzyme activity as well as decreases androgen biosynthesis. The overall effect of this agent has shown significant results in treating acne. What’s more, even the side effects associated with this hormonal treatment are minimal.
Studies have shown that patients who have undergone hormonal therapy for acne experienced reduction in their spots by as much as 40-50% over a period of 4-6 months. The degree of improvement varies from patient to patient with some reporting greater levels of improvement in a short time span.
Side Effects Of Hormonal Therapy
Hormonal treatment for acne is known to have the following side effects:
• Breast tenderness
• Headache
• Nausea
Armed with the right information, all you need to do is to contact a reputed dermatologist who will examine the condition of your acne and supervise your hormonal treatment.