DHT blocker to control acne?

[sam1976 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close sam1976]

hey everyone,

what are your thoughts about controlling DHT with something like Finasteride to reduce acne? i pretty formiliar with most of the drugs commonly used to control acne and am aware of a lot of the common methods employed to reduce it, like what soaps work best, ect. i'm specifically interested in what effect reducing DHT with something like Finasteride would have on acne from a using testosterone.

thanks for any thoughts you might have for me.

[sam1976 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close sam1976]

i got this response at another board and found it helpful...

Well here is my thoughts on this as a person who has investigated acne "cures" forever!!! Finasteride will block most of the Type 2 AR conversion, but not affect the Type 1 AR. Soooo, if you block the type 2, you allow more test to take the other pathway through AR 1 and convert to DHT. The problem is that most Type 2 receptors are in the scalp (hair follicles) and prostate. Most Type 1 AR is in the skin (sebaceous glands) and brain. If you block Type 2, you will probably INCREASE the conversion to DHT in the area you don't want it (oil glands) type 1 AR. Therefor, Dutasteride would seem much more logical for treatment of acne. Of interest, it is not widely known, but Accutane is a fairly potent 5 Alpha Reductase inhibitor of both types. In low doses, it works well with little to no side effects and will curtail acne dead in it's tracks. Most people use WAY too much. 20mg daily for a few weeks and then 20mg once per week will control nearly all acne (steroid induced or not). Cystic acne is a whole different deal, though.