A Honey Trap for the Treatment of Acne: Manipulating the Follicular Microenvironment to Control Propionibacterium Acnes

Finasteride effectively treated hormonal acne for multiple users, including the original poster. Topical treatments like Winlevi are effective but expensive and not always covered by insurance.

The user is experiencing diffuse thinning and excessive sebum production, considering Accutane as a potential solution after trying dutasteride and oral minoxidil without success. Other users suggest treatments like Nizoral shampoo, finasteride, beclomethasone dipropionate lotion, and topical androgen receptor inhibitors.

The solution contains minoxidil, finasteride, azelaic acid, caffeine, retinoic acid, and procapil. Users suggest minoxidil with tretinoin and a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, while dismissing retinoic and azelaic acids as unnecessary.

Increased Malassezia and Cutibacterium in the scalp microbiome are linked to higher sebum production and inflammation in androgenetic alopecia (AGA). Treatments include ciclopirox shampoo, benzoyl peroxide shampoo, clobetasol propionate, calcipotriol, minoxidil, finasteride, and dutasteride.

Finasteride may cause acne for some users, possibly due to increased testosterone or estrogen levels. Zinc, gluconic acid, and B5 cream are suggested treatments for managing this acne.

Switching from topical to oral minoxidil caused acne breakouts, leading the user to revert to topical use. Finasteride was also used, but acne was suspected to be linked to oral minoxidil.