21 replies to this topic

[sadhatter]

Hi,

I'm a 27-year-old male and am having real problems with my skin on my jawline/cheeks and neck.

My dad suffered badly with acne when he was a teenager, but by my age his skin had totally cleared up. My skin is also, thank God, not currently as bad as his ever was.

When I was 17 I began to get a few teenage spots and my mum worried because of my dad's skin, so she took me to the doctors and I was prescribed limecycline. I took this every day for about 3 years (!) and it didn't really make much of a difference. I then just decided to stop taking it and amazingly my skin cleared up! I'm sure the anti-biotics were making my skin worse!

At age 21/22, my skin got quite bad again (bad for me, I'd say mild acne) and I went back to the doctors and was prescribed some cream (can't remember the name but I used it for about a week and my skin became soooo dry I never used it again) and anti-biotics. After a while, my skin seemed to clear up and I stopped taking the anti-biotics.

For the last five years, I've had the odd spot or two, but no problem as such. Then in July this year I decided to start weightlifting. This is when things started to go crazy.

Initially, my skin got much better and people even commented on how good it looked, I'd have no spots, or maybe 1/2 per week. I was on a high protein diet and working out by weight lifting three times per week. In about August time my skin went mad, I started getting a lot of spots on my jawlines and my neck (especially my right side). The ones on my neck would be just below the jawline and around my ear areas.

I tried everything - washing my face and neck before and after workouts, washing my hair before bed, drinking lots of water, changing the pillow cases regularly - absolutely everything. My skin has got worse and worse and worse. I can see lots of blocked pores (like little whiteheads under the skin) around my cheek, jawline and neck area. Its horrible and like my worst nightmare. If I pick at these, they generally come out very easily, although some I cannot get out and they will flare up and become inflamed if I'm not careful.

I've been quite stressed with work this year, but not overly, I don't know if this is anything to do with it. Before working out, my diet was not great at all, but when I started working out, I was having porridge for breakfast, nuts/banana, chicken pasta and vegetables for lunch, two protein shakes per day, salmon/turkey/sweet potatoes etc. for my main meal.

It all came to a head before Christmas, mid-December time. I was so sick of my skin I stopped the working out to see if it improved. I was (and still am) in pain with them on my jawline area.... its strange because my forehead is clear and usually is, my nose is, chin is, has been right through... its just been the jawline and neck, with the odd one on my cheeks. I've never had spots in these places before... they are such strange spots too, they are the ones that are raised, red and hurt, but they don't get any type of a head, so you can't pick them to get them out or anything. I've noticed now some of them when they go away, they still leave a lump under the skin.

I've got a lot of marks on my jawlines and neck areas, around my ears.... the worst two places are on the actual hinges of my jaws, right in the corners of my jaw, soooooo weird. I've stopped the high protein diet, stopped working out, its been about three weeks... I've been to the doctor and been prescribed trimethropim anti-biotics which I have been taking for about three weeks...still not noticed any difference and have about 5/6 new spots on my jawline/necks areas today so both sides of my face hurt when I move my head, which is horrible. I'm just so fed up. It is affecting my self confidence totally, I don't ever go out anymore, I hate having to go to work so people see me - I feel like my life is on hold.

I was really enjoying working out too and was starting to get a really nice body, I'm so fed up right now. It feels like it has been one huge battle the past six months and I can't see any light at the end of the tunnel

I am supposed to be going out this Saturday night and all I am thinking now is..."Oh God, my spots are awful, will I be able to go?" and its been like this for months... it is like a nightmare but I am not waking up from it. Then I wake up in the night and can feel new spots coming up around my jawline, painful ones, and I think, "oh great, here we go again..." and my stomach sinks. Everytime I think I am getting clear and its getting better, I get another breakout. They seem to come up in the same area in little clusters. I just don't know how to sort this out.

I've now started taking milk thistle capsules, one per day, as I read on the net this can help for your skin.

