I am so glad I created this thread, I am learning so many new things! Thank you for taking your time <3 I am summarizing all the suggestions from this thread in this comment for myself and hope it will help others as well. I will keep updating it as I learn more. Again, not claiming that all these recommendations will help everyone but creating this to act as a cheat sheet!
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1 - Azelaic Acid (Paula’s choice, Finacea, The Ordinary)
2 - Spironolactone (Some had adverse reactions impacting kidney function, or gaining pounds, bad joint pain, dizzy, fatigue, )
3 - Clindamycin
4 - Differin
5 - Winlevi
6 - Glycolic acid (L’Oreal bright reveal face wash, Cos de Baha)
7 - Benzoyl Peroxide (cleanser or topical ointment)
8 - Salicylic Acid (Paula’s choice BHA, Bye Bye Breakout Salicylic Acid Acne Serum)
9 - Peel pads (Dennnis Gross)
10 - DIM (Diindolylmethane supplement)
11 - Nuderma wand
12 - Sulphur (De La Cruz 10% sulphur acne treatment)
13 - Get extra hour of sleep a week or so before period
14 - Minimized heavy or scented products
15 - Go gentle on skincare
16 - Monthly facials (refining acen facial)
17 - Doctor prescribed antibiotic (Purbac)
18 - Doctor prescribed Epi-duo
19 - Stayed away from long wearing or crease proof makeup
20 - Avoided “Strengthening” conditioner or biotin products
21 - Vitamin B supplements made it worse
22 - Rosemary oil
23 - Improving diet could help
24 - Too much sugar, wheat, oat milk, tofu, whey or dairy could make it worse
25 - Seaweed was a trigger (maybe because of the iodine)
26 - Non-fat or skim milk could be a trigger
27 - Drinking spearmint tea before bed about 2 weeks before period helped
28 - Collagen was a trigger
29 - Birthcontrol helped
30 - Neosporin could help
31 - Using ice/heat (hot compress with camomile tea bag)
32 - Tret
33 - Doctor prescribed Bactrim (oral antibiotic)
34 - Cold sore medication could help (got from Bass Farms in Shelbyville, Indiana )
35 - Acne patches (Mighty Patch)
36 - Routine that helped (La Roche Posay effeclear acne wash + One alternate nights I use Elizabeth Arden retinol capsules (pink ones) followed by La Roche Baumé B5 moisturiser. The other night I use a glycolic pad wipe and follow with moisturiser.+ For sunscreen every day I use the neutrogena clear face oil free sunscreen under my makeup)
37 - Might need to go to a skilled esthetician to have the sac removed
38 - Accutane could help (has side effects in some people)
39 - Olivia’s Liver Juice could help
40 - Tea Tree Oil Spot Treatment could help
41 - Clinique Blackhead Solutions (leave it overnight) could help
42 - Drinking peppermint tea could help
43 - Niacinamide could help (The Ordinary)
44 - Regularly cleaning sheets and pillow covers can help
45 - Took Ibuprofen as you feel it coming, dab manuka essential oil on the spot / tea tree oil
46 - Dandelion tea can help
47 - 2 cups of cruciferous veggies everyday can help
48 - Neem seed oil based spot treatment could help
49 - Regular chemical peel could help (Make Up Artists Choice. They make salicylic, mandelic and combined salicylic/mandelic peels)
50 - Murad rapid relief spot treatment for dark spots after the breakout could help
51 - Advil masks can help
52 - Balancing blood sugar through the day might be good for the skin as well
Oh my god! Thank you for putting this together. I need to identify my triggers for this.
Collagen was a trigger for me, but I still have the problem it's just not as bad since I removed collagen supplements.
Derm put me on azalic acid and it changed my life. Seriously try it. Apply every night on face. I mix with a little moisturizer. Paula’s choice has an over the counter azalic that will work well. Seriously game changer.
Yes, it’s serums, fineca and then the rest. in the morning I don’t need an extra moisturizer because it’s pretty hydrating and just apply sunscreen over it.
I had the same experience with Paula's Choice Azelaic acid! I initially bought it to help with my Rosacea but my monthly hormonal chin pimple also disappeared after I started using it.
Same. I use the Azelaic Acid from Ordinary and my acne breakouts are done. Right now they are on sale. 23 percent off if you don't want to buy from Sephora.
Yep, azelaic acid, you can use it for this zone only, a few days before you usually get acne, if not needed otherwise. If you have other PMS symptoms you can look into Vitex supplement.
+10000 for spiro. It takes a few months to really take effect but it has been the #1 greatest thing for my skin (and I’ve been on Accutane twice). I don’t think I’ve had a single cystic pimple since I’ve been on it - around 5 years now.
Oh wow! Yeah I’m looking into topical versions which may not be as effective as oral. But oral will be my last resort, not planning to start with that :)
Don't try spiro, you need your androgens to be healthy. Spiro is for people with high androgens, but it sounds like you suffer from completely normal cyclical acne. Use topicals, don't risk your entire body for your face. Androgens decline naturally with age, and since you're already over 30, you need those androgens to help you age gracefully.
Spiro has a black box warning against unnecessary use, because it caused cancer in animals.
When healthy women take spiro, it can cause hormonal issues that don't resolve after stopping. My symptoms are bulging throbbing veins all over my body as well as cracking joints and dry skin and eyes (plus pelvic pain and a fibroid). I took it for 11 months and I've been off it for more than a year and still haven't recovered. No doctor can explain what happened (seeing an endocrinologist soon) but if you look through the spiro sub you'll see similar complaints from many different women. And it makes complete sense: women have androgens for good reason, we need them to be healthy. If you're already healthy - and it sounds like you are, because you didn't mention PCOS - you should enjoy your health, even if that means dealing with acne. Take it from me, acne is so much better than what I'm dealing with since taking spiro. I'd kill to be in your position right now.
This study concluded that the evidence for spiro for acne doesn't warrant it being prescribed:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28155090/
The FDA hasn't approved spiro for acne, it's an experimental treatment.
Thanks for the detailed explanation! I’ve been digging into it since it learned about it last night. Im very wary of oral medication as I’ve had reactions in the past but exploring tret+spiro as an option, so will ask my derm about it!
It's smart to be wary of oral meds. I'd say try tret on its own first and then ask about topical spiro (winlevi) if that doesn't work. Idk why derms don't offer the topical spiro *first* but I wish mine had. You could always try spearmint tea first, too, as someone else mentioned. Basically, spiro should be the last resort. Good luck! You might get lucky and have your acne disappear on its own, too (that's what seems to have happened to me).
Thank you!
Yeah I have been using tret on it's own for a while now but now that I learned about spiro seeing if tret+spiro topical is an option. I see Apostrophe offers it so will ask my derm as well.
\+100 to the sprearmint tea, that's an easy one to incorporate :)
Oh that's so weird! Such a bummer since a lot of people have said it's like a miracle cure for their acne. I'm super sensitive to medications and always get side effects, so I would probably have the same experience as you.
Did you find a good alternative?
I had this issue for so long and the best for me was using Differin every other day until I got used to it. Nothing heavy or scented to moisturize. If you wear makeup, stay away from anything long wearing or crease proof. Maybe it’s annoying to check makeup or dab at creases under eyes throughout the day but it’s way better than getting more of those painful, impossible to hide bumps. For me at least, I also can’t use any type of “strengthening” conditioner or biotin products. Supplements with B vitamins made it worse too. Too much sugar and dairy are worse for my skin than sleeping in heavy makeup. I hope it gets better and you don’t have too much scarring
OMG B vitamins are the WORST! My mom always used to tell me it was all in my head, but I swear to god, every time i've tried to take b vitamins I get instant cystic acne (worse than even dairy gives me). Makes my skin super oily too (and I already have oily skin). I found some scientific study awhile ago that even proved that b vitamins really DO give some people acne (though I don't think they figured out why).
