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Hormonal therapies offer effective solutions for acne Washington:
While the chances of acne being curable are bleak, dermatologists are finding
that hormonal therapies can help some women fight bothersome skin disease that
occurs in adulthood. At the American Academy of Dermatology's Summer Academy Meeting
2009 in Boston, dermatologist Bethanee J. Schlosser, MD, PhD, FAAD, assistant
professor of dermatology and director of the Women's Skin Health Program at Northwestern
University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, discussed the most widely used
hormonal therapies available for women with acne and the best candidates for this
type of treatment. Factors that contribute to the formation of acne include excess
oil gland production, skin inflammation, abnormal maturation of skin cells lining
the hair follicle and an increased number of the acne-causing bacteria Propionibacterium
acnes. However, hormones also influence both oil gland production and the maturation
of skin cells thereby contributing to the formation of acne lesions. "Women over
the age of 20 may experience worsening of their acne or a change in the nature
of their acne. This can include increased lesions on the lower one-third of the
face (including the jaw line and upper neck), pre-menstrual flares, and resistance
to oral antibiotics and other traditional acne therapies," said Dr. Schlosser.
"For these women, hormonal therapy in the form of combination oral contraceptives
and/or anti-androgen medications, such as spironolactone, flutamide and dutasteride
that work by reducing the activity of the male hormone testosterone, may provide
significant benefit," the expert added. Dr. Schlosser noted that the use of hormonal
therapies for acne, including combination oral contraceptives, requires careful
screening of patients. Based on a physical examination, a patient's medical history
and the success or failure of previously prescribed acne treatments, dermatologists
may recommend hormonal therapy to enhance the results of acne treatment in women.
Hormonal therapy in the form of combination oral contraceptive pills has been
shown to help treat both inflammatory acne lesions (the papules, pustules and
painful nodules under the skin), and non-inflammatory acne lesions (blackheads
and whiteheads). Dr. Schlosser suggests that hormonal therapy should not be used
in isolation but instead recommends that combination oral contraceptives or anti-androgen
medications be used in conjunction with topical retinoids for optimal results.
receptor. "Combination oral contraceptives can be very beneficial in the treatment
of acne in appropriately selected women, and several different oral contraceptives
have been shown to be effective in clinical studies," said Dr. Schlosser. "But
the treatment of acne with combination oral contraceptives needs to be targeted
to each patient's individual needs, and patients should be monitored regularly
to ensure the safety and effectiveness of their particular therapy," the expert
added. -August
2, 2009 |
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