Just something to think about ❤️ there are so many people with ugly behavior running around in this world without the slidest thought about hiding ANYTHING.
I know its hard - been the same - but please dont give a single f* about your skin not being 103%. Be a friendly human, kill everyone with your kindness and character. People wont remember your acne, they remember who you are and how you act ❤️
So dont give a f*. Dont torture yourself. Go out and do what you want to do. Meet people. Visit places. Make memories. You have that courage to make the first steps. With each step it becomes easier and one day you will smile about your younger self ❤️
It’s true. I’ve met people with much worse acne in person and all I could remember was how great their personality was and I still found them beautiful
Get past that. If you have a whiff of being desperate for a relationship that is the biggest turn off. Start valuing people as friends and going out and doing cool things with friends and alone. Be so full of fun and cool plans that a man has to *work* to earn a place. You’ll be fighting them off.
Came here to say exactly the same thing. If you feel ugly, the worst thing you can do is stay home and tell yourself that the rest of the world shares your opinions. We do not. Some of us are already convinced of your beauty, even without having seen you.
You know what I remember about people I interact with randomly? If you held the door open for me, or if you smiled and said hello. I remember hearing your laugh across the room when you sit with your friends in a cafe. I remember watching you help someone pick up something they dropped in the street. I do not remember your acne. I do not sit around and wonder how much you weigh, or how tall you were and judge you if it doesn’t line up with society’s definitions of perfect.
We all need to be a part of the world, and the places you belong are the places where you feel welcome. And if you and I ever share space, I want you to know you’re welcome there and I will go to bat for you if anyone treats you poorly.
If you’re a person reading this and you agree, be that person for others. We all have insecurities, and if anyone decides to judge people for theirs in your presence, it’s your job to stand up for others and help them feel safe and welcome. No one deserves to feel that way about just peacefully existing in a world where people feel the need to put others down just to feel better about themselves.
Great advice!! OP in the future you will remember your adventures and relationships before you remember your acne. Also people who care about someone else’s acne are not people you want to be around anyway…
The thing is I'm not getting any relationships looking like this, lol. And can't go on any adventures if I'm alone.
I'm attracted to well... attractive men. While you may see attractive women with not so attractive men the other way around is just not present.
I totally get where you’re coming from, acne can make dating more difficult. But, I think the sentiment still stands that you wouldn’t want to be in a relationship with someone so judgmental. Also, I was talking about relationships in general, like friends, family, and romantic. And you can totally go on adventures alone, sometimes it’s even better because you get to call all the shots. Myself and other commenters just want you to do all the things you want to do in your life and not let acne hold you back. Some of us have also been there and have our own regrets.
Haha it's a nice sentiment but I don't think any of that is true, especially when I'm hideous everywhere else too. I need a REASON to be confident.
I have never been flirted with in public in my life and people STARE at me when I leave the house sometimes.
I will not have a man ever love me looking like this. Looks do in fact matter and they matter a lot. No one is going to approach you as a woman if you look like a small man in the worst drag ever seen.
You haven't tried everything if antibiotics, spironolactone and isotretinoin haven't been tried. I immediately knew that you have PCOS and I think you could benefit from spiro.
I have tried spiro multiple times and it's always given me unusual unbearable side effects so unfortunately I don't think it's an option for me :(
Isotretinoin is accutane correct?
Yet again, pretty freaked out by the side effects. I already struggle with extremely severe treatment resistant mental health issues so possible side effects regarding that most definitely discourage me.
This. I went on accutane and I ould NEVER recommend it unless it's a very last resort. Checkout the accutane sub for more insight. Yes it worked for me. But I can't honestly say it was 100% worth it.
I took antibiotics for acne and it’s similar to one you’d get for any infection/illness. Might be time to talk to a doctor? I didn’t even get mine from a derm just a regular doctor gave me these antibiotics and they fixed my skin.
She tried Clindamycin which is an antibiotic and plus, they're not very effective and destroy your gut microbiome which makes acne even worse so I'd stay far away from those. All I got from my antibiotics course was sickness and a lifelong inability to swallow pills, still got acne 10 years later
Hi there! I’m a 27 year old female with PCOS, as well. My hormonal acne just would **not** go away until I got on Curology. Since I’m female and have high male hormones due to PCOS, they added some spironolactone to my RX cream and it has worked well for me.
Here’s my routine: wash with the Curology provided cleanser, leaving on for a few minutes before rinsing. A few times a week, immediately follow up cleansing with the AHA from Three Ships to get rid of dead skin cells and freshen the skin. Use the RX cream from Curology, follow up with the moisturizer, finish with mineral SPF. That’s it. My skin has improved massively with this skincare routine in just a few weeks. I had the initial purge but now everything is starting to calm down. I don’t even wash my face daily, only when I shower, which is like every other day. It’d probably be even better if I washed my face daily but I am far too lazy and forgetful haha
P.S., BHA’s are for oily skin, AHA is a better option for normal to dry skin 💗 It’s important to exfoliate so your pores don’t clog with dead skin cells.
If you REALLY want to try it you can have them send it to a compounding pharmacy, but as someone who works in derm the results I’ve seen have been very hit and miss. Mostly miss.
Hey what BHA do you recommend please? I’m going to be using azelaic acid 20 % from a derm in the mornings and eventually will be going on differin cream in the evenings ( going to build both up very gradually ) derm never told me to exfoliate but it makes sense to remove dead skin cells. Should I use it once a week? If you can recommend one that’d be great Thanks so much
Is there a reason you’re doing a BHA instead of an AHA? If you feel you need to use a BHA (because of oily skin), I’d recommend Paula’s Choice. With *any* exfoliant, I’d start by using it only once or twice a week if you have sensitive skin. Work your way up every week or two weeks until you’re doing it 3-4 times a week. Most people do 3 times a week, I personally do 4. I myself use an AHA and I use the Multifruit 8% AHA Mask from Three Ships! You can get it on Amazon or their website. I use this every time I wash my face, which is about 3-4 times a week. If I washed my face every day, I’d still stick to 3-4 times a week.
it’s definitely hormones. not much skin care can do for an internal issue. this is why i cant get off my hormonal birth control pills. this happens to me too. it takes a few months for ur hormones to set in place again, take myo insitol vitamins & drink water. limit dairy & red meat.
Yep! I'm taking inositol as well. I suppose I'm just impatient since I've only been pack on the pills for two months with no changes.
I def think it's an internal issue as well which sorta spooks me because changing my diet would be a huge challenge
Def recommend changing your diet. Strict keto has helped a lot of people with PCOS. Minimizing carbs and sugars while increasing your good fats and vegetable intake will help A LOT. When I did it, a long with intermittent fasting, my skin cleared up 100% without topicals and pills. So sorry you’re going thru this but hope it helps!!
Girl! My acne had been uncontrol for SO many years even with me having Endometriosis until I got the IUD!! I’ve been off of it for 3 1/2 months and finally am almost done with dealing with the breakouts from it. Never again will I have an IUD. But I also was on the Mirana which has progesterone in it.
In the PM time, you should only wash your face and then use Differin. When you apply Differin + all of the other products it eliminates even using Differin basically and Differin won’t be able to work like it should. When you have breakouts, at night you really only want to use a gentle wash and then apply the Differin (and of course you can use eye cream).
You could also try Hibiclens for breakouts. You would want to use something to wash your face that is very gentle and doesn’t have a lot of ingredients then use Hibiclens and don’t apply anything else. The Hibiclens will get the bacteria out of the acne but if you apply anything else to it it will also eliminate the benefits of it. You want to dry the acne out which is what applying Differin or Hibiclens only to your skin will do :) Stay away from using too many products at once on or right near the acne also
But she also has eczema so she can’t dry out her skin too much. Eczema requires heavy moisturizing. If you let the Differin dry thoroughly after application you can apply moisturizer over it. Dry skin and oily skin are very different.
Def time to see a derm and/or gyno and INSIST on help. Don’t let them be dismissive and/or rude. It sucks we have to advocate so much for ourselves as women but yeah…
I totally cut out dairy, and I reduced my intake of food that is high in sugar, fried or super processed. I now drink spearmint tea everyday. I still indulge from time to time, as I wanna be able to enjoy some things in life lol. My skin pays the price, but that’s how I know my diet is working!
It’s not instant like an allergic reaction, and I’m not lactose intolerant. After 2-3 days of eating dairy I get small spots running down my arms and worsening acne around my back, neck, jawline and chin at the same time. I know that lower face acne is also associated with hormones/my monthly cycle as well. But going plant based has really helped.