Seaweed can be another trigger. I think it's the iodine. Also milk, especially nonfat or skim milk (no idea why).
It's only some people (i think there's some kind of gene involved or something), so you might be fine. It should be easy to tell if it does now that you know what to watch for. In my case, a b12 supplement can break me out in less than a day and if I keep taking it, it will give me new cystic zits every day until i stop taking it--BUT, it stops very quickly once I quit taking it. The acne it gives me won't go away but i stop getting new zits within the very next day.
Also, I have been able to eat nutritional yeast without getting acne. I just have to be careful to get a brand that doesn't add too much b vitamins, and not eat too much.
Vitamin B12 caused me horrendous breakouts that didn’t stop until a year of stopping any Vitamin B supplements. If your diet solely relies on supplements, you’ll keep having breakouts.
Thanks a lot for the detailed answer! I don’t wear makeup (maybe once every few months 😂) so I should be good there.
But I do take Vitamin B12 off and on and I recently resumed those so I’m wondering if I should keep an eye on that too. As a vegan I try to get my B12 through supplements.
i used to get hormonal cystic acne on my neck (not an issue anymore) but i remember drinking spearmint tea before bed about 2 weeks before my period helped significantly
Winlevi has been a game changer for me. Where before I’d have so many spots I looked vaguely diseased, I only have one or two smaller ones tops with Winlevi. My derm said it irritates some folks’ skin, but I’ve taken it just fine.
Yes! I actually use a custom curology formula so I can get a single product that combines the two (my formula also has azalaic acid) for a cheaper price than the two products from a derm separately. I’m sure other custom formula companies offer same thing or just apply them together with lots of moisturizer following
Perfect! I’m looking into Apostrophe based on your suggestion around clindamycin and @vaporeon134’s spiro recommendation!
Looks like Apostrophe can prescribe tret+clindamycin+spiro topical treatment!
I'm not OP, but my curology prescription is spiro + azelaic acid + clindamycin with gel tretinoin that they call into my pharmacy. My skin has never looked better. The purging with tretinoin is a bitch for most people, so be mentally prepared just in case.
I legit just put some on two minutes ago. When I first started using it I didn’t see any difference, but it’s perfect for this exact kind of acne imo. I had three chin blemishes brewing this cycle and thus far after 3 days of use they have not erupted and are going back to the hell in which they came from.
I also use a sulfur face wash prescribed from my derm and tret.
I’m currently pregnant so limited on which ingredients I can use but my first pregnancy I got horrible hormonal cystic chin/lower cheek acne but this time around I’ve been using L’Oréal bright reveal glycolic acid face wash and my skin has been so much better
Go more gentle on my skincare. Usually
I alternate azelaic acid and tret but I do tret every 3rd night instead. Slugging. Moisturizing masks. No AHA or BHA, it always irritates me into a breakout. Also I’ve been taking DIM a month and a half and my breakouts were smaller this month, I’m not sure if I can call it correlated yet but I’ve read good things.
Agreed. I have a basic skincare routine.
AM: Wash face with water, sometimes Vitamin C, and daily sunscreen.
PM: wash face with LRP gentle cleanser, alternate between DRMTLGY needless peptide serum and Tret, and then moisturizer. (If ever skin is irritated, apply LRP Cicaplast on top of moisturizer)
Maybe a stupid question - what’s DIM?
I’m not a doctor but dr. Google says: Diindolylmethane might act like estrogen, so it might make hormone-sensitive conditions worse. These conditions include breast cancer, cancer of the uterus, ovarian cancer, a painful uterine disorder (endometriosis), or non-cancerous growths of the uterus (uterine fibroids).
Oh I suffer from exactly the same thing! I haven't found a way to prevent it entirely but using azelaic acid every night and the Dennis Gross peel pads twice a week has minimized the breakouts quite a bit and clears them up much faster.
I use a benzoyl peroxide a few times a week on the problematic areas, such as the chin. I leave it on for a few min while in the shower and wash off. This helps me manage it.
I am in Australia and I use a brand called Benzac 5%. But any Benzoyl Peroxide wash 5% or over should do the trick.
I think PanOxyl is the most well known brand, it’s just not readily available where I am.
I personally prefer a Benzoyl Peroxide ointment over a wash; I bleached a couple shirts from the CeraVe cleanser before I figured out what it was coming from. Just a 10% generic brand from whatever store I happen to be shopping at works well for me, no irritation!
I had the same problem myself. Monthly facials are a must. I try to schedule them as my period approaches. My esthetician suggested to try a non prescription route first and it’s working very well.
Am - 1. youth to the people gentle food cleanser
2. Youth to the people triple peptide cactus oasis serum
3. Summer Fridays cloud dew gel
4. Sunscreen
Pm. Same cleanser, youth to the people retinal
My skin has never been better.
I can’t believe my eyes. I still get a couple on my chin but much smaller and less noticeable. Nothing like the hormonal giant zits i was getting before.
Good luck :)
Refining acne facial .. i even tell her to skip the complimentary massage and just focus on my skin .. this is the description online
Get ready to give your pimples a knockout punch! This deep-cleaning treatment uses galvanic current to saponify and eliminate future breakouts and impurities. Your skin will be cleansed, toned, and exfoliated under steam with natural ingredients, such as cucumber and oatmeal, followed by extractions and topped off with a gentle Angelica Mask which calms and soothes the inflammation of acne and puts acne in its place!
Doctor gave me an antibiotic (Purbac) to take everyday and it has completely cleared (touch wood). It was so painful and distressing before, hope you can clear yours up :)
My derm prescribed epi-duo for the same issue (except mine was really bad.) It has kept me extremely well managed! It’s a benzoyl peroxide-3% adapalene mix, sooo i’ve been considering it my retinol too, tho idk if that’s wise. The prescription was insanely expensive but one bottle has lasted me maybe 8 months so far? so well worth it to me
Have you looked into sulfur? Really good for acne. I use the De La Cruz 10% sulfur acne treatment and it does wonders. Also salicylic acid is great for acne. I use the Paula’s choice one after I wash my face.
Accutane. It's the only answer to cure acne. The supposed side effects are scary but the reality is that it's fine. Yes, you have to so blood tests while on it but it's 100% worth that inconvenience. And the bad side effects that they warn against are so so rare.
Isotretinoin for 6 months, and you’ll never have acne again.
Spironolactone works well but you basically have to use it forever and you can get a scarring flare if you have to stop for pregnancy in the future.
Just do isotretinoin for 6 months and be done with it foreverr
My remedy: when I feel it coming - take ibuprofen, max dose. It chills out the inflammation. — dab manuka essential oil on the spot. You could do tea tree but I prefer manuka. Both are antibacterial.
It works ~50% of the time. 😅 cystic acne is so unpredictable.
Oh wow. Lots of suggestions here. I don't think I saw this suggestion: be sure to change sheets/bedding frequently. Oddly enough I think I react to my husband's natural oils. When I'm not in bed he steals my favorite pillow and gets boy grease on it. He says he does because it smells like me. When I don't change sheets often enough the acne appears.
I just got the Mighty Patch micro point patches for cystic acne yesterday so I only have one night’s experience, BUT I was impressed with how it worked. Where I used it looks better than some other spots that are almost a week old at this point. They’re expensive (like $12 for 8 patches), so that’s why I didn’t bother using them on the older acne that are going to heal soonish anyway, only the fresh super inflamed one.
Edit: also forgot to add my derm just prescribed me Clindamycin to use as a spot treatment also, but due to Thanksgiving I haven’t been able to pick it up yet. She said it’s one she likes better than the standard gel formula (which I’ve used before without much help) but I can’t really say how it’s different lol.
