Dianette

What is Dianette?

Dianette helps balance female and male hormones in your body to treat hirsutism. It contains two hormones: oestrogen and anti-androgen. Oestrogen, aka the ‘female’ hormone, is responsible for female sexual characteristics like the menstrual cycle. Androgen is known as a ‘male’ hormone and is responsible for male sexual characteristics.^[1]
In women, androgen is also present in low amounts to support some cellular functions, but in excess, it can cause acne and excess hair growth (hirsutism).

Hirsutism is a common condition, thought to affect between 4-11%% of the population.^[4]
It’s characterised by excess hair growth that follows the male pattern, such as on the beard and moustache. It’s commonly caused by an imbalance of hormones, like oestrogen deficiency, an excess of testosterone, or a combination of both. It can also be a symptom of PCOS, a condition commonly caused by increased androgen production.^[2]

How does Dianette work?

There can be many underlying causes of hirsutism, but hormonal imbalance is a common feature. High androgen levels can cause oily skin and acne, and increase the production of facial hair. Dianette can help balance your hormones by increasing or decreasing their production. It contains two hormones: cyproterone acetate and ethinylestradiol.

Cyproterone acetate is an anti-androgen. It blocks the production of androgen through inhibition of enzymes and negative feedback. This lowers testosterone levels in your body. Ethinylestradiol is an oestrogen. By increasing oestrogen levels, it can help inhibit the production of testosterone^[3]
As a result, both hormones work to thin hair and reduce excess hair growth.

What is Dianette used for?

Dianette is a treatment for acne, oily skin and hirsutism. In some skin cases, high amounts of androgen can stimulate the production of hair and oil, causing excess hair growth and acne. Dianette can help prevent this by lowering your androgen levels.

Some people might also use it as birth control. However, it’s not a licensed contraceptive, and is only prescribed for this if your doctor thinks it’s the best option for you.

How to take Dianette

Dianette is packaged in a blister pack with each pill labelled by day to help you remember. When you start a new pack, choose the pill that matches the day you’re starting on. For example, if you begin on Tuesday, take the pill labelled as ‘TUE’. Then follow the direction of the arrow until the pack is finished. If you’re using Dianette to treat skin conditions, you can take it at any time during the day.

To use Dianette for skin conditions, take one pill each day with water for 21 days. It can be taken with or without a meal. After 21 days, you’ll have seven days that are pill-free. During this, you’ll have withdrawal bleeding. This is similar to your period, but will only last for a few days.

When using Dianette to treat skin conditions, you can’t use any other hormonal treatment (including hormonal contraceptives). Instead, Dianette will replace your hormonal contraceptive and protect you from pregnancy. However, if your clinician prescribed it as a contraceptive, it’s important you take it consistently at the same time every day. This will ensure maximum protection from pregnancy. For more information contact your clinician online or check the patient information leaflet.

How long does Dianette take to work for hirsutism?

Treating hirsutism with hormonal treatments is not a quick fix; it can take anywhere from 3-12 months to start seeing the benefit. This is because treatments like Dianette work by balancing your hormone levels, which can take a while.

What should I do if I forget to take a dose of Dianette?

If you’re not using it as a contraception, don’t worry if you forget to take a pill, just take it when you remember. Don’t take a double dose to make up for a missed one.

If you’re taking Dianette to treat hirsutism and as a contraceptive, it’s important to take it around the same time every day. This is because, if you’ve forgotten to take a pill or it’s been more than 12 hours, the contraceptive effect might have been reduced. In this case, you’ll need to use barrier contraception, such as a condom, for 7 days. For more information check the patient information leaflet.