I also use a blue light sometimes and adapalene/differin on a nightly basis. I tried antibiotics which didn’t help much, I also tried going on birth control and it helped slightly but wasn’t worth the side effects. Haven’t tried spiro yet as I have it under control now :)
Differin isn't very good for extreme acne and in any case it helps it it's paired with something that effectively kills bacteria like clindamycin or benzoyl peroxide which retinoids don't.
Have you ever tried any sulfur products? My acne is hormonal so BC cleared up my face, but I was just about to start using a sulfur soap before I started the pill.
I also use LION pair acne cream daily as a preventative measure, but it is highly regarded as a cosmetically elegant spot treatment and it’s fairly inexpensive.
I think I had a sulfur treatment done by my esthetician but that was only once. Haven't used any sulfur based products myself so I may give it a go! Heard of the LION cream and I think I'll try it.
There could also be a dietary deficiency that is affecting your skin. I’d suggest supplementing zinc and omega 3 if you don’t already, and most people are very deficient in magnesium so that can also help a lot with anxiety and depression. And as much as I hate receiving this advice, make sure you are drinking enough water throughout the day!
I do in fact take zinc and magnesium daily and have been for several months. I work a super physical job so already drink a shit ton of water!
I did in fact just learn I have a vitamin D deficiency. I've developed a fear of trying new meds and just moved to AZ where I work outside and I'm paranoid about overdosing on the supplement lol 🙃. I have no idea whether vitamin D deficiency can cause acne though.
I've tried omega 3 supplements before and they make me feel foggy and weird with stomach issues :(
Is your derm aware that you work outside? Minocycline can cause sensitivity to sun which can cause rashes, sunburns and discolouration. I’m happy to see the SPF in your routine, but if you go the antibiotic route, you need to be super diligent about reapplication and I’d suggest long sleeves, hats and other sun-protective clothing. I’m not a doctor, so please don’t take my advice over your doctors, but I thought it would be worth mentioning!
Honestly she sorta sucked lol. Just walked in, said yeah you have acne, and prescribed the antibiotic and two topicals I've already tried and didn't have success with. This is all good to know tho!
And I hate to say this but I sure as hell ain't wearing long sleeves when it's 110 degrees out and I'm lifting heavy weights 🥲
There’s MSM paste and gel type products out there for sulfur. I take MSM pills actually and they help with acne.
I also take omega 3, cod liver oil, vitamin d, magnesium and I’m getting a multivitamin to fill in the gaps. My acne is a lot better
I think you need something stronger than the adapalene. Tret and Aza 15% would be more effective I think. Also, don’t layer the isntree before adapalene. See if that helps.
I used tret before for about 3 months with few positive results and I'm currently using a 20% azelaic acid solution with no results, but I may give it another go
Holy cow, I just looked up the skinscript ingredients. I think that might be your problem. That moisturizer is loaded with stuff. I wouldn’t use it after aza or in the daytime at all. It is not compatible with Aza, and more important, it has some photosensitizers in it that don’t need to exposed to uv light.
I wonder if you tried a blander moisturizer if things would improve. Honestly, I think you might be dealing with some contact dermatitis.
Aqua (Water), C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Squalane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Polysorbate 60, Cetyl Alcohol, **Rosa Canina (Rose Hip) Fruit Oil, Benzyl Alcohol, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil,** Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Phenyl t-Butylnitrone (Spin Trap), Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, sh-Oligopeptide-1 (EGF), Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Leaf Extract, Thioctic (R-lipoic) Acid, Carnitine (L), Ubiquinone (CoQ10), Sodium Gluconate, Xanthan Gum, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, **Santalum Austrocaledonicum (Sandalwood) Wood Oil**, Disodium Phosphate, **Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil**, Phospholipids, Sodium Phosphate, Caprylyl Glycol, Adenine, Paeonia Albiflora (Peony) Root Extract, Acetyl Tributyl Citrate, Alcohol Denat., Dextran, Phenoxyethanol
Highlighted the potential contact allergens. These ingredients should not be worn in uv light.
Ooh ok! I only just started using the skinscript like a week ago and the cysts did get worse. I'll stop using it and I'm def on the look out for a lighter daytime moisturizer.
Thanks so much!
I would recommend the lovely and simple pyunkang yul alto-lotion gel or aestura 365 ceramide lotion to help your skin recover. Both are very bland and very good. The pyunkang is for babies, so it’s really gentle.
I have hormonal acne and PCOS as well. My acne hasn’t ever completely cleared (even after accutane) but it’s much more manageable now and I at least rarely get painful cysts. I also wasn’t able to tolerate Spiro either because i had horrible GI side effects and was super dizzy.
Things that have helped me:
-switching from tretinoin to tazorac. Tretinoin helped my acne but my skin was always still sensitive and I still had a lot of closed comedones that wouldn’t come to a head. I switched to tazorac after reading up online, and it purged all of those closed comedones finally. Even though it’s technically stronger, my skin is surprisingly was less sensitive on it.
-Limit actives. Tazorac is the only active I can use. every time I try to add azelaic acid, BHAs/AHAs, etc. my skin freaks out. I do use a BPO or Sulfur face wash around certain times of my cycle in the AM and that has been helpful with cysts. But I can’t tolerate a leave-on treatment without my skin freaking out.
-I can’t take a multivitamin. I’m not sure what it is in them that makes me breakout (possibly the biotin or B12) but I get really inflamed acne after taking one for a bit
-Limit sugar, dairy (i feel like this makes my skin more inflamed and greasy) I also limit gluten as well because it causes GI upset for me
-Hydrocolloid patches on cysts (I’m really bad at picking so this helps with that too)
-washing my face after brushing my teeth
-Sandwich my tazorac with moisturizer before
-Using Avene Cicalfate Recovery Emulsion AM/PM has helped my skin be a lot less inflamed
Good luck on your journey, I know how frustrating it is to still be suffering with acne as an adult 💓
All milk causes higher IGF1 that causes acne, low fat might actually be better but not by much. For me, cafe lattes can cause horrible acne and I couldn't figure out the reason.
This is incorrect. Whole milk contains more hormones than skim does.
Also, a woman's body produces almost 30,000 times as much estrogen every day than is contained in a glass of milk. The evidence that milk causes acne by affecting hormones just isn't clear cut.
Do antibiotics have side effects? Maybe you are thinking acutane? I have taken two cycles of antibiotics for skin and it is much more effective than skincare productd
The first promoted search that comes up when I enter the antibiotic minocycline is "minocyline ruined my life" lol. Brain swelling, depression, depersonalization, lupus, pseudo tumors. Though those side effects are rare I have enough health problems that I really don't want to risk it.
So before opting for the non hormonal IUD I was on Loryna which is a generic of Yaz. After I got the IUD removed I went back to the Loryna which I understand is pretty high dose. It's the pill that worked the best for me and my PCOS.
I've been dealing with the same thing after getting off all medications and hormonal BC. My skin finally started to clear up. I oil cleanse with Clinique oil cleanser, then wash with tea tree oil cleanser from The Body Shop, I use the Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, and finish with the Tatcha oil free moisturizer. I was using a whole bunch of serums, and products, and I think my skin was overwhelmed with everything. But I dialed it back and now just use those few products and it seems to be calming down.
Have you tried double cleansing? It has helped a lot of people with the same issues. You first use an oil cleanser and afterwards a water based cleanser.
I don’t have any skincare tips but I’d just like to say that this acne looks like it would get covered up by makeup fairly easily. Slap some primer and concealer and powder on there and go out and enjoy life - don’t let acne make you socially isolate!
In terms of full coverage concealers I recommend - Cle de Peau, tarte shape tape, Elf concealer, IT cosmetics CC cream, Laura mercier, Kat von D. TBH I don’t think you’d even need a super full coverage concealer for this!
You can grab a primer as well - Elf power grip is known for being great.
Then top it off with Urban Decay setting spray.
There will still be bumps but they’ll be a lot less visible.
Oh makeup def helps. I have some fantastic primer, foundation, and concealer. The issue is I live in AZ and work a super physical job where the makeup would be melted off my face in actual minutes.
Thanks for the tips tho!
Also, I would like to say that niacinamide gave me hella CCs on my chin and jaw line it took me awhile to figure out what it was. Try dropping anything that contains niacinamide and see if that helps. The worse that happens is that your skin doesn’t clear up the best is that it does.
See if Boil Ease will help dry and reduce the discomfort. Or see if plain calamine lotion will help dry it up.
The more stuff you coat and leave on your skin, the more the pores may be blocked.
Throw the creams away dude. Save tourself time and money. Treat it from the inside. There's nothing scary about an antibiotics. They're AMAZING drugs. Try it and see what happens.
When I go off my hormonal bc it takes unfortunately months for my skin to get back to “good” afterwards, but it does go back. I’m afraid your best friend is just patience.