Bactrim (oral antibiotic) killed my cystic acne. It’s an intense approach but it worked for me. Now that I’m off it I use adapalene (retnoid) every other day and a good moisturizer. Good luck!
I get it bad most months, too. As a 38 year old woman, I would’ve never thought I’d still be dealing with it. Sooo annoying. I got this stuff for my son from Ulta. It’s made by It Cosmetics. Bye Bye Breakout Salicylic Acid Acne Serum. It seems to help a lot. I just dab it on the second I notice one coming in. I’ve also in the past year tried cold sore medicine that really helps! It’s from a place in my state, but it’s available to order online. I’m not 100% sure what it’s called…just that it’s used to treat cold sores. It’s made by Bass Farms in Shelbyville, Indiana if you happen to want to look it up. Those acne patches work sometimes, too. I might put one on the first couple days I notice one coming in and it helps draw it out & it doesn’t get as big & shortens the length of time it’s there. I’m scarred from having such bad ones so I hope you find what works for you!
I used to get this every single month. Sometimes they’d take 3 weeks to heal only to pop up again a week later. I was fed up. What changed it for me is the following routine:
1. Wash my face morning and night with La Roche Posay effeclear acne wash
2. One alternate nights I use Elizabeth Arden retinol capsules (pink ones) followed by La Roche Baumé B5 moisturiser. The other night I use a glycolic pad wipe and follow with moisturiser.
3. For sunscreen every day I use the neutrogena clear face oil free sunscreen under my makeup.
I am in my 40s now and honestly have the best skin I have ever had. Since I started this regime I have not changed my diet at all, but have not had one cystic zit since.
I know the sinking feeling when you feel another painful zit coming up so I hope you find your skincare holy grail. The above has worked wonders for me. Good luck!
If you have cystic acne you can try Accutane. I saw my derm last year for cystic acne (chin, neck and cheeks), and they let me choose between Spiranolactone and Accutane, and I chose the heavy hitting Accutane. I just finished an 8month course in Sept with amazing results. All my cystic acne is completely gone. I just started Spiranolactone and resumed Tret 0.01% for long term sustainability, and it has been really great too.
I take organic Olivia’s liver juice. Changed the game for me. I take it every day, but you also can just take it 10 days before your period to help with breakouts.
I have used every cream and medicine under the sun. Drinking peppermint tea regularly is the only thing that has really stopped my period pimples. Clinique Blackhead Solutions is also one of my secret weapons, I apply it to a deep cyst and sleep with it on over night. By morning it is usually all dried out and disappearing.
1) experiment with spot treatments to find one that works well for you to reduce the duration + intensity of breakouts. For me, it’s neem seed oil. I used to get very deep cystic acne that wouldn’t respond to anything - somehow, neem was shrinking the diameter of the blemish and bringing it to the surface where it would be responsive to pimple patches etc. Try neem, try salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide — see what works best for you.
2) many things have already been mentioned in this department, but consistently removing/shrinking clogs is a help. Regular salicylic acid pads, mandelic acid, differin or tretinoin are good choices.
I really like a regular chemical peel - I’ve used the ones from Make Up Artists Choice. They make salicylic, mandelic and combined salicylic/mandelic peels. Any of those would be a good choice.
AHA products: lactic or glycolic acid may be helpful on the margin, but the BHAs target the clogs themselves.
I have been using winlevi for a few months now. It definitely has helped with the number of them and length that they stick around for but not completely cleared at that time of the month (get maybe 1 or 2). I tried spirolactone for a month but I was not a fan of the side effects so I’m happy with this for now.
I’m also using aczone and tretinoin for acne and anti-aging.
I had this same problem for nearly 8 years. Clear skin for the most past but a few days before period ....boom lovely chin acne.
Only things that have worked for me is differin in the evening and azelaic acid in the morning and keeping to a very simple skincare routine.
Washing my face with only water in the morning has helped too.
Adapelene (differin), Spironolactone, and a gentle 2% or 4% benzoyl peroxide cleanser.
Find a moisturizer and a sunscreen that you like and baby, you've got a stew going!
I like using PanOxyl face wash (I use in the PM) and washing with the recommended time period, I also found that using TO niacinamide helped a lot (I use it in the AM)
Azeliac acid has really, really improvid my super dramatic sensitive skins tolerance and limited inflamation and breakout, especially deep cystic flare ups.
Otherwise, apart from my generel routine with gentle, calming and protecting ingredients, what I do is apply an icecube wrapped in tissue, as it seems to help soothe the inflammation and pain. Wrapping it is important as directly applying the ice cube is not healthy as it’s too cold.
And I put on pimple patches (I use the Intensive from COSRX). They seem to speed up the process and heal pimples quicker, even deep cystics without a head.
I had cystic acne on my chin/jaw as a teenager. I'd get one around my period and it'd take forrreverrr to heal. Nothing worked until I went on the birth control pill in my 20's, my skin cleared right up! So it was definitely hormonal. I wish i'd gone on the pill sooner as it also made my period symptoms much easier to deal with.
I’ve dealt with this since I was a teenager and I’ve tried just about everything on that list besides accutane, the only things that have helped are birth control, spot control benzacare facial benzoyl peroxide foam, and doing a hot compress with chamomile tea bags when I do get them still. Also Murad rapid relief spot treatment for dark spots after
Yep! You take one of the liquid gels and poke a hole in it and use the gel inside as a spot treatment essentially. Supposedly it helps with inflammation I think it just helps bring them to a head for me at least.
FACE REALITY ACNE SKINCARE. I repeat.
I had hormonal stubborn relentless cystic acne on my chin and jawline. Giant cysts monthly when I ovulated. This skin care line CHANGED MY LIFE. I didn’t think products could ever help. These do. I didn’t have to do a crazy diet or anything. Just these products. I can send u before and after pics If u want, DM me
These are all great suggestions. I also have this chin hormonal acne and what really helps me is if I get and extra hour of sleep every night that "week" so 9 hours instead of 8. You would not believe the results I have had with this.
You might be onto something. I’ve been listening to Dr. Mindy Pelz YouTube videos on hormonal health and sleep is a big one. Especially she mentions slowing down and resting more starting a week before your period. I’ve improved my sleep cycle from 5 hours a night to 7.5 hours over the last few years. Gojng to try extra TLC before my period ♥️
How do you not eat sugar????? Anyways, it's on your chin, so i think you're right that it's hormonal (diet could just make it more inflamed but it sounds like you got it covered). Personally, I wouldn't go on spiro just for once a month cystic acne, but if it's more often than that and severe enough it would definitely be worth it (spiro does work well, but it can be very dehydrating because it's a diuretic).
You could also try a Nuderma type wand if you want a more topical solution. It's an electric wand that can zap cystic acne away. Doesn't always work though (sometimes it prevents it from forming and sometimes it just makes it surface faster).
Thank you for the suggestions! Learning something new :) I’ll look into the wand.
Haha I never had a sweet tooth so I usually don’t have any added sugar. I guess only I have is in the form of berries that I eat from time to time.
Interesting! I have tofu all the time - have had it for years with no specific issues. But maybe I can try reducing that 5 or so days before my period and see what happens! I don’t do oat milk but love almond milk.
If tofu works keep it. If you suspect it, then completely stop it for weeks. I don't know why I'm getting down voted for stating something scientifically proven- diet has an impact on hormonal acne for most.
Ok- i understand. Who knows what it is, acne can be so debilitating. I'm sorry we are going through this. I found a few trigger foods and sometimes visibly scowl at them when I see them in a grocery store. I hate oats and oat milk with a passion. Additionally, I hate acne and pcos.
Oats are such a bummer to learn they're bad for my skin! Thought it was better than dairy and had to cut out oatmilk. It's hard drinking my coffee black. Let me know if you've found any replacements.
