How good do birth control pills heal acne?
treatment-resistant acne is caused by excessive production of hormones called androgens. With extra androgens in your system, your oil-producing glands go into high gear — and so does your acne. Several clues can help your doctor identify acne that may be influenced by hormones: acne that appears in adults for the first time; acne flare-ups preceding the menstrual cycle; irregular menstrual cycles; hirsutism (excessive growth of hair or hair in unusual places); and elevated levels of certain androgens in the blood stream. Adult women and teenage girls whose acne has resisted treatment with antibiotics or topical retinoids may be candidates for hormonal therapy. Once a patient’s acne is identified as hormonally influenced, the doctor will be able to prescribe a number of different therapies, or perhaps a combination of several different drugs; “combination therapy” is often the best approach to this kind of acne.