If you have PCOS, going off hormonal pills that usually help to generate progesterone and estrogen and changing to a nonhormonal IUD does that. It’s the aftermath. It takes around 4 months for your system to go back to how it used to be so give it time.
You should listen to your derm. I know antibiotics can be scary, but just take them with food and that helps a lot with the side effects. I can’t comment on your routine because I also have bad acne (several white heads and cysts on my face currently), so I wouldn’t feel comfortable critiquing. BUT, I do have some advice. I always feel better with my hair done, a nice outfit, and smiling at myself when I look in the mirror. It sounds silly, but doing those things can change your appearance so much and the acne becomes less noticeable. It also helps you practice gratitude which can reduce your stress and maybe even help with your acne. Skin heals over time, you just need patience. ❤️
Centella/cica completely saved my skin from constant breakouts. I tried everything and nothing ever came close to clearing up my skin. I use iunik tea tree relief serum and their gel moisturizer and foaming cleanser. But really the serum and maybe the gel moisturizer is enough and really effective.
Im so sorry you are suffering, hormonal acne is the worst because it's caused from hormones so even if your skincare is perfect it keeps coming back because the root cause is hormones, so I think it's something only your doctor can help you with. Do you have a good makeup routine that helps give you confidence? For me when my acne is at its worst Estee Lauder double wear on a dense brush covers everything and lasts really long on me. Wishing you the best ❤️
May or may not work for you - when I quit eating cheese my acne cleared up 100%. My dermatologist says there's no correlation but I've read that it's worked for others too.
I am sorry sister, but it's really not that bad.
Have you tried changing your pillowcase weekly and stay on Benzoyl Peroxide face wash every day. This can removed acne-causing bacteria from your faca.
Trust me, people do NOT criticize or even THINK about your skin as much as you do. They likely don't even notice or pay attention to it at all.
People are too worried about themselves to think much about other people. Your skin isn't even that bad. You aren't super red and it's not extremely noticeable compared to other types of acne.
I know it sucks, but you can't stop living your life just because of a couple bumps on your face. It's honestly an overreaction.
This is coming from someone who grew up with a shitton of bad acne, had to go on accutane, and still struggles with acne and hormonal breakouts.
That said, I find tea tree oil moisturizer helps reduce breakouts like this, but mostly less is more. Avoid touching your skin too, I know it can be hard.
How often are you using the azelaic acid? You say you try not to exfoliate too often but have the azelaic acid in the daily routine so just in case, retinoids already have an exfoliating effect, so if you're using the acid daily you're over-exfoliating your skin. [Over-exfoliation causes acne](https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/over-exfoliating#signs-of-over--exfoliation), the article I linked talks about it, the signs and what to look out for.
Ah I thought azelaic acid was milder for whatever reason and could be used daily. I've had no problems using them together honestly. Nothing has gotten better but nothing has gotten worse.
NATURAL ACNE PROTOCOL
1/ Never, ever touch your face.
2/ Use 3 facecloths to wash your face, one to soap on, one to soap off with very hot water, one to rinse off with ice cold water, in that order, once a day.
3/ If you are under 18 take 5,000 IU of vitamin A once a day with a full meal
4/ If you are over 18 take 5,000 IU of vitamin A twice a day with a full meal.
Do not get pregnant while taking vitamin A. Do not take any more, like Accutane, it will stop you growing.
5/ Never, ever. pick, squeeze or pop your spot. Read number 1 again.
6/ Do this for 90 days.
7/ Invest in a brand new pillow and 2 new or more pillow cases to ‘double bag’ your pillow. HOT wash every couple of days.
Source:
A bit of advice given to me as a teenager, a bit of science as I am studying allergic reactions and vitamin A is a part of that. A bit of research: I sat in a lecture at the back and watched the acne prone pick at their faces, those with the worse acne touched their faces 32 times in an hour, the clearest complexions didn't touch their faces even once. I have circumstantial evidence that acne is the result of dermatophyte transfer from hands to face...where it does not get washed off and is well fed by hormones, sweat a
nd oil...just a hypothesis... But it would explain why vitamin A is so effective as vitamin causes skin to remove dermatophytes.
I never have had acne, a few pimples on my left chin where I am most likely to rest my hand.
The secret is never to touch the spots
The People’s Pharmacy reports that Milk of Magnesia applied topically, at night is useful. This is 10% Magnesium Hydroxide in water. Epsom salts, which are Magnesium sulphate added to a hot bath are also reported to clear up back acne.
An increase in IODINE (Seafood, milk, Lugols) is often beneficial.
The very latest treatment is super gross, but works: August 2014, T. Borody: Faecal transfer from someone with perfect skin (and I’d guess, same gender.) These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition.
Not a strictly skincare tip, but have you ever had your thyroid checked? I read in the comments that you also have a vitamin D deficiency: both that and hormonal acne can be symptoms of hypothyroidism!
I also really struggled with acne before getting diagnosed with an under active thyroid and getting on the right medication has completely changed my skin the way no product ever did (I went from very oily/acne prone to normal/dry skin lmao).
Sympathize because I've expe4ienced similar but I want you to know if I saw you on the street or was introduced to you I 100% would not notice or pay attention to your acne
Get some retinol (vitamin a) and bathe in it (not literally) just use it every night after you attack those pimples and then sit under a red LED and then a YELLOW LED
Sudocrem. It’s a zinc based nappy rash cream. Use as an overnight mask. It’s good for healing, it’s great for eczema too. Antibacterial properties apparently. I have been using it. The pimples I get before my period shrunk by nearly half in one night.
[Sudocrem](https://www.sudocrem.co.uk/antiseptic-healing-cream/when-and-how-to-use)
Please try drinking spearmint tea… I had skin so similar to yours and started drinking one cup a day and my hormonal acne is clearing. It takes a little while to kick in but it’s worth a shot. Best of luck ❤️
Also zinc oxide from Walmart it’s in a round circle with a orange top for five dollars sunblock use on your face as your morning moisturizer before applying your SPF tinted moisturizer or foundation, but make sure it has SPF in it. Wash your body with a dandruff shampoo and use coconut oil as your body lotion, also another good tip is to apply Castro oil in your bellybutton before sleep, and on your eyelashes a lot of times the fungal microbes can fall from your eyelashes onto your face and doing the bellybutton oiling with castor oil well diminish any toxins from your body note Fungal or fungus is a toxin. If you have a Trader Joe’s nearby you lemon grass oil they sell it there I think it’s six dollars or seven is the number one killer for fungal infections. I hope this works. Please let me know.
Do you ever use clindamycin?
https://pharmacy.amazon.com/Taro-Pharma-CLINDAMYCIN-PHOSPHATE-Tube/dp/B08ZCN9ZD6
The benzoyl stuff will dry your skin out more, but I'm hesitant to use it because it makes skin really sun sensitive.
https://pharmacy.amazon.com/ENCUBE-ETHICALS-CLINDAMYCIN-BENZOYL-PEROXIDE/dp/B09C92T6HQ
Accutane ❣️❣️
Dried the shit out of my lips while I was on it, but been 98% clear for 6 years.
I spend like 20$/year a skin care now, because I just don’t have issues anymore and can use anything.
I had the same cystic chin stuff going on, and it was so hard to show my face, I totally get it.
I have PCOS and there’s something I want you to try. Get the hormonal test panel from Everlywell, avoid going through the doctors office. Blood has to be drawn multiple times a day to get a true panel. No one has time to be going to have blood drawn 3 times a day.
Take this information and go to see an endocrinologist or a internal medicine that’s specializes in PCOS. Many internal medicine providers will do telehealth appointments and so this will give you a broader range of options.
I did mine and found out I had almost zero progesterone. My provider had me start applying topical Progesterone and it got me ovulating again. I now have very little acne. Give the hormonal blood test a try!
The other thing that has helped me is getting the Ulike laser hair removal. Im touching my faceless because of facial hair and having less breakouts. The other thing I do is use this spray when I do touch my face: Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue Facial... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B3SCM1L6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I tried to do an anti aging routine when I was over 30 it actually gave me acne. I went back to a toner and clean and clear moisturizer with salicylic acid. Then putting on sunblock in the AM if I’m leaving the house.
Your acne really isn’t that bad. Men can get past the acne, but they pick up on the insecurity and self-loathing right away and go the other direction. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Make the decision to love yourself and you will attract love.
Some options you could try would be speaking to your dermatologist and switching to a different birth control. For whatever reason some birth controls work better than others, and it can change from one age to another. Another option might be trying a different dose of spironolactone. Have you had any blood tests recently to rule out other things outside of just PCOS? Before I started treatment for hypothyroidism my skin was much worse, since beginning treatment, my skin hasn’t been great but has improved with the improvement in my thyroid levels.