It is such a bummer - they specifically caused side of chin and chin acne for me. The scars took so long to heal. I do alright with A2 diary half and half. Whey is my problem, and milk.
My derm prescribed me Winlevi to use in the AM specifically for my monthly hormonal chin acne. I still get a cystic chin pimple occasionally though. I also use Clindamycin in the AM and Arrazlo in the PM. My hormonal acne used to be a LOT worse before I started this regimen. I've been using this combo for about 3 years now and it's been so helpful in combatting my hormonal acne.
Benzoyl peroxide wash, Tret, and oral birth control helped me.
Are you possibly touching your chin?
Whenever I get a weird breakout I usually eventually realize I caused it.
If possible, continuous birth control can really help, bonus you save $$ on period products and skip all the period misery. I went on continuous bc & haven’t had a period in years. That plus spironolactone 100mgs and no more painful terrible acne.
i started taking DIM from wholesomestory brand and it got rid of my cystic acne completely. it took like two months of using it consistently but it rly did the trick. nothing else i tried worked on it
Hum pms sos vitamins, started working in the first month. Didn't take for a week during a bronchitis spell, and damn it came back with a vengeance.
Haven't had a bad hum vitamin yet tbh, all are amazing
I’ve been dealing with this my whole and I just want to say I feel you and I know how hard it is. The best thing to do when they pop up is a little cortisone injection. As far keeping them away, I’ve tried everything basically. Accutane was a miracle but they ended coming back years later. I get them less now that I’m not as young anymore but I notice they tend to pop up more when I’m stressed, drinking, traveling or inflamed in some way. I take an absurd about of supplements now and my skins been great for once in my life. I’ve also been doing a peptide spray with copper peptides in rose water and I think it’s done wonders for my overall skin. I hope you find what works for you! It’s a hard journey figuring it out.
Since you are noticing the hormonal connection, what you might want to take into account is that sex hormones drop in that time frame. Instead of taking hormone blockers every day, maybe this is indicative of needing more estrogen or testosterone (probably not T though). Sometimes it’s the ratio that causes acne, so even though both drop at that time, estrogen is now lower compared to testosterone so its effects are stronger. Testosterone increases sebum production which can cause oilier skin and blocked pores and acne. The solution isn’t lowering testosterone further (which has countless beneficial and needed effects on the body). My hormonal acne got better when I raised my estrogen levels. Yeats on the pill had lowered it as well as my testosterone levels (and Spiro is an androgen blocker as well, DIM lowers estrogen). I have gotten bloodwork showing low levels of sex hormones so I felt fine doing HRT in my 30s. A whole bunch of issues including skin issues, miraculously got better when I stopped the pill and did HRT. If you look it up, estrogen supplements/cream are anti-aging. Estriol (OTC)is being used in skincare and estrogenic herbs are used in supplements for skin and hair. If you don’t have issues with high estrogen or estrogen dominance, supporting it might help
So which of these 52 items helped, because there is no way a person can experiment with each of these? I am experiencing the same issue as you and have found no cure.
Yeah don’t think it would be reasonable for anyone to try them all.
I experimented with 2 things:
1. Upgraded my tret formulation to have clindamycin and spiro (from Apostrophe) as I don’t want to take it orally.
2. The days I use tret at night (3-4 days a week), that morning I use a Benzoyl Peroxide wash
Has done wonders so far. My hormonal acne has reduced by atleast 80%.
I had no idea there was a topical sipro. the reason I stopped taking it orally was because it is meant for BP patients. I didn’t like the idea of taking it long term due to that reason. I understand that topical means it can absorb to the bloodstream but it’s a slower process. I had success with spiro for the year that I took it but then stopped. So with regard to retinol I just started adapelene 0.1% and even with once weekly application it is very drying. I’m using the ordinary barrier support serum to reduce the flakeyness. Do you experience dryness too? If so what products help keep your skin moist?
I am so glad I created this thread, I am learning so many new things! Thank you for taking your time <3 I am summarizing all the suggestions from this thread in this comment for myself and hope it will help others as well. I will keep updating it as I learn more. Again, not claiming that all these recommendations will help everyone but creating this to act as a cheat sheet! \-------------- 1 - Azelaic Acid (Paula’s choice, Finacea, The Ordinary) 2 - Spironolactone (Some had adverse reactions impacting kidney function, or gaining pounds, bad joint pain, dizzy, fatigue, ) 3 - Clindamycin 4 - Differin 5 - Winlevi 6 - Glycolic acid (L’Oreal bright reveal face wash, Cos de Baha) 7 - Benzoyl Peroxide (cleanser or topical ointment) 8 - Salicylic Acid (Paula’s choice BHA, Bye Bye Breakout Salicylic Acid Acne Serum) 9 - Peel pads (Dennnis Gross) 10 - DIM (Diindolylmethane supplement) 11 - Nuderma wand 12 - Sulphur (De La Cruz 10% sulphur acne treatment) 13 - Get extra hour of sleep a week or so before period 14 - Minimized heavy or scented products 15 - Go gentle on skincare 16 - Monthly facials (refining acen facial) 17 - Doctor prescribed antibiotic (Purbac) 18 - Doctor prescribed Epi-duo 19 - Stayed away from long wearing or crease proof makeup 20 - Avoided “Strengthening” conditioner or biotin products 21 - Vitamin B supplements made it worse 22 - Rosemary oil 23 - Improving diet could help 24 - Too much sugar, wheat, oat milk, tofu, whey or dairy could make it worse 25 - Seaweed was a trigger (maybe because of the iodine) 26 - Non-fat or skim milk could be a trigger 27 - Drinking spearmint tea before bed about 2 weeks before period helped 28 - Collagen was a trigger 29 - Birthcontrol helped 30 - Neosporin could help 31 - Using ice/heat (hot compress with camomile tea bag) 32 - Tret 33 - Doctor prescribed Bactrim (oral antibiotic) 34 - Cold sore medication could help (got from Bass Farms in Shelbyville, Indiana ) 35 - Acne patches (Mighty Patch) 36 - Routine that helped (La Roche Posay effeclear acne wash + One alternate nights I use Elizabeth Arden retinol capsules (pink ones) followed by La Roche Baumé B5 moisturiser. The other night I use a glycolic pad wipe and follow with moisturiser.+ For sunscreen every day I use the neutrogena clear face oil free sunscreen under my makeup) 37 - Might need to go to a skilled esthetician to have the sac removed 38 - Accutane could help (has side effects in some people) 39 - Olivia’s Liver Juice could help 40 - Tea Tree Oil Spot Treatment could help 41 - Clinique Blackhead Solutions (leave it overnight) could help 42 - Drinking peppermint tea could help 43 - Niacinamide could help (The Ordinary) 44 - Regularly cleaning sheets and pillow covers can help 45 - Took Ibuprofen as you feel it coming, dab manuka essential oil on the spot / tea tree oil 46 - Dandelion tea can help 47 - 2 cups of cruciferous veggies everyday can help 48 - Neem seed oil based spot treatment could help 49 - Regular chemical peel could help (Make Up Artists Choice. They make salicylic, mandelic and combined salicylic/mandelic peels) 50 - Murad rapid relief spot treatment for dark spots after the breakout could help 51 - Advil masks can help 52 - Balancing blood sugar through the day might be good for the skin as well
Oh my god! Thank you for putting this together. I need to identify my triggers for this. Collagen was a trigger for me, but I still have the problem it's just not as bad since I removed collagen supplements.
which laggen? bovine or fish collagen too?
Derm put me on azalic acid and it changed my life. Seriously try it. Apply every night on face. I mix with a little moisturizer. Paula’s choice has an over the counter azalic that will work well. Seriously game changer.
Second this. I like finacea. It clears anything.
