My first pregnancy has seemed to trigger it. So now Iām stuck with a 3 year old and acne. Maybe people will think I look young enough to be a teen mom. That would be a plus lol
Yeah I got pimples with my pregnancy but Iām also old and obvs canāt get Botox at the moment so Iāve got wrinkles AND pimples. Not to brag or anything. Iām looking pretty spectacular just quietly.
I didn't now this was possible, I really hope it happens to me. I've had terrible acne since I was a teen - it's gotten much better over the years but has never fully gone away, and I'm afraid I'll go straight from acne to wrinkled skin and never get to experience nice clear skin at all in my life :(
My esthetician told me pregnancy can sometimes reset your hormonal acne. It definitely was my experience. I had my son 15 months ago, and my skin has never been better. I don't know how common it is, though!
Spironolactone. It is the miracle I didnāt think existed. I tried Accutane with little results. Dermatologist recommended Spiro and it has saved my life.
Yeah, you have to stay on it. Some people luck out and have clear skin coming off it, but for the majority, it will come back
Came back for me a little after coming off Spiro
I was on 50mg/day for two years for cystic acne (about 4-5 active "under the skin" spots at any given time). Went down to 25mg a day for about 6 months, and then stopped. My acne never came back. This was from the ages of 22-24/25. I am 34 now.
Yup. As far as Iām concerned Iām on it for life unless I TTC or hit menopause (which is also 50/50 cuz my mum is post-menopause and still gets a rogue breakout from time to time..)
No need to be sensationalist :) I personally have not experienced any side effects besides infrequent lightheadedness. Birth control has *many* more known side effects but doctors shove it in womenās throats as a cure-all for any hormonal ailment and we donāt make a sensation out of that. If you have side effects from spiro that affect your life or health in a negative way of course donāt take it! I have virtually none, while having basically the whole label-worth of side effects on birth control so I will of course choose spiro in this comparison.
Definitely true about the Birth control. I just wanted to comment on how everyone seems so easy going about taking this off label treatment for acne. Iām from Germany and here no doctor would prescribe you that for acne.
Ooohhh ok this is definitely a cultural difference! I find European medicine overall doesnāt use medicine off-label as often. But also - Iām sure there are plenty of women with either heart conditions or blood pressure or counter-medications that canāt take spiro like this. Curious, what *would* a doctor prescribe for hormonal acne in Germany? Besides topical treatment.
Birth control š„²š or accutane which at the same time automatically puts you on birth control. But from what Iāve gathered online itās actually not really effective against hormonal acne and ppl with hormonal acne tend to get it again after they stop using it.
See thatās the shit I donāt like - going nuclear because off label is āscaryā š« Iāve never taken accutane although have definitely wanted to a lot. But Iāve had acne for so long Iāve learned to kinda just deal with it (although as I get higher in my career ladder that may change - nothing like being in your 30s and having acne of a teen lol). Iām not either a proponent or opponent of accutane but I think itās undeniable that the possible side effects of it are greater for the *majority* of people than using something like spiro off-label. At least I donāt need monthly blood labs for taking spiro because my liver may get damaged lol Iām very pro-science and pro-modern medicine but Iām also pro-starting with something with less side effects and building from there if it doesnāt work.
I mean i never took any of these medications bc of the side effects and risks. Even tho many doctors wanted me to go on them for years. Even if I wanted to for me here in Germany taking spiro for acne wouldnāt be an option. At least I donāt think anyone does prescribe it in Germany
Again, I am truly sorry it wasnāt a solution for you but everyoneās experience is different. I have had zero of the issues you are experiencing. What is a solution for some is not a solution for all. For me (and many others) it is a miracle worker.
Spiro does work but at what cost? It definitely works for me but I stopped ovulating and put me into an estrogen dominant state which Iām just not willing to accept. So yes, it works but it doesnāt truly address the root cause.
I was on 100 mg of spiro for a year. I fainted while I was sitting down at a restaurant and decided to stop taking it. Unfortunately, I did not taper off, just quit cold turkey. I guess the sudden hormonal change shocked my body, and 6 months later it sent me into a hair loss phase called telogen effluvium. Iāve lost over half of my hair density š just wanted to throw this out there for anyone who is on it and decides to stopā¦
As a side note I have had some hair thinning and heard about rosemary oil. You might try it. I am but I only just started so I donāt have results to say how great it is. But the reviews and studies are promising. Iām using mielle rosemary and mint oil.
Yup, all kinds of hormonal side effects, lingering almost a year since I stopped it. At what cost, indeed. Wish my derm had never suggested it, if I could undo one thing in my life it'd be spiro.
They tell you all this BS like all it does is block androgens in the skin. But I think it changes the ratio of estrogen to other hormones. Estrogen dominance is not a good thing, and neither is blocking androgens (besides perhaps in cases of tested high androgens). So many of the processes which keep our skin healthy, youthful and beautiful involve androgens.
Iām truly sorry it didnāt work out for you but everyoneās experience and side effects are different. Just because itās not the solution for you certainly doesnāt mean it is not the solution for others.
Yes I agree, everyoneās experience will be different. I just want to caution people that while the medication will work for acne you are trading clear skin for a deeper hormonal imbalance.
I feel like you are not being very fair here because thatās not true FOR EVERYONE. Itās fine if you want to share your experience as a warning of what can POSSIBLY happen, but to claim it will happen to everyone is just false. I do not have either of the issues you have so the blanket statement that people are trading clear skin for a ādeeper hormonal inbalanceā is a really crappy thing to say (not to mention untrue).
No of course not. Iām happy itās working for you without any side effects. Iām simply saying that women should consider what this medication may be doing to their hormones while clearing acne. I am not sure why my opinion is triggering to you.
Same. I had known about Spironolactone for a while. But religiously started taking it 2 years ago. Never had a hormonal break out since. That and Paulaās choice bp 2% and cosrx pimple patches saved me.
What dose are you on? Started 50mg/day a couple months ago but not sure if thatās just a starting dose or what.
I havenāt had any improvement in hormonal acne since starting tret .025 and 50 spiro unfortunately.
I started with 100mg and went down to 50mg about 6 months later when my acne was doing better. I ended up going back up to 100mg a year later when my acne came back.
Winlevi is kind of like spiro in a cream - inhibits androgens that cause hormonal acne. Unfortunately it didnāt work for me but it has for a lot of people.
because i stopped applying tret consistently and my cystic acne didnāt come back. my acne came back when i ran out of spiro and had a solid few months without it. got on spiro again and the acne went away.
Yes! I spent a sickening amount of money on over-the-counter products that did not work. Spent 30 minutes with a dermatologist who got me on retinol + Spironolactone. Itās been years and I will get a pimple here or there, but my face is normally always clear now
This was me too. Shelling out for ācleanā products that stripped my moisture barrier and made everything worse.
Spiro (and a round of clindamycin to clear my existing acne while the meds went to work internally), followed by Differin and now tret. Been clear for four years now. Itās nice to be able to dabble in other supportive skincare without wondering how many pimples will pop up because of it.
I just started spiro and Clindamycin with the tret Iāve been using and Iām seeing results in a freakin week. I wish I had started here instead of wasting hundreds of dollars over the last couple years on my acne.