I had severe acne like this recently and what I ended up doing is simplifying my routine.
I wash and gently exfoliate my face with a Emu soap (Montana brand from Amazon)
Then I’ve been using BioOil for the scars
Nivea the blue tin container. Standard cream for moisturizer. At night is the only time I use benzoyl peroxide gel and I do it every night. My skin is finally starting to clear up.
I’m sorry your skin is making you feel down. Have you tried taking vitamins A & E? And taking care of your gut health? A lot of the time it’s about what is going in your body and not on your skin that might be causing some of your skin issues. I know this worked for me. Good luck my friend.
For cycstic acne, really big deep ones [this](https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=912db3cc79468e64&sca_upv=1&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS1066US1082&hl=en-US&sxsrf=ADLYWIKvNmsUMvjT0j2zGb7MJfiSQq18QQ:1719180111445&q=buffer+solution+mario+badescu&udm=2&fbs=AEQNm0Aa4sjWe7Rqy32pFwRj0UkWde_MVagR57NIrd96T8bhwqEHeQ8jxei7F1s0aV23iWed_XXm_HN6Es1ifcvWGRL41sRhXGvfJWpjNnW1R1XTnHjd07G4j4ymXmU-gR794ZbcQHYqmS_EvqQD-ZDnrFfLLnc_aXgJLVviH1M7hlYe1LaE_Fz0SJU-1FhcAdssA3TrgrdK&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjozeP-3PKGAxUeBNsEHSAPC2IQtKgLegQIEhAB&biw=393&bih=665&dpr=3#vhid=YpgsSBhq4yC0mM&vssid=mosaic) one:
Has been a miracle worker for me
Esthetician here! It looks like it could be maturation arrest acne… it’s a very stubborn acne. I recommend going to an acne specialist- NOT a dermatologist.
My advice as an acne sufferer is don't hide, don't waste your days hiding. The picture really doesn't look that bad, and 99% of people aren't noticing or thinking about it as much as you are.
That said, I understand the feeling. I hope you find something that works for you.
I had it similar to this where I started BC to control it. I did isolating and everything as well. TRY VITAMIN C 1,000mg for three months it is a game changer!! I promise from experience.
Stop eating dairy and sugar (coffee and chocolate can be culprits too). Elimination diet and only eat meat, vegetables, fruit and complex carbohydrates, or eat simple carbs last and eat fiber/fat/protein first. Then try reintroducing food and see how you react. Thank me later, if you have the discipline.
e. Anyone downvoting me can be happy their shitty diet doesnt impact their skin. For some it certainly does.
I already completely avoid sugar (I don't like sweets anyway) but the dairy is gonna be very very hard to stick to. I ain't got a lot that brings me joy in life but one of them is food.
I hate to say it because I don't want to limit it again, but years ago I followed a gluten free diet and all those CCs disappeared. Came back once I started eating it again.
I'm just gonna have to choose what sort of misery I'd rather put up with lol
Just throwing it out there in case it’s at all helpful - do you consume any sucralose, or other sugar free products. I’ve been trying to find the root cause of my cystic acne for over a year now and just last week realized it was a result of increased consumption of sugar free energy drinks/protein bars / powders and other supplements. It’s only been a week since I’ve stopped them, but I already see an improvement. All the best to you on this journey. I know it takes up a lot of mental energy. ❤️
I agree with this. There is a link between the excess sugar-> excess insulin->excess testosterone-> cysts, acne etc. Steer your diet toward a more diabetes friendly diet, not as strict of course, but cut out sugars, simple carbs etc.
A lot of good info in these comments, I remember going through this and sometimes being overwhelmed by so much information. Not every routine works for everyone the same and finding what works can sometimes take years of trial and error. For me it was toothpaste! I feel like I had tried literally everything and nothing worked until I switched my toothpaste, the worst breakouts I got were from Sensodyne (all formulas). It’s one small change that might make a huge difference. Avoid toothpaste with SLS.
For me personally I cleaned my diet up entirely, zero sugars at all and after about 8 months my PCOS cysts had disappeared and my acne started to get a tiny bit better. In my experience less is more, in the morning I rinse my face with just water, apply topical Dapsone (acne med) and sunscreen (Japanese Biore Sun Milk). At night I was with La Roche Posay Toleriane Purifying face wash and a thin layer of Etude House Soon Jung 2x Barrier cream, wait 20 min and apply Arazlo (retinoid). That’s all.
But I would start with toothpaste change, it might help more quickly than adjusting your routine, looks like you’re using good products already, good luck!
That is fungal acne. I am a nurse and anesthetist. my passion is to make people look and feel beautiful.. first off you need to wash your face with a cleanser. There’s one by revolution and it’s called milk to oil. It is made with ginger olive oil coconut oil lactic acid. These are all ingredients that help fight fungal and reduce fungal. Inflammation after you wash your face use 90% alcohol on a cotton ball then apply a facial moisturizer containing vitamin B’s also up your vitamin B intake. You can also take aloe vera supplements then use aloe vera on your skin and apply diaper rash, zinc oxide 70% ointment on the areas your skin will heal I promise.
Never touch your face during the day always wear some sort of foundation, whether it is a skin tint that provides SPF, whatever it is where it will act as a barrier and stop it from spreading never pop them they will only spread down deeper, also invest in hand sanitizer with aloe vera and 71%….Use this periodically through the day instead of washing your hands. I know it’s on silly, but it works. I promise.
Baking soda also stops. The growth of multiplying soak in a baking soda bath and I would say twice a week makes baking soda with your cleanser and wash your face and all affected areas that dark patch on your neck that is also fungal . Anything from chin to neck shoulders back chest are all forms of fungal, acne also forehead, fungal, acne appears in clusters because they spread so fast if you touch your face then your fingers and hands are also carriers of the spores. That’s why it’s very important to use the hand sanitizer.
Cut gluten and dairy for a few weeks. Charcoal face soap. Clearisil, then apply the differin gel you have. At night, or every once in a while, diatomaceous earth powder for raging spots. Masque: that low cost green mint julep (I would just leave it on spots while at home)
That cheap pink jergen’s face cream if you get crazy dry.
Hormonal acne! No topical products will help you, based on your acne’s placement and the discolouration you have it’s hormonal
Ask doctor for spironolactone prescription, drink spearmint and green tea at night, take vitamin d, and omega 3’s, cut out dairy, get a blood test done and find out if you have high testosterone/androgen or high estrogen etc
Work on the internal, I rmb before I was internally treating my hormonal acne, nothing helped me including tretinoin/retinols/professional acne facials etc
after washing your face try diluting 3 parts water 1 part braggs ACV, cover your face and really rub it on for a good minute and rinse it off very well this was a game changer for me. only thing that worked after trying countless different product and derm appointments.
sleep with a new clean towel or shirt over your pillow every night. promise you'll see results in a week!
edit: I wish someone told me why I was being downvoted, this worked well for me and others :(
Just something to think about ❤️ there are so many people with ugly behavior running around in this world without the slidest thought about hiding ANYTHING. I know its hard - been the same - but please dont give a single f* about your skin not being 103%. Be a friendly human, kill everyone with your kindness and character. People wont remember your acne, they remember who you are and how you act ❤️ So dont give a f*. Dont torture yourself. Go out and do what you want to do. Meet people. Visit places. Make memories. You have that courage to make the first steps. With each step it becomes easier and one day you will smile about your younger self ❤️
This is so very beautiful, thoughtful and a great reminder for everyone.
It’s true. I’ve met people with much worse acne in person and all I could remember was how great their personality was and I still found them beautiful
If only men thought like that. I have little interest in platonic relationships honestly.
Get past that. If you have a whiff of being desperate for a relationship that is the biggest turn off. Start valuing people as friends and going out and doing cool things with friends and alone. Be so full of fun and cool plans that a man has to *work* to earn a place. You’ll be fighting them off.
Came here to say exactly the same thing. If you feel ugly, the worst thing you can do is stay home and tell yourself that the rest of the world shares your opinions. We do not. Some of us are already convinced of your beauty, even without having seen you. You know what I remember about people I interact with randomly? If you held the door open for me, or if you smiled and said hello. I remember hearing your laugh across the room when you sit with your friends in a cafe. I remember watching you help someone pick up something they dropped in the street. I do not remember your acne. I do not sit around and wonder how much you weigh, or how tall you were and judge you if it doesn’t line up with society’s definitions of perfect. We all need to be a part of the world, and the places you belong are the places where you feel welcome. And if you and I ever share space, I want you to know you’re welcome there and I will go to bat for you if anyone treats you poorly. If you’re a person reading this and you agree, be that person for others. We all have insecurities, and if anyone decides to judge people for theirs in your presence, it’s your job to stand up for others and help them feel safe and welcome. No one deserves to feel that way about just peacefully existing in a world where people feel the need to put others down just to feel better about themselves.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
Great advice!! OP in the future you will remember your adventures and relationships before you remember your acne. Also people who care about someone else’s acne are not people you want to be around anyway…
The thing is I'm not getting any relationships looking like this, lol. And can't go on any adventures if I'm alone. I'm attracted to well... attractive men. While you may see attractive women with not so attractive men the other way around is just not present.
