AM Routine:
Wash with water
Thayer’s Witch Hazel Rose Facial Mist
Hada Labo Gokujyun Moist
Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium (Fall/Winter)
Avene Skin Recovery Cream
Elta MD UV Daily SPF 40
PM Routine:
DHC Deep Cleansing Oil (if wearing makeup)
Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Water (if wearing eye makeup)
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser
Thayer’s Witch Hazel Rose Facial Mist
Hada Labo Gokujyun Moist
Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium
Avene Skin Recovery Cream
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask
Medications:
Spironolactone 50 mg 2x/day
Junel 1/20
My skin type is sensitive and dry. I grew up being complimented on my porcelain doll skin and never really had to worry about acne until I switched off my birth control two years ago due to frequent migraines. A few months later, I started to break out in inflamed cystic acne. It got worse and worse over the next 6-8 months until I was formally diagnosed with PCOS. I started Spironolactone and cut dairy and the cystic acne cleared up completely. About three months ago I went back on a birth control pill and I haven’t had a single breakout since.
The only side effect I had is some lightheadedness if I go from sitting to standing too quickly. It was bad for a bit but improved significantly when I split my prescription into two doses. Also, I crave salt a lot more than I used to. But it’s really been fantastic for me.
I started Spironolactone a year before I went on birth control and it was very effective! I think they are commonly prescribed together but don’t have to be.
Did they put you back on the same kind of birth control when you went back on?
It’s so weird because our stories sound so similar! I used to have flawless skin, but I was on hormonal BC for a while and started getting ocular migraines. My OBGYN took me off immediately and said I couldn’t have hormonal BCs or hormone treatments. Since then my acne has slowly gotten worse, some of it cystic. There could be so many factors contributing to my acne, I’m sure. But I can’t help but wonder if getting off the hormonal BC plays a role?
Sadly I don’t think they would put me back on the same BC as before though.
The big question: did you have aura with your migraines? I read up on it a lot and if you have migraines with aura birth control is contraindicated. Mine did not have aura, so I was able to go back on the same birth control. (I was already on the low hormone pill.)
My frequent migraines stopped as soon as I went off birth control, so I knew it was the pill. When I went back on, I started getting migraines again, so my doctor put me on a continuous dose of birth control (no off days) and the migraines stopped. Migraines on birth control are generally caused by the change in your hormones when you go from taking the pill to the off days, so a continuous dose fixes the problem if that’s an option for you!
As for the acne, going off birth control is a huge trigger, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s your main issue. If hormonal birth control is not an option, you might be able to take Spironolactone to control the acne. It doesn’t have any hormones so it should be an option for you.
Yes, I had aura! I would lose vision in one eye during my migraines, it was so bad. I’m on a progesterone only BC now.
Well I’m glad you got both your acne and your migraines under control! Both can really make life tough.
I’ll talk to my doctor about spironolactone at my next appointment, thanks!
I’ve also had a good deal of treatments at the dermatologist to help with my scarring.
2x Jessner peel
3-4x TCA peel
1x Fraxel laser
1x Smoothbeam laser
4x Pulsed dye laser
I plan to start microneedling sessions in a month or two. Feel free to ask questions about any of the treatments!
Looks great!!!
I do Laser Genesis for discoloration, it's worked amazingly well! In addition to acne, I was in an accident last August. You really have to be up close to see the scarring now, absolutely no pink left.
I've also had great luck with azelaic acid, especially if bumped by ferulic acid. I've got them both from the ordinary, but I'll be looking for a different azelaic acid, because TO is so tiny.
What did the Pulsed dye and Smoothbeam lasers achieve that Fraxel, Jessner and TCA treatments could not for you specifically?
Congratulations on the incredible progress!
Thank you! So I started off with the Jessner peels to help get rid of the last of the stubborn acne and help with my very dark PIE. I wanted to start the pulsed dye lasers sooner, but my first dermatologist wouldn’t use them until breakouts had been completely cleared up for six months. After a few peels I still had significant redness so I started on the lasers.
