Spironolactone
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Spironolactone is a type of oral medication called an anti-androgen that is sometimes prescribed to females. Androgens are male hormones that are present...

Spironolactone is a type of oral medication called an anti-androgen that is sometimes prescribed to females. Androgens are male hormones that are present in both males and females that lead to more acne, and spironolactone helps reduce androgens.

It is usually taken once or twice a day, around the same time(s), preferably with a meal.

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December 28, 2012

Pros:

I am 28 years old and I have old and tried every cleaning product/remedy out there even accutane for my cystic acne. Finally my new ob/gyn put me on the pill and Spironolactone. He told me to take them both together and that the Spironolactone was to be taken twice a day (00mg each so 200mg each day) within a month I stopped breaking out on my face. Once in a while I will break out on the back of my head but overall all I can say this was the miracle I been looking!

Cons:

I have 0 cons for this product!

It doesn't hurt to look into it if you have tried everything else, also make sure your doctor knows if you have any other medical problems example like endo or pcos.
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December 27, 2012

Pros:

Affordable and No Side effects!

Cons:

Takes a bit of time to work - but really no out standings cons.

For women with hormonal acne, spiro can really be a miracle drug! I struggled for years with moderate cystic acne (often around the mouth/chin) and after using this for several months I no longer get those deep, painful, scarring pimples. If I do get a blemish, it honestly heals within a day or two and is never deep beneath the skin. I have used EVERYTHING except accutane (it was going to be a last resort if this didn't work out) - spiro is WORTH the try.
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December 23, 2012

Pros:

Completely cleared my facial and body acne
Cheap
Easy to take a pill
No topicals to irritate skin

Cons:

Took a while to work
Have to find the correct dosage
Have to urinate frequently

This medication saved my self confidence and sanity. I had previously been on Ortho Tri Cyclen for 15 years and had perfect skin. October 2011 I severely fractured my ankle which led to a blood clot in my leg. Due to the clot, I can never take hormonal medications again. So, on top of not walking and worrying about the clot, my face and body decided to explode with acne. I had it all over my cheeks, chin, forehead, neck, chest, back, butt, you name it and it was there. Pretty traumatizing when I never had acne before. I have fair skin that scars very easily, so now as soon as the old zits would leave, i had hyperpigmentation spots on top of new zits. I tried every topical I could think of, and nothing worked. My normally outgoing personality faltered as I was horribly embarassed to be around people and show my face. I felt like I couldn't wear low cut shirts and I didn't want to even leave the house. I cried myself to sleep every night. I finally managed to get into my dermatologist in March 2012. I had read all these reviews about Spiro and prayed that the dr would prescribe it and it would help. He took one look at my face and started me on 50mg daily of Spiro. At first I didn't see any changes, then about three weeks down the line my face and chest got even worse (which I didn't think was possible) then started to clear some. My body acne and chest cleared up at that point. In July, my face broke back out into large cysts. Luckily I went back to the derm a few weeks later and he upped my dose to 100mg daily. My whole face cleared up immediately. It was even a little dry, where I was used to having an oil slick on my face. I still saw improvement the last few months. I get a couple tiny pimples here and there but whatever. I can gladly deal with them! My chest still had a few, and I added in zinc for skin healing and now those are gone. I couldn't be happier and I finally have my life and self confidence back. It's amazing. I hope this helps anyone who thinks
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December 23, 2012

Pros:

Really works!
No side effects

Cons:

None so far!

I've been on the med for almost a month and already seeing great results. I've been suffering with hormonal acne the past few years. I break out around my chin and jaw area. I am 26 years old and have tried every medication under the sun. This is the first met I've seen great results with. I had braced myself for the initial break out, but never had one! People have been noticing my skin clearing up and I've been able to wear less make up! As a nurse I recommend this medication.
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November 25, 2012

Pros:

clear skin, no more pimples

Cons:

it takes a few weeks (maybe a month or more) to work

I'm 40 years old and have battled with acne on and off since I was 18. The only 2 times in my life I had beautiful perfect glowing skin was during my 2 pregnancies and for some period after. I was on tetracyclines (on and off) for many years but I guess my body became immune to it wasn't as effective as before. I was sick and tired of antibiotics, which was the only thing my dermatologist offered other than the topical creams. I suggested tetracycline (after doing some research) but she refused because she couldn't check my liver functions. Thank God my PCP was open-minded and prescribed spirolactone 25 mg at first (didn't work) and then 50 mg. It's been almost a year and I couldn't be happier, my skin has been clear for months!! If you suspect your acne is hormonal give spirolactone a try. I've had blood work done 3 times and I have no problems. I'm finally acne free.
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November 14, 2012

Pros:

CLEARER SKIN!
Got rid of existing acne
Its a pill so i just take it with my multivitamin (maybe just a pro for me)
Worked Quickly
No real side effects from pill

Cons:

A little drying

I've only been on it for a month, but my acne has gotten sooo much better. I take a 50mg pill 2x daily with the antibiotic Doxycycline (also 2xdaily). These two pills together have gotten my skin so much clearer in a month than I ever thought was possible. I live at the beach so in the summer Im in the salt water everyday and my skin is awesome. I dont need makeup and its great, but as soon as summer is over and im not in the sun and water anymore my skin goes crazy with cystic acne. Its been like this since I was 16 and am now 22. Anyway in the past 6 months my skin has gone from the best its ever been to the worst and now to pretty good again. Im very excited to continue taking it because the dermatologist says i will see full affects at 3 months. I hope that this pill will enable me to have clear skin all year.
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October 27, 2012

Pros:

- After the initial breakout (lasted about 4-6 weeks), skin cleared tremendously and my skin finally began to heal itself

Cons:

