The Transitional Male Presents:
ACNE 101 for Transmen
WHY IT HAPPENS WHEN ON T AND WHAT CAN BE DONE
Do you have any acne tips you'd like to share? Send to: admin@thetransitionalmale.com
Please note: Though I write about Testosterone Enanthate (testosterone in sesame
seed oil either light or dark oil) helping me with my acne, I don't not mean to
imply that using it will help your acne. It might and it might not. You'll need
to use a good acne wash in tandem with trying out the different Testosterones
before you find what works FOR YOU and it may take a few vials for your body to
get used to it before you see a change.
In the end nothing may help and you'll need to seek out a Dermatologist for
treatment.
Acne and Female to Male Transsexuals
Generally under normal conditions, acne is strongly related to family history
but in our cases; a strong androgen like Testosterone is more likely to be the
culprit. To what degree can be attributed to amount or type of testosterone
used, diet, medications, or a lax face-washing regime.
When Testosterone is administered to a Female bodied person for the purpose of
transition, a male puberty occurs. Male puberty is a magnet for acne flare-ups
due to the over production of oil in the skin. In most cases, acne occurs in the
beginning years of testosterone therapy but it can flare up anytime through the
years.
Why does Testosterone often cause acne problems?
Not only does Testosterone cause the skin to produce more oil, Testosterone
affects the way the skin is able to slough off dead cells. These cells get
caught in the pores and hair follicles, especially the follicles now starting to
produce whiskers.
Acne develops in the hair follicles, the lining of the skin ducts, surrounding
hair follicles, and the sebaceous oil glands. The oil and surface dirt get
caught behind a plug of waxy oil and skin cells causing inflammation and
infection. This event triggers the body’s immune system to send out infection
fighting white blood cells that also get caught in the affected area, then a red
bump or cyst appears.
There are 2 different types of acne, Inflammatory and Non-Inflammatory, which
can appear on the face, back, chest and the scalp.
Inflammatory
Severe inflammatory acne can cause disfiguring cysts and deep
scars. Inflammatory acne causes whiteheads to become infected and produce large
pustules deep under the skin. These generally hurt before you can see them.
That's always a good indicator that one is about to get out of hand and an
immediate visit to your Dermatologist needs scheduling. He or she can inject
each deep cyst with a combination of Lidocaine to dull the pain, antibiotics and
an anti-inflammatory cortisone steroid while the cyst still small. This
will lessen the chance of the cyst becoming larger and more painful. Immediate
action also minimizes scarring. It is recommended to use moist heat packs on
these spots before the visit and after. This helps with the pain and helps the
affected area drain.
Non-Inflammatory
Non-Inflammatory is a milder form of acne consisting of whiteheads and
blackheads easily treated with over-the-counter topical ointments or lotions
like Oxy-10 ®. This type of acne can be above or below the skin either as a
closed comedo also known as a whitehead, or an open comedo, where the plug gets
larger and comes away from the duct. Blackheads are not dirt trapped under the
skin; they are the result of the dark skin pigmentation called Melanin building
up within the comedo. That's why they don't wash away when you wash your face.
There are other contributing factors not associated with Testosterone use that
should be taken into consideration. Here are some tips to help keep acne
problems at bay.
Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. Try to avoid a lot of fat in your diet. You
can have chocolate and fried foods in moderation because studies have shown
these to be insignificant in causing acne, though some do debate this.
Avoid Stress
Get a lot of sleep
Use vitamins high in Iodine with caution. The recommended daily dosage of Iodine
is less than 150 mcg. Anything higher can cause acne flare-ups.
You may notice more acne when using medications for depression, such as Lithium
and Elavil or when using anti-seizure medications such as Dilantin. Don’t stop
these medications if you notice acne problems. Consult your doctor or
Dermatologist for help.
Use sports supplements that increase natural testosterone levels with caution. They can
elevate natural testosterone levels in females resulting in acne.
Avoid rubbing alcohol also known as Isopropyl Alcohol: This irritates the skin,
strips off good bacteria and dries out the skin. This stimulates the oil glands
to produce even more oil to keep the skin surface in balance.
Avoid any face washes or astringents that contains alcohol such as Sea Breeze ®.
It's mostly alcohol.
Avoid shaving products like pre-shave lotions for electric shavers that contain
alcohol.
Use colognes like musk and others with ingredients like ambrette and cinnamates
sparingly and only on the neck because they can cause flare-ups. These also
contain alcohol.
Carefully choose your dandruff shampoo. Use a dandruff shampoo that contains
tar, zinc, or salicylic acid.
When using hair spray or mousse, avoid the skin of the face. Those that have
breakouts on their scalp from testosterone, should be sure to wash their hair
daily.
Wash your face in the morning and in the evening. You can use a variety of over
the counter acne washes or use preparations you can order on-line or from
television such as Proactiv Solution ® or Murrad ®.
If your acne becomes a problem, there are a number of medications prescribed by
your doctor or Dermatologist that help combat acne, especially severe
inflammatory acne.
Oral antibiotics: Tetracycline, Doxycycline & Ampicillin
Topical antibiotic lotions: Erythromycin 2% and Clindamycin 2%
Topical gels: Differin ®, Metrogel ®, Clindamycin and Azelex ®
Topical creams: Retin-A or the generic version; Tretinoin, Salicylic
acid
Oral medications: Accutane.
WARNING: Aggressive prescriptions like Accutane are to be avoided if you
possibly can. There are severe side effects associated with this oral
medication. Also, Accutane is not a cure for acne; it can come back once the
medication is stopped.
Accutane or RoAccutane works by drying up oil all over the body. This can
elevate lipid profiles in the blood resulting in high LDL cholesterol levels.
The reason this happens is because Accutane transfers the excess oil from the
skin into the blood stream. Another consequence of this is severe drying of the
skin, eyes and the lips. Users have reported cracked and bleeding lips remedied
by thick coats of Vaseline and some have had to use it on their face to combat
dryness.
This medication causes severe birth defects when taken by women who are sexually
active and not using birth control (even if a woman is using birth control,
things can still go wrong).
Accutane has also been linked to liver damage, depression, and suicidal
thoughts. There have been documented events of suicide among teens and adults
while using this medication.
If all else fails, consult a Dermatologist or your regular doctor.
There is more health information available on the net. Look through some health information sites and you could find out more acne health information than you knew there was to find, along with plenty of health information that could improve your life.