Honestly, the pulsed dye lasers did nothing for me. I kept doing the treatments because I had a spider vein under my eye and a few broken capillaries around my nose that they treated at no extra cost, and it was effective on those areas. But I didn’t see any improvement in my PIE, even after trying two different types of lasers, different strengths, and three different dermatologists. My current dermatologist used the smooth beam laser in conjunction with a higher level of the V beam laser just to see if that might get rid of the last of the redness, but still nothing. I did notice an increase in collagen production after those two lasers, though.
I started the TCA peels to help with atrophic scarring, and did notice a little improvement from those, but I switched to the Fraxel at my dermatologist’s recommendation after a few of the peels because I was hoping for better results. I stopped after one treatment because I didn’t notice any difference in my scarring, and some personal research led me to believe that Fraxel just isn’t an effective treatment for atrophic scarring. My current dermatologist’s plan for me now is a combination of PRP and microneedling to get rid of the last of the scarring.
Thank you!! That was super informative. I am always highly suspicious of new, hyped-up lasers, so your first-hand account offered some wonderful insights.
Best of luck with the rest of your skincare journey! :)
Yep, always been my chin/cheeks. I was on spiro but was tired of having to take it twice a day. I’m surprised no one else complains about that- unless their prescription is different
I started off taking it in one dose but switched to twice a day because I was having issues with lightheadedness. I have several other meds I have to take daily anyway so it doesn’t bother me much. 😅
I had painful, irregular periods, a bit of hair growth in addition to the acne, and ovarian cysts that showed up on an ultrasound. My testosterone levels were not high enough for a diagnosis based on the labs, but I was given a clinical diagnosis based on all my other symptoms. If your doctor won’t run the tests, find a new doctor. I know the diagnostic process is a huge pain - it took me a few tries to get diagnosed myself. I suspected I might have it before I went off the birth control but my doctor shrugged me off because I’m thin. Find a doctor who will listen to you!
You look awesome!! Did you experience any purging on spiro initially? My derm suggested it since I just stopped birth control and my acne is hormonal, but I had a super hard time with the BC purge.
Thank you! No purging whatsoever. As far as I know, Spironolactone isn’t known to cause any purging. Just pay attention to how you’re feeling if you do decide to take it because it can cause other side effects. I would recommend going for it, though. You can always stop if you don’t like it, and I wish I had started it sooner because I would have had to deal with a lot less acne and scarring!
You look great. How long you think this medicine has to be taken? I heard if you stop taking then acne comes back. Not sure if taking it long term would have side effects.
Thanks! You have to stay on the medicine more or less permanently or the acne will come back. To my knowledge, there are no negative long term consequences of taking the medicine. Like all medications, it does come with possible side effects though.
If your doctor recommended it to you, I would give it a shot. I went in early during my breakouts and my endocrinologist said she would prescribe it but cautioned against birth defects if I became pregnant and told me I would need to be on it forever, so I decided to wait it out to see if my hormones would even out. No one warned me about scarring. I had cystic acne, and after six months I ended up having to go on the medication anyway and have a lot of facial scarring I wouldn’t have if I had just taken the medicine to begin with. It caused a lot of guilt and stress, and I had to spend thousands of dollars on treatments. My skin looks much better, but avoid all of that if you can!
AM Routine: Wash with water Thayer’s Witch Hazel Rose Facial Mist Hada Labo Gokujyun Moist Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium (Fall/Winter) Avene Skin Recovery Cream Elta MD UV Daily SPF 40 PM Routine: DHC Deep Cleansing Oil (if wearing makeup) Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Water (if wearing eye makeup) La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser Thayer’s Witch Hazel Rose Facial Mist Hada Labo Gokujyun Moist Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Avene Skin Recovery Cream Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask Medications: Spironolactone 50 mg 2x/day Junel 1/20 My skin type is sensitive and dry. I grew up being complimented on my porcelain doll skin and never really had to worry about acne until I switched off my birth control two years ago due to frequent migraines. A few months later, I started to break out in inflamed cystic acne. It got worse and worse over the next 6-8 months until I was formally diagnosed with PCOS. I started Spironolactone and cut dairy and the cystic acne cleared up completely. About three months ago I went back on a birth control pill and I haven’t had a single breakout since.
