Hormonal Acne and DHT
What is hormonal acne? Millions of women experience acne during
their monthly menstual cycle. This type of acne is called hormonal
acne. Hormones can also affect babies at birth, called baby
acne. The signs of hormonal acne include breakouts preceding
menstrual cycle, hirsutism, adult-onset acne, irregular menstrual
cycle history, and elevated levels of androgens in the blood
stream. Hormonal acne begins between the ages of 15 and 25.
It can also affect teens and women well over the age of 30.
Acne can develop on the chest and back (commonly called back
acne ) but it is generally found on the face. Hormonal acne
can be mild and is often found only in the form of papules,
small nodules, and comedones.
Hormonal acne can become a vicious cycle for women. Hormonal
acne can be classified as adult
acne if the affected is not a teenager, which is common.
Teenage
acne is common due to the rise of various hormones during
pubery. Hormonal acne for women happens because women's estrogen
levels are high at mid-cycle. The high levels of hormones
stimulate the sebaceous glands, causing extra sebum, resulting
in a breakout. Pregnant women are known to suffer from hormonal
acne during their third trimester. If estrogen levels begin
to decline and testosterone becomes the dominant hormone,
many women can get acne. This generally happens after menopause.
Treatment of hormonal acne usually includes normal acne
creams, gels, and lotions. If the hormonal acne is severe
the patient can go to a dermatologist
which can prescribe an antibiotic to correct the problem.
Since hormonal acne symptoms are usually quite mild, most
women do not request antibiotics. The only exception is if
the acne affects the body or the back (back
acne), which is relatively common.
What is DHT? DHT is short for dihydrotestosterone which stimulates
the sebvaceous gland to produce extra sebum. It plays a large
role in the development of acne. DHT is a major factor in
male-pattern baldness. Millions of men suffer from this condition
and seek treatments. DHT is one of the secrets as to why and
how this condition can be treated. Women with too much DHT
have an opposite side effect than men and baldness. They usually
develop more male pattern hair which includes hair on the
chin and neck. This can be very embarrassing to most women.
Dihydrotestosterone also plays a role in prostate cancer by
enlarging the prostate gland. Doctors and scientists are working
daily to research DHT and find a way to reverse the development
of prostate cancer. There are many DHT based acne
solutions in progress including drugs used for the treatment
of problems associated to DHT.
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