SINCE ACNE TREATMENTS are not always effective and can cause serious side effects, scientists are focusing their research on developing safer and more effective acne treatments. In an effort to do this, they are concentrating on learning more about hormonal changes and the bacteria that are linked to acne. At the same time, scientists are developing less invasive treatments to minimize acne scars.

Studying Hormonal Changes

Because hormonal changes are closely linked to sebum production, scientists are trying to determine whether acne flare-ups are linked to a specific time in a woman's menstrual cycle. Although doctors and patients have frequently reported the occurrence of acne flare-ups in the week before a patient's menstrual period, this link has never been formally studied. In an effort to investigate this link, in 2001 scientists in Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, conducted a...