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Home » Topics A–Z » Acne due to medicines
Author: Reviewed and updated by Dr Amanda Oakley, Dermatologist, Hamilton, New Zealand; Vanessa Ngan, Staff Writer; Clare Morrison, Copy Editor, 2014.
Acne or acneform (acne-like) eruptions can occasionally be caused by, or aggravated by, medications (drugs).
Several hormonal medications may cause or aggravate acne.
Athletes and body-builders sometimes abuse anabolic steroids because they result in increased muscle bulk; severe acne can arise in some of these cases.
A variety of other medications can cause acne. Theories on why they do so include their effects on the immune system; their stimulation of insulin and insulin-like growth factor through the m-TOR pathway; and direct effects they may have on the hair follicle.
Medications known to aggravate acne include:
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