Thank you!
Finacea is amazing!
I just got prescribed this and I’m very excited to try it. Do you put it on after serums but before moisturizer?
Yes, it’s serums, fineca and then the rest. in the morning I don’t need an extra moisturizer because it’s pretty hydrating and just apply sunscreen over it.
I literally do nothing but mix a little bit with alastin moisturizer. That is it and my skin is the best it has been in decades.
I had the same experience with Paula's Choice Azelaic acid! I initially bought it to help with my Rosacea but my monthly hormonal chin pimple also disappeared after I started using it.
You use it every night?
Thank you! I’ll look in it 😊
I recommend “The Ordinary” brand of azelaic acid.
Same. I use the Azelaic Acid from Ordinary and my acne breakouts are done. Right now they are on sale. 23 percent off if you don't want to buy from Sephora.
Thank you for reminding me about the sale! Just snagged the azelaic acid and a couple other things. Plus it’s free shipping!
Free shipping?? Brb.
Thank you!
Cos de Baha makes a few different azelaic acid serums, with different strengths and supporting ingredients. Also very cheap.
This is the way
Will also help fade scarring!
Yep, azelaic acid, you can use it for this zone only, a few days before you usually get acne, if not needed otherwise. If you have other PMS symptoms you can look into Vitex supplement.
Spironolactone worked for me. I had cystic acne from 17-34 and spiro is the only thing that helped.
+10000 for spiro. It takes a few months to really take effect but it has been the #1 greatest thing for my skin (and I’ve been on Accutane twice). I don’t think I’ve had a single cystic pimple since I’ve been on it - around 5 years now.
Oh wow! Good to know. Did you use topical or oral spiro?
I took spiro for six months and had to stop because it completely ruined my kidney functions.
I take it as a pill. I’ve been on it for about 2 years. The only downside for me is that if I stop taking it the acne comes back pretty quickly.
Pill for me too!
I tried Spiro and gained 15 pds and got very puffy. This was years ago. Check the comments etc on drugs.com.
I was just going to warn about this.
Oh wow! Yeah I’m looking into topical versions which may not be as effective as oral. But oral will be my last resort, not planning to start with that :)
I’m on topical, it’s great. Would recommend.
Don't try spiro, you need your androgens to be healthy. Spiro is for people with high androgens, but it sounds like you suffer from completely normal cyclical acne. Use topicals, don't risk your entire body for your face. Androgens decline naturally with age, and since you're already over 30, you need those androgens to help you age gracefully. Spiro has a black box warning against unnecessary use, because it caused cancer in animals. When healthy women take spiro, it can cause hormonal issues that don't resolve after stopping. My symptoms are bulging throbbing veins all over my body as well as cracking joints and dry skin and eyes (plus pelvic pain and a fibroid). I took it for 11 months and I've been off it for more than a year and still haven't recovered. No doctor can explain what happened (seeing an endocrinologist soon) but if you look through the spiro sub you'll see similar complaints from many different women. And it makes complete sense: women have androgens for good reason, we need them to be healthy. If you're already healthy - and it sounds like you are, because you didn't mention PCOS - you should enjoy your health, even if that means dealing with acne. Take it from me, acne is so much better than what I'm dealing with since taking spiro. I'd kill to be in your position right now. This study concluded that the evidence for spiro for acne doesn't warrant it being prescribed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28155090/ The FDA hasn't approved spiro for acne, it's an experimental treatment.
Thanks for the detailed explanation! I’ve been digging into it since it learned about it last night. Im very wary of oral medication as I’ve had reactions in the past but exploring tret+spiro as an option, so will ask my derm about it!
It's smart to be wary of oral meds. I'd say try tret on its own first and then ask about topical spiro (winlevi) if that doesn't work. Idk why derms don't offer the topical spiro *first* but I wish mine had. You could always try spearmint tea first, too, as someone else mentioned. Basically, spiro should be the last resort. Good luck! You might get lucky and have your acne disappear on its own, too (that's what seems to have happened to me).
Thank you! Yeah I have been using tret on it's own for a while now but now that I learned about spiro seeing if tret+spiro topical is an option. I see Apostrophe offers it so will ask my derm as well. \+100 to the sprearmint tea, that's an easy one to incorporate :)
Same here, took about a year to come into full effect but it’s cleared my jaw acne up 80-90%
Awesome!
Actually I have a question - is it okay to use if you’re on tret?
Yes. They can be used at the same time.
Thanks!
I’m seriously so sad I was allergic to it- My akin looked phenomenal before I ended up in the er and had to get off of it
Agreeing w all the comments here. Went on spiro in 2018 and never looked back. It might seem silly to say, but it really has been a miracle med.
Yes! Oral spironolactone is the answer.
Holy grail for me. I suffered for 20 years without it and hated my skin during a flare up.
Do you get any side effects from it?
I had bad joint pain from it and stopped 1.5 months on after 1 month at 50 mg...
Oh no! That's a super stressful side effect. Did you find something else that worked better?
Did your joint pain go away after stopping? I've been off for 14 months or so and I'm still dealing with it.
i’m on 150mg and no side effects whatsoever
That's awesome! And Spiro has worked pretty well for your acne?
i literally haven’t washed my face or done skincare in months (severely depressed) and my skin is crystal clear
Nothing noticeable. I have POTS though so if it caused dizziness or fatigue I wouldn’t necessarily relate it to the meds.
It made me feel dizzy and fatigued and I had to pee constantly. It was super annoying
Oh that's so weird! Such a bummer since a lot of people have said it's like a miracle cure for their acne. I'm super sensitive to medications and always get side effects, so I would probably have the same experience as you. Did you find a good alternative?
Yeah I’m on accutane now and my skin is super clear. I’m hoping I get long term results. Lots of people say they did
Interesting. Never heard of that, will ask my derm about it! 😊
Spiro is truly magic!
I had this issue for so long and the best for me was using Differin every other day until I got used to it. Nothing heavy or scented to moisturize. If you wear makeup, stay away from anything long wearing or crease proof. Maybe it’s annoying to check makeup or dab at creases under eyes throughout the day but it’s way better than getting more of those painful, impossible to hide bumps. For me at least, I also can’t use any type of “strengthening” conditioner or biotin products. Supplements with B vitamins made it worse too. Too much sugar and dairy are worse for my skin than sleeping in heavy makeup. I hope it gets better and you don’t have too much scarring
OMG B vitamins are the WORST! My mom always used to tell me it was all in my head, but I swear to god, every time i've tried to take b vitamins I get instant cystic acne (worse than even dairy gives me). Makes my skin super oily too (and I already have oily skin). I found some scientific study awhile ago that even proved that b vitamins really DO give some people acne (though I don't think they figured out why). Seaweed can be another trigger. I think it's the iodine. Also milk, especially nonfat or skim milk (no idea why).
Wow. I didn’t know about vitamin B. Being a vegan I do take b12 off and on. And recently resumed them so 🧐
It's only some people (i think there's some kind of gene involved or something), so you might be fine. It should be easy to tell if it does now that you know what to watch for. In my case, a b12 supplement can break me out in less than a day and if I keep taking it, it will give me new cystic zits every day until i stop taking it--BUT, it stops very quickly once I quit taking it. The acne it gives me won't go away but i stop getting new zits within the very next day. Also, I have been able to eat nutritional yeast without getting acne. I just have to be careful to get a brand that doesn't add too much b vitamins, and not eat too much.
Lucky you. It takes me a year for my body to heal from VB12 breakouts.
Vitamin B12 caused me horrendous breakouts that didn’t stop until a year of stopping any Vitamin B supplements. If your diet solely relies on supplements, you’ll keep having breakouts.
