The PCOS and acne connection<br />When you have PCOS, your ovaries make higher levels of the androgen hormones testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA).<br /><br />PCOS acne is a type of hormonal acne, which can be more severe than other breakouts. If you have acne from PCOS, it’s more likely to be:<br />Deeper under your skin, like cystic acne.<br />Lower on your face, such as on your chin, jawline or lower cheeks.<br />Red and inflamed (acne papules).<br />One of the other telltale signs of PCOS acne is its flat-out refusal to ... Just. Go. Away.<br />PCOS acne treatment<br />There’s no single acne treatment that’s right for everyone. But luckily, there are a few effective options for kicking PCOS acne to the curb, including:<br /><br />1-Oral contraceptives (birth control pills)<br />2- Spironolactone<br />3-Topical acne medications<br /><br />Other PCOS skin symptoms<br />1- Acanthosis nigricans<br />2- Hair thinning or hair loss<br />3- Hirsutism<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Acne Vulgaris is one of most common dermatological conditions affecting adolescents & young adults <br />(it may present at any age).<br />It is a multifactorial chronic, self- limiting, inflammatory disease of pilosebaceous unit presenting with <br />pleomorphic lesions like comedones, erythematous papules & pustules, nodules, cysts or pseudocysts & leads to scarring in few of them.<br />- It occurs in all races worldwide, affecting 90 % of people sometimes or other in their life.2<br />- Age of onset is at puberty or few months earlier (16 -19 years male & 14 – 17 yrs female), may present <br />even in thirties.<br />Pathophysiology<br />A total of 50 women were included in our study. Among the study population, major proportion of participants were between 21-25 years (44%),followed by 26- 30 years age ( 28%), followed by >30 years (20%),and less than 20 years is ( 8%).56% of participants were married, 44% of participants were unmarried.Irregular menstrual cycle was noted in 36% of participants.<br />A Study on Prevalence of PCOS in Acne Patients<br />As per WHO criteria, only 12 % of participants had BMI (< 25) in normal weight range. The proportion of women who are overweight (25-30) were 52 %. 36% of participants were obese (30%). In the study waist circumference was low (<88 cms ) in 48% of participants & high (> 88 cms ) in 52 % of participants. The proportion of women having various degrees of hirsutism was 62 %. Alopecia present in 64% of study population & absent in 36% of participants.<br /><br /><br />Conclusion<br />PCOS is a common disorder among people with acne vulgaris. Presence of obesity, hirsutism, acanthosis <br />nigricans are risk factors. Early diagnosis & treatment can avoid possible complications<br /><br />د. فرقد صالح<br /><br /><br />The first university in Iraq