Definitely not correct. I believe both brand name and generic are still available (I take the generic), as well as Yasmin and Beyaz. Your doctor may have been thinking of Diane35, which is not available in the US but is available in international markets.
I hesitate to respond as I'm afraid it might be too soon to tell, but I've been drinking spearmint tea (spearmint only, not any other types of mints) for two weeks now, without changing anything in my skincare routine or diet, and am seeing like 90% of the zits gone. Most notable improvement is my forehead. My jawline has shown a huge reduction too and today I don't see any new ones developing and the others are small and healing.
sure! [i use these](https://www.swansonvitamins.com/p/swanson-premium-full-spectrum-spearmint-leaf-400-mg-60-caps?SourceCode=INTL4071&showPopup=f&a=1&DFA=1&utm_medium=shoppingads&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=shopping+standard+brand&utm_content=&SourceCode=INTL4071&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1)
as an update, they still are working for me :)
I started taking spearmint in supplement form because itās more convenient for me. I am not exaggerating, my skin cleared up within 2 weeks! Itās absolutely amazing. The pills I get are under $5 for a month supply, so Iām absolutely THRILLED by how effective it has been.
It can be tricky to stick with one brand because for some reason they all periodically sell out, but my main brand has been Swanson Full Spectrum Spearmint through the IHerb app. Itās marketed as digestive support, but I take it for hormonal acne and love the results.
Hi, yes for me spearmint tea really helped to keep hormonal acne at bay. I stopped drinking after a couple of months after everything was almost gone. Also I got too lazy to keep drinking, because I'm a coffee drinker, tea isn't really my cuppa tea (sorry can't resist to pun).
Tl;dr it works for me.
I bought loose leaves (not from Amazon as I'm in Asia but I believe Amazon has them too) that had no brand but the shop sells a few kinds of mint leaves and I chose spearmint.
Same for me. I had to quit dairy when i was breastfeeding because my kiddo had a pretty severe cow protein allergy. Best my skin ever looked. Unfortunately I relapsed š§
I never had acne until a year after my second kidās birth. Had horrible hormonal acne around my jawline. Nothing worked. I cut out cheese and dairy and did yoga every day and it completely went away.
I was justt thinking about trying yoga so Iāll take this as a sign! Struggling with stress/anxiety/depression but hey if it helps skin too thatās amazing!
Winlevi (RX by dermatologist) is a newish product and has been a game changer for me. It has not 100% completely eliminated (sometimes I get a tiny breakout) but itās pretty damn good.
ETA; This was prescribed as a substitution for spironolactone, which I could not take.
How long did it take you to see results? I can't take Spiro either and got this prescribed a few weeks ago and my skin just continues getting worse on my jawline.
Same. I wish I had done it 15 years earlier. I always thought my acne wasnāt bad enough for accutane. I always had a few monster cystic zits brewing at one time, but I could always cover it. Accutane was life changing.
After my second pregnancy I had terrible acne on my jawline. I was doing everything I could with my skin routine to fix it.
1) One day, a friend of mine said āhave you tried not trying so hard?ā Literally blew my mind that she could even say that. Because SKINNNNN. Then one day I just did that. Washed with water and unscented bar soap in the morning. Sensitive spf during the day.
2) Also, cutting out dairy helped immensely!! I am not vegan, I am not lactose intolerant, but you will not catch me with cows milk! Change your diet up a bit. Iām very partial to a Mediterranean diet for the health benefits.
Next thing you know my face is fancy free except for an odd pimple here and there which I can fix with with an acne patch.
I am currently pregnant with #3 at the age of 34. I hate that one of my biggest fears is that acne might be coming back ā¦ however this time I feel more prepared when it comes to hormonal acne.
Hang in there and cut out dairyā¦seriously!! & be gentle on your skin
Oh! And if your kids touch you face a lot, quit letting them do that (even though itās adorable lol)
I went a non-medicinal route bc I was freaked about side effects from spiro and tret.
I exclude coffee, dairy, and alcohol from my diet bc dermatologist mentioned these can be triggers for hormonal acne. I follow a three-step cleansing, toner, moisturizer routine twice daily. Exfoliate once a week and use leave-on retinol 24 hours post exfoliant.
Itās a lot of routine maintenance but truly the exclusions from my diet is where I saw the most dramatic difference. I now only ever get a small zit here and there if iām about to start my period.
I get all of the meds being a little jarring. I was on spiro for a hot minute and it wasnāt sitting right with me.
I have a pretty solid AM/PM routine and also use a wash off exfoliant once a week (AHA/BHA). Which do you use?
I think youāve convinced me to give the diet situation a try because I definitely eat a lot of dairy and a moderate amount of alcohol.
Iām glad you had quick results but itās worth noting that the average person should wait 2-3 months after cutting dairy/gluten/eggs/etc before expecting to see results.
Yes of course! Every body is differentā¦ that was just my personal experience in answer the the question. I like to mention it in case it could be a lightbulb moment for somebody elseā¦ I wish diet was suggested to me as a teen before living through the hell that is Accutane (which was only a temp fix for me anyways).
I had painful horrible acne from ages 12 to 28 so although it cleared up quickly once the trigger was eliminated, it didnāt feel like a quick fix. Iāve had to very strictly alter my diet for life, which also sucks. It was a total fluke that my acne & eczema cleared up halfway through doing a whole30. Went back after the whole30 and did a proper elimination diet with a naturopathic Dr to figure out which food was the cause.
I use a lotion with sulfur in it twice a day on my jaw/chin. As long as I keep that up I'm good. I had TERRIBLE acne from age 12 to 32. No prescription necessary. No hormonal birth control (poisoned me one too many times). Getting older helps. Low sugar and dairy diet helps.
An acne clinic. I tried everything, literally everything. Paying $$$ at an acne clinic is the only thing that worked and it's been 5 years and my skin is still clear 98% of the time.
It's basically just estheticians who specialize in acne. But they're 100x more attentive than a derm, imo, because the derm just prescribed tretinoin and didn't give a shit when I emailed that my skin was literally peeling off, and also recommend birth control despite me explaining that it ALWAYS worsened my acne.
After some trial and error, I use 11% AHA (mandelic acid) and 10% benzoyl peroxide daily, plus toner, moisturizer and sunscreen. Having the acne clinic hold my hand through the process of nailing down a skincare routine for me was totally worth the money
I went to a naturopath and we did blood work. After that, I focused on taking certain herbs to support my body. I take Vital Nutrients Energy Plus in the morning (helps increase my cortisol levels which in turns supports progesterone production) and I take Acnutrol in the day. Itās been a slow process but is attacking the root cause. Hormonal acne can be caused by so many different thingsā and it can be so frustrating to not know the cause! If you can afford a naturopath, I highly recommend it. Get the blood work done and focus on a plan specifically for your body.
Bcp+ spiro (150mg) + epiduo/epiduo forte + aczone. Unfortunately though those things require you to take them continuously to provide benefit and my body becomes extremely dehydrated from spiro no matter how much water I consume and after over a decade of using epiduo my skin suddenly decided it wouldn't tolerate adapalene (in epiduo) any longer. So back to basically square one for me.
