Fighting Hormonal Acne without Oral Medications

"Is There A Way To Fight Hormonal Acne Without Oral Medications That Can Have Unpleasant Side Effects?"

It is difficult to answer this question without a clear understanding of what specific type of hormonal acne that you are referring to. It is common for acne to have a hormonal component, as normal levels of androgens (which are hormones) in the body contribute to the development of acne by increasing the production of sebum (oils) by sebaceous glands in the skin. Sebum can block follicles, which leads to inflammation and acne lesions.

Some individuals with acne have an underlying medical condition which causes the body to produce excessive amounts of androgens. Treatment of acne related to excessive amounts of androgens generally requires with specific oral medications that block their effects.

This type of hormonal acne is not particularly common and requires a thorough assessment by a physician to identify the underlying medical condition and determine the appropriate course of treatment. In most cases of acne, however, androgen production is actually normal, but fluctuations in hormones can be a factor that aggravates acne (for example, during specific times in the menstrual cycle).

I am not sure if this is what you were referring to by hormonal acne. This type of hormonal acne will benefit from a good, standard skin care routine and non-hormonal topical and oral treatments to help control bacteria and the amount of sebum on the skin.

Options include non-prescription medications (e.g., benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, sulfur), topical agents that require a prescription (e.g., retinoic acid, clindamycin lotion, adapalene) and oral prescription medications (e.g., tetracycline, minocycline, erythromycin, doxycycline and isotretinoin) for more severe cases.

I would recommend that you consult a pharmacist in person to help you select an appropriate treatment option that will have a side effect profile that you are able to tolerate.