Acne vulgaris (acne) is often associated with the adolescent years of life, but adult acne has increasingly become the reason for many patients to seek a dermatological evaluation. Adult women are more likely to suffer from acne than adult men. Oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) are often prescribed to women who suffer from acne. The hormonal aspect of acne in females is the rationale for the use of OCPs as means of treatment. Combined oral contraceptives (COCs) is the preferred type of OCPs to treat acne. Within this integrative review, the effectiveness of OCPs in treating acne in adult women was examined. The data was analyzed in three groups: Formulary Focused Studies, Comparative Studies, and Combined Therapy Studies. After analyzing the data it was concluded that by cycle six, OCPs reduced acne lesions. Dissymmetry in the definition of acne, lack of skin care control, and inadequate representation of multiple races in subject selection affected the generalizability of the studies results. Contraindications to OCPs therapy was not consistently assessed. Many of the studies included within this integrative review were not only outdated, but also did not recommend a superior formulation of OCPs that treated acne , thus supporting the need for future research studies.