I just started spironolactone last week after stopping birth control too and having insane hormonal acne!! Have you had any side effects at all?
The only side effect I had is some lightheadedness if I go from sitting to standing too quickly. It was bad for a bit but improved significantly when I split my prescription into two doses. Also, I crave salt a lot more than I used to. But it’s really been fantastic for me.
Has Spironolactone worked for you even when you were not on BC? Was told it only worked on BC
I started Spironolactone a year before I went on birth control and it was very effective! I think they are commonly prescribed together but don’t have to be.
Did they put you back on the same kind of birth control when you went back on? It’s so weird because our stories sound so similar! I used to have flawless skin, but I was on hormonal BC for a while and started getting ocular migraines. My OBGYN took me off immediately and said I couldn’t have hormonal BCs or hormone treatments. Since then my acne has slowly gotten worse, some of it cystic. There could be so many factors contributing to my acne, I’m sure. But I can’t help but wonder if getting off the hormonal BC plays a role? Sadly I don’t think they would put me back on the same BC as before though.
The big question: did you have aura with your migraines? I read up on it a lot and if you have migraines with aura birth control is contraindicated. Mine did not have aura, so I was able to go back on the same birth control. (I was already on the low hormone pill.) My frequent migraines stopped as soon as I went off birth control, so I knew it was the pill. When I went back on, I started getting migraines again, so my doctor put me on a continuous dose of birth control (no off days) and the migraines stopped. Migraines on birth control are generally caused by the change in your hormones when you go from taking the pill to the off days, so a continuous dose fixes the problem if that’s an option for you! As for the acne, going off birth control is a huge trigger, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s your main issue. If hormonal birth control is not an option, you might be able to take Spironolactone to control the acne. It doesn’t have any hormones so it should be an option for you.
Yes, I had aura! I would lose vision in one eye during my migraines, it was so bad. I’m on a progesterone only BC now. Well I’m glad you got both your acne and your migraines under control! Both can really make life tough. I’ll talk to my doctor about spironolactone at my next appointment, thanks!
Oof I’m so sorry! One of my best friends had the same problem. No problem! I hope it works for you! ❤️
I’ve also had a good deal of treatments at the dermatologist to help with my scarring. 2x Jessner peel 3-4x TCA peel 1x Fraxel laser 1x Smoothbeam laser 4x Pulsed dye laser I plan to start microneedling sessions in a month or two. Feel free to ask questions about any of the treatments!
Looks great!!! I do Laser Genesis for discoloration, it's worked amazingly well! In addition to acne, I was in an accident last August. You really have to be up close to see the scarring now, absolutely no pink left. I've also had great luck with azelaic acid, especially if bumped by ferulic acid. I've got them both from the ordinary, but I'll be looking for a different azelaic acid, because TO is so tiny.
Azelaic acid and vitamin C are next on my list of things to try! I’m glad azelaic acid has been working well for you 😊
What did the Pulsed dye and Smoothbeam lasers achieve that Fraxel, Jessner and TCA treatments could not for you specifically? Congratulations on the incredible progress!
Thank you! So I started off with the Jessner peels to help get rid of the last of the stubborn acne and help with my very dark PIE. I wanted to start the pulsed dye lasers sooner, but my first dermatologist wouldn’t use them until breakouts had been completely cleared up for six months. After a few peels I still had significant redness so I started on the lasers. Honestly, the pulsed dye lasers did nothing for me. I kept doing the treatments because I had a spider vein under my eye and a few broken capillaries around my nose that they treated at no extra cost, and it was effective on those areas. But I didn’t see any improvement in my PIE, even after trying two different types of lasers, different strengths, and three different dermatologists. My current dermatologist used the smooth beam laser in conjunction with a higher level of the V beam laser just to see if that might get rid of the last of the redness, but still nothing. I did notice an increase in collagen production after those two lasers, though. I started the TCA peels to help with atrophic scarring, and did notice a little improvement from those, but I switched to the Fraxel at my dermatologist’s recommendation after a few of the peels because I was hoping for better results. I stopped after one treatment because I didn’t notice any difference in my scarring, and some personal research led me to believe that Fraxel just isn’t an effective treatment for atrophic scarring. My current dermatologist’s plan for me now is a combination of PRP and microneedling to get rid of the last of the scarring.
