Acne Articles

The birth control pill can be used to treat acne in women and may even clear it completely.

Some types of acne is caused by hormone levels, in particular, the male hormone testosterone or other androgen – the collective name for male hormones.

Many women who suffer from acne have a high level of androgens in their bloodstream. Before you start worrying that you might be about to grow a beard and change your name to Kevin, remember that everybody has a mix of male and female hormones in their make up. However most women have on average just a tenth of the androgen levels found in most men. Anything above this low level will not make a difference to your personality or femininity but it may be enough to cause acne. Androgens cause acne because they stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce increased amounts of sebum.

Recent research has indicated that female acne sufferers do not necessarily have high testosterone levels but may have low levels of zinc or an inability to process the androgens on their skin.

Why do contraceptive birth control pills clear acne?

Oral contraceptives contain a mixture of female hormones oestrogen and progesterone to mimic the state of pregnancy and alter the reproductive cycle. They also reduce the levels of testosterone and this in turn reduces sebum production and acne.

Some doctors are prescribing birth control pills specifically to cure acne. In the USA, a number of oral contraceptives have been approved by the FDA as being suitable for acne treatment. These include Estrostep, YAZ and Otho Tri Cyclen. Usually prescribed for acne when all other treatments have failed, these hormone tablets work well and are an approved treatment.

Not all birth control pills will reduce acne. Some contain higher levels of androgens, which could make your skin worse.

Should you use birth control pills for acne?

If you are contemplating taking some form of oral contraceptive and you suffer from acne you should consult your doctor. He or she should be able to prescribe a birth control pill that will help to improve your skin as well as offering contraception. Taking the pill specifically because you have acne is also an option.

Although the correct type of oral contraceptive will help you get rid of acne it does not work immediately. You can expect to wait for around three months before you notice any improvement and in the intervening time your acne may worsen.

You should also consider the health implications before embarking upon this treatment. The pill can have numerous side effects and can cause sensitivity in the breasts, weight gain and nausea. If you are overweight, a smoker or have a family history of breast cancer, taking the pill can be risky to health.

What if Birth Control Pills don’t work?

Taking an oral contraceptive as an acne treatment will certainly work for many women. And for those who are taking the pill anyway, it can be seen as a beneficial side effect.

If you suffer from acne and taking the birth control pill doesn’t work for you, then you could always look at an over the counter acne treatment.

How do you know if you really have acne?

It may seem an obvious question but is acne just another name for spots and are all spots acne?

Acne is the World’s most common skin condition and falls into two basic categories, that can be defined as Non-inflammatory acne or inflammatory acne.

Two Types of Acne Categories

Inflammatory acne is when the pores become blocked leading to white heads and black heads called comedones. Alternatively, you may have inflammatory acne. Caused again by the pores becoming blocked, inflammatory acne features pustules and papules (large spots without a “head”) and can cover anything from the classic zit to a severe condition that needs medical treatment.

Technically, whether you suffer from zits, blackheads, or a combination of both, you really have acne. Of course, if this only happens occasionally such as when you are tired stress or run down, you may not find it necessarily to make changes to your skin care routine. However, regular out breaks of spots – perhaps at the wrong time of the month, as you enter the menopause or for no real reason you can pin down, can all be defined as acne.

Many people are reluctant to admit that they have acne, especially once they pass their teenage years and some people associate acne as only being the severe condition that leaves your face pitted and scarred. However, you do not have to have a bad complexion to have acne. Many people suffer from the occasional acne outbreak and may only have a few spots that are not too troublesome. Acne does not have to be something that defines you or ruins your life.

I have acne, what can I do?

If your complexion is prone to spots, then looking at an acne treatment will help you to keep it fresh and blemish free. A thorough cleansing regime will ensure that your pores do not become blocked and you should make sure that any make up you use does not cause black heads. These types of products are perfectly suited to acne prone skin and will be labelled non-comedonic so do not clog the pores of your skin.

Establishing a cleansing routine using a product that gets deep into the pores of your skin will provide better protection than by simply using soap and water. Tea tree oil products are safe, can be used every day without damaging your skin, and may be enough to keep your acne at bay.

Making sure that you eat well, get plenty of exercise and sleep will also help keep your skin fresh and spot or acne free.

Some acne treatments offer a simple method of dealing with the outbreaks and spots on your skin. Others are more complex and address the reason the acne occurs in the first place.

Finding the best acne treatment that suits you is not easy when faced with the amount of treatments available.

The first stop is to find something to clear the spots and outbreaks on your skin and establish a cleansing routine to keep the skin clear. You need to check the ingredients before you decide. Most topical over the counter acne treatments use similar ingredients so this is not as difficult as it appears.

Ingredients used in Over the counter acne treatments

Benzoyl peroxide is the most commonly used ingredients in acne medication. It works by killing acne bacteria in the pores and removing the dead skin cells. However, it can cause sensitivity, flaking skin, dryness and sun sensitivity on the skin, especially at high levels. Some products contain in excess of 10% Benzoyl peroxide –too strong for many skins.

If you have been using an over the counter acne treatment containing Benzoyl peroxide without success you may find that switching to an alternative or lower strength will help. The problem with using strong concentrations of Benzoyl peroxide for many people is that although it clears the current spots it can dry the skin and cause further outbreaks.

Products containing tea tree oil can provide a side effect free alternative to Benzoyl peroxide. Tea tree oil also works by killing bacteria in the pores and removing the dead skin cells. The main difference is that tea tree oil is gentle and will not create the drying effect or flaky skin. Scientific research has found that 5% tea tree oil works equally well as 5% Benzoyl peroxide to clear infection but without the damage to your skin.

Salicylic acid is a key ingredient in many acne treatments. Salicylic acid can penetrate the skin follicle and encourages the shedding of dead cells as well as clearing whiteheads and blackheads. Used in many cleansers and lotions, it can cause stinging and redness.

Although salicylic acid is very effective at low levels, no more than 2% is recommended, you will need to use a moisturiser to counteract the “stripping effect”.

An acne treatment that uses safe levels of salicylic acid and Benzoyl peroxide combined with natural moisturizing ingredients is Exposed Skin Care. This combines the best of science and nature and is best for normal to sensitive skin.

Herbal supplements are becoming a popular OTC acne treatment. Bringing the body back into balance by regulating hormones and boosting antioxidant levels is a way of targeting the causes of acne and supporting your skin care regime.

Click here to discover the best acne treatments on the market!