my personal edition > acne > news


  E-Mail this DGReview to a colleague

DGReview

Acne Treatment With Low-Dose Contraceptive

Low dose contraceptive containing 20 µg of ethinyl estradiol and 100µg of levonorgestrel is effective and safe for the treatment of moderate acne.

This was the finding of a study by Dr. James Leyden and colleagues. Dr Leyden is based at the Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Hospital, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.

The researchers carried out a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving 371 healthy female subjects at least 14 years old. The women all had regular menstrual cycles and moderate facial acne. Androgens are believed to play an important role in acne. Lowering bioavailability of androgens may possibly improve the condition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the low-dose oral contraceptive in the treatment of moderate acne.

The women were randomly assigned to receive the ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel combination or placebo for six cycles of 28 days.

The number of inflammatory and total lesions was significantly lower with the low-dose contraceptive compared with placebo. The women in the low-dose contraceptive group had significantly better scores for clinician global and patient self-assessments than those in the placebo group.

Concluded Dr. Leyden, "A low-dose oral contraceptive containing ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel is effective and safe for the treatment of moderate acne."
J Am Acad Dermatol 2002;47:399-409 "Efficacy of a low-dose oral contraceptive containing 20 µg of ethinyl estradiol and 100 µg of levonorgestrel for the treatment of moderate acne: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial"

E-Mail this DGReview to a colleague

To print, use this version