The Link Between Hormones and Acne: Part 2

Studies have been conducted to ascertain how many women with acne actually have abnormal levels of circulating hormones. The results of one study showed that about half the women did; another study indicated that the incidence was much higher - between 60 and 90 percent. Those numbers are high; most women posses normal androgen levels.

Put in layman's terms, the male hormones, called androgens, stimulate the oil glands to produce more sebum, and that may contribute to the development of acne in some people.

Scientists have devised ways of treating acne by altering hormone levels. One of the inexpensive ways for a woman to do this is to use oral contraceptives. By taking a birth control pill, a woman can increase the levels of proteins that bind the male hormone testosterone. Women who took a prescription oral contraceptive called Ortho-tri-Cyclen, had levels of unbound testosterone almost 50 percent lower than the levels in women who took other birth control pills. However, oral contraceptives are not recommended as a first line of treatment because of their other risks and side effects.