I am just amazed how my skin has gone so awful in such a short amount of time.... I feel the working out/diet change must have played a part because it seems too much of a coincidence that this all started at exactly the same time. I'm based in the UK and went on holiday last year to California in May and my skin was fine, I never had this problem....it makes me so sad that in a few months I have gone to the stage I am at... I would say my spots are mild to moderate, but the past couple of months there's been barely a day when I haven't had a new one (some days I get 7/8 new spots).

Thanks for listening, nice to know I'm not alone in this battle as it really feels like it sometimes. I'm 27 and don't feel I should be going through this at my age

Edited by sadhatter, 06 January 2010 - 07:20 AM.

[jennybr]

Hi. First off, you're definitely not alone in this battle. I'm a 31 year-old woman and I have a very similar story. I had "normal" teenage acne, and for the past 10 years or so had the occasional spot here or there that I would treat with various products and could cover-up. But suddenly in September 2009, the acne went from very mild to pretty darn severe along my jawline. I've heard from several people that this jawline acne is typical hormonal acne for adults. Ok, so maybe that's where adults typically see acne, but knowing that doesn't help so much.

Our experiences are very similar in that this sudden onset of acne for me this fall was due to an increase in my exercise routine. Like you, I workout regularly and eat a very healthy diet. I've practiced power yoga (an athletic form of yoga in a room heated to about 90 degrees F for 90 minutes) for the past 2 years and do a cardio workout daily. But for the past 2 years, there hasn't been any real increase in my acne.

What changed in September is that I started practicing Bikram yoga (a series of 26 postures in a very humid room heated to 105 degrees F for 90 minutes). And I started practicing yoga more frequently, about 4-5 times a week instead of 2. As soon as I started seeing more breakouts, I reacted like you did -- I started washing my face before and after class, thereby adding a third face washing per day. I also started really trying to keep my face dry from sweat during class, so I would constantly wipe my face with a towel. All of this extra irritation on my face made things a whole lot worse.

My face is now healing, after doing a lot of research and figuring out a plan to clear up the acne I have and to try to prevent future breakouts. For me, giving up my yoga practice and workouts is not an option. It's too meaningful to me. So here's what I do -- I plan my yoga classes and workouts for the morning, and I only wash and treat my face after class. So I don't wash or touch my face beforehand. I also don't wipe my face with a towel during class. Yes, I sweat a ton, so I might have to dab my eyes now and then, but I just let the sweat roll down my face. Then I wash my face when I shower after yoga or a workout. These changes have really meant a lot less irritation. And as we know, irritation causes acne.

But most of all, try the Acne.org regime. Please do. And follow it precisely. I was already using BP before I learned about the regime, so my face was accustomed to it, and as soon as I started using large amounts of BP, a gentle wash, the jojoba oil, and AHA at night, I've seen drastic improvements in the last few weeks. I don't wake up with new spots every morning. The acne I have is drying out, and the AHA seems to be helping with the many red spots I have along my jawline and neck.

Good luck and let me know how I can help!

[MayaBrent]

hello!
thank you both so much for posting...
i'm 33 and jawline acne has started only a month or so ago ... just as i started doing the acne.org routine... so it's very confusing.... bc. the rest of my face is healing so nicely.. i actually don't have any more breakouts on my face.. and even the blackheads are going away.... except for my jawline..... What a pain! new breakouts almost every day and they are the worst kind.. so ugly, big and painful!!!!
well... now that I think of it.. my diet has been less than clean with all the holiday eating.. exercise has been regular, some sweating involved.. I am careful not to touch my face at all and
I've been thinking that maybe it's the winter coats, or the scarf or my sheets -- touching my skin right there and making it happen...
maybe Dave can shed some light on this for us..?

i so want to be done breaking out and have a clear gorgeous skin!!!

[MayaBrent]

Here's an answer I received from Dan's office

Often times jawline acne is hormonal in nature for women. I'm going to link you to some info.

