Steroid Acne – Causes, Complaints & Therapy

Steroid acne

Steroid acne is a form of acne caused by medication. Most of them are steroid-containing drugs. The symptoms of the skin changes usually disappear after stopping the medication.

What is steroid acne?

Steroid acne is a form of acne that is usually triggered by cortisone-containing drugs. However, steroid acne is also often used as a synonym for steroid abuse of sex hormones such as testosterone.

However, this is about the much more severe acne conglobata or acne fulminans. However, acne conglobata has nothing to do with steroid acne.

Causes

Steroid acne is caused by a local or systemic application of cortisone-containing drugs, creams and ointments. Cortisone is a steroid hormone that performs a variety of functions in the organism. It is used, among other things, in autoimmune diseasesallergies and organ transplants. Its immunosuppressive properties are exploited to suppress autoimmune reactions, allergic reactions and rejection reactions in organ transplants.Cortisone-containing ointments and creams should also be used to treat allergy-related skin diseases such as neurodermatitis and other eczema. Unfortunately, cortisone can develop skin reactions in the form of acne. The name steroid acne comes from the fact that it is usually caused by steroid-containing drugs (cortisone). In addition to cortisone, halogens (sleeping pills), INH (isoniazid), ACTH (regulating hormone of the pituitary gland), vitamin B and some tetracycline-based antibiotics can also trigger steroid acne.

Symptoms and course

Typical symptoms of steroid acne:

Steroid acne manifests itself in the appearance of numerous dark red papules (nodules) or even inflammatory and purulent papules (papular pustules). After about two to three months, comedones (blackheads) still develop. All skin changes typically take place on the back and shoulders. Acne can be triggered either systemically or externally. This means that it does not matter whether cortisone-containing drugs are taken or cortisone-containing creams or ointments are applied.

The symptoms are the same. After stopping the medication, symptoms generally disappear. But it can also happen that they persist. Then various measures are available for treatment.

Diagnosis

In the case of sudden acne, of course, the cause should first be clarified in order to be able to initiate the most effective treatment possible. Thus, the doctor will take an anamnesis of the medical history. The anamnesis will be about finding out whether the skin changes are due to drug side effects.

For example, are there temporal similarities between the first use of the medication and the onset of acne? If this is the case, the doctor may also make the diagnosis of steroid acne based on the typical symptoms of the skin changes. The diagnosis is therefore important so that the treatment with cortisone can be readjusted and the advantages and disadvantages of the therapy can be weighed up with each other.

Treatment and therapy

The easiest way to treat steroid acne is to stop taking cortisone-containing medications. In most cases, the symptoms of acne disappear. Only in a few cases do the skin changes persist. However, it is not always possible to discontinue cortisone therapy. Patients with severe autoimmune diseases or with organ transplants are dependent on cortisone.

Also, severe cases of allergies, which are mainly associated with asthmatic attacks, can only be treated with cortisone. In all these cases, it is not possible to avoid accepting steroid acne. Only if it seems medically justifiable, the therapy with cortisone can either be reduced or even discontinued. Then, within a few weeks, the symptoms of steroid acne should also disappear. In most cases, spontaneous healing takes place.

However, if acne persists, other treatment measures must be taken. First of all, an attempt is made to suppress acne through the local use of retinoids. Retinoids are active ingredients that are similar to vitamin A. Another treatment option is electrocautery. In this procedure, an electric current is used to generate heat, which destroys the affected skin tissue. The destroyed skin tissue is then surgically removed.

Another procedure uses extreme cold to kill off the affected areas of skin. In the process, ice crystals are formed intracellularly, which cause the corresponding necrosis of the diseased skin. The diseased area of skin is then removed.Furthermore, the upper layers of the skin down to the blood vessels of the skin can be removed by the so-called dermabrasion. This is done by rotating diamond-studded grinding heads. The areas of skin are abraded by even movements of the grinding head at a constant speed. This leads to an even grinding depth over the entire area.

During the treatment, the patient is constantly cooled with an isotonic saline solution. After grinding, the treated section of skin must be bandaged with sterile material to prevent infection. Acne therapy also includes constant acne toilets with the removal of blackheads and Cysts .

Prevention

Preventing steroid acne includes reducing treatments with cortisone and other medications to the bare minimum. However, if this is not possible, symptomatic treatments can help to prevent the symptoms from getting worse. In addition, possibilities should be sought to use alternative medicines.

Dorothy Farrar

Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.

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