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Millions of
people suffer
from acne, a
condition affecting the
pilosebaceous units of
skin (see figure 1).
While the cause of
acne is not completely
understood, heredity,
hormones and bacteria
all play a role. During
puberty, the production
of adrenal androgens
is increased in
both boys and girls.
The elevation of
androgens can cause
an increase in sebum
production, particularly
in the face, chest
and back (sebum is a
waxy substance that
helps the skin retain
moisture). Excess
sebum can lead to
acne; the level of
sebum excretion has been shown to correlate
well with the
severity of acne.
Some people are
more prone to develop
acne than others and
family history and
lifestyle can play a
role. For instance the
use of anabolic steriods
taken by bodybuilders
can lead to
severe outbreaks.
Generally, mild
acne is treated by topical therapy.
Moderate or severe
acne may require
topical therapy
combined with oral
therapy. Treatments
are targeted to reduce
sebum production and
bacterial growth.
Since androgens
(testosterone) play
a role in the development of acne,
hormonal therapies
may be useful alternatives
or adjuncts to
traditional treatment.
The beneficial effects
of oral contraceptives
on acne have been
noted for several years.
They are thought to
exert anti-acne effects
by decreasing the
amount of circulating
androgens. Recent
research points to
flax lignans as a
natural alternative for
the treatment of acne.
Lignans have been
shown to inhibit 5
alpha-reductase, an
enzyme involved in
the conversion of
testosterone to DHT
(its more active form).
Inhibition of this
enzyme shows promise
in the treatment of a
number of androgendependent
disorders,
including acne.
Therefore flax
lignans are of interest
in the possible
treatment of acne,
although additional
research is being
conducted to confirm
these findings.
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