TLDR Acne is strongly linked to high BMI, hair loss, menstrual issues, family history, and eating too many sweets and fatty foods, but not to excessive hair growth.
A case-control study conducted 7 years ago at Farshchian hospital in Hamadan, Iran, involving 110 female patients with acne and 110 control subjects, found a strong association between acne, higher Body Mass Index (BMI), alopecia, menstrual dysfunction, positive familial history, and overconsumption of sweet and fatty foods. No link was found between acne and hirsutism. The study also noted that most patients experienced a worsening of acne just before menstruation and that the peak incidence of alopecia in the acne group was at stage 2, indicating progression to an adult hairline. Despite normal serum androgen levels, hormonal therapies were found to be effective in women with premenstrual acne flare-ups. The study concluded that hyperandrogenism should be evaluated in girls with premature pubarche, unusual acne, androgenetic alopecia, and obesity.
17 citations,
April 2010 in “Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics” Obese women had more testosterone and less acne, but similar hair growth compared to non-obese women.
76 citations,
December 2009 in “Clinics in Dermatology” Hormonal treatments can help with acne but are not the first choice due to side effects and the need for careful patient selection.
118 citations,
September 2004 in “Clinics in Dermatology” Hormones, especially androgens, play a big role in acne, but most acne sufferers don't have a hormone disorder. Hormonal treatments, including birth control pills, can be very effective for women whose acne doesn't improve with regular treatments.
169 citations,
August 2004 in “Baillière's best practice & research. Clinical obstetrics & gynaecology/Baillière's best practice and research in clinical obstetrics and gynaecology” Lower doses of treatments for hirsutism and acne in PCOS are effective and cause fewer side effects.
11 citations,
May 2000 in “International Journal of Dermatology” Taking a small dose of prednisone before menstruation can almost completely prevent premenstrual acne with few side effects.
24 citations,
December 1988 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Acne severity in women may not be linked to increased male hormone indicators like excess body hair, menstrual irregularities, or hair loss.
666 citations,
September 1977 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Common baldness, also known as Androgenetic Alopecia, is caused by a combination of genetic factors and hormones called androgens.
1 citations,
August 2013 in “Springer eBooks” Birth control pills and anti-androgen medications help manage hair growth, acne, and hair loss in women with PCOS.
10 citations,
November 2010 in “Skin therapy letter” Women with PCOS often have acne because of high androgen levels, and the article reviewed how to treat this type of acne.
20 citations,
June 2010 in “International Journal of Dermatology” Women with mild acne are more likely to have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) than those without acne.
