Hormonal acne is a common cause of unwanted pimples and acne, both in teenagers as well as adults. The male androgens are the primary culprit, even in ladies suffering from acne. This is most evident when ladies get acne breakouts before their periods and mid cycle.
Although ladies can have hormonal therapy to counteract this bi-monthly acne breakouts, men do not have this option. For them, good skin care and acne light therapy is the best option. Antibiotics and chemical peels may also be useful, just to complete the therapy.
Ladies have a few options at their disposal:
- Contraceptive pills, especially those high in progestrogens help to even out the hormonal imbalance, eg Yasmin
- Progesterone cream helps in a similar way
- Spironolactone, a mild diuretic (water tablet) has anti-androgen effects
All are good options for ladies, with the choice ultimately depending on whether are comfortable with or need contraception. The creams are convenient, but some ladies are extremely sensitive to them and bloat up with water retention. Spirolonolactone is a relatively easy tablet to take in that it just causes a bit of diuresis for a few hours after, so you’ll need to drink a bit more to compensate. Sometimes, high doses may be required to cure hormonal acne. Pregnancy should be avoided when on Spironolactone.
Although these hormonal treatments do require a visit to the doctor, they are very effective and should get your acne breakouts under control quickly. You will have to stay with the prescribed medicines for a few months, but often times, hormonal acne can balance itself out after a while, then normal skincare should suffice.
