Many women struggle to control their acne through the teenage years and adulthood. Whether it's a pimple before prom night or a breakout just before a big job interview, the physical and emotional aspects of acne can be devastating. Now, new hormone treatment therapies may help some women control these outbreaks. Speaking today at the American Academy of Dermatology's 2000 Annual Meeting in San Francisco, dermatologist Diane Thiboutot, MD, associate professor of medicine at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pa., discussed the options new medical advances have made available to women with persistent acne. Control of acne is an ongoing process.
All acne treatments work by preventing new acne.
Blemishes that exist when treatment is started must heal on their own. Most women suffering from adult acne seek standard treatments such as topical preparations or antibiotics. There are so many different new therapy options to chose from now that most cases of persistent acne can be improved. Acne in women is often related to her menstrual cycle. Women with premenstrual acne outbreaks, especially outbreaks on the lower face and neck, seem to respond particularly well to treatment with medications that either reduce or block androgen production.