IT IS GENERALLY agreed that hormonal influence on the pilosebaceous apparatus is the causative or a contributing factor in the production of acne vulgaris. The androgenic hormones are most commonly incriminated.1 This is based on the observations that (1) acne usually begins at puberty, when there is increased hormonal activity, (2) acne does not develop in eunuchs, (3) the administration of androgens to castrated men and to women with normal skins may produce acne lesions, (4) when the androgens are no longer given to the eunuchs and to women with normal skins the acne lesions disappear.
Reports have appeared in the literature showing that the topical application of sex hormones has produced histologic changes in the sebaceous glands of animals.2
Moreover, the therapeutic effectiveness of systemic administrations of various types of estrogenic materials in some cases of acne vulgaris has now been established.3
Recently, reports