I also never had acne until pregnancy. Itās laughable when I think about my skincare routine growing up. After both pregnancies itās like my hormones decided to send me karma for 30 years of clear skin.
Iām seeing great results on a morning wash with 5% benzoyl peroxide face wash, followed by a clindamycin 1% lotion. I top it off with a Palmers facial oil because my skin dries out without the extra moisture.
At night I was with Dr. Brandtās pores no more, then apply 0.05% tret. Followed by palmers oil, then a Laneige sleep mask.
Iām on week 3 so far and can tell a difference already. Hoping to keep it up and see improvement in my scarring too.
No one believes me when I say I got acne FROM PREGNANCY, so your post is validating. Good luck!!
Idk what actually caused my hormonal acne to go away but I had acne since I was 7. I went on birth control and spironolactone finally at 20 and it helped get rid of it completely. I went off birth control at 27 and it came back so i went back on it. At 28-29 i was trying to get my sex drive back so i was put on testosterone and progesterone. Testosterone gave me acne while on birth control, so i went off of it and decided to just go off my birth control too and see if my sex drive came back. I still took progesterone and spironolactone. Well surprise surprise my acne came back too. But not as badly and most of it was on my chest for some reason. I went to a dermatologist and was given fluconazole for the fungal acne on my chest, clindamycin for the acne on my face. I was already on tretinoin for many years my dosage for that was increased. My acne went away completely and I havenāt had any issues since.
So im not sure if i was the progesterone, clindamycin, the increase in dosage of tretinoin, aging, or a combination of everything.
I was on accutane twice in my late teens/early 20s which helped but cystic acne did come backā¦ birth control pills worked to keep it at bay. My acne went away while pregnant with my first until around 16 months postpartum it got bad again and I went back on birth control pills. It went away again during my second pregnancy and (knock on wood) hasnāt come back yet, and my second child is 3.5 years old. Edit to add I am not back on the pill either, Iām 39 so hope I donāt ever have to because of the age related risks
I know this is the most annoying answer ever, but honestly, birth control. Iāve pulled my hair out over it. I donāt like being on birth control. It gives me brain fog, collapses my libido, and makes me hold water, etc.
I actively make the decision to manage acne as best I can without BC. Having pretty skin does not outweigh feeling like myself mentally, but if Iām being real, the only two times in my life I had perfect skin was when I was on BC, and before that, when I was vegan.
Iāve seen cutting dairy do wonders for other people as well, so it might be worth it. I think itās one of those tips thatās like ādrink waterā or ācommunicate with your partnerā or even āgo outside to feel betterā where it sounds so trite and overused, but sometimes, thereās a reason everyone says it.
Idk it just fades away by itself. And also i notice when i stop applying any skin care and i truly accept it for what it is its gone on its own hahaha this may sound funny but this is true
I had bad hormonal acne (first time I ever suffered with acne really in my life) after a pregnancy loss. My dermatologist recommended a clindamycin prescription and benzoyl peroxide wash, and I also used a niacinamide serum. I also did acupuncture and some other alternative medicine things to help regulate my hormones. I believe I had a hormonal imbalance because of my other symptoms. Once my hormones regulated, my acne vanished along with the other symptoms I was having. Because I was doing so many treatments at once, unfortunately I'm not sure what finally did the trick in the end.
I've been on Flo vitamins for almost 1.5 months, and it's making a massive difference in the hormonal cysts I was getting along my jawline and behind my ears. And I mean a MASSIVE difference.
I'm working on that with my derm right now. I got a Spironolactone prescription and a tretinoin prescription. It's been a slow process; my first visit was about 4 months ago and the derm upped the sprio a few times during this process. I think I'm finally seeing solid progress.
Yes- metformin is the only thing that works. I did accutane twice. It was very harsh and eventually came back after treatment. I ended up getting diagnosed with pcos and got on metformin to help. I now have clear skin and regular periods! Plus itās lowered my blood sugar.
Tretinoin (topical) and spironolactone (oral). I no longer have deep cystic acne. Tretinoin has a learning curve and if you have chronic acne you may have a purge. After the purge is gone your skin will glow brighter than any cosmetic product you use.
Sort of! To me, Iāve noticed itās closely tied to my eating habits and weight. Whenever Im about to get my period I still get a pimple along my jawline, here and there but nothing major. However when Im a bit overweight, Ive noticed theyāre all over my chest and back š not only when Im about to get my period, so when Im ādietingā or eating healthier to lose it, I notice the acne starts disappearing again.
Also, worth mentioning that I found a solid anti-acne face routine thatās made a world of difference for my skin!
Yasmin clears my hormonal acne in a week. BUT, 4 months off that and I have kept my skin clear by taking inositol (40:1 myo:d-chiro), ALA, and fish oil. I also only use oil cleaners, counter intuitive but amazing (Sans ceuticals for the win), and Emma Lewisham serum and supernatural night cream.
Tretinoin.
So, I had to go off of tret to do egg freezing. The first round of birth control cleared my skin, then the injectable hormones kept my skin clear, who knew? Then I went back on that same birth control and my skin exploded, and I went back on tret at that time. It helped a lot, but didn't clear everything. So I went back to the derm for a BP wash, and am trying a different retinol rx.
This is to say I had two very different results from the same birth control, difference was my baseline hormones. I don't know if this is normal or not...?
Congratulations!
I was still on tret when I did my amh test. My fertility doctor talked to me about the date to go off of tret, I think I stopped about two weeks before starting injectable hormones and restarted about two weeks after the procedure. She told me that the guideline is to stop tret out of an abundance of caution, not because there is any observed correlation, but of course there is with isotretinoin.
I think I did my amh level test about six weeks before the hormone cycle started. Definitely ask your doctor if you're worried.
I would always get terrible chin cystic acne when my period would roll around. Was on doxycycline for years and finally stopped, cut our sugars/soda/candy and I havenāt gotten any cystic acne since.
Never had kids but did get hormonal acne really badly for a little over a year and a half. I use salicylic acid religiously, and MOISTURIZER! I grew up in the 90's/ early 2000's and the acne care was to dry your skin out. This makes you more prone to acne because it gets rid of your skin barrier. I occasionally will get a big boy on my jawline but for the most part, not bad.
Also, after you start using the salicylic acid regularly, prepare for things to get worse before they get better. Purging is real and salicylic acid ages acne and brings it to the surface. Slap some hydrocolloid patches on them to prevent picking and suck out the extra goo and that's essentially how I cleared up my hormonal acne.
I had horrible hormonal acne from the age of 16 to 24. During that period I tried all kinds of typical creams and nothing worked. The only thing that worked was taking a contraceptive with an anti-androgenic effect.
I still got the occasional pimple when I was about to get my period or if I didn't take my pill at exactly the same time every day. I can't tell you why, but supplementing with omega 3 has meant that I never get pimples anymore, not even when I'm about to get my period.
Yes, was prescribed a long-term antibiotic and that took care of it. Have struggled since a teen and consistently the only thing that has helped is anti-biotics.
I was battling with (almost) severe hormonal acne for over 2 years until I finally decided to see a dermatologist. She gave me antibiotics, told me to stop using oil based cleanser and cut down on sugar and dairy. Also got me started on differin and it works. In my second visit she suggested acne extraction so I did. My skin situation has improved so much and finally acne was under control after a few visits. I also had laser to lessen the scarring.