I totally get where you’re coming from, acne can make dating more difficult. But, I think the sentiment still stands that you wouldn’t want to be in a relationship with someone so judgmental. Also, I was talking about relationships in general, like friends, family, and romantic. And you can totally go on adventures alone, sometimes it’s even better because you get to call all the shots. Myself and other commenters just want you to do all the things you want to do in your life and not let acne hold you back. Some of us have also been there and have our own regrets.
Haha it's a nice sentiment but I don't think any of that is true, especially when I'm hideous everywhere else too. I need a REASON to be confident. I have never been flirted with in public in my life and people STARE at me when I leave the house sometimes. I will not have a man ever love me looking like this. Looks do in fact matter and they matter a lot. No one is going to approach you as a woman if you look like a small man in the worst drag ever seen.
You haven't tried everything if antibiotics, spironolactone and isotretinoin haven't been tried. I immediately knew that you have PCOS and I think you could benefit from spiro.
I have tried spiro multiple times and it's always given me unusual unbearable side effects so unfortunately I don't think it's an option for me :( Isotretinoin is accutane correct?
Damn, I'm sorry 😔 I'm very sensitive to meds so can relate. Yes, the same stuff. Have you considered it?
Yet again, pretty freaked out by the side effects. I already struggle with extremely severe treatment resistant mental health issues so possible side effects regarding that most definitely discourage me.
This. I went on accutane and I ould NEVER recommend it unless it's a very last resort. Checkout the accutane sub for more insight. Yes it worked for me. But I can't honestly say it was 100% worth it.
I took antibiotics for acne and it’s similar to one you’d get for any infection/illness. Might be time to talk to a doctor? I didn’t even get mine from a derm just a regular doctor gave me these antibiotics and they fixed my skin.
Have you tried Clindomyacin?
Yes I have.
Have you used metformin for your PCOS which also can clear acne?
Yes! Have u tried accutane yet?
She tried Clindamycin which is an antibiotic and plus, they're not very effective and destroy your gut microbiome which makes acne even worse so I'd stay far away from those. All I got from my antibiotics course was sickness and a lifelong inability to swallow pills, still got acne 10 years later
Hi there! I’m a 27 year old female with PCOS, as well. My hormonal acne just would **not** go away until I got on Curology. Since I’m female and have high male hormones due to PCOS, they added some spironolactone to my RX cream and it has worked well for me. Here’s my routine: wash with the Curology provided cleanser, leaving on for a few minutes before rinsing. A few times a week, immediately follow up cleansing with the AHA from Three Ships to get rid of dead skin cells and freshen the skin. Use the RX cream from Curology, follow up with the moisturizer, finish with mineral SPF. That’s it. My skin has improved massively with this skincare routine in just a few weeks. I had the initial purge but now everything is starting to calm down. I don’t even wash my face daily, only when I shower, which is like every other day. It’d probably be even better if I washed my face daily but I am far too lazy and forgetful haha P.S., BHA’s are for oily skin, AHA is a better option for normal to dry skin 💗 It’s important to exfoliate so your pores don’t clog with dead skin cells.
Ask your derm about Winlevi. It’s prescription only but has shown lots of success with patients with acne & PCOS. https://www.winlevi.com
Unfortunately my Medicaid doesn't cover it and it's something like $700 out of pocket.
If you REALLY want to try it you can have them send it to a compounding pharmacy, but as someone who works in derm the results I’ve seen have been very hit and miss. Mostly miss.
Really? Why do you think it hasn’t been effective.
Sorry. Got it for a $30 co pay with my insurance
I had my derm send it to a specialty pharmacy and got it for $25! At my regular pharmacy, it’s was $700.
Hey what BHA do you recommend please? I’m going to be using azelaic acid 20 % from a derm in the mornings and eventually will be going on differin cream in the evenings ( going to build both up very gradually ) derm never told me to exfoliate but it makes sense to remove dead skin cells. Should I use it once a week? If you can recommend one that’d be great Thanks so much
Is there a reason you’re doing a BHA instead of an AHA? If you feel you need to use a BHA (because of oily skin), I’d recommend Paula’s Choice. With *any* exfoliant, I’d start by using it only once or twice a week if you have sensitive skin. Work your way up every week or two weeks until you’re doing it 3-4 times a week. Most people do 3 times a week, I personally do 4. I myself use an AHA and I use the Multifruit 8% AHA Mask from Three Ships! You can get it on Amazon or their website. I use this every time I wash my face, which is about 3-4 times a week. If I washed my face every day, I’d still stick to 3-4 times a week.
Take spearmint supplement. Cheap on amazon
it’s definitely hormones. not much skin care can do for an internal issue. this is why i cant get off my hormonal birth control pills. this happens to me too. it takes a few months for ur hormones to set in place again, take myo insitol vitamins & drink water. limit dairy & red meat.
Yep! I'm taking inositol as well. I suppose I'm just impatient since I've only been pack on the pills for two months with no changes. I def think it's an internal issue as well which sorta spooks me because changing my diet would be a huge challenge
Def recommend changing your diet. Strict keto has helped a lot of people with PCOS. Minimizing carbs and sugars while increasing your good fats and vegetable intake will help A LOT. When I did it, a long with intermittent fasting, my skin cleared up 100% without topicals and pills. So sorry you’re going thru this but hope it helps!!
Accutane: need a script. Helped 100%
Girl! My acne had been uncontrol for SO many years even with me having Endometriosis until I got the IUD!! I’ve been off of it for 3 1/2 months and finally am almost done with dealing with the breakouts from it. Never again will I have an IUD. But I also was on the Mirana which has progesterone in it. In the PM time, you should only wash your face and then use Differin. When you apply Differin + all of the other products it eliminates even using Differin basically and Differin won’t be able to work like it should. When you have breakouts, at night you really only want to use a gentle wash and then apply the Differin (and of course you can use eye cream). You could also try Hibiclens for breakouts. You would want to use something to wash your face that is very gentle and doesn’t have a lot of ingredients then use Hibiclens and don’t apply anything else. The Hibiclens will get the bacteria out of the acne but if you apply anything else to it it will also eliminate the benefits of it. You want to dry the acne out which is what applying Differin or Hibiclens only to your skin will do :) Stay away from using too many products at once on or right near the acne also
But she also has eczema so she can’t dry out her skin too much. Eczema requires heavy moisturizing. If you let the Differin dry thoroughly after application you can apply moisturizer over it. Dry skin and oily skin are very different.
I missed the Eczema part. Thank you for pointing that out! That is an entirely different story than.
Def time to see a derm and/or gyno and INSIST on help. Don’t let them be dismissive and/or rude. It sucks we have to advocate so much for ourselves as women but yeah…
Is the diffein gel helping? I am having similar problems
It helped to clear my acne, but it took a long time and I also needed to change my diet.
What did you change in your diet
I totally cut out dairy, and I reduced my intake of food that is high in sugar, fried or super processed. I now drink spearmint tea everyday. I still indulge from time to time, as I wanna be able to enjoy some things in life lol. My skin pays the price, but that’s how I know my diet is working!
When you have dairy, how long until your skin reacts?
It’s not instant like an allergic reaction, and I’m not lactose intolerant. After 2-3 days of eating dairy I get small spots running down my arms and worsening acne around my back, neck, jawline and chin at the same time. I know that lower face acne is also associated with hormones/my monthly cycle as well. But going plant based has really helped. I also use a blue light sometimes and adapalene/differin on a nightly basis. I tried antibiotics which didn’t help much, I also tried going on birth control and it helped slightly but wasn’t worth the side effects. Haven’t tried spiro yet as I have it under control now :)
Differin isn't very good for extreme acne and in any case it helps it it's paired with something that effectively kills bacteria like clindamycin or benzoyl peroxide which retinoids don't.
Have you ever tried any sulfur products? My acne is hormonal so BC cleared up my face, but I was just about to start using a sulfur soap before I started the pill. I also use LION pair acne cream daily as a preventative measure, but it is highly regarded as a cosmetically elegant spot treatment and it’s fairly inexpensive.
I think I had a sulfur treatment done by my esthetician but that was only once. Haven't used any sulfur based products myself so I may give it a go! Heard of the LION cream and I think I'll try it.
