Can I use pills to get rid of my acne?
Sometimes we forget to consult our doctor before taking a low profile medicine. Later on, we find some disease process is going on within our system. For that, we have to bear other difficulties and our purse looses weight.
Oral Contraceptive Pills, OCPs, or you may call it pills simply, is one of the most notorious medicines in this category. OCP is usually a combination of two major hormones- estrogen and progesterone. Doctors, at times prescribe estrogen creams for acne. Estrogen benefits by suppressing ovarian production of androgen by inhibiting a specific hormone release from pituitary-called Gonadotropin. Cyclic treatment with added progestins is effective.
Now let us get into some deeper on this matter. How acne is formed? Acne, or Acne vulgaris –the most common form of Acne, is mainly manifested in the adolescents due to increase sebum production by the sebaceous glands present in the upper part of skin after puberty. Androgen expedites the production of sebum. Small sized cysts, called comedones, appear in hair follicles due to blockage of the orifice by withholding of sebum and other materials. Then some bacterias come into action and substances (free fatty acids) are released from sebum. This gives rise to inflammation within the cyst and ultimately the cyst ruptures. This is what we see as acne.
See, estrogens have its own side effects. They are suppression of libido, enlargement of breasts, and sometimes feminization occurs in boys. Women those have stopped menstruating, have a 5-15 fold increased risk of cancer of the uterus. Even there are reported cases of breast cancer also. Long time therapy with OCP doubles the risk of formation of stone in the gall bladder. Use of estrogen in the non-fair gender is out of question. Estrogen can suppress growth in the children if prescribed.
Tenderness in the breasts is a very common problem seen with long-term use of pills. Moreover, there are other serious complications if OCPs are used for a prolonged period. There is incidence of blockage of long veins and that of the lungs, veins of the heart may be blocked leading to cardiac arrest, increase in the blood pressure, disbalance in the cholesterol level etc. For acne, you require treatment for a long time. Your doctor is the best judge to give you advice for acne treatment considering all of these facts.
So think about the whole matter and decide for yourself whether you will go by your friend’s advice or should you consult your doctor to get out of your unattractive face.
Filed under: Birth Control and Acne
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