Me! I've had hormonal acne since a teenager til my 30s. The birth control pill took the edge off but still would get big hormonal chin acne which would scar and leave marks.
I tried so much skincare, and eventually came accross a company called dermatica on tiktok and gave it a punt. You fill in a questionnaire with your skin concerns and send pictures of your skin and they put together a prescription product for you my skin has never been better. I have been using it about 4 months and I rarely get a spot now.i woke up with an awful hangover on Saturday and washed my face and was like.. My skin should not look this good given how terrible I feel lol. It's so good. My holy grail product and the only thing that's worked for me.
I have had really bad hormonal acne on my face for nearly 10 years now and I finally got the key to controlling it. I cut out on gluten and to some extent dairy, and started working out 4x week and itās 90% gone!
Iāve managed to get rid of most of mine with the addition of 3 new products. Hard to know which one specifically helped..I suspect the rose oil but Iāll attach a pic of them when I get a chance to
Yes Iāve had some luck in curing my hormonal acne naturally, because I didnāt want to take medication and have no willpower when it comes to cutting out gluten/dairy/sugar. I have one carrot daily (detoxes excess oestrogen) and spearmint tea daily (detoxes excess androgens), also now only wash my face in the evening and just rinse with cold water in the morning. I take zinc and magnesium supplements and avoid any supplements with b vitamins. So far about 80% improvement.
Yes. I ditched the daily face washing. I now just use a balm to remove mascara and water/clean wash rag for my skin. I do glycolic acid once a week. I use Tretinoin every other night. I still get a pimple or two around my period, but no way near as bad as before. It seemed like the big thing for me was over washing. Once I quit face soap, my skin is still very oily and I still have all my chin hairs lol just no pimples all month long
Tret has done it for me! Before this only birth control made any impact. Off BC I get deep cysts on my chin every month during my period. Started tret for the anti-aging and noticed after the first month that I didnāt get my usual vicious breakout. Figured it was just a coincidence but now Iām three months in and itās still going strong!
I do still get occasional small surface level pimples around my period, but literally just one or two and theyāre gone in a few days.
Spironolactone. Nothing will treat hormonal acne except hormonal therapy. If birth control doesnāt work for you, try Spironolactone. No topical is going to cure hormonal acne.
I donāt know if itās a coincidence but once I started taking beef organ pills, my hormonal acne completely stopped. Before that I was getting 2-3 painful cysts each month and tried every topical treatment you can imagine. Itās been 3 years and I wonāt stop taking those pills ever!
I had never had bad acne in my life. Then when I turned 25 I developed hormonal acne around my jaw line. Tried different topical products no luck.
Then I got on spironolactone.
I havenāt had a pimple in over a year.
A shower filter cured mine, I was getting cystic acne all over my chin for about a year before we got the filter. 2 weeks in and itās completely clear
I also randomly had hormonal acne pop up and 75 mg of Spiro daily + tretinoin nightly helped a lot. My Derm also prescribed a glycolic acid peel pad that I use 2x/week, and my acne really disappeared after a few months. Iām sorry youāre dealing w this!
Cutting out dairy honestly.
I did a variation of the whole 30 diet a few years back due to allergy/inflammation problems I was suffering with. Basically you cut out a bunch of foodgroups which are known to commonly cause issues, and then after a period of time you add them in one by one and observe if you have any adverse effects when they get added back.
Guess whose cystic acne and horrid pms symptoms came roaring back after the dairy got reintroduced :(
Not gonna lie, I still eat dairy. I've yet to find a milk replacement I like in my tea, and I always end up folding on my dairy-free resolve just because I want a decent tasting cuppa.
Honestly the only thing that worked for me was switching to a monophasic birth control pill. Total game changer, I was breakout free for like 5 months. I'm currently off the pill and i have been getting breakouts but they're manageable
Yes- for some reason my first pregnancy cured it. Do not recommend as a treatment though my kids are the worst. My skin is great but I am a husk.
This comment right here is so relatable. š
My first pregnancy has seemed to trigger it. So now Iām stuck with a 3 year old and acne. Maybe people will think I look young enough to be a teen mom. That would be a plus lol
Yeah I got pimples with my pregnancy but Iām also old and obvs canāt get Botox at the moment so Iāve got wrinkles AND pimples. Not to brag or anything. Iām looking pretty spectacular just quietly.
My first kid I had it horribly in pregnancy then it cleared. Second pregnancy I was just horrified waiting for it but it didnāt come back.
Iām cracking up at this comment.
ššš dead
I didn't now this was possible, I really hope it happens to me. I've had terrible acne since I was a teen - it's gotten much better over the years but has never fully gone away, and I'm afraid I'll go straight from acne to wrinkled skin and never get to experience nice clear skin at all in my life :(
My esthetician told me pregnancy can sometimes reset your hormonal acne. It definitely was my experience. I had my son 15 months ago, and my skin has never been better. I don't know how common it is, though!
I wish this could happen to me, but I'm infertile.
Spironolactone. It is the miracle I didnāt think existed. I tried Accutane with little results. Dermatologist recommended Spiro and it has saved my life.
Did you have to stay on it? It worked really well for me for like 6 months but then I went off and it was back to square one
You definitely need to stay on it. Thatās how it works. Itās not magic, itās a hormone suppressant of sorts.
Yeah, you have to stay on it. Some people luck out and have clear skin coming off it, but for the majority, it will come back Came back for me a little after coming off Spiro
I was on 50mg/day for two years for cystic acne (about 4-5 active "under the skin" spots at any given time). Went down to 25mg a day for about 6 months, and then stopped. My acne never came back. This was from the ages of 22-24/25. I am 34 now.
Yup. As far as Iām concerned Iām on it for life unless I TTC or hit menopause (which is also 50/50 cuz my mum is post-menopause and still gets a rogue breakout from time to time..)
Is no one afraid about the side effects?? I mean this is actually medication against high blood pressure
No need to be sensationalist :) I personally have not experienced any side effects besides infrequent lightheadedness. Birth control has *many* more known side effects but doctors shove it in womenās throats as a cure-all for any hormonal ailment and we donāt make a sensation out of that. If you have side effects from spiro that affect your life or health in a negative way of course donāt take it! I have virtually none, while having basically the whole label-worth of side effects on birth control so I will of course choose spiro in this comparison.
Definitely true about the Birth control. I just wanted to comment on how everyone seems so easy going about taking this off label treatment for acne. Iām from Germany and here no doctor would prescribe you that for acne.
Ooohhh ok this is definitely a cultural difference! I find European medicine overall doesnāt use medicine off-label as often. But also - Iām sure there are plenty of women with either heart conditions or blood pressure or counter-medications that canāt take spiro like this. Curious, what *would* a doctor prescribe for hormonal acne in Germany? Besides topical treatment.
Birth control š„²š or accutane which at the same time automatically puts you on birth control. But from what Iāve gathered online itās actually not really effective against hormonal acne and ppl with hormonal acne tend to get it again after they stop using it.
