Combined hormonal contraceptives with folates: Benefits in the treatment of acne

Kasyan V.N.

A.I. Evdokimov Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry, Ministry of Health of Russia, Moscow 127473, Delegatskaya str. 20-1, Russia
Objective. To carry out a systematic analysis of the data available in the current literature on the prevalence of acne in women of different age groups, the effect of sex steroids on the pathophysiological components of acne development, the role of combined oral contraceptives (COCs) in correcting acne, and the additional therapeutic effect of folate-containing COCs.
Material and methods. The review included the data of foreign and Russian articles published in the past 10 years and found in PubMed on this topic.
Results. The paper describes the prevalence of acne in women of different age groups, the effect of sex hormones on sebaceous glands, hair follicles, and the process of keratinization, and the role of the microflora and inflammatory processes in the genesis of acne. It shows differential diagnostic steps in the identification of acne. There are results of multicenter studies evaluating the efficacy of combined hormonal contraceptives with drospirenone for treatment of acne and data on the benefits of folate-containing COCs in patients with this condition.
Conclusion. When summarizing the literature data, it should be noted that the prescription of drospirenone-containing combined hormonal contraceptive with folates is the pathophysiological basis for the treatment of acne in reproductive-aged women. The investigation results prove that there is a significant skin improvement just after 3-month COC use in the correction of folate levels the women, by taking into account their reproductive potential.

Keywords

acne
contraception
drospirenone
metafolin
folic acid

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Received 09.06.2017

Accepted 23.06.2017

About the Authors

Victoria Kasyan, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Gynecology, Department of reproductive medicine and surgery, A.I. Evdokimov Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry, Ministry of Health of Russia. 127473, Russia, Moscow, Delegatskaya str. 20-1. Tel.: +74959898020. E-mail: gynendo-nkc@yandex.ru

For citations: Kasyan V.N. Combined hormonal contraceptives with folates: Benefits in the treatment of acne. Akusherstvo i Ginekologiya/Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2017; (10): 130-5. (in Russian)
https://dx.doi.org/10.18565/aig.2017.10.130-135

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