Hormonal Therapy For Acne

Acne is mostly considered as a problem that teenagers face as they enter into the adolescence age. True but there are times when the acne problem is witnessed in women who are in their 20s, and their 30s. Disregarding the kind of acne in question, it can be generally said the cause of it is usually in hormonal changes. In most cases, this acne breaks out once a month. A hormone therapy approach is the best since it yields success when all other methods have been proved futile.

Before divulging to the specifics, it would be well to understand what causes this acne. Science suggests that it is caused by androgens, which are produced at one point in the menstrual cycle (restricting to women in this context, obviously). The hormone therapy for acne targets the androgens in precision.

Throughout the course of time, there are different hormone therapy options that have been sought in eradicating this kind of acne. The theory behind their working has always been in the targeting of the androgen producing areas, and controlling oil secretion. The first that has topped the list for decades now, is the birth control pill. It’s been quoted on a couple of occasions as the central hormone therapy for acne. Its estrogen based, and besides discouraging fertilization, it’s good at keeping acne at bay. The popularity of the birth control pill as one of the hormone therapy options for curing acne has led to the manufacturing of generic versions of the pill. These are considered effective as well. They have reduced concentrations of estrogen, as too much of it has unadvertised side effects that are best avoided.

Spironolactone is a synthetic anti-androgen substance that targets the sebaceous glands. It discourages oversecretion of oil which controls the acne by some degree. Its success is without doubt, though in most cases, it is taken together with the birth control pills to improve the rate of success.

GnRH Agonists work by blocking the sites where androgens are produced. They are very effective in reducing the effect of androgens and thus controlling acne. The only bad news with these is that they do harbor some side effects that may be potentially serious if ignored. But speaking from a general point of view, the hormone therapy option for treating acne is a fully-fledged one. Taking care of the problem from within is much better than doing it topically, especially when it’s a physiological approach. But the side effects that are often associated with this method can be anywhere from minor to serious. Thus the regular visits to your doctor should be included to ascertain that the therapy is working as it should, and that the side effects experienced are nothing the body cannot handle and eventually overcome.

Dealing with the problem of acne is already hard enough when you are a teenager. When you enter adulthood with the problem, it shifts from worrying to downright depressing. But thanks to hormone therapy treatment, there is a successful way of dealing with it.