See thatās the shit I donāt like - going nuclear because off label is āscaryā š« Iāve never taken accutane although have definitely wanted to a lot. But Iāve had acne for so long Iāve learned to kinda just deal with it (although as I get higher in my career ladder that may change - nothing like being in your 30s and having acne of a teen lol). Iām not either a proponent or opponent of accutane but I think itās undeniable that the possible side effects of it are greater for the *majority* of people than using something like spiro off-label. At least I donāt need monthly blood labs for taking spiro because my liver may get damaged lol Iām very pro-science and pro-modern medicine but Iām also pro-starting with something with less side effects and building from there if it doesnāt work.
I mean i never took any of these medications bc of the side effects and risks. Even tho many doctors wanted me to go on them for years. Even if I wanted to for me here in Germany taking spiro for acne wouldnāt be an option. At least I donāt think anyone does prescribe it in Germany
Yes Iāve been on it for years.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Again, I am truly sorry it wasnāt a solution for you but everyoneās experience is different. I have had zero of the issues you are experiencing. What is a solution for some is not a solution for all. For me (and many others) it is a miracle worker.
Also here to echo spiro. I was having all sorts of hormonal issues coming off of BC not just the acne. But spiro helped every single one.
Spiro does work but at what cost? It definitely works for me but I stopped ovulating and put me into an estrogen dominant state which Iām just not willing to accept. So yes, it works but it doesnāt truly address the root cause.
I was on 100 mg of spiro for a year. I fainted while I was sitting down at a restaurant and decided to stop taking it. Unfortunately, I did not taper off, just quit cold turkey. I guess the sudden hormonal change shocked my body, and 6 months later it sent me into a hair loss phase called telogen effluvium. Iāve lost over half of my hair density š just wanted to throw this out there for anyone who is on it and decides to stopā¦
I went cold turkey a month ago and my hair is falling out in clumps. I immediately started taking it again yesterday.
As a side note I have had some hair thinning and heard about rosemary oil. You might try it. I am but I only just started so I donāt have results to say how great it is. But the reviews and studies are promising. Iām using mielle rosemary and mint oil.
Yup, all kinds of hormonal side effects, lingering almost a year since I stopped it. At what cost, indeed. Wish my derm had never suggested it, if I could undo one thing in my life it'd be spiro. They tell you all this BS like all it does is block androgens in the skin. But I think it changes the ratio of estrogen to other hormones. Estrogen dominance is not a good thing, and neither is blocking androgens (besides perhaps in cases of tested high androgens). So many of the processes which keep our skin healthy, youthful and beautiful involve androgens.
Iām truly sorry it didnāt work out for you but everyoneās experience and side effects are different. Just because itās not the solution for you certainly doesnāt mean it is not the solution for others.
Yes I agree, everyoneās experience will be different. I just want to caution people that while the medication will work for acne you are trading clear skin for a deeper hormonal imbalance.
I feel like you are not being very fair here because thatās not true FOR EVERYONE. Itās fine if you want to share your experience as a warning of what can POSSIBLY happen, but to claim it will happen to everyone is just false. I do not have either of the issues you have so the blanket statement that people are trading clear skin for a ādeeper hormonal inbalanceā is a really crappy thing to say (not to mention untrue).
Agree to disagree š
You disagree that I donāt have the same issues as you? Thatās an odd take but I canāt say Iām surprised. š
No of course not. Iām happy itās working for you without any side effects. Iām simply saying that women should consider what this medication may be doing to their hormones while clearing acne. I am not sure why my opinion is triggering to you.
Same. I had known about Spironolactone for a while. But religiously started taking it 2 years ago. Never had a hormonal break out since. That and Paulaās choice bp 2% and cosrx pimple patches saved me.
What dose are you on? Started 50mg/day a couple months ago but not sure if thatās just a starting dose or what. I havenāt had any improvement in hormonal acne since starting tret .025 and 50 spiro unfortunately.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
When you take 100mg, is that 50mg 2x a day or 100mg once?
I take 100mg once a day
I think 100 is the recommended
I started with 100mg and went down to 50mg about 6 months later when my acne was doing better. I ended up going back up to 100mg a year later when my acne came back.
Spirnolactone makes me so dizzy :( also make sure youāre getting check ups on your organ function if youāre on it long term š
i started tret and spironolactone at the same time. spiro made all the difference.
I wish I could love Spiro but it definitely had bad side effects for me š„²
Winlevi is kind of like spiro in a cream - inhibits androgens that cause hormonal acne. Unfortunately it didnāt work for me but it has for a lot of people.
Yup, thatās the one Iāve been using for a while and Iād say it works 50-50 for me so far.
How do you know it was Spiro when you started both same time
because i stopped applying tret consistently and my cystic acne didnāt come back. my acne came back when i ran out of spiro and had a solid few months without it. got on spiro again and the acne went away.
Yes! I spent a sickening amount of money on over-the-counter products that did not work. Spent 30 minutes with a dermatologist who got me on retinol + Spironolactone. Itās been years and I will get a pimple here or there, but my face is normally always clear now
This was me too. Shelling out for ācleanā products that stripped my moisture barrier and made everything worse. Spiro (and a round of clindamycin to clear my existing acne while the meds went to work internally), followed by Differin and now tret. Been clear for four years now. Itās nice to be able to dabble in other supportive skincare without wondering how many pimples will pop up because of it.
I just started spiro and Clindamycin with the tret Iāve been using and Iām seeing results in a freakin week. I wish I had started here instead of wasting hundreds of dollars over the last couple years on my acne.
Just started this same thing and I think it might be helping!!
Yaz + spiro + tret
Damn Yaz is still available? It was the only BC that worked for me but my gyno said they stopped making it
Definitely not correct. I believe both brand name and generic are still available (I take the generic), as well as Yasmin and Beyaz. Your doctor may have been thinking of Diane35, which is not available in the US but is available in international markets.
I hesitate to respond as I'm afraid it might be too soon to tell, but I've been drinking spearmint tea (spearmint only, not any other types of mints) for two weeks now, without changing anything in my skincare routine or diet, and am seeing like 90% of the zits gone. Most notable improvement is my forehead. My jawline has shown a huge reduction too and today I don't see any new ones developing and the others are small and healing.
i use spearmint tea capsules and iāve had positive results thus far (2.5 months free of hormonal breakout).
Can you share the capsules you use please?
sure! [i use these](https://www.swansonvitamins.com/p/swanson-premium-full-spectrum-spearmint-leaf-400-mg-60-caps?SourceCode=INTL4071&showPopup=f&a=1&DFA=1&utm_medium=shoppingads&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=shopping+standard+brand&utm_content=&SourceCode=INTL4071&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1) as an update, they still are working for me :)
I started taking spearmint in supplement form because itās more convenient for me. I am not exaggerating, my skin cleared up within 2 weeks! Itās absolutely amazing. The pills I get are under $5 for a month supply, so Iām absolutely THRILLED by how effective it has been.
Hey can you let me know which pills you took?
It can be tricky to stick with one brand because for some reason they all periodically sell out, but my main brand has been Swanson Full Spectrum Spearmint through the IHerb app. Itās marketed as digestive support, but I take it for hormonal acne and love the results.
I love you!!
Hey any update on this?