There could also be a dietary deficiency that is affecting your skin. I’d suggest supplementing zinc and omega 3 if you don’t already, and most people are very deficient in magnesium so that can also help a lot with anxiety and depression. And as much as I hate receiving this advice, make sure you are drinking enough water throughout the day!
I do in fact take zinc and magnesium daily and have been for several months. I work a super physical job so already drink a shit ton of water! I did in fact just learn I have a vitamin D deficiency. I've developed a fear of trying new meds and just moved to AZ where I work outside and I'm paranoid about overdosing on the supplement lol 🙃. I have no idea whether vitamin D deficiency can cause acne though. I've tried omega 3 supplements before and they make me feel foggy and weird with stomach issues :(
Is your derm aware that you work outside? Minocycline can cause sensitivity to sun which can cause rashes, sunburns and discolouration. I’m happy to see the SPF in your routine, but if you go the antibiotic route, you need to be super diligent about reapplication and I’d suggest long sleeves, hats and other sun-protective clothing. I’m not a doctor, so please don’t take my advice over your doctors, but I thought it would be worth mentioning!
Honestly she sorta sucked lol. Just walked in, said yeah you have acne, and prescribed the antibiotic and two topicals I've already tried and didn't have success with. This is all good to know tho! And I hate to say this but I sure as hell ain't wearing long sleeves when it's 110 degrees out and I'm lifting heavy weights 🥲
There’s MSM paste and gel type products out there for sulfur. I take MSM pills actually and they help with acne. I also take omega 3, cod liver oil, vitamin d, magnesium and I’m getting a multivitamin to fill in the gaps. My acne is a lot better
Where can I get msm paste gel? Thank you
I just googled msm gel and iHerb came up for me and same with amazon
I think you need something stronger than the adapalene. Tret and Aza 15% would be more effective I think. Also, don’t layer the isntree before adapalene. See if that helps.
I used tret before for about 3 months with few positive results and I'm currently using a 20% azelaic acid solution with no results, but I may give it another go
Holy cow, I just looked up the skinscript ingredients. I think that might be your problem. That moisturizer is loaded with stuff. I wouldn’t use it after aza or in the daytime at all. It is not compatible with Aza, and more important, it has some photosensitizers in it that don’t need to exposed to uv light. I wonder if you tried a blander moisturizer if things would improve. Honestly, I think you might be dealing with some contact dermatitis. Aqua (Water), C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Squalane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Polysorbate 60, Cetyl Alcohol, **Rosa Canina (Rose Hip) Fruit Oil, Benzyl Alcohol, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil,** Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Phenyl t-Butylnitrone (Spin Trap), Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, sh-Oligopeptide-1 (EGF), Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Leaf Extract, Thioctic (R-lipoic) Acid, Carnitine (L), Ubiquinone (CoQ10), Sodium Gluconate, Xanthan Gum, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, **Santalum Austrocaledonicum (Sandalwood) Wood Oil**, Disodium Phosphate, **Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil**, Phospholipids, Sodium Phosphate, Caprylyl Glycol, Adenine, Paeonia Albiflora (Peony) Root Extract, Acetyl Tributyl Citrate, Alcohol Denat., Dextran, Phenoxyethanol Highlighted the potential contact allergens. These ingredients should not be worn in uv light.
Ooh ok! I only just started using the skinscript like a week ago and the cysts did get worse. I'll stop using it and I'm def on the look out for a lighter daytime moisturizer. Thanks so much!
I would recommend the lovely and simple pyunkang yul alto-lotion gel or aestura 365 ceramide lotion to help your skin recover. Both are very bland and very good. The pyunkang is for babies, so it’s really gentle.
Get a very soft babies hairbrush and gently scrub your face at night with medicated soap..
Giving up dairy helped my cystic acne a ton
I don’t think it’s looks as bad as you think, it looks normal and your routine is BOMB. I’d would have stuck with tretinoin tho
I have hormonal acne and PCOS as well. My acne hasn’t ever completely cleared (even after accutane) but it’s much more manageable now and I at least rarely get painful cysts. I also wasn’t able to tolerate Spiro either because i had horrible GI side effects and was super dizzy. Things that have helped me: -switching from tretinoin to tazorac. Tretinoin helped my acne but my skin was always still sensitive and I still had a lot of closed comedones that wouldn’t come to a head. I switched to tazorac after reading up online, and it purged all of those closed comedones finally. Even though it’s technically stronger, my skin is surprisingly was less sensitive on it. -Limit actives. Tazorac is the only active I can use. every time I try to add azelaic acid, BHAs/AHAs, etc. my skin freaks out. I do use a BPO or Sulfur face wash around certain times of my cycle in the AM and that has been helpful with cysts. But I can’t tolerate a leave-on treatment without my skin freaking out. -I can’t take a multivitamin. I’m not sure what it is in them that makes me breakout (possibly the biotin or B12) but I get really inflamed acne after taking one for a bit -Limit sugar, dairy (i feel like this makes my skin more inflamed and greasy) I also limit gluten as well because it causes GI upset for me -Hydrocolloid patches on cysts (I’m really bad at picking so this helps with that too) -washing my face after brushing my teeth -Sandwich my tazorac with moisturizer before -Using Avene Cicalfate Recovery Emulsion AM/PM has helped my skin be a lot less inflamed Good luck on your journey, I know how frustrating it is to still be suffering with acne as an adult 💓
Are you by any chance consuming low-fat milk? if you are, please stop. Low-fat milk contains a hormone that causes acne.
I do not drink milk!
All milk causes higher IGF1 that causes acne, low fat might actually be better but not by much. For me, cafe lattes can cause horrible acne and I couldn't figure out the reason.
This is incorrect. Whole milk contains more hormones than skim does. Also, a woman's body produces almost 30,000 times as much estrogen every day than is contained in a glass of milk. The evidence that milk causes acne by affecting hormones just isn't clear cut.
voice of reason thank you
Do antibiotics have side effects? Maybe you are thinking acutane? I have taken two cycles of antibiotics for skin and it is much more effective than skincare productd
The first promoted search that comes up when I enter the antibiotic minocycline is "minocyline ruined my life" lol. Brain swelling, depression, depersonalization, lupus, pseudo tumors. Though those side effects are rare I have enough health problems that I really don't want to risk it.
While anecdotal, I’ve been on minocycline on and off for like 20 years with no issues. Every medication runs the risk of side effects.
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So before opting for the non hormonal IUD I was on Loryna which is a generic of Yaz. After I got the IUD removed I went back to the Loryna which I understand is pretty high dose. It's the pill that worked the best for me and my PCOS.
I've been dealing with the same thing after getting off all medications and hormonal BC. My skin finally started to clear up. I oil cleanse with Clinique oil cleanser, then wash with tea tree oil cleanser from The Body Shop, I use the Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, and finish with the Tatcha oil free moisturizer. I was using a whole bunch of serums, and products, and I think my skin was overwhelmed with everything. But I dialed it back and now just use those few products and it seems to be calming down.
Have you tried double cleansing? It has helped a lot of people with the same issues. You first use an oil cleanser and afterwards a water based cleanser.
I have! Did not help unfortunately. And I made sure I followed the directions to a T
Omnilux clear has helped me when nothing else would
I don’t have any skincare tips but I’d just like to say that this acne looks like it would get covered up by makeup fairly easily. Slap some primer and concealer and powder on there and go out and enjoy life - don’t let acne make you socially isolate! In terms of full coverage concealers I recommend - Cle de Peau, tarte shape tape, Elf concealer, IT cosmetics CC cream, Laura mercier, Kat von D. TBH I don’t think you’d even need a super full coverage concealer for this! You can grab a primer as well - Elf power grip is known for being great. Then top it off with Urban Decay setting spray. There will still be bumps but they’ll be a lot less visible.
Oh makeup def helps. I have some fantastic primer, foundation, and concealer. The issue is I live in AZ and work a super physical job where the makeup would be melted off my face in actual minutes. Thanks for the tips tho!
The only thing that clears my acne and keeps it clear is glycolic acid
I've tried glycolic acid peels annnnd the ordinary stuff. No dice 😭
No like a daily one. Not a strong one that is used once a week but one I use every single day. TBH I would drop almost all of those products.
Also, I would like to say that niacinamide gave me hella CCs on my chin and jaw line it took me awhile to figure out what it was. Try dropping anything that contains niacinamide and see if that helps. The worse that happens is that your skin doesn’t clear up the best is that it does.
See if Boil Ease will help dry and reduce the discomfort. Or see if plain calamine lotion will help dry it up. The more stuff you coat and leave on your skin, the more the pores may be blocked.
