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Steroid Acne
What is Steroid Acne?

Steroid acne is a severe form of acne brought on by topical or oral usage of

steroids. Steroids can force the sebaceous glands into complete overdrive, causing extensive outbursts of
acne vulgaris that grow worse with time and compound. Pimples formed from the blackheads and
whiteheads caused by steroid acne tend to spread into even bigger, more pronounced lesions that can be
extremely painful. Because the pimples and lesions have a tendency to be swollen with more sebaceous
material than normal, they have a tendency to be inflamed and somewhat brighter red. They are
frequently very distinct, and individuals using steroids that suffer from steroid acne can be very easy to
identify. This has been exploited in a number of anti-steroid abuse public service announcements. Unlike
some scare tactics deployed to alter and influence teen behavior, steroid abuse frequently does result in
easily-identifiable acneiform eruptions.
Steroid acne is unique from many other forms of acne in that it tends to grow worse with time, rather than
intensity of exposure. Whether or not someone increases steroid dosage, steroid acne has a tendency to
grow worse. It should be clarified, however, that a higher steroid dosage will in fact augment and make
steroid acne all the worse. The higher the dose, the worse it will get, and the longer they are abused, the
more it will become apparent.

Who gets Steroid Acne?

Steroid acne is limited to individuals who use steroids. This much is obvious. However, there are a
number of factors that can pre-dispose one to steroid acne much in the way one can be pre-disposed to
other forms of acne outbreak.
First and foremost, oral steroid usage is almost always more likely to be a steroid acne culprit. Acne can
actually be treated with the application of topical steroids. This may make either the treatment or the
concept of steroid acne seem counter-intuitive, but the truth is that steroids can help to arrest the spread
of acne. However, they can also cause sebaceous hyperplasia (overproduction of sebum). Oral steroids
are generally used for the purposes of athletic enhancement. Topical steroids are generally used for the
purposes of treating cutaneous conditions. In a way, steriod acne can be karmic, as it tends to afflict those
that abuse steroids more than those that are prescribed steroids for other reasons.
Men are more prone to steroid acne than women. While both men and women can suffer side effects
from steroid use and steroid abuse, men have a much higher androgen (male hormone) production level.
This contributes to higher sebum production and oilier skin, which makes them more prone to acne to
begin with and means that any acne they do develop tends to be worse and get worse very quickly. The
compounding nature of steroid acne is amplified by male androgen levels.

Younger individuals tend to be more prone to steroid acne. This is primarily a feature of their intense
hormone fluctuations and high hormone levels. This applies to both young men and young women. Older
males and females may both suffer from steroid acne, of course, but younger individuals tend to get the
brunt of it. Ironically enough, younger men and women have a tendency to be more likely to abuse
steroids.

What causes Steroid Acne?

Steroid acne is caused by steroid use. Of all possible uses of steroids, steroid abuse is most likely to
cause steroid acne, and oral steroid use is even more likely. The higher the dose of steroids used, the
more likely steroid acne becomes. Its symptoms tend to increase over time, and it tends to grow more
severe the higher the dose is.

What does Steroid Acne cause?

Steroid acne can cause severe scarring. Steroid acne is far more likely to scar than most other forms of
acne vulgaris. This is primarily due to the trauma that is more likely to be inflicted on the skin by the
buildup of sebum under the dermis. The pustules, pimples and lesions that steroid acne can bring about
are frequently far harsher and far larger than their more mundanely-originated counterparts can ever
become.

How serious is Steroid Acne?

Steroid acne is a fairly serious condition. While it has no mortality rate, it can
cause severe skin damage and have huge cosmetic and psychological effects. Steroid acne, having
much larger lesions and pimples, is far more likely to cause severe scarring than standard acne vulgaris.
The bright, telltale lesions and pimples are bait for an unforgiving peer group among those most likely to
suffer from steroid acne.
Steroid acne, further, is serious for what it indicates. The most likely cause of steroid acne is steroid
abuse. Many of the legitimate medical uses for steroids may still possibly cause steroid acne, but it is
made far more likely by steroid abuse. This is probably less of a concern for anyone presently suffering
from steroid acne, but should be taken as a sign by those around them that intervention or investigation is
immediately necessary. Steroid abuse can cause a number of side effects far worse than simple steroid
acne, which will then have to be dealt with with extreme prejudice.

