Hormonal Treatments for Acne
One day you may find yourself preparing for a really
big date, something you’ve been looking forward to for a while.
As you’re getting ready, you spot
something red and very unwelcome -- a zit. Well,
consider yourself relatively lucky. At
least you’ll only be dealing with one. There
are many people out there that suffer from worse acne conditions.
On the face, chest, back and other
parts of the body, these people are just red and yellow all over.
Sometimes, the usual treatments don’t
even work and they have to keep on searching until they find the right one.
For women, the solution may just be
found in hormonal treatment.
Hormone treatment may not be the most popular in terms
of healing acne, with benzoyl peroxide products and retinoids getting the
most attention. This is curious,
though, as taking these hormone treatments can attack the root of the
problem. Maybe you’ve read up a
little on acne vulgaris and know that acne is caused by a combination of
overproduction of sebum and propionibacterium acnes.
There are many treatments that take care of these problems.
Sebum and bacteria aren’t the root causes, however, as there is a
much deeper problem and it is caused by hormones going haywire.
Specifically, different androgen hormones act on oil glands beneath
the skin.
There are two ways to attack the problem by means of
hormone treatment. One way is by
using oral contraceptives, or as they are more commonly called, the pill.
By taking these pregnancy preventers,
one lessens the production of androgens in the body, thereby lessening the
production of sebum. These pills also work great in combination with the
oral retinoid isotretinoin. This particular retinoid causes birth defects,
and taking oral contraceptives will not only prevent a totally unwanted
pregnancy, it will also create a double wammy in taking out acne. One should
make sure however, that estrogen is an ingredient with your pill. Progestin
only meds might actually cause the opposite.
With what was mentioned above, the next form of
hormonal treatment is almost self-explanatory. Obviously, anti-androgen
medication deals with preventing more androgens from forming and causing the
sebaceous glands to secrete more sebum. These are taken however, when oral
contraceptives are not enough in dealing with the acne infestation on your
skin. Sometimes it is an endocrine problem that causes the androgens to go
out of control, and in this case anti-androgens would more suited to your
condition. There are some side effects to watch out for, though, and these
may include breast tenderness and an irregular menstrual cycle. Women with
breast cancer are also advised to stay away from anti-androgens, as they may
worsen the disease.
It should be remembered that the advice of a
professional trumps any information taken from books and the internet.
Consult with your doctor before any medication is taken. Your specific
physiology might not be compatible with certain medications, and undergoing
treatment by yourself may lead to serious unintended consequences.
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