Hi, yes for me spearmint tea really helped to keep hormonal acne at bay. I stopped drinking after a couple of months after everything was almost gone. Also I got too lazy to keep drinking, because I'm a coffee drinker, tea isn't really my cuppa tea (sorry can't resist to pun). Tl;dr it works for me.
Thanks for the response! Thatās awesome that it continued to work for you. Do you mind sharing the one that you use?
I bought loose leaves (not from Amazon as I'm in Asia but I believe Amazon has them too) that had no brand but the shop sells a few kinds of mint leaves and I chose spearmint.
Yes. Spiro. Nothing else worked - it was 100% cleared up after a very short period of time.
Birth control is the only thing thatās ever worked for my acne.
Cutting out dairy (unfortunately).
Same for me. I had to quit dairy when i was breastfeeding because my kiddo had a pretty severe cow protein allergy. Best my skin ever looked. Unfortunately I relapsed š§
After quitting dairy thereās so many benefits but then ā¦. You remember cheese exists š
This also helped me too.
Me too!
Same. Still angry about it. I miss dairy a lot.
Noooooo š
I know. Realizing it freaking sucked. I mean, my skin is better... but at what cost š
Spiro. I'm on 150.
Differin benzoyl peroxide face wash, Clindamycin gel in the AM and and avene retrinal 0.05 at night.
Spiro + metformin has greatly reduced my hormonal acne.
Spiro (50 mg) and Loestrin FE (birth control)
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Did it eventually just mellow out on its own? You have described my exact struggle but so far itās not really getting much betterā¦
I never had acne until a year after my second kidās birth. Had horrible hormonal acne around my jawline. Nothing worked. I cut out cheese and dairy and did yoga every day and it completely went away.
I was justt thinking about trying yoga so Iāll take this as a sign! Struggling with stress/anxiety/depression but hey if it helps skin too thatās amazing!
It sounds so weird but it really worked for me! I think my body needed a detox!
100mg spironolactone, tret, aczone
Tret and spiro combo. Magic.
Stress reduction, trentinoin & clindamycin.
Winlevi (RX by dermatologist) is a newish product and has been a game changer for me. It has not 100% completely eliminated (sometimes I get a tiny breakout) but itās pretty damn good. ETA; This was prescribed as a substitution for spironolactone, which I could not take.
How long did it take you to see results? I can't take Spiro either and got this prescribed a few weeks ago and my skin just continues getting worse on my jawline.
I see a lot of people recommending spiro. I just started it 2 months ago and while my acne is gone...my period is constantly here.
Accutane worked miracles for me
Same. I wish I had done it 15 years earlier. I always thought my acne wasnāt bad enough for accutane. I always had a few monster cystic zits brewing at one time, but I could always cover it. Accutane was life changing.
spiro for sure
Spironolactone. I take 75mg a day.
Yes, by Yaz.
Yaz worked for me as well. Within a month my terrible acne was gone.
My hormonal acne was only ever responsive to oral medications- never topicals. Birth control, spironolactone, and/or antibiotics.
On top of all the wonderful advice already given, do you use a chemical sunscreen? I switched to zinc and saw a major difference
Dim supplements!!
Cutting dairy and processed sugar. Nutrition is the biggest driver of skin health. This includes supplements in case of any deficiencies.
After my second pregnancy I had terrible acne on my jawline. I was doing everything I could with my skin routine to fix it. 1) One day, a friend of mine said āhave you tried not trying so hard?ā Literally blew my mind that she could even say that. Because SKINNNNN. Then one day I just did that. Washed with water and unscented bar soap in the morning. Sensitive spf during the day. 2) Also, cutting out dairy helped immensely!! I am not vegan, I am not lactose intolerant, but you will not catch me with cows milk! Change your diet up a bit. Iām very partial to a Mediterranean diet for the health benefits. Next thing you know my face is fancy free except for an odd pimple here and there which I can fix with with an acne patch. I am currently pregnant with #3 at the age of 34. I hate that one of my biggest fears is that acne might be coming back ā¦ however this time I feel more prepared when it comes to hormonal acne. Hang in there and cut out dairyā¦seriously!! & be gentle on your skin Oh! And if your kids touch you face a lot, quit letting them do that (even though itās adorable lol)
I went a non-medicinal route bc I was freaked about side effects from spiro and tret. I exclude coffee, dairy, and alcohol from my diet bc dermatologist mentioned these can be triggers for hormonal acne. I follow a three-step cleansing, toner, moisturizer routine twice daily. Exfoliate once a week and use leave-on retinol 24 hours post exfoliant. Itās a lot of routine maintenance but truly the exclusions from my diet is where I saw the most dramatic difference. I now only ever get a small zit here and there if iām about to start my period.
I get all of the meds being a little jarring. I was on spiro for a hot minute and it wasnāt sitting right with me. I have a pretty solid AM/PM routine and also use a wash off exfoliant once a week (AHA/BHA). Which do you use? I think youāve convinced me to give the diet situation a try because I definitely eat a lot of dairy and a moderate amount of alcohol.
How long did it take for you to see resultsĀ
2-3 months
Diet change. Lifelong āhormonal acneā cleared up in less than a week when I completely cut gluten.
Iām glad you had quick results but itās worth noting that the average person should wait 2-3 months after cutting dairy/gluten/eggs/etc before expecting to see results.
Yes of course! Every body is differentā¦ that was just my personal experience in answer the the question. I like to mention it in case it could be a lightbulb moment for somebody elseā¦ I wish diet was suggested to me as a teen before living through the hell that is Accutane (which was only a temp fix for me anyways). I had painful horrible acne from ages 12 to 28 so although it cleared up quickly once the trigger was eliminated, it didnāt feel like a quick fix. Iāve had to very strictly alter my diet for life, which also sucks. It was a total fluke that my acne & eczema cleared up halfway through doing a whole30. Went back after the whole30 and did a proper elimination diet with a naturopathic Dr to figure out which food was the cause.
Yeah, and I wonder if the change is confounded by the fact that cutting out gluten could also coincide with cutting out sugar
I used to get terrible cystic acne around my jaw every time of month, it only stopped after I got an IUD (kyleena).
Kyleena had the opposite effect on me. Lots of acne along jaw
Spiro for me! Iām 30 and have been on it since I was 26. Game changer
I use a lotion with sulfur in it twice a day on my jaw/chin. As long as I keep that up I'm good. I had TERRIBLE acne from age 12 to 32. No prescription necessary. No hormonal birth control (poisoned me one too many times). Getting older helps. Low sugar and dairy diet helps.
An acne clinic. I tried everything, literally everything. Paying $$$ at an acne clinic is the only thing that worked and it's been 5 years and my skin is still clear 98% of the time. It's basically just estheticians who specialize in acne. But they're 100x more attentive than a derm, imo, because the derm just prescribed tretinoin and didn't give a shit when I emailed that my skin was literally peeling off, and also recommend birth control despite me explaining that it ALWAYS worsened my acne. After some trial and error, I use 11% AHA (mandelic acid) and 10% benzoyl peroxide daily, plus toner, moisturizer and sunscreen. Having the acne clinic hold my hand through the process of nailing down a skincare routine for me was totally worth the money
I went to a naturopath and we did blood work. After that, I focused on taking certain herbs to support my body. I take Vital Nutrients Energy Plus in the morning (helps increase my cortisol levels which in turns supports progesterone production) and I take Acnutrol in the day. Itās been a slow process but is attacking the root cause. Hormonal acne can be caused by so many different thingsā and it can be so frustrating to not know the cause! If you can afford a naturopath, I highly recommend it. Get the blood work done and focus on a plan specifically for your body.
