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Approach the treatment of acne in transgender patients with sensitivity and awareness

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Abstract

Transmasculine patients receiving testosterone as gender-affirming masculinizing hormone therapy commonly experience hormonal acne as an adverse effect. In some patients, acne is severe and persistent, detrimentally impacting mental health. In order to provide culturally competent and comprehensive dermatological care to transgender and non-binary patients, clinicians need to be aware of the unique concerns of these patients and act to ensure an inclusive clinical experience. While treatment options for acne are similar to those in cisgender patients, possible interactions between acne treatments and gender-affirming therapies or transition goals must be considered. As many acne medications have teratogenic potential, contraceptive needs should be assessed; exogenous testosterone therapy is neither a reliable form of contraception nor a contraindication to contraception. Recent changes to US FDA iPLEDGE requirements may make isotretinoin treatment more accessible to transmasculine patients with severe or treatment-refractory acne.

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    Yvette N. Lamb

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Correspondence to Yvette N. Lamb.

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Y. N. Lamb is a salaried employee of Adis International Ltd/Springer Nature and declares no relevant conflicts of interest. All authors contributed to the review and are responsible for the article content.

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Lamb, Y.N. Approach the treatment of acne in transgender patients with sensitivity and awareness. Drugs Ther Perspect 38, 472–477 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40267-022-00949-z

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