Drug Combination for Facial Acne in Women
According to the results of a study published recently in the Journal
of the American Academy of Dermatology, a diuretic called
spironolactone combined with Yasmin, an oral contraceptive, may offer
a safe and effective alternative for adult women with moderate to severe
facial acne. At the end of the study, women with severe acne who got
the diuretic/oral contraceptive combination experienced the following;
74% had excellent improvement, 11% were entirely clear of facial acne,
7.4% had only mild improvement, and 7.4% experienced no change. Side
effects from the combination were not severe enough to cause any
women to stop the therapy.
It has been known for some time that excess hormones can either
trigger or prevent acne. For example, women who experience episodes
of acne during their menstrual cycle are sometimes prescribed oral contraceptives.
It is thought that hormones in oral contraceptives slow
down overactive oil glands in a woman’s skin. In addition, since androgens
are known to stimulate these oil glands, researchers look for drugs
like spironolactone that lower androgens in the skin.