Medication
Medications, such as steroids, can cause acne. The exact mechanism of how steroids trigger acne development remains unknown. But numerous studies claimed that steroids played a role in producing immune system receptors called Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2). Along with the presence of P. acnes, TLR2 could lead to acne breakout.
Other medications that cause acne include lithium, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), corticosteroids, barbiturates, and anticonvulsants. Doctors could not exactly pinpoint why certain drugs can cause a breakout. But one of the most significant contributing factors to their development is the increase in hormones called androgen, which is prevalent in men but also present in women.
Women may have acne breakouts if they undergo hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) for menopause. Other side effects include nausea, mood changes, bloat, breast tenderness, headaches, and vaginal bleeding. Meanwhile, men taking anabolic-androgenic steroids (often used by bodybuilders to get bulky) can develop severe cystic acne.
