I’m a 27-year-old girl and I have acne. I think it’s due to a hormonal issue, because if I take the contraceptive pill the pimples don’t appear. My question is, is there any other remedy other than the pill?
First, it should be confirmed whether or not it is secondary to a hormonal imbalance. For this, it would be necessary to perform an analysis with a hormone profile at a certain time of the menstrual cycle, and without taking contraceptives.
A very important component in acne in young girls is cosmetics. It is common that the use of a moisturizer or makeup can cause or worsen acne due to occlusion of the follicles. It is always recommended that all cosmetic preparations applied to the face have the following information specified: oil free, non-comedogenic or for acne-prone skin. If it is not explicitly present in the product information, it should be replaced by a more suitable one. This characteristic is not related to the price of the cosmetic, since there are very expensive preparations that are not suitable for acne-prone skin. In recent times, there has been an increase in the incidence of cosmetic acne secondary to the application of rosehip or argan oils. It should be remembered that its excipients occlude hair follicles and can cause acne.
Once these two main causes of acne in adult girls have been ruled out, the most appropriate treatment can be pursued, which does not necessarily rely on contraceptives. Although these are effective for all types of acne because they reduce sebaceous secretion from the skin, they are not the best option for those acnes that do not respond to an underlying hormonal disorder.
In general, it is possible to eliminate acne in adult girls by applying keratolithoic preparations (tretinoin, salicylic or glycolic acid) and some anti-inflammatory (clindamycin, erythromycin, indomethacin). It is also possible to reduce the production of sebum in the skin by oral treatment with vitamin A derivatives (isotretinoin) when the case requires it.
Each case of acne must be evaluated personally through an examination and a brief interview to learn about the patient’s habits, and proceed to request a hormonal profile in cases that require it, so it is always advisable to visit a dermatologist.