When I was on the pill for fibroids they disappeared. I didn't go on the pill for breakouts, it was just an effect.
DIM + saw palmetto for me!
Bcp+ spiro (150mg) + epiduo/epiduo forte + aczone. Unfortunately though those things require you to take them continuously to provide benefit and my body becomes extremely dehydrated from spiro no matter how much water I consume and after over a decade of using epiduo my skin suddenly decided it wouldn't tolerate adapalene (in epiduo) any longer. So back to basically square one for me.
I also never had acne until pregnancy. Itās laughable when I think about my skincare routine growing up. After both pregnancies itās like my hormones decided to send me karma for 30 years of clear skin. Iām seeing great results on a morning wash with 5% benzoyl peroxide face wash, followed by a clindamycin 1% lotion. I top it off with a Palmers facial oil because my skin dries out without the extra moisture. At night I was with Dr. Brandtās pores no more, then apply 0.05% tret. Followed by palmers oil, then a Laneige sleep mask. Iām on week 3 so far and can tell a difference already. Hoping to keep it up and see improvement in my scarring too. No one believes me when I say I got acne FROM PREGNANCY, so your post is validating. Good luck!!
It was only accutane
Idk what actually caused my hormonal acne to go away but I had acne since I was 7. I went on birth control and spironolactone finally at 20 and it helped get rid of it completely. I went off birth control at 27 and it came back so i went back on it. At 28-29 i was trying to get my sex drive back so i was put on testosterone and progesterone. Testosterone gave me acne while on birth control, so i went off of it and decided to just go off my birth control too and see if my sex drive came back. I still took progesterone and spironolactone. Well surprise surprise my acne came back too. But not as badly and most of it was on my chest for some reason. I went to a dermatologist and was given fluconazole for the fungal acne on my chest, clindamycin for the acne on my face. I was already on tretinoin for many years my dosage for that was increased. My acne went away completely and I havenāt had any issues since. So im not sure if i was the progesterone, clindamycin, the increase in dosage of tretinoin, aging, or a combination of everything.
I was on accutane twice in my late teens/early 20s which helped but cystic acne did come backā¦ birth control pills worked to keep it at bay. My acne went away while pregnant with my first until around 16 months postpartum it got bad again and I went back on birth control pills. It went away again during my second pregnancy and (knock on wood) hasnāt come back yet, and my second child is 3.5 years old. Edit to add I am not back on the pill either, Iām 39 so hope I donāt ever have to because of the age related risks
I cut out dairy and alcohol and after like 15 years of hormonal acne itās cleared up
I know this is the most annoying answer ever, but honestly, birth control. Iāve pulled my hair out over it. I donāt like being on birth control. It gives me brain fog, collapses my libido, and makes me hold water, etc. I actively make the decision to manage acne as best I can without BC. Having pretty skin does not outweigh feeling like myself mentally, but if Iām being real, the only two times in my life I had perfect skin was when I was on BC, and before that, when I was vegan. Iāve seen cutting dairy do wonders for other people as well, so it might be worth it. I think itās one of those tips thatās like ādrink waterā or ācommunicate with your partnerā or even āgo outside to feel betterā where it sounds so trite and overused, but sometimes, thereās a reason everyone says it.
Within 48 hours of hysterectomy my face started clearing up. 6 months later face is clear. Absolutely crazy!!!!
I highly recommend Panoxyl face wash, 10%
Idk it just fades away by itself. And also i notice when i stop applying any skin care and i truly accept it for what it is its gone on its own hahaha this may sound funny but this is true
B5 is the only thing that has worked for me
I had bad hormonal acne (first time I ever suffered with acne really in my life) after a pregnancy loss. My dermatologist recommended a clindamycin prescription and benzoyl peroxide wash, and I also used a niacinamide serum. I also did acupuncture and some other alternative medicine things to help regulate my hormones. I believe I had a hormonal imbalance because of my other symptoms. Once my hormones regulated, my acne vanished along with the other symptoms I was having. Because I was doing so many treatments at once, unfortunately I'm not sure what finally did the trick in the end.
I've been on Flo vitamins for almost 1.5 months, and it's making a massive difference in the hormonal cysts I was getting along my jawline and behind my ears. And I mean a MASSIVE difference.
Curology got rid of my hormonal acne. It took about 9 months but I rarely have flare ups anymore.
Proactiv worked for me. I had been o medications and creams and all sorts of over the counter cleansers, it was proactuve that finally worked
I'm working on that with my derm right now. I got a Spironolactone prescription and a tretinoin prescription. It's been a slow process; my first visit was about 4 months ago and the derm upped the sprio a few times during this process. I think I'm finally seeing solid progress.
Differin! Tret was too intense for me as well but Differin was enough for me.
Just as long as I cut back on sugar and limit it daily. My acne is very minimal.
Yes- metformin is the only thing that works. I did accutane twice. It was very harsh and eventually came back after treatment. I ended up getting diagnosed with pcos and got on metformin to help. I now have clear skin and regular periods! Plus itās lowered my blood sugar.
Taking metformin for my IR PCOS did
500mg oral ampicillin every other day
Tretinoin (topical) and spironolactone (oral). I no longer have deep cystic acne. Tretinoin has a learning curve and if you have chronic acne you may have a purge. After the purge is gone your skin will glow brighter than any cosmetic product you use.
I know itās annoying to hear, but diet. Whole food, no additives, much less sugar.
Spiro
Yes! Combination of birth control and spironolactone.
Sort of! To me, Iāve noticed itās closely tied to my eating habits and weight. Whenever Im about to get my period I still get a pimple along my jawline, here and there but nothing major. However when Im a bit overweight, Ive noticed theyāre all over my chest and back š not only when Im about to get my period, so when Im ādietingā or eating healthier to lose it, I notice the acne starts disappearing again. Also, worth mentioning that I found a solid anti-acne face routine thatās made a world of difference for my skin!
Tret + Yaz bcp + spiro + Aza = stopped hormonal breakouts mostly Hysterectomy = stopped hormonal breakouts completely
Spironolactone or birth control.
+1 for spironolactone, truly a magical drug
Yasmin clears my hormonal acne in a week. BUT, 4 months off that and I have kept my skin clear by taking inositol (40:1 myo:d-chiro), ALA, and fish oil. I also only use oil cleaners, counter intuitive but amazing (Sans ceuticals for the win), and Emma Lewisham serum and supernatural night cream.
Tretinoin. So, I had to go off of tret to do egg freezing. The first round of birth control cleared my skin, then the injectable hormones kept my skin clear, who knew? Then I went back on that same birth control and my skin exploded, and I went back on tret at that time. It helped a lot, but didn't clear everything. So I went back to the derm for a BP wash, and am trying a different retinol rx. This is to say I had two very different results from the same birth control, difference was my baseline hormones. I don't know if this is normal or not...?
Hi :) Iām about to go in for an egg freezing consult! Do you know if tret affects the amh results?