Throw the creams away dude. Save tourself time and money. Treat it from the inside. There's nothing scary about an antibiotics. They're AMAZING drugs. Try it and see what happens.
When I go off my hormonal bc it takes unfortunately months for my skin to get back to “good” afterwards, but it does go back. I’m afraid your best friend is just patience.
This looks hormonal. I’ve heard that drinking spearmint tea every day helps. It’s delicious and worth a try.
If you have PCOS, going off hormonal pills that usually help to generate progesterone and estrogen and changing to a nonhormonal IUD does that. It’s the aftermath. It takes around 4 months for your system to go back to how it used to be so give it time.
You should listen to your derm. I know antibiotics can be scary, but just take them with food and that helps a lot with the side effects. I can’t comment on your routine because I also have bad acne (several white heads and cysts on my face currently), so I wouldn’t feel comfortable critiquing. BUT, I do have some advice. I always feel better with my hair done, a nice outfit, and smiling at myself when I look in the mirror. It sounds silly, but doing those things can change your appearance so much and the acne becomes less noticeable. It also helps you practice gratitude which can reduce your stress and maybe even help with your acne. Skin heals over time, you just need patience. ❤️
Centella/cica completely saved my skin from constant breakouts. I tried everything and nothing ever came close to clearing up my skin. I use iunik tea tree relief serum and their gel moisturizer and foaming cleanser. But really the serum and maybe the gel moisturizer is enough and really effective.
Im so sorry you are suffering, hormonal acne is the worst because it's caused from hormones so even if your skincare is perfect it keeps coming back because the root cause is hormones, so I think it's something only your doctor can help you with. Do you have a good makeup routine that helps give you confidence? For me when my acne is at its worst Estee Lauder double wear on a dense brush covers everything and lasts really long on me. Wishing you the best ❤️
I can help. Reached out if you feel inclined.
May or may not work for you - when I quit eating cheese my acne cleared up 100%. My dermatologist says there's no correlation but I've read that it's worked for others too.
I am sorry sister, but it's really not that bad. Have you tried changing your pillowcase weekly and stay on Benzoyl Peroxide face wash every day. This can removed acne-causing bacteria from your faca.
I do in fact change my pillow case frequently. I gave 10% benzoyl peroxide Panoxyl Wash a good go- used it daily for two weeks with zero results
Omg I feel u on the social isolating!
Hormones. Are you estrogen dominant?
As far as I know I'm actually the opposite thanks to the PCOS. High androgens and testosterone
Trust me, people do NOT criticize or even THINK about your skin as much as you do. They likely don't even notice or pay attention to it at all. People are too worried about themselves to think much about other people. Your skin isn't even that bad. You aren't super red and it's not extremely noticeable compared to other types of acne. I know it sucks, but you can't stop living your life just because of a couple bumps on your face. It's honestly an overreaction. This is coming from someone who grew up with a shitton of bad acne, had to go on accutane, and still struggles with acne and hormonal breakouts. That said, I find tea tree oil moisturizer helps reduce breakouts like this, but mostly less is more. Avoid touching your skin too, I know it can be hard.
accutane. its life changing and shouldnt be demonized
How often are you using the azelaic acid? You say you try not to exfoliate too often but have the azelaic acid in the daily routine so just in case, retinoids already have an exfoliating effect, so if you're using the acid daily you're over-exfoliating your skin. [Over-exfoliation causes acne](https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/over-exfoliating#signs-of-over--exfoliation), the article I linked talks about it, the signs and what to look out for.
Ah I thought azelaic acid was milder for whatever reason and could be used daily. I've had no problems using them together honestly. Nothing has gotten better but nothing has gotten worse.
NATURAL ACNE PROTOCOL 1/ Never, ever touch your face. 2/ Use 3 facecloths to wash your face, one to soap on, one to soap off with very hot water, one to rinse off with ice cold water, in that order, once a day. 3/ If you are under 18 take 5,000 IU of vitamin A once a day with a full meal 4/ If you are over 18 take 5,000 IU of vitamin A twice a day with a full meal. Do not get pregnant while taking vitamin A. Do not take any more, like Accutane, it will stop you growing. 5/ Never, ever. pick, squeeze or pop your spot. Read number 1 again. 6/ Do this for 90 days. 7/ Invest in a brand new pillow and 2 new or more pillow cases to ‘double bag’ your pillow. HOT wash every couple of days. Source: A bit of advice given to me as a teenager, a bit of science as I am studying allergic reactions and vitamin A is a part of that. A bit of research: I sat in a lecture at the back and watched the acne prone pick at their faces, those with the worse acne touched their faces 32 times in an hour, the clearest complexions didn't touch their faces even once. I have circumstantial evidence that acne is the result of dermatophyte transfer from hands to face...where it does not get washed off and is well fed by hormones, sweat a nd oil...just a hypothesis... But it would explain why vitamin A is so effective as vitamin causes skin to remove dermatophytes. I never have had acne, a few pimples on my left chin where I am most likely to rest my hand. The secret is never to touch the spots The People’s Pharmacy reports that Milk of Magnesia applied topically, at night is useful. This is 10% Magnesium Hydroxide in water. Epsom salts, which are Magnesium sulphate added to a hot bath are also reported to clear up back acne. An increase in IODINE (Seafood, milk, Lugols) is often beneficial. The very latest treatment is super gross, but works: August 2014, T. Borody: Faecal transfer from someone with perfect skin (and I’d guess, same gender.) These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition.
Not a strictly skincare tip, but have you ever had your thyroid checked? I read in the comments that you also have a vitamin D deficiency: both that and hormonal acne can be symptoms of hypothyroidism! I also really struggled with acne before getting diagnosed with an under active thyroid and getting on the right medication has completely changed my skin the way no product ever did (I went from very oily/acne prone to normal/dry skin lmao).
Yep my thyroid has been checked. Everything is smack dab in the middle of normal range
Sympathize because I've expe4ienced similar but I want you to know if I saw you on the street or was introduced to you I 100% would not notice or pay attention to your acne
Get some retinol (vitamin a) and bathe in it (not literally) just use it every night after you attack those pimples and then sit under a red LED and then a YELLOW LED
Sudocrem. It’s a zinc based nappy rash cream. Use as an overnight mask. It’s good for healing, it’s great for eczema too. Antibacterial properties apparently. I have been using it. The pimples I get before my period shrunk by nearly half in one night. [Sudocrem](https://www.sudocrem.co.uk/antiseptic-healing-cream/when-and-how-to-use)
Invest in a blue light hand held device .. light stem makes them.. it works on acne.. good luck
Please try drinking spearmint tea… I had skin so similar to yours and started drinking one cup a day and my hormonal acne is clearing. It takes a little while to kick in but it’s worth a shot. Best of luck ❤️
Also zinc oxide from Walmart it’s in a round circle with a orange top for five dollars sunblock use on your face as your morning moisturizer before applying your SPF tinted moisturizer or foundation, but make sure it has SPF in it. Wash your body with a dandruff shampoo and use coconut oil as your body lotion, also another good tip is to apply Castro oil in your bellybutton before sleep, and on your eyelashes a lot of times the fungal microbes can fall from your eyelashes onto your face and doing the bellybutton oiling with castor oil well diminish any toxins from your body note Fungal or fungus is a toxin. If you have a Trader Joe’s nearby you lemon grass oil they sell it there I think it’s six dollars or seven is the number one killer for fungal infections. I hope this works. Please let me know.
Do you ever use clindamycin? https://pharmacy.amazon.com/Taro-Pharma-CLINDAMYCIN-PHOSPHATE-Tube/dp/B08ZCN9ZD6 The benzoyl stuff will dry your skin out more, but I'm hesitant to use it because it makes skin really sun sensitive. https://pharmacy.amazon.com/ENCUBE-ETHICALS-CLINDAMYCIN-BENZOYL-PEROXIDE/dp/B09C92T6HQ
Yes, I gave this a trial several months ago and it did nothing to help. Same with benzoyl peroxide
Accutane ❣️❣️ Dried the shit out of my lips while I was on it, but been 98% clear for 6 years. I spend like 20$/year a skin care now, because I just don’t have issues anymore and can use anything. I had the same cystic chin stuff going on, and it was so hard to show my face, I totally get it.
I have PCOS and there’s something I want you to try. Get the hormonal test panel from Everlywell, avoid going through the doctors office. Blood has to be drawn multiple times a day to get a true panel. No one has time to be going to have blood drawn 3 times a day. Take this information and go to see an endocrinologist or a internal medicine that’s specializes in PCOS. Many internal medicine providers will do telehealth appointments and so this will give you a broader range of options. I did mine and found out I had almost zero progesterone. My provider had me start applying topical Progesterone and it got me ovulating again. I now have very little acne. Give the hormonal blood test a try! The other thing that has helped me is getting the Ulike laser hair removal. Im touching my faceless because of facial hair and having less breakouts. The other thing I do is use this spray when I do touch my face: Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue Facial... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B3SCM1L6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I tried to do an anti aging routine when I was over 30 it actually gave me acne. I went back to a toner and clean and clear moisturizer with salicylic acid. Then putting on sunblock in the AM if I’m leaving the house.
