im pretty sure nizoral is a weak anti-androgen. when i washed my face with it i completely cleared up, but over the course of about 2-3 days my face was horribly dry so i had to stop. so annoyed that. what you posted is really interesting. so you havent tried it?

i asked the doc about topical anti-androgens and he said they didnt exist (clearly they do). i also know androscience are attempting to formulate a topical androgen specifically for acne but theyre still trialing, no clue how long it might be years probably :S

was also just thinking, with any anti-androgen use it seems when you stop using it everything comes back, i wonder how long you could use a topical anti-androgen for

Nizoral apparently inhibits dht on your scalp, and has anti-fungal properties, it is sometimes used as an aid to hair loss, I am not aware of any topical anti-androgens specifically for acne, and I wouldn't really recommend washing your face with nizoral, minoxidil or topical spiro. If you want to inhibit dht internally which would prove much more beneficial though some research into dht and acne would be required(acne and hair loss seem to have similar mechanisms) then there is Finasteride though there are side-effects to consider.. ahem, and it's not suitable for women.

Natural DHT inhibitors/anti-androgens seem to be thinks like soy, saw palmetto, green tea, black tea, peppermint, experiment through this route first IMO.

Nizoral apparently inhibits dht on your scalp, and has anti-fungal properties, it is sometimes used as an aid to hair loss, I am not aware of any topical anti-androgens specifically for acne, and I wouldn't really recommend washing your face with nizoral, minoxidil or topical spiro. If you want to inhibit dht internally which would prove much more beneficial though some research into dht and acne would be required(acne and hair loss seem to have similar mechanisms) then there is Finasteride though there are side-effects to consider.. ahem, and it's not suitable for women.

Natural DHT inhibitors/anti-androgens seem to be thinks like soy, saw palmetto, green tea, black tea, peppermint, experiment through this route first IMO.

 

thanks for your info

I've heard of finasteride but im not exactly what its used for, why is it not suitable for women i wonder?

also soy has been said for people with acne to avoid (mainly woman) ?

spearmint tea also, although it never really did much for me which was annoying considering spiro only 25mg did wonders. do you know if saw palmetto affects hormones greatly or its more just an anti-androgen?

as silly as this might sound but would it be pointless trying saw palmetto topical? only curious as i know i wont be washing with nizoral again but it did do the trick, something in it, i'm just curious if even something like spearmint tea? its a weak anti-androgen, do you think is applied topically it could have an affect?

 

Nizoral apparently inhibits dht on your scalp, and has anti-fungal properties, it is sometimes used as an aid to hair loss, I am not aware of any topical anti-androgens specifically for acne, and I wouldn't really recommend washing your face with nizoral, minoxidil or topical spiro. If you want to inhibit dht internally which would prove much more beneficial though some research into dht and acne would be required(acne and hair loss seem to have similar mechanisms) then there is Finasteride though there are side-effects to consider.. ahem, and it's not suitable for women.

Natural DHT inhibitors/anti-androgens seem to be thinks like soy, saw palmetto, green tea, black tea, peppermint, experiment through this route first IMO.

 

thanks for your info

I've heard of finasteride but im not exactly what its used for, why is it not suitable for women i wonder?

also soy has been said for people with acne to avoid (mainly woman) ?

spearmint tea also, although it never really did much for me which was annoying considering spiro only 25mg did wonders. do you know if saw palmetto affects hormones greatly or its more just an anti-androgen?

as silly as this might sound but would it be pointless trying saw palmetto topical? only curious as i know i wont be washing with nizoral again but it did do the trick, something in it, i'm just curious if even something like spearmint tea? its a weak anti-androgen, do you think is applied topically it could have an affect?

 

Finasteride is an anti-androgen that is taken orally and is usually used to treat prostate problems (BPH) and reduce symptoms of Male Pattern Baldness, in rare cases(around 1-2% I believe) it has side effects in men such as impotence, erectile dysfunction, lowered sperm counts etc. it is not suitable for women because it can affect developing fetuses I believe, something to do with DHT being required while the male fetus is developing so that it's organs develop properly, as finasteride inhibits this production abnormalities could potentially occur. Soy isoflavones apparently work by inhibiting dht in those that produce equol, but equol isn't produced by everyone unfortunately, there is a 'formula' to produce equol, but research is still in preliminary stages, though I think equol is the key to inhibiting excess sebum production. It's swings and roundabouts though as there just isn't enough evidence right now to show one way or another.

Saw palmetto probably works as a weak anti-androgen, there are topical applications of these available on the market so perhaps it's worth some research. I have never heard of spearmint being applied topically for acne, though I have heard of it being applied for Hirsutism for women.

I hear what your saying about Soy but I would sooner drink that than Milk really, milk is nasty stuff. May look into swapping Soy with Coconut/Almond milk though at some point, once I find out how available it is here.

No no I've never tried this and I'm not recommending it. I'm just curious about the idea.... I just stopped using Benzoyl Peroxide, even though it helps, because I don't like how long I've been using it. I'm paranoid about stuff like that so I'm not about to just randomly put something crazy all over my face lol.... But I do like the idea of trying something topically instead of orally. Anyone know anything about the anti-androgen in the product that I linked to? Here's the description of the product:

"600-E contains a powerful anti-androgen which is formulated to shut down the receptors responsible for hair growth activity (the pathway through the T-5 alpha-reductase receptor). By blocking testosterone from instructing cellular proliferation and mitosis during a critical developmental stage, the entire growth phase (anagen) can be prevented.

This formula has shown substantial efficacy on secondary and post-secondary hair growth types (hair which emerges from the body following puberty between the ages of 18 and 38 years). Unlike other anti-androgens, cimetidine has not shown adverse reactions in female subjects or fetal impairment (such as what has been reported with the use of finasteride*). No erectile dysfunction or sexual performance implications have been associated with use.

600-E offers a highly localized (site specific) treatment. It may be used to treat hair growth on shoulders but not impact the chest area. A 100 ml kit will be adequate to treat the average man's chest and abdomen (or the average woman's legs) for 30 days."

I agree with you about milk Baggins. Every time I drink milk my acne is worse. I just drank a lot of it while on vacation after a long time of not drinking it and had the worse break-out of my life. Idiotic thing to do. I'm beginning to think that I may be alergic to other foods as well as milk, and I think I should start with figuring my diet out rather than trying out a topical anti-androgen.

Topical anti-androgens? I only see them, if there are any, as being temporary solutions. Hormones work from the inside. You'll need antibiotics such as birth control and Spironolactone. Topical creams would only provide temporary relief. It makes sense that taking something that works internally would be the answer to your problem.

Hi there,

I just wanted to share my experience with topical finasteride. My (now ex) boyfriend at the time was in med school and had done a ton of research on all things acne and hormones as he suffered from acne himself, as did I. A doctor with whom he did one of his placements is very open to trying alternative therapies, and upon request, gave a prescription for finasteride mixed with a lotion (I forget the exact strength) so that it could be applied topically, without all of the side effects (ie. buh bye libido!). I had the prescription filled at a compounding pharmacy and it did help reduce my acne! I am now on Accutane (I am 33) for the first time and having amazing results (the lip dryness is annoying, as are the dry eyes, but otherwise ok). I am thinking of using the topical finasteride again after I come off the Accutane, just to help reduce chances of recurrence. Now, finding a doctor who would be willing to give you a script for this and give it a try is the challenge of course, but it could be worth a try!