| Acne, often thought to be only a
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| | condition.
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| teenager's skin problem, is actually a
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| | Oral Contraceptives (OCs)OCs, which
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| condition that can affect adults both
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| | contain estrogen and progestins, directly
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| male and female, although it generally
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| | affect how much androgen your body
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| begins during puberty. Taking a proactive
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| | produces and can therefore impact acne.
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| approach to treating acne is very
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| | Possible ways that estrogens may be
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| important. How you look after your skin
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| | working to improve acne include:
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| every day, along with the treatment you
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| | Decreased production of adrenal (DHEA-S)
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| and your doctor select are key steps in
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| | and ovarian androgens (A, T);
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| your fight to eliminate pimples,
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| | Inhibition of the enzyme
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| preventing scarring and eliminating your
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| | 5-alpha-reductase, which leads to a
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| acne.
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| | reduction of DHT levels;
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| There are a number of acne medications
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| | SHBG increase, which reduces levels of T.
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| that can be used to treat your acne
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| including over-the-counter acne products
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| | Progestins vary in their androgenic or
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| like Panoxyl®, or prescription
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| | testosterone-like activity and may,
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| drugs including topical treatments,
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| | therefore, have variable effects on acne.
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| Accutane® and hormone therapies.
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| | Progestins with the lowest androgenic
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| Hormonal treatments, including oral
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| | activity are more appropriate in the
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| contraceptives, have long been recognized
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| | treatment of acne and other disoders
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| by dermatologists to be an effective
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| | caused by increased androgen levels
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| treatment option for women who have acne,
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| | (desogestrel, norgestimate).
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| no matter how severe.
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| | Alternatively, cyproterone acetate - an
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| Acne is thought to be initiated by the
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| | antiandrogenic progesterone derivative -
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| effect of masculinising hormones called
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| | may be combined with the estrogen
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| "androgens" on oil glands that, during
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| | component.
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| puberty, enlarge and become increasingly
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| | Currently available OCs such as
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| sensitive. This results in excessive oil
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| | Diane-35®, Tri-Cyclen®,
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| secretion and blockage of pores, which
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| | Alesse®, and Yasmin®
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| leads to the initial non-inflamed spots
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| | contain progestins with minimal
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| of acne (whiteheads and blackheads). As
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| | androgenic or anti-androgenic activity,
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| the acne bacteria (Propionibacterium
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| | providing an important therapeutic option
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| acnes) proliferate, the oil-rich
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| | for women with acne. Their proven
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| environment in the pores leads to
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| | effectiveness and long-term safety
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| inflammation which becomes visibly
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| | profile supports their use in various
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| apparent as red pimples, pustules and
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| | grades of acne in females:
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| lumps.
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| | as additional therapy with topical agents
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| Hormonal therapy for acne is, therefore,
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| | for women who have mild, non-scarring
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| meant to interrupt this initial phase of
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| | acne and who desire oral contraception;
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| this cascading sequence of acne
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| | as primary therapy in moderate,
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| development. Such preparations include
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| | non-scarring acne in combination with
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| oral contraceptives such as
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| | topical therapy and systemic antibiotics;
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| Diane-35®, Tri-Cyclen®,
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| Alesse®, and Yasmin®; and
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| | in scarring and severe inflammatory acne
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| a non-contraceptive anti-androgen,
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| | as one of two preferred methods of
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| spironolactone. To learn more about
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| | contraception in patients treated with
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| hormones and acne, click on Other Hormone
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| | systemic isotretinoin.
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| Therapy.
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| | Clinical studies in acne patients treated
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| Possible Relationships Between Hormones
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| | with Tricyclen and Alesse show that acne
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| and Acne Androgens that play a part in
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| | spots were reduced by 40-50% over a
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| causing acne include
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| | course of 6 months. The extent of
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| 5-dihydrodrotestosterone (DHT),
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| | improvement may be greater with Diane-35
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| testosterone (T), androstenedione (A),
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| | as patients in a Canadian acne survey
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| and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate
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| | generally considered Diane-35â to
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| (DHEA-S). The production of these
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| | be more effective for treating acne than
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| androgens from ovaries and adrenal glands
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| | Tricyclenâ. Side effects common to
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| is mediated by gonadotrophins. Levels of
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| | all oral contraceptive preparations
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| testosterone are inversely related to
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| | included breast tenderness, headache, and
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| levels of sex hormone binding globulin
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| | nausea. These were typically mild and
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| (SHBG), so that if T increases, SHBG
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| | tended to resolve by the second cycle. A
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| decreases and when T is reduced, SHBG
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| | newly approved oral contraceptive in
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| increases.
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| | Canada, Yasminâ, has been shown to
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| Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a
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| | be as effective as Diane-35â for
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| condition found in women who have very
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| | treating acne.
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| high androgen and testosterone levels.
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| | SpironolactoneSpironolactone, a synthetic
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| Symptoms include obesity, infertility,
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| | steroid, is an anti-androgen that binds
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| scalp hair loss, increased facial and
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| | to the body's androgen receptors, thus
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| body hair, irregular periods, acne and
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| | blocking the androgens from binding to
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| elevated blood insulin levels. This
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| | the cell receptors, inhibits
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| condition affects 5-10% of women in their
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| | 5-alpha-reductase enzyme activity and
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| reproductive years. Clinical evaluation
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| | reduces androgen biosynthesis. Small
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| and blood testing can be performed to
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| | studies using this agent for treating
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| diagnose this disorder. In addition to
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| | acne have been shown to be effective with
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| exercise and weight control, hormonal
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| | few side effects, but larger studies are
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| therapy is often helpful in this
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| | needed for confirmation.
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