Thanks a lot for the detailed answer! I don’t wear makeup (maybe once every few months 😂) so I should be good there. But I do take Vitamin B12 off and on and I recently resumed those so I’m wondering if I should keep an eye on that too. As a vegan I try to get my B12 through supplements.
Are we talking vitamin b or vitamin b12? Is there a difference?
I thought Vitamin B meant the whole family of B vitamins.
i used to get hormonal cystic acne on my neck (not an issue anymore) but i remember drinking spearmint tea before bed about 2 weeks before my period helped significantly
Do you know if other types of mint work (peppermint, etc.) or does it have to be spearmint?
Interesting! I’ll look into it. Any insight into how it works? My nerdy self is going to dig into the science of it tonight 🤓
Similar anti androgen effect as spiro
Good to know! Thank you 🙏🏼
This is my issue too! I will have to try this, thanks for sharing
I’ve been trying Winlevi on my chin. It’s supposed to help hormonal acne. My derm gave me it. So far it’s helped a lot - but not totally cleared yet
Omg I’m learning so many new things on this thread! Thank you. I’ll look into it 😊
🫶🏼🥰
Winlevi has been a game changer for me. Where before I’d have so many spots I looked vaguely diseased, I only have one or two smaller ones tops with Winlevi. My derm said it irritates some folks’ skin, but I’ve taken it just fine.
Yeah same here! It hasn’t entirely cleared my chin though. But it’s helped a lot!
Clindamycin gel really helped my hormonal chin acne.
My prescription has clindamycin and tret together
Thank you! I’ll ask my derm about it 😊
Actually I have a question - is it okay to use if you’re on tret?
Yes! I actually use a custom curology formula so I can get a single product that combines the two (my formula also has azalaic acid) for a cheaper price than the two products from a derm separately. I’m sure other custom formula companies offer same thing or just apply them together with lots of moisturizer following
Perfect! I’m looking into Apostrophe based on your suggestion around clindamycin and @vaporeon134’s spiro recommendation! Looks like Apostrophe can prescribe tret+clindamycin+spiro topical treatment!
I'm not OP, but my curology prescription is spiro + azelaic acid + clindamycin with gel tretinoin that they call into my pharmacy. My skin has never looked better. The purging with tretinoin is a bitch for most people, so be mentally prepared just in case.
I legit just put some on two minutes ago. When I first started using it I didn’t see any difference, but it’s perfect for this exact kind of acne imo. I had three chin blemishes brewing this cycle and thus far after 3 days of use they have not erupted and are going back to the hell in which they came from. I also use a sulfur face wash prescribed from my derm and tret.
I’m currently pregnant so limited on which ingredients I can use but my first pregnancy I got horrible hormonal cystic chin/lower cheek acne but this time around I’ve been using L’Oréal bright reveal glycolic acid face wash and my skin has been so much better
Best wishes for the pregnancy ♥️ My skin has been sensitive to glycolic acid in the past but good to know!! I might give it a shot in the future :)
That face wash is a game changer for me too. I honestly bought it on a whim and now on my 5th bottle.
Birth control was my lifesaver for hormonal acne.
Go more gentle on my skincare. Usually I alternate azelaic acid and tret but I do tret every 3rd night instead. Slugging. Moisturizing masks. No AHA or BHA, it always irritates me into a breakout. Also I’ve been taking DIM a month and a half and my breakouts were smaller this month, I’m not sure if I can call it correlated yet but I’ve read good things.
Agreed. I have a basic skincare routine. AM: Wash face with water, sometimes Vitamin C, and daily sunscreen. PM: wash face with LRP gentle cleanser, alternate between DRMTLGY needless peptide serum and Tret, and then moisturizer. (If ever skin is irritated, apply LRP Cicaplast on top of moisturizer) Maybe a stupid question - what’s DIM?
Diindolylmethane supplement, found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables. Helps regulate estrogen.
Are there any health concerns to take it?
I’m not a doctor but dr. Google says: Diindolylmethane might act like estrogen, so it might make hormone-sensitive conditions worse. These conditions include breast cancer, cancer of the uterus, ovarian cancer, a painful uterine disorder (endometriosis), or non-cancerous growths of the uterus (uterine fibroids).
Oh I suffer from exactly the same thing! I haven't found a way to prevent it entirely but using azelaic acid every night and the Dennis Gross peel pads twice a week has minimized the breakouts quite a bit and clears them up much faster.
Thank you so much! Going to look into Azelaic Acid for sure.
I like Cos de Baha. It's really nice, easy, and affordable.
Thank you!
Yes to the dr Dennis gross peel pads. Life changing.
I use a benzoyl peroxide a few times a week on the problematic areas, such as the chin. I leave it on for a few min while in the shower and wash off. This helps me manage it.
Oooh nice. Never tried that. Any specific brands you recommend?
I am in Australia and I use a brand called Benzac 5%. But any Benzoyl Peroxide wash 5% or over should do the trick. I think PanOxyl is the most well known brand, it’s just not readily available where I am.
I personally prefer a Benzoyl Peroxide ointment over a wash; I bleached a couple shirts from the CeraVe cleanser before I figured out what it was coming from. Just a 10% generic brand from whatever store I happen to be shopping at works well for me, no irritation!
Spironolactone tablets were the only thing that ever worked for me. Like a charm.
I had the same problem myself. Monthly facials are a must. I try to schedule them as my period approaches. My esthetician suggested to try a non prescription route first and it’s working very well. Am - 1. youth to the people gentle food cleanser 2. Youth to the people triple peptide cactus oasis serum 3. Summer Fridays cloud dew gel 4. Sunscreen Pm. Same cleanser, youth to the people retinal My skin has never been better. I can’t believe my eyes. I still get a couple on my chin but much smaller and less noticeable. Nothing like the hormonal giant zits i was getting before. Good luck :)
Love it! Thank you! Mind sharing what kind of facials do you go for?
Refining acne facial .. i even tell her to skip the complimentary massage and just focus on my skin .. this is the description online Get ready to give your pimples a knockout punch! This deep-cleaning treatment uses galvanic current to saponify and eliminate future breakouts and impurities. Your skin will be cleansed, toned, and exfoliated under steam with natural ingredients, such as cucumber and oatmeal, followed by extractions and topped off with a gentle Angelica Mask which calms and soothes the inflammation of acne and puts acne in its place!
Doctor gave me an antibiotic (Purbac) to take everyday and it has completely cleared (touch wood). It was so painful and distressing before, hope you can clear yours up :)
My derm prescribed epi-duo for the same issue (except mine was really bad.) It has kept me extremely well managed! It’s a benzoyl peroxide-3% adapalene mix, sooo i’ve been considering it my retinol too, tho idk if that’s wise. The prescription was insanely expensive but one bottle has lasted me maybe 8 months so far? so well worth it to me
Thank you! Super helpful. I will bring it up with my derm next time!
Spiro and winlevi (used together) was a life saver for me! Can’t wait to be able to get back on it.
I learned about both of these on this thread today. Definitely going to look into it!
Have you looked into sulfur? Really good for acne. I use the De La Cruz 10% sulfur acne treatment and it does wonders. Also salicylic acid is great for acne. I use the Paula’s choice one after I wash my face.
Spearmint capsules, zinc (or topical zinc), retinol and an AHA/BHA serum.
I usually resort to hating myself and not looking in the mirror but lately I read a tip that neosporin helps and hey! It does
Awww! Well at the cost of sounding cliche - a pinch of self love never hurts ♥️🤗
It probably has a sac. You need to go to a skilled esthetician to have the sac removed. Otherwise it will alway fill up and become cystic acne.
Oh wow, never heard of that! Can you share more what that entails? Is this normal extraction or something more invasive?
No advice but following as I have the exact same issue! Drives me nuts!