- BAD INITIAL BREAKOUT
- I was instructed to watch my potassium levels; I got blood work done once and everything was fine and I haven't checked it since - I just tried to monitor what I ate and chose options low on the potassium scale

Here's a bit of background information about my skin: I started to get little breakouts at a young age but my main problem was just tiny pimples and redness. Entering high school I cleaned up my diet and my face was clear and glowing. Throughout high school my skin was on and off until my final year when I got HORRIBLE breakouts. At this point I went to a clinic and was put on birth control, antibiotics and I began to do skin peels. My skin cleared once again! At the beginning of university I went off of birth control and antibiotics and I continued to have little breakouts here and there but nothing too serious... until my last year (again!) It must have been due to stress because my skin went wild! I had painful cystic acne along my jawline and on my cheeks. It came on so fast. I refrained from "picking" at my face to see if things changed but the acne would not go away. I went back to the same clinic and the Doctor told me he thought it was stress and hormones (vs. bacterial causes) and told me he wanted me to try spironolactone. I agreed because at this point my acne was ruining my face and my self-esteem. That night I got my prescription filled and came on Acne.org to read reviews. The main comment I got was that this product worked but patience was needed due to the initial breakout. I remember in my mind thinking "this 'initial breakout' cant be too bad". I really didn't think my face could get worse. Unfortunately, it could and IT DID. The only thing that got me through the first 4-6 weeks was reading all of the comments on the site and constantly reminding myself that I just needed to wait it out. I'm so glad I did because I'm so happy with my skin right now. I don't know how long I'm going to take spironolactone for or how my skin is going to react in the future on and off this medication but I wanted to come on here and write a review to help someone who is thinking about taking or already
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October 26, 2012

Pros:

No more cystic acne, period.
Healthy glowing skin.
Hair on my head grows faster and falls out less.
Inexpensive.

Cons:

A lot more urinating.
little peeling and dryness.

I've been on spironolactone for a month now, and I definitely see a difference. My dermatologist put me on a regimen of 100 mg a day, I use Aczone every morning and night and tretinoin every other night. It's only been a month and my face is almost clear. Literally, the only marks on my face are from old scars which are starting to fade as well. It may be different for everyone, but I did NOT have an initial breakout, my face started clearing up instantly. I'm getting my confidence back and I feel great! I recommend this regimen to any female dealing with acne! Before I tried every acne care system, Proactiv, Exposed, Murad, etc. Nothing helped, and Proactiv made it even worse. Take my advice and don't waste your money!
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October 20, 2012

Pros:

WORKS!

Cons:

potassium deficiency

Ok, so I had REALLY bad hormonal acne. I never had acne until I had PCOS... and then all hell broke loose on my face. After struggling for a while, my dermatologist put me on doxycycline first and then spironoactone before putting me on accutane...10 Luckily for me, the combo of spiro+doxy+birthcontrol pill WORKED PERFECTLY. I no longer break out.. what so ever. I get maybe one pimple a month. I'm so relieved I didn't have to take accutane!
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October 12, 2012

Pros:

Clear-er skin
Less oily!

Cons:

Frequent urination
Increased skin sensitivity

I'm 22, and have tried almost everything, including Accutane when I was 16 (AWFUL side effects including bringing forth allergies, dry skin, sensitive skin, depression), which cleared my skin until about age 20-21, but was NOT worth the side effects. My skin began breaking out into painful cysts and blackheads, but was too sensitive to use any other products on (other than a very sensitive Avene moisturizer - Thanks, Accutane!). I began researching for a product comparable to Accutane, without the nasty side effects. Spiro was the first and only medication that seemed remotely comparable, so I approached my doctor to try it. I've been using it for 3 or so months now, although the initial breakouts were rough, I now have amazing skin. Within 3 weeks, my skin went from extremely oily to dry (good thing!). I understood the increase of urinary frequency, as Spironolactone IS a diuretic, specifically used for lowering blood pressure. My blood pressure has been unaffected as well, which was a concern of mine. I'm infatuated with this medication, and would absolutely recommend it to anyone suffering with acne.
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Finding a Doctor

The right dermatologist can make a big difference to your patient experience and the success of your acne treatment plan. Here are the steps to find a dermatologist who is a good fit:

  1. Use the search feature on the American Academy of Dermatology website to look for board-certified dermatologists in your area, and filter the search results for doctors with a special interest in treating acne.
  2. Read online patient reviews of any dermatologists you are considering and ask people you know whether they have any experience with these dermatologists.
  3. Do your research and go to your first appointment with questions prepared.
  4. Listen to what your gut feeling tells you once you see a dermatologist in person. If you are not completely comfortable, try a different dermatologist.
Find a Doctor Using The American Acacemy of Dermatology Website

Finding a Doctor

Only a select few plastic surgeons specialize in acne scar revision surgery. Be certain to find a provider who specializes in acne scar repair and who is passionate and experienced in this area.

Be sure to:

  • Look at before and after photos, the more the better, especially patients with similar scarring to your own.
  • Be realistic about results. Look for improvement, not a cure.

Questions to ask a potential scar revision specialist:

  • Are you board certified? Be certain that they are board certified.
  • How long have you been performing these procedures? Normally, the more experience the better, however, some younger surgeons may be more on top of the latest procedures.
  • Can I speak to some of your other patients? Ask for references for several patients who had similar scarring and speak to them about the process and their satisfaction with results.

Red flags:

  • Their story changes: As you discuss different treatment options, if they tend to change their mind easily, or agree with whatever you say, consider this a red flag. A confident, experienced surgeon will possess strong, unwavering opinions.
  • Your gut tells you "no": Trust your gut. If you just don't feel that the doctor is the right fit, trust that and move on. On the other hand, if you feel they are the perfect specialist for you, trust that feeling.
Find a Doctor Using the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Website