| If you are a woman in your 20s or 30s suffering | | | | dermatologists consider the best choice are |
| from acne you may want to look into the various | | | | Yasmin, Estrostep and Ortho Tri-Cyclen. |
| hormonal acne treatments for women. Acne and | | | | Spironolactone (Aldactone) is often prescribed to |
| pimples are caused by androgen hormones, not | | | | women who have cystic acne and deep nodules in |
| by poor hygiene or diet (although both can affect | | | | the skin. It is a strong antiandrogen and |
| the severity of your outbreaks). The hormones | | | | effectively reduces sebum production in the skin. |
| tend to surge at particular points of the menstrual | | | | One of the most common side effects of |
| cycle leading to the familiar once-a-month | | | | spironolactone is irregular menstrual cycles. Often |
| breakout. It stands to reason that hormonal | | | | it will be prescribed with birth control pills which |
| treatments can help women acne sufferers | | | | can help to reduce this inconvenient side effect. |
| where other methods have failed for whatever | | | | Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Agonists |
| reason. They work by reducing the effect that | | | | (Buserelin, nafarelin, leuprolide) work in a similar |
| androgen hormones have on the sebaceous | | | | fashion to birth control pills by blocking androgen |
| glands in the skin. By lowering the oily sebum that | | | | production by the ovaries. One of the side effects |
| these glands produce, hormonal acne treatments | | | | associated with this type of hormonal acne |
| for women can have a dramatic affect on your | | | | treatment is symptoms of menopause including |
| complexion. Let's take a look at the different | | | | headaches and bone loss from the lack of |
| treatments available today: | | | | estrogen. Obviously these side effects are |
| Birth control Pills: When the Pill was first | | | | potentially serious and you will have to discuss |
| introduced, it contained a lot of estrogen and was | | | | with your doctor if this is the right type of |
| very effective at controlling acne. Unfortunately, | | | | treatment for you. |
| the amount of estrogen has been reduced | | | | The good news is that if you are a woman |
| dramatically because of side effects. Today's low | | | | suffering from acne, hormonal acne treatments |
| dose pills can still help to reduce breakouts in | | | | can be very effective. The bad news is that you |
| women with mild to moderate acne, especially | | | | will have to be supervised by your doctor |
| when used in combination with other treatments. | | | | because all of the treatments have potential side |
| You might also notice your acne flare up after | | | | effects. Since you are messing with your bodies |
| you go off of the Pill - proof positive that the Pill | | | | hormone production, you must not get pregnant |
| was helping to control your hormones. The Pill is | | | | while on any type of hormone therapy as there |
| not an option if you are over 35, suffer from | | | | could be serious consequences, especially to male |
| migraine headaches or smoke. You might also | | | | babies. If other types of treatments have failed |
| avoid the Pill because of the possibility of weight | | | | for you, hormonal acne treatments might be |
| gain and other, well-documented negative side | | | | something to consider. |
| effects. Some well known low-dose pills that | | | | |