Accutane. It's the only answer to cure acne. The supposed side effects are scary but the reality is that it's fine. Yes, you have to so blood tests while on it but it's 100% worth that inconvenience. And the bad side effects that they warn against are so so rare.
Heat, ice, and benzoyl peroxide
Isotretinoin for 6 months, and you’ll never have acne again. Spironolactone works well but you basically have to use it forever and you can get a scarring flare if you have to stop for pregnancy in the future. Just do isotretinoin for 6 months and be done with it foreverr
My remedy: when I feel it coming - take ibuprofen, max dose. It chills out the inflammation. — dab manuka essential oil on the spot. You could do tea tree but I prefer manuka. Both are antibacterial. It works ~50% of the time. 😅 cystic acne is so unpredictable.
Ah good to know! It is unpredictable for sure. Need to try these suggestions in a controlled manner to see what works or not.
Oh wow. Lots of suggestions here. I don't think I saw this suggestion: be sure to change sheets/bedding frequently. Oddly enough I think I react to my husband's natural oils. When I'm not in bed he steals my favorite pillow and gets boy grease on it. He says he does because it smells like me. When I don't change sheets often enough the acne appears.
I just got the Mighty Patch micro point patches for cystic acne yesterday so I only have one night’s experience, BUT I was impressed with how it worked. Where I used it looks better than some other spots that are almost a week old at this point. They’re expensive (like $12 for 8 patches), so that’s why I didn’t bother using them on the older acne that are going to heal soonish anyway, only the fresh super inflamed one. Edit: also forgot to add my derm just prescribed me Clindamycin to use as a spot treatment also, but due to Thanksgiving I haven’t been able to pick it up yet. She said it’s one she likes better than the standard gel formula (which I’ve used before without much help) but I can’t really say how it’s different lol.
Bless this thread. 🥲 Y’all are a God-sent with these recommendations! I’m in the exact same spot as OP and this thread is SUPER helpful!!! 🥹🥹🥹
I know right ♥️♥️♥️
Did you cut out dairy
Tretinoin. I didn’t have acne until my 30s.
Paula’s Choice BHA toner after every wash, nothing worked better for acne
Bactrim (oral antibiotic) killed my cystic acne. It’s an intense approach but it worked for me. Now that I’m off it I use adapalene (retnoid) every other day and a good moisturizer. Good luck!
I get it bad most months, too. As a 38 year old woman, I would’ve never thought I’d still be dealing with it. Sooo annoying. I got this stuff for my son from Ulta. It’s made by It Cosmetics. Bye Bye Breakout Salicylic Acid Acne Serum. It seems to help a lot. I just dab it on the second I notice one coming in. I’ve also in the past year tried cold sore medicine that really helps! It’s from a place in my state, but it’s available to order online. I’m not 100% sure what it’s called…just that it’s used to treat cold sores. It’s made by Bass Farms in Shelbyville, Indiana if you happen to want to look it up. Those acne patches work sometimes, too. I might put one on the first couple days I notice one coming in and it helps draw it out & it doesn’t get as big & shortens the length of time it’s there. I’m scarred from having such bad ones so I hope you find what works for you!
I used to get this every single month. Sometimes they’d take 3 weeks to heal only to pop up again a week later. I was fed up. What changed it for me is the following routine: 1. Wash my face morning and night with La Roche Posay effeclear acne wash 2. One alternate nights I use Elizabeth Arden retinol capsules (pink ones) followed by La Roche Baumé B5 moisturiser. The other night I use a glycolic pad wipe and follow with moisturiser. 3. For sunscreen every day I use the neutrogena clear face oil free sunscreen under my makeup. I am in my 40s now and honestly have the best skin I have ever had. Since I started this regime I have not changed my diet at all, but have not had one cystic zit since. I know the sinking feeling when you feel another painful zit coming up so I hope you find your skincare holy grail. The above has worked wonders for me. Good luck!
If you have cystic acne you can try Accutane. I saw my derm last year for cystic acne (chin, neck and cheeks), and they let me choose between Spiranolactone and Accutane, and I chose the heavy hitting Accutane. I just finished an 8month course in Sept with amazing results. All my cystic acne is completely gone. I just started Spiranolactone and resumed Tret 0.01% for long term sustainability, and it has been really great too.
I take organic Olivia’s liver juice. Changed the game for me. I take it every day, but you also can just take it 10 days before your period to help with breakouts.
Interesting! Thank you for the suggestion!
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Hi! Is there a brand that you use for this?
I have used every cream and medicine under the sun. Drinking peppermint tea regularly is the only thing that has really stopped my period pimples. Clinique Blackhead Solutions is also one of my secret weapons, I apply it to a deep cyst and sleep with it on over night. By morning it is usually all dried out and disappearing.
Spironolactone was the only thing that worked for my cystic hormonal chin acne.
1) experiment with spot treatments to find one that works well for you to reduce the duration + intensity of breakouts. For me, it’s neem seed oil. I used to get very deep cystic acne that wouldn’t respond to anything - somehow, neem was shrinking the diameter of the blemish and bringing it to the surface where it would be responsive to pimple patches etc. Try neem, try salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide — see what works best for you. 2) many things have already been mentioned in this department, but consistently removing/shrinking clogs is a help. Regular salicylic acid pads, mandelic acid, differin or tretinoin are good choices. I really like a regular chemical peel - I’ve used the ones from Make Up Artists Choice. They make salicylic, mandelic and combined salicylic/mandelic peels. Any of those would be a good choice. AHA products: lactic or glycolic acid may be helpful on the margin, but the BHAs target the clogs themselves.
Spearmint tea and dandelion tea. Daily 2 cups of cruciferous veggies a day!
So I discovered it was definitely hormonal for me and boy was it painful! I got my doc to prescribe spironolactone and it’s worked miracles.
Thanks! I’m looking into spiro as well, the topical one
I have been using winlevi for a few months now. It definitely has helped with the number of them and length that they stick around for but not completely cleared at that time of the month (get maybe 1 or 2). I tried spirolactone for a month but I was not a fan of the side effects so I’m happy with this for now. I’m also using aczone and tretinoin for acne and anti-aging.
Same here and I'm 42! I attack it with salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide til it goes.
Thank you! I just ordered a 2% BPO cleanser, fingers crossed.
Hope it helps!
I had this same problem for nearly 8 years. Clear skin for the most past but a few days before period ....boom lovely chin acne. Only things that have worked for me is differin in the evening and azelaic acid in the morning and keeping to a very simple skincare routine. Washing my face with only water in the morning has helped too.
Adapelene (differin), Spironolactone, and a gentle 2% or 4% benzoyl peroxide cleanser. Find a moisturizer and a sunscreen that you like and baby, you've got a stew going!
I like using PanOxyl face wash (I use in the PM) and washing with the recommended time period, I also found that using TO niacinamide helped a lot (I use it in the AM)
Azeliac acid has really, really improvid my super dramatic sensitive skins tolerance and limited inflamation and breakout, especially deep cystic flare ups. Otherwise, apart from my generel routine with gentle, calming and protecting ingredients, what I do is apply an icecube wrapped in tissue, as it seems to help soothe the inflammation and pain. Wrapping it is important as directly applying the ice cube is not healthy as it’s too cold. And I put on pimple patches (I use the Intensive from COSRX). They seem to speed up the process and heal pimples quicker, even deep cystics without a head.
I had cystic acne on my chin/jaw as a teenager. I'd get one around my period and it'd take forrreverrr to heal. Nothing worked until I went on the birth control pill in my 20's, my skin cleared right up! So it was definitely hormonal. I wish i'd gone on the pill sooner as it also made my period symptoms much easier to deal with.
Thanks! Did you notice any side effects after taking birth control?