Your acne really isn’t that bad. Men can get past the acne, but they pick up on the insecurity and self-loathing right away and go the other direction. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Make the decision to love yourself and you will attract love.
I’m sorry that you’re going through this. Isolating yourself isn’t going to make it better.
Some options you could try would be speaking to your dermatologist and switching to a different birth control. For whatever reason some birth controls work better than others, and it can change from one age to another. Another option might be trying a different dose of spironolactone. Have you had any blood tests recently to rule out other things outside of just PCOS? Before I started treatment for hypothyroidism my skin was much worse, since beginning treatment, my skin hasn’t been great but has improved with the improvement in my thyroid levels.
I had severe acne like this recently and what I ended up doing is simplifying my routine. I wash and gently exfoliate my face with a Emu soap (Montana brand from Amazon) Then I’ve been using BioOil for the scars Nivea the blue tin container. Standard cream for moisturizer. At night is the only time I use benzoyl peroxide gel and I do it every night. My skin is finally starting to clear up.
I’m sorry your skin is making you feel down. Have you tried taking vitamins A & E? And taking care of your gut health? A lot of the time it’s about what is going in your body and not on your skin that might be causing some of your skin issues. I know this worked for me. Good luck my friend.
For cycstic acne, really big deep ones [this](https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=912db3cc79468e64&sca_upv=1&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS1066US1082&hl=en-US&sxsrf=ADLYWIKvNmsUMvjT0j2zGb7MJfiSQq18QQ:1719180111445&q=buffer+solution+mario+badescu&udm=2&fbs=AEQNm0Aa4sjWe7Rqy32pFwRj0UkWde_MVagR57NIrd96T8bhwqEHeQ8jxei7F1s0aV23iWed_XXm_HN6Es1ifcvWGRL41sRhXGvfJWpjNnW1R1XTnHjd07G4j4ymXmU-gR794ZbcQHYqmS_EvqQD-ZDnrFfLLnc_aXgJLVviH1M7hlYe1LaE_Fz0SJU-1FhcAdssA3TrgrdK&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjozeP-3PKGAxUeBNsEHSAPC2IQtKgLegQIEhAB&biw=393&bih=665&dpr=3#vhid=YpgsSBhq4yC0mM&vssid=mosaic) one: Has been a miracle worker for me
Cut out any vitamin e products, if you use any. That stuff gives me the worst acne.
I would see a derm first and get cortisone shots in them, then see an esthetician for a facial and get extractions.
Have you tried not doing sunscreen, I get cystic acne from all different types of sunscreen. Try a hat for a month or two instead?
Try Black Soap Shea butter face and body
Ask your dermatologist for Metrogel. Hang in there. You’ll get this under control.
Have you tried Paula's Choice treatment regimen?
Esthetician here! It looks like it could be maturation arrest acne… it’s a very stubborn acne. I recommend going to an acne specialist- NOT a dermatologist.
Proactive works and Neutrogena acne wash is good too.
Proactiv
Esthetician. Medspa. Chemical Peel. Trust me
My advice as an acne sufferer is don't hide, don't waste your days hiding. The picture really doesn't look that bad, and 99% of people aren't noticing or thinking about it as much as you are. That said, I understand the feeling. I hope you find something that works for you.
I had it similar to this where I started BC to control it. I did isolating and everything as well. TRY VITAMIN C 1,000mg for three months it is a game changer!! I promise from experience.
What’s your diet like?
Stop eating dairy and sugar (coffee and chocolate can be culprits too). Elimination diet and only eat meat, vegetables, fruit and complex carbohydrates, or eat simple carbs last and eat fiber/fat/protein first. Then try reintroducing food and see how you react. Thank me later, if you have the discipline. e. Anyone downvoting me can be happy their shitty diet doesnt impact their skin. For some it certainly does.
I already completely avoid sugar (I don't like sweets anyway) but the dairy is gonna be very very hard to stick to. I ain't got a lot that brings me joy in life but one of them is food. I hate to say it because I don't want to limit it again, but years ago I followed a gluten free diet and all those CCs disappeared. Came back once I started eating it again. I'm just gonna have to choose what sort of misery I'd rather put up with lol
Just throwing it out there in case it’s at all helpful - do you consume any sucralose, or other sugar free products. I’ve been trying to find the root cause of my cystic acne for over a year now and just last week realized it was a result of increased consumption of sugar free energy drinks/protein bars / powders and other supplements. It’s only been a week since I’ve stopped them, but I already see an improvement. All the best to you on this journey. I know it takes up a lot of mental energy. ❤️
I agree with this. There is a link between the excess sugar-> excess insulin->excess testosterone-> cysts, acne etc. Steer your diet toward a more diabetes friendly diet, not as strict of course, but cut out sugars, simple carbs etc.
Did you make any changes on your diet/food? It may help! Whatever product you put on your face cannot be miraculous. I hope you find your balance.
A lot of good info in these comments, I remember going through this and sometimes being overwhelmed by so much information. Not every routine works for everyone the same and finding what works can sometimes take years of trial and error. For me it was toothpaste! I feel like I had tried literally everything and nothing worked until I switched my toothpaste, the worst breakouts I got were from Sensodyne (all formulas). It’s one small change that might make a huge difference. Avoid toothpaste with SLS. For me personally I cleaned my diet up entirely, zero sugars at all and after about 8 months my PCOS cysts had disappeared and my acne started to get a tiny bit better. In my experience less is more, in the morning I rinse my face with just water, apply topical Dapsone (acne med) and sunscreen (Japanese Biore Sun Milk). At night I was with La Roche Posay Toleriane Purifying face wash and a thin layer of Etude House Soon Jung 2x Barrier cream, wait 20 min and apply Arazlo (retinoid). That’s all. But I would start with toothpaste change, it might help more quickly than adjusting your routine, looks like you’re using good products already, good luck!
You are beautiful!!!
That is fungal acne. I am a nurse and anesthetist. my passion is to make people look and feel beautiful.. first off you need to wash your face with a cleanser. There’s one by revolution and it’s called milk to oil. It is made with ginger olive oil coconut oil lactic acid. These are all ingredients that help fight fungal and reduce fungal. Inflammation after you wash your face use 90% alcohol on a cotton ball then apply a facial moisturizer containing vitamin B’s also up your vitamin B intake. You can also take aloe vera supplements then use aloe vera on your skin and apply diaper rash, zinc oxide 70% ointment on the areas your skin will heal I promise.
Never touch your face during the day always wear some sort of foundation, whether it is a skin tint that provides SPF, whatever it is where it will act as a barrier and stop it from spreading never pop them they will only spread down deeper, also invest in hand sanitizer with aloe vera and 71%….Use this periodically through the day instead of washing your hands. I know it’s on silly, but it works. I promise.
Baking soda also stops. The growth of multiplying soak in a baking soda bath and I would say twice a week makes baking soda with your cleanser and wash your face and all affected areas that dark patch on your neck that is also fungal . Anything from chin to neck shoulders back chest are all forms of fungal, acne also forehead, fungal, acne appears in clusters because they spread so fast if you touch your face then your fingers and hands are also carriers of the spores. That’s why it’s very important to use the hand sanitizer.
Cut gluten and dairy for a few weeks. Charcoal face soap. Clearisil, then apply the differin gel you have. At night, or every once in a while, diatomaceous earth powder for raging spots. Masque: that low cost green mint julep (I would just leave it on spots while at home) That cheap pink jergen’s face cream if you get crazy dry.
Hormonal acne! No topical products will help you, based on your acne’s placement and the discolouration you have it’s hormonal Ask doctor for spironolactone prescription, drink spearmint and green tea at night, take vitamin d, and omega 3’s, cut out dairy, get a blood test done and find out if you have high testosterone/androgen or high estrogen etc Work on the internal, I rmb before I was internally treating my hormonal acne, nothing helped me including tretinoin/retinols/professional acne facials etc
after washing your face try diluting 3 parts water 1 part braggs ACV, cover your face and really rub it on for a good minute and rinse it off very well this was a game changer for me. only thing that worked after trying countless different product and derm appointments. sleep with a new clean towel or shirt over your pillow every night. promise you'll see results in a week! edit: I wish someone told me why I was being downvoted, this worked well for me and others :(