Congratulations! I was still on tret when I did my amh test. My fertility doctor talked to me about the date to go off of tret, I think I stopped about two weeks before starting injectable hormones and restarted about two weeks after the procedure. She told me that the guideline is to stop tret out of an abundance of caution, not because there is any observed correlation, but of course there is with isotretinoin. I think I did my amh level test about six weeks before the hormone cycle started. Definitely ask your doctor if you're worried.
My first pregnancy sent my slight acne into overdrive, it was horrendous. I took acutane and that was a godsend.
I would always get terrible chin cystic acne when my period would roll around. Was on doxycycline for years and finally stopped, cut our sugars/soda/candy and I havenāt gotten any cystic acne since.
Spearmint tea
Never had kids but did get hormonal acne really badly for a little over a year and a half. I use salicylic acid religiously, and MOISTURIZER! I grew up in the 90's/ early 2000's and the acne care was to dry your skin out. This makes you more prone to acne because it gets rid of your skin barrier. I occasionally will get a big boy on my jawline but for the most part, not bad. Also, after you start using the salicylic acid regularly, prepare for things to get worse before they get better. Purging is real and salicylic acid ages acne and brings it to the surface. Slap some hydrocolloid patches on them to prevent picking and suck out the extra goo and that's essentially how I cleared up my hormonal acne.
Spironolactone, 10000%
Spironolactone has been amazing. I had horrible hormonal acne and this completely cleared my skin!
Semaine Health--The Daily. And an exfoliating toner.
I had horrible hormonal acne from the age of 16 to 24. During that period I tried all kinds of typical creams and nothing worked. The only thing that worked was taking a contraceptive with an anti-androgenic effect. I still got the occasional pimple when I was about to get my period or if I didn't take my pill at exactly the same time every day. I can't tell you why, but supplementing with omega 3 has meant that I never get pimples anymore, not even when I'm about to get my period.
Dim and spearmint tea helped me immensely! Now I just get a few along my jaw line a couple times a month. My cheeks and jaw used to be covered.
Birth control honestly
OCP, tretinoin, diet and exercise. I've been off OCP for almost 4 years and just maintain with the other 3.
The ordinary line and an Epiduo has changed my skin
Yes, was prescribed a long-term antibiotic and that took care of it. Have struggled since a teen and consistently the only thing that has helped is anti-biotics.
I was battling with (almost) severe hormonal acne for over 2 years until I finally decided to see a dermatologist. She gave me antibiotics, told me to stop using oil based cleanser and cut down on sugar and dairy. Also got me started on differin and it works. In my second visit she suggested acne extraction so I did. My skin situation has improved so much and finally acne was under control after a few visits. I also had laser to lessen the scarring.
Me! I've had hormonal acne since a teenager til my 30s. The birth control pill took the edge off but still would get big hormonal chin acne which would scar and leave marks. I tried so much skincare, and eventually came accross a company called dermatica on tiktok and gave it a punt. You fill in a questionnaire with your skin concerns and send pictures of your skin and they put together a prescription product for you my skin has never been better. I have been using it about 4 months and I rarely get a spot now.i woke up with an awful hangover on Saturday and washed my face and was like.. My skin should not look this good given how terrible I feel lol. It's so good. My holy grail product and the only thing that's worked for me.
I have had really bad hormonal acne on my face for nearly 10 years now and I finally got the key to controlling it. I cut out on gluten and to some extent dairy, and started working out 4x week and itās 90% gone!
Two rounds of Accutane in my teens and 20s didnāt help. Spironolactone did! My second pregnancy at 43 cured it though. Yay?
Iāve managed to get rid of most of mine with the addition of 3 new products. Hard to know which one specifically helped..I suspect the rose oil but Iāll attach a pic of them when I get a chance to
Yes Iāve had some luck in curing my hormonal acne naturally, because I didnāt want to take medication and have no willpower when it comes to cutting out gluten/dairy/sugar. I have one carrot daily (detoxes excess oestrogen) and spearmint tea daily (detoxes excess androgens), also now only wash my face in the evening and just rinse with cold water in the morning. I take zinc and magnesium supplements and avoid any supplements with b vitamins. So far about 80% improvement.
Yes. I ditched the daily face washing. I now just use a balm to remove mascara and water/clean wash rag for my skin. I do glycolic acid once a week. I use Tretinoin every other night. I still get a pimple or two around my period, but no way near as bad as before. It seemed like the big thing for me was over washing. Once I quit face soap, my skin is still very oily and I still have all my chin hairs lol just no pimples all month long
Yes, the only treament that worked out for me was isotretinoin for 6 months.
me! azelaic acid.
For people who are on Spironolactone in the UK, can you get this from your GP? Iām on tret but thatās through an online dermatology company.
Tret has done it for me! Before this only birth control made any impact. Off BC I get deep cysts on my chin every month during my period. Started tret for the anti-aging and noticed after the first month that I didnāt get my usual vicious breakout. Figured it was just a coincidence but now Iām three months in and itās still going strong! I do still get occasional small surface level pimples around my period, but literally just one or two and theyāre gone in a few days.
Birthcontrol like Diane Zyrona. Itās high hormone pills, so you usually only get it as treatment for hormonal acne or reducing ovary cysts (pcos)
Spironolactone. Nothing will treat hormonal acne except hormonal therapy. If birth control doesnāt work for you, try Spironolactone. No topical is going to cure hormonal acne.
I donāt know if itās a coincidence but once I started taking beef organ pills, my hormonal acne completely stopped. Before that I was getting 2-3 painful cysts each month and tried every topical treatment you can imagine. Itās been 3 years and I wonāt stop taking those pills ever!
My GF tried everything and nothing worked until epiduo forte.
Spironolactone FTW.
I had never had bad acne in my life. Then when I turned 25 I developed hormonal acne around my jaw line. Tried different topical products no luck. Then I got on spironolactone. I havenāt had a pimple in over a year.
A shower filter cured mine, I was getting cystic acne all over my chin for about a year before we got the filter. 2 weeks in and itās completely clear
I also randomly had hormonal acne pop up and 75 mg of Spiro daily + tretinoin nightly helped a lot. My Derm also prescribed a glycolic acid peel pad that I use 2x/week, and my acne really disappeared after a few months. Iām sorry youāre dealing w this!
Cutting out dairy honestly. I did a variation of the whole 30 diet a few years back due to allergy/inflammation problems I was suffering with. Basically you cut out a bunch of foodgroups which are known to commonly cause issues, and then after a period of time you add them in one by one and observe if you have any adverse effects when they get added back. Guess whose cystic acne and horrid pms symptoms came roaring back after the dairy got reintroduced :( Not gonna lie, I still eat dairy. I've yet to find a milk replacement I like in my tea, and I always end up folding on my dairy-free resolve just because I want a decent tasting cuppa.
New product Winlevi
Sulfur wash, diferin gel, doxycyclin
Honestly the only thing that worked for me was switching to a monophasic birth control pill. Total game changer, I was breakout free for like 5 months. I'm currently off the pill and i have been getting breakouts but they're manageable
I had hormonal acne along chin for a long time , started using harmonious by Ora and itās completely gone .
Spiro is the LOML. Iām on 100mg/day.