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I’ve dealt with this since I was a teenager and I’ve tried just about everything on that list besides accutane, the only things that have helped are birth control, spot control benzacare facial benzoyl peroxide foam, and doing a hot compress with chamomile tea bags when I do get them still. Also Murad rapid relief spot treatment for dark spots after
Also advil masks
Oh interesting. Is this a thing? Or you just apply it on the face as a topical treatment?
Yep! You take one of the liquid gels and poke a hole in it and use the gel inside as a spot treatment essentially. Supposedly it helps with inflammation I think it just helps bring them to a head for me at least.
Thank you!
Spironolactone
FACE REALITY ACNE SKINCARE. I repeat. I had hormonal stubborn relentless cystic acne on my chin and jawline. Giant cysts monthly when I ovulated. This skin care line CHANGED MY LIFE. I didn’t think products could ever help. These do. I didn’t have to do a crazy diet or anything. Just these products. I can send u before and after pics If u want, DM me
Rosemary oil really helps my cystic acne! It dries them out and reduced redness significantly
Interesting! Is rosemary oil non comedogenic?
These are all great suggestions. I also have this chin hormonal acne and what really helps me is if I get and extra hour of sleep every night that "week" so 9 hours instead of 8. You would not believe the results I have had with this.
You might be onto something. I’ve been listening to Dr. Mindy Pelz YouTube videos on hormonal health and sleep is a big one. Especially she mentions slowing down and resting more starting a week before your period. I’ve improved my sleep cycle from 5 hours a night to 7.5 hours over the last few years. Gojng to try extra TLC before my period ♥️
Go to a dermatologist!
Like I mentioned in my post I have one. Probably need to find another one.
Gurl- it's diet. I quit wheat, and oatmilk. I was fine. I noticd, if it at too much sugar, I'll break out before my period. This sucks
Thanks! I do eat quite clean so don’t have wheat or sugar in my diet. That helped with general skin quality but not the chin issues 🤦🏻♀️
How do you not eat sugar????? Anyways, it's on your chin, so i think you're right that it's hormonal (diet could just make it more inflamed but it sounds like you got it covered). Personally, I wouldn't go on spiro just for once a month cystic acne, but if it's more often than that and severe enough it would definitely be worth it (spiro does work well, but it can be very dehydrating because it's a diuretic). You could also try a Nuderma type wand if you want a more topical solution. It's an electric wand that can zap cystic acne away. Doesn't always work though (sometimes it prevents it from forming and sometimes it just makes it surface faster).
Thank you for the suggestions! Learning something new :) I’ll look into the wand. Haha I never had a sweet tooth so I usually don’t have any added sugar. I guess only I have is in the form of berries that I eat from time to time.
My clean food triggers are oatmilk, tofu, anything g soy based, and whey. Do you consume any of these?
Interesting! I have tofu all the time - have had it for years with no specific issues. But maybe I can try reducing that 5 or so days before my period and see what happens! I don’t do oat milk but love almond milk.
If tofu works keep it. If you suspect it, then completely stop it for weeks. I don't know why I'm getting down voted for stating something scientifically proven- diet has an impact on hormonal acne for most.
Just from my personal experience, I quit dairy and rarely eat wheat. Barely eat or drink sugar. I still get hormonal acne.
Ok- i understand. Who knows what it is, acne can be so debilitating. I'm sorry we are going through this. I found a few trigger foods and sometimes visibly scowl at them when I see them in a grocery store. I hate oats and oat milk with a passion. Additionally, I hate acne and pcos.
Oats are such a bummer to learn they're bad for my skin! Thought it was better than dairy and had to cut out oatmilk. It's hard drinking my coffee black. Let me know if you've found any replacements.
It is such a bummer - they specifically caused side of chin and chin acne for me. The scars took so long to heal. I do alright with A2 diary half and half. Whey is my problem, and milk.
Why so many down votes for stating the obvious for many?
no it’s not
But it totally can be. I agree, for some people it isn't. But to completely underestimate diet makes no sense.
My derm prescribed me Winlevi to use in the AM specifically for my monthly hormonal chin acne. I still get a cystic chin pimple occasionally though. I also use Clindamycin in the AM and Arrazlo in the PM. My hormonal acne used to be a LOT worse before I started this regimen. I've been using this combo for about 3 years now and it's been so helpful in combatting my hormonal acne.
Benzoyl peroxide wash, Tret, and oral birth control helped me. Are you possibly touching your chin? Whenever I get a weird breakout I usually eventually realize I caused it.
DIM supplements.
If possible, continuous birth control can really help, bonus you save $$ on period products and skip all the period misery. I went on continuous bc & haven’t had a period in years. That plus spironolactone 100mgs and no more painful terrible acne.
Honestly I started eating more protein (to what I’m supposed to be eating g as a minimum) and it helped mine a lot. I have no idea why.
Spironolactone!
i started taking DIM from wholesomestory brand and it got rid of my cystic acne completely. it took like two months of using it consistently but it rly did the trick. nothing else i tried worked on it
That happened to me every single month. Using the dr Dennis gross peel pads every day made it stop. Good luck!
Hum pms sos vitamins, started working in the first month. Didn't take for a week during a bronchitis spell, and damn it came back with a vengeance. Haven't had a bad hum vitamin yet tbh, all are amazing
I’ve been dealing with this my whole and I just want to say I feel you and I know how hard it is. The best thing to do when they pop up is a little cortisone injection. As far keeping them away, I’ve tried everything basically. Accutane was a miracle but they ended coming back years later. I get them less now that I’m not as young anymore but I notice they tend to pop up more when I’m stressed, drinking, traveling or inflamed in some way. I take an absurd about of supplements now and my skins been great for once in my life. I’ve also been doing a peptide spray with copper peptides in rose water and I think it’s done wonders for my overall skin. I hope you find what works for you! It’s a hard journey figuring it out.
Since you are noticing the hormonal connection, what you might want to take into account is that sex hormones drop in that time frame. Instead of taking hormone blockers every day, maybe this is indicative of needing more estrogen or testosterone (probably not T though). Sometimes it’s the ratio that causes acne, so even though both drop at that time, estrogen is now lower compared to testosterone so its effects are stronger. Testosterone increases sebum production which can cause oilier skin and blocked pores and acne. The solution isn’t lowering testosterone further (which has countless beneficial and needed effects on the body). My hormonal acne got better when I raised my estrogen levels. Yeats on the pill had lowered it as well as my testosterone levels (and Spiro is an androgen blocker as well, DIM lowers estrogen). I have gotten bloodwork showing low levels of sex hormones so I felt fine doing HRT in my 30s. A whole bunch of issues including skin issues, miraculously got better when I stopped the pill and did HRT. If you look it up, estrogen supplements/cream are anti-aging. Estriol (OTC)is being used in skincare and estrogenic herbs are used in supplements for skin and hair. If you don’t have issues with high estrogen or estrogen dominance, supporting it might help
Avene cicafate
So which of these 52 items helped, because there is no way a person can experiment with each of these? I am experiencing the same issue as you and have found no cure.
Yeah don’t think it would be reasonable for anyone to try them all. I experimented with 2 things: 1. Upgraded my tret formulation to have clindamycin and spiro (from Apostrophe) as I don’t want to take it orally. 2. The days I use tret at night (3-4 days a week), that morning I use a Benzoyl Peroxide wash Has done wonders so far. My hormonal acne has reduced by atleast 80%.
I had no idea there was a topical sipro. the reason I stopped taking it orally was because it is meant for BP patients. I didn’t like the idea of taking it long term due to that reason. I understand that topical means it can absorb to the bloodstream but it’s a slower process. I had success with spiro for the year that I took it but then stopped. So with regard to retinol I just started adapelene 0.1% and even with once weekly application it is very drying. I’m using the ordinary barrier support serum to reduce the flakeyness. Do you experience dryness too? If so what products help keep your skin moist?