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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.