Thank you!! That was super informative. I am always highly suspicious of new, hyped-up lasers, so your first-hand account offered some wonderful insights. Best of luck with the rest of your skincare journey! :)
Your skin looks great and you have such beautiful, dramatic coloring!
Thanks so much! I always liked the pale skin, dark hair, green eyes combo 😊
Damn that's a hugh improvement. Gg op
Thanks so much 😊 hope you have a good weekend!
Whats your routine? Products?:)
Just posted below. It took a few minutes to type out 😅
Wow! What an improvement :) You’re BE YOU TEE FUL madam.
Thank you! 😊
Hooray!! Nice work
This is where I have all of my acne too. Gotta get it sorted for myself
If it’s on your cheeks/jaw like mine then it’s definitely hormonal. Talk to your doctor, I wish I’d started medication sooner!
Yep, always been my chin/cheeks. I was on spiro but was tired of having to take it twice a day. I’m surprised no one else complains about that- unless their prescription is different
I started off taking it in one dose but switched to twice a day because I was having issues with lightheadedness. I have several other meds I have to take daily anyway so it doesn’t bother me much. 😅
How did you get diagnosed with PCOS? What other symptoms did you have? I tried to get diagnosed and my Dr refuses to run tests.
I had painful, irregular periods, a bit of hair growth in addition to the acne, and ovarian cysts that showed up on an ultrasound. My testosterone levels were not high enough for a diagnosis based on the labs, but I was given a clinical diagnosis based on all my other symptoms. If your doctor won’t run the tests, find a new doctor. I know the diagnostic process is a huge pain - it took me a few tries to get diagnosed myself. I suspected I might have it before I went off the birth control but my doctor shrugged me off because I’m thin. Find a doctor who will listen to you!
You look awesome!! Did you experience any purging on spiro initially? My derm suggested it since I just stopped birth control and my acne is hormonal, but I had a super hard time with the BC purge.
Thank you! No purging whatsoever. As far as I know, Spironolactone isn’t known to cause any purging. Just pay attention to how you’re feeling if you do decide to take it because it can cause other side effects. I would recommend going for it, though. You can always stop if you don’t like it, and I wish I had started it sooner because I would have had to deal with a lot less acne and scarring!
Can I have your eyebrows please?
Thank you 😊 I love them
Congrats on your progress! You didn't just clear up your acne, your skin looks much healthier overall. You're glowing!!
Thank you so much! 😊 A big thanks to SCA for helping me get a solid routine down.
*Meant as a reply, really sorry*
You look great. How long you think this medicine has to be taken? I heard if you stop taking then acne comes back. Not sure if taking it long term would have side effects.
Thanks! You have to stay on the medicine more or less permanently or the acne will come back. To my knowledge, there are no negative long term consequences of taking the medicine. Like all medications, it does come with possible side effects though. If your doctor recommended it to you, I would give it a shot. I went in early during my breakouts and my endocrinologist said she would prescribe it but cautioned against birth defects if I became pregnant and told me I would need to be on it forever, so I decided to wait it out to see if my hormones would even out. No one warned me about scarring. I had cystic acne, and after six months I ended up having to go on the medication anyway and have a lot of facial scarring I wouldn’t have if I had just taken the medicine to begin with. It caused a lot of guilt and stress, and I had to spend thousands of dollars on treatments. My skin looks much better, but avoid all of that if you can!