Women who get regular acne breakouts in tune with their cycle can consider hormonal acne treatments including the birth control pill and spironolactone. While not for everyone, these treatments can combat the surge of androgen hormones produced by our ovaries that cause acne breakouts in the first place.
If you are a woman in your 20s or 30s suffering from acne you may want to look into the various hormonal acne treatments for women. Acne and pimples are caused by androgen hormones, not by poor hygiene or diet (although both can affect the severity of your outbreaks). The hormones tend to surge at particular points of the menstrual cycle leading to the familiar once-a-month breakout. It stands to reason that hormonal treatments can help women acne sufferers where other methods have failed for whatever reason. They work by reducing the effect that androgen hormones have on the sebaceous glands in the skin. By lowering the oily sebum that these glands produce, hormonal acne treatments for women can have a dramatic affect on your complexion. Let's take a look at the different treatments available today:
Birth control Pills: When the Pill was first introduced, it contained a lot of estrogen and was very effective at controlling acne. Unfortunately, the amount of estrogen has been reduced dramatically because of side effects. Today's low dose pills can still help to reduce breakouts in women with mild to moderate acne, especially when used in combination with other treatments. You might also notice your acne flare up after you go off of the Pill - proof positive that the Pill was helping to control your hormones. The Pill is not an option if you are over 35, suffer from migraine headaches or smoke. You might also avoid the Pill because of the possibility of weight gain and other, well-documented negative side effects. Some well known low-dose pills that dermatologists consider the best choice are Yasmin, Estrostep and Ortho Tri-Cyclen.
Spironolactone (Aldactone) is often prescribed to women who have cystic acne and deep nodules in the skin. It is a strong antiandrogen and effectively reduces sebum production in the skin. One of the most common side effects of spironolactone is irregular menstrual cycles. Often it will be prescribed with birth control pills which can help to reduce this inconvenient side effect.
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Agonists (Buserelin, nafarelin, leuprolide) worki n a similar fashion to birth control pills by blocking androgen production by the ovaries. One of the side effects associated with this type of hormonal acne treatment is symptoms of menopause including headaches and bone loss from the lack of estrogen. Obviously these side effects are potentially serious and you will have to discuss with your doctor if this is the right type of treatment for you.
The good news is that if you are a woman suffering from acne, hormonal acne treatments can be very effective. The bad news is that you will have to be supervised by your doctor because all of the treatments have potential side effects. Since you are messing with your bodies hormone production, you must not get pregnant while on any type of hormone therapy as there could be serious consequences, especially to male babies. If other types of treatments have failed for you, hormonal acne treatments might be something to consider.
Choosing the Best Way to Get Rid of Acne
The best way to get rid of acne is to attack the underlying cause -- how our bodies deal with androgen hormones. Skin care, antibiotics and Accutane all come up short. Holistic acne solutions are the best way to treat acne.Acne No More Review -- Does it Work?
The most popular holistic acne treatment program on the internet is Mike Walden's Acne No More. Dietary cures for acne are gaining ground because new evidence has proven the link between what we eat and acne. So does this program work?Acne Cures Based on Diet Gaining Ground
New studies reveal what holistic acne researches have known for years: diet influences acne. Will this new evidence prompt doctors to reconsider their opposition to holistic acne treatments? Time will tell.