For many teenage girls as well as women with adult-onset acne,
treatment with female sex hormones such as estrogen offers another
treatment option. Usually taken in the form of low-dose birth
control pills, hormonal therapy increases the level of female hormones
in a woman’s bloodstream. This reduces or blocks the production
of androgen. Once androgen production is decreased,
sebum production is decreased as well. The result is decreased acne
outbreaks.
A woman describes her experience with hormone therapy:
“I was surprised when my doctor prescribed birth control pills
to clear up my skin. It sounded strange. But I was at the end of my
rope as far as my skin was concerned. I tried just about everything
else, so I decided to give birth control pills a shot. I am so happy
with the results. My skin hasn’t looked this good in years.