What does Steroid Acne treatment look like?

Steroid acne treatment consists, first and foremost, of removal from the primary acne catalyst. Acne
conditions will not go away immediately when their cause is removed; the pimples and pustules will still
have to resolve themselves naturally over time. Scarring will remain somewhat more likely due to the
advanced nature the acne lesions will have probably reached.

Further acne treatments then become much more functional and optional. Courses of antibiotics can do
much to resolve acne outbreaks, as can certain facial treatments. Steroid acne is effectively the same as
acne vulgaris once the steroid catalyst is eliminated. Ironically enough, topical steroids may be utilized to
break very severe outbreaks of acne, even if oral steroid use was the original cause.

How do I know if I have Steroid Acne?

Steroid acne is easily identifiable as the result of steroid usage. Individuals that do not suffer from acne
who begin to suffer from it after they begin using or abusing steroids can rather safely point at steroids as
the reason for their difficulty. Likewise, it should be easy to determine if steroid usage is making a preexisting case of acne significantly worse.
Steroid acne is nothing to be trifled with. Steroids, likewise, should not under any circumstances be
abused. There are a number of legitimate medical reasons to utilize steroids, but all of these should only
ever be done with the full aid and support of a trained medical professional.

What is the Recommended Acne Treatment?

There are many treatments available for acne of all types. However, in our experience, the most effective
is Dermasil for Acne. Dermasil for Acne is a unique treatment option that approaches the problem of acne
from a different angle, and can effectively supplement all other forms of treatment, or be used on its own.

http://jurnalmedika.com/edisi-tahun-2011/edisi-no-03-vol-xxxvii-2011/301-studikasus/556-akne-steroid
Edisi No 03 Vol XXXVI - 2011 - Studi Kasus

Akne Steroid
ANDRY YOSHUA , EDDY KARTA *
*

Departemen Ilmu Kesehatan Kulit dan Kelamin Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Indonesia/Rumah Sakit Cipto
Mangunkusumo.

Pendahuluan
Hanya sedikit laporan kasus mengenai akne akibat konsumsi kortikosteroid oral dari semua pasien yang datang
dengan keluhan penyakit kulit. Hal ini sangat mungkin terjadi karena diagnosis akne steroid dikaburkan dengan
malassezia folikulitis. Hal ini terjadi karena gambaran morfologisnya sangat serupa sehingga mengakibatkan
kegagalan terapi.1,2
Akne steroid dapat pula dianggap sebagai penyakit akne vulgaris dengan akibat kurang holistiknya pengobatan
dan pendidikan kesehatan yang diberikan kepada pasien.1
Diperkirakan, angka kejadian akne steroid sejalan dengan efek samping lazim dari penggunaan kortikosteroid oral
lainnya. Hanya saja, dapat terjadi dalam waktu yang relatif lebih singkat, yaitu hanya dua minggu setelah
penggunaan kortikosteroid oral.3 Kortikosteroid oral terindikasi digunakan cukup luas, meliputi penyakit yang
mencakup sistem adrenal, disregulasi imun, rematik, ginjal, asma, alergi, kulit, mata, gastrointestinal, hepar,
keganasan, edema serebral, transplantasi organ, dan beberapa penyakit infeksi.4 Selain itu, penggunaan
kortikosteroid oral dalam regimen pengobatan penahan sakit, bahkan regimen pengobatan batuk-pilek umum, juga
marak.5 Oleh karena itu, layak diduga prevalensi penyakit akne akibat kortikosteroid oral ini cukup tinggi.
Kasus ini diangkat untuk membuat praktisi kesehatan familiar dengan jenis erupsi akneiformis akibat zat kimia,
khususnya yang disebabkan oleh golongan obat kortikosteroid, mampu membedakannya dari bentuk-bentuk
penyakit infeksi, dan akne vulgaris melalui anamnesis dan pemeriksaan fisik sehingga dapat melakukan
penatalaksanaan yang tepat dan mengevaluasi lebih lanjut penggunaan kortikosteroid pada pasien.