ANTIANDROGEN AND HORMONAL TREATMENT OF ACNE
October 1996
in “Dermatologic Clinics”
TLDR Certain hormone treatments can improve acne and related conditions in women.
The 1996 document reviews hormonal and antiandrogen treatments for acne, hirsutism, and androgenetic alopecia, particularly in women. It details the effectiveness of drugs like spironolactone, flutamide, and cyproterone acetate in improving acne and other androgen-mediated conditions. Spironolactone showed a 50% to 100% improvement in acne with doses of 100 to 200 mg/day, while flutamide was suggested to be more effective than spironolactone in some studies. Cyproterone acetate nearly completely improved acne at low doses. Oral contraceptives, corticosteroids, and finasteride were also discussed for their roles in reducing androgen secretion and treating skin diseases. The document highlights the importance of patient selection and individualized treatment plans, noting that finasteride is contraindicated in women of childbearing potential. A case study is presented where a woman's acne was controlled with spironolactone and finasteride, but her hair loss showed no significant improvement, underscoring the challenges of treatment. The document does not provide the number of people in the study, as it includes a single case report.
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Cited in this study
research A prospective randomized trial comparing finasteride to spironolactone in the treatment of hirsute women
research Comparison of flutamide and spironolactone in the treatment of hirsutism: a randomized controlled trial
Flutamide is more effective and has fewer side effects than spironolactone for treating hirsutism.
research Finasteride
Finasteride treats enlarged prostate and may help with baldness, but effects on sexual function and male fetuses are unclear.
research Hepatotoxicity Complicating Flutamide Treatment of Hirsutism
Flutamide, a medication used for excessive hair growth, can cause severe liver damage in women.
research The Effect of Finasteride in Men with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Finasteride effectively treats BPH but may increase sexual dysfunction risk.
research Incidence of liver toxicity associated with the use of flutamide in prostate cancer patients
Flutamide rarely causes liver toxicity in prostate cancer patients.
research Hair growth effects of oral administration of finasteride, a steroid 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor, alone and in combination with topical minoxidil in the balding stumptail macaque
Taking finasteride pills and using minoxidil lotion together can help grow hair.
research Flutamide in the treatment of hirsutism
Flutamide effectively reduces hair growth in women with hirsutism and improves acne and seborrhea without side effects.
research Comparison of Sequential Cyproterone Acetate/Estrogen Versus Spironolactone/Oral Contraceptive in the Treatment of Hirsutism
Both cyproterone acetate and spironolactone effectively reduce hair growth in women with hirsutism.
research Treatment of hirsutism with the pure antiandrogen flutamide
Flutamide effectively reduced excessive hair growth and improved related symptoms in hirsutism patients without significant side effects.
research THE TREATMENT OF HIRSUTISM WITH A COMBINATION OF DESOGESTREL AND ETHINYL OESTRADIOL
A combination of desogestrel and ethinyl oestradiol effectively reduces hair growth in hirsute women.
research Oral spironolactone therapy for female patients with acne, hirsutism or androgenic alopecia
Spironolactone is effective for treating acne, hirsutism, and androgenic alopecia in women with few side effects.
research EFFECTS OF A LOW‐DOSE DESOGESTREL‐ETHINYLESTRADIOL COMBINATION ON HIRSUTISM, ANDROGENS AND SEX HORMONE BINDING GLOBULIN IN WOMEN WITH A POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME
Low-dose oral contraceptives reduced hair growth and testosterone levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.
research Use of cyproterone acetate (CPA) in the treatment of acne, hirsutism and virilism
Cyproterone acetate is effective for acne but less so for hirsutism and alopecia, with some side effects and quick menstrual cycle recovery after treatment.