12 replies to this topic

[june bug]

I don't entirely understand hormonal acne - maybe someone can offer some insight. I know for a fact that mine is hormonally driven, but my forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin are completely clear. It is my jaw (and now lately my neck just under my jaw) that is the problem. What I don't understand is from what I have read acne in general is caused by a combination of excess of sebum / oil and slow skin cell turnover; basically your skin cells and oil get together and form a pore-blocking glue. My skin on my jaw is not as oily as the T-zone, and it is not dry or flaky. My skin on my neck is neither oily nor dry. Yet I am continuously battling blackheads, comedones, and cysts. Why the heck do I break out like crazy in this "normal" zone on my face?

[ScoobyDoo]

I don't entirely understand hormonal acne - maybe someone can offer some insight. I know for a fact that mine is hormonally driven, but my forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin are completely clear. It is my jaw (and now lately my neck just under my jaw) that is the problem. What I don't understand is from what I have read acne in general is caused by a combination of excess of sebum / oil and slow skin cell turnover; basically your skin cells and oil get together and form a pore-blocking glue. My skin on my jaw is not as oily as the T-zone, and it is not dry or flaky. My skin on my neck is neither oily nor dry. Yet I am continuously battling blackheads, comedones, and cysts. Why the heck do I break out like crazy in this "normal" zone on my face?

I don't know why...but the jawline, hairline and neck breakouts are indicative of hormonal acne...according to my derm. In addition to my cheeks, chin, forehead and back....I broke out in those areas.

Accutane has cleared it all for me though.

[Lainey321]

I am in complete surgical menopause and still have acne I had a hysterectomy last year and for the first few weeks my face was clear but with no hormones at all my skin took on a really scary look. As soon as I started hormone replacement my skin went back to the way it was so it doesn't seem to matter whether it is natural or artficial hormones. Part of it just has to be age. Maybe there is more sebum and such that we just can't see

Also, every dr wants to blame testosterone but with age your testosterone should decrease. I heard the Derma Doctor lady say once that your estrogen and progesterone should be at a 3:1 ratio. I don't know ...it is all so confusing.

[A-Shizzle]

I had horrible cystic hormonal acne. Only on my chin and lower cheeks. Never anywhere else. I believe it was brought on by going on the pill. I got on the generic version of OTC called TriNessa and my face exploded! I stopped taking that after a few months and shelled out the 45 a month for OTC and my face got even worse. Then when I got off the pill to TTC it got 10x worse. This was alos when I was 28 and I know hormones change with age etc. Through oils and GOOD skin care products I am finally clear but it took about 19 months of trial and error. Hormonal acne sucks.

[june bug]

I had very mild acne problems in my 20's (I'm 32 now), and with both of my pregnancies I had absolutely perfect skin, not a zit in sight. When my son was born 6 years ago, my skin stayed good. I stopped taking the pill when he was about 3 and it broke out mildly. When I had my daughter last year I had great skin, but suddenly four months after she was born I started my period even though I was nursing exclusively (DAMN!). It was that same month that I started having major jawline breakouts, so I'm pretty sure mine must be because my body is really confused since it is producing breastmilk and still ovulating every month. I feel like a mess!

[sunkissed]

i have had it in ups and downs my whole life, at age 22 i have no idea what is going on either.

[KamaSutra]

I rarely cycle, ya kinda nice sometimes, longest I have gone with No Cycle ( secondary ammenorhea ) was 7 years, I blamed lack of hormones on mine, but truth is I found a skin ritual that worked and now I am fine.............I think every individual is made up different hard to say what works sometimes

[Lorrie]

I think I finally outgrew the cystic acne all over my face. My acne now is primarily on my chin,along my jawline and sometimes on my neck. It's patches of small bumps that sometimes come to a head and sometimes dont. From what I have read this is hormonal acne. The bummer is that if it wasnt for stupid hormones, I would probably be acne free. My dr says that Birth Control would probably help but neither she or I want to try that because I am over 35 and I smoke. Bad combination especially since breast and cervical cancer already has a history in my family. I am looking into alternatives but unsuccessfully so far. I am going to experiment with either a hormonal tea that Ami suggested or I am going to go back on the Estroven (It's all natural) that I was taking before for night sweats. It never crossed my mind to try it for my acne. I'll keep ya'll posted on that experiment. In the mean time if anyone finds something different then please share! Lorrie

[wtevaman]

I have the same problem.

Never had real zits as a teenager, but from late 20's on!!!

I feel for ya

[june bug]

Well, I went to my doctor on Friday and she told me that NO topical acne prescriptions are rated as safe while breastfeeding. So, she prescribed me with a safe-while-nursing low-dose pill, microgestin. Keeping my fingers crossed and praying that it works

[pintsize7]

I don't entirely understand hormonal acne - maybe someone can offer some insight. I know for a fact that mine is hormonally driven, but my forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin are completely clear. It is my jaw (and now lately my neck just under my jaw) that is the problem. What I don't understand is from what I have read acne in general is caused by a combination of excess of sebum / oil and slow skin cell turnover; basically your skin cells and oil get together and form a pore-blocking glue. My skin on my jaw is not as oily as the T-zone, and it is not dry or flaky. My skin on my neck is neither oily nor dry. Yet I am continuously battling blackheads, comedones, and cysts. Why the heck do I break out like crazy in this "normal" zone on my face?

is a question i would of loved the answer to, unfortunatly is as much a mystery to me as it is to you shit just likes the rear its ugly head i dont kno why it started i dont kno why it stopped but prevention helped for me not 100% but it helped

[acne_battle]

i have had it in ups and downs my whole life, at age 22 i have no idea what is going on either.

Me to! Ill be 23 next month and Ive had acne since I was 12 or 13. I dont remember exactly which age it started but nevertheless its almost half my life and it sucks

[kes]

I don't entirely understand hormonal acne - maybe someone can offer some insight. I know for a fact that mine is hormonally driven, but my forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin are completely clear. It is my jaw (and now lately my neck just under my jaw) that is the problem. What I don't understand is from what I have read acne in general is caused by a combination of excess of sebum / oil and slow skin cell turnover; basically your skin cells and oil get together and form a pore-blocking glue. My skin on my jaw is not as oily as the T-zone, and it is not dry or flaky. My skin on my neck is neither oily nor dry. Yet I am continuously battling blackheads, comedones, and cysts. Why the heck do I break out like crazy in this "normal" zone on my face?

I get the spots in the same area, mainly around my jaw and gland area ears etc but also scattered aroung my face. I am 32 soon and feel terrible fighting with it at this age and feel people look at you as if you are dirty. What makes it worse is Iam an avon rep oh the looks i get for not wearing make-up but I can hardly touch my face when it is really sore, and also worried make up would make it worse. my oily areas are t zone also. it is very frustrating and I feel very alone. reading postings on this site ad been very encouraging. I dont have help for you but hadnt seen anyone mention the same type of areas and cysts as me.