Let's make sure you are using lots of bp on that stubborn area, and if you aren't using the AHA+ lotion in addition the Regimen, I would suggest maybe giving it a try as well. Dan likes to use it 2-3 nights per week after the bp instead of the usual moisturizer. You can also apply it as a spot treatment after the bp to any pimples that you do get.
You may be correct that the holiday dietary changes, irritation from scarfs, coats, etc. may also be playing a role. So be aware of any source of irritation that you can think of and eliminate it if you can.

I hope this helps.

Edited by MayaBrent, 07 January 2010 - 04:58 PM.

[MayaBrent]

here's the link...

www.acne.org/women-and-acne.html



and also... i said Dave and meant Dan...

Edited by MayaBrent, 07 January 2010 - 05:03 PM.

[ammoniatone]

Hey sadhatter ... thank you for posting that!

I'm a 41-year old male having the same issue. I had been trying to work out my whole life, but would always find an excuse to take a day off, and then I'd just give up. Finally, last June I decided the only way I'd stick to it was to work out every single day. I was so impressed with how quickly I was building muscle and trimming down, I got carried away and kept intensifying my body-building workouts. Big freakin' mistake!

Around August, I started noticing large zits below my jawline and on my upper neck (like you, mostly on my right side for some reason). I figured it must be the workouts because that was the only thing that had changed in my lifestyle, but when I looked it up online, the only connection between weightlifting and acne I could find was anecdotal crap about not washing properly. I wash just fine thankyouverymuch, so I was wracking my brain trying to think of what else it could be. I cut down on dairy, stopped drinking homogenized orange juice, changed my shaving products and rituals, changed my pillowcases, etc., etc., but it just kept getting worse and worse. In the meantime, I kept weightlifting every day.

In December, I finally figured it had to be the workouts, so I searched more diligently for information and discovered the testosterone/acne connection for people (like me) who have acne-prone skin. I also talked to a personal trainer, who suggested the problem was that I was working out every day - essentially never giving my body enough time to process the testosterone spikes. Around the same time, I discovered this site and decided to start the acne.org regimen.

So now I'm in my 5th week of both reducing my workouts (to just twice a week now) and sticking to the regimen. The sides of my neck are doing much better, but for whatever reason the upper middle of my neck (between my adam's apple and my chin) has gotten worse ... I'm sticking with the plan though for a few more months before making further changes, whatever they might be. But AHA might be in my near future.

My trainer friend said it would probably take at least as long for my hormones to re-balance as it took to freak them out, so I'm not expecting any quick improvement. But man, I hate this.

We should really put the word out there: people susceptible to acne need to be MODERATE in their exercise, especially the testosterone-spiking kind.

[crevin]

WOW-- I've NEVER been so excited in my life to hear these "weightlifting" and "acne" stories from people. All the info I ever find always says "exercise is good for your skin" or "weightlifting is good for your skin" or just really vague, rather empty claims that have no basis.

I'm a 25 year old male and have had acne since I was about 21. I had FLAWLESS skin up until I was 21-- maybe got 1-2 zits a year. Then, in college, I got into weightlifting. It started out pretty light, but it didn't take me long to get carried away with it. I quickly got into high-intensity sprinting and all kinds of high-intensity weight lifting routines. My body got totally shredded. I'm an ectomorph and have a hard time putting on weight. I got a six-pack and the whole 9 yards.

Thinking back, around the age of 21 is when I started to break out. And NO I never got into consuming protein shaks or creatine or any of that stuff. I just drank tons of water, ate really healthy, and worked out a lot. Some of you might say "what is the point in working out really hard if you don't consume loads and loads of protein." I can tell you that in my case, I didn't need 200 grams of protein for my body to get ripped. Granted, maybe it would have gotten even more ripped had I increased my protein intake, but I was plenty content with the way my body was with working out hard and keeping protein intake at a norm. I'd have a chicken breast and some low-fat greek yogurt (high protein) for my daily protein intake.

I am the only person in my family of six who has ever had any skin problems. I have two older brothers and three older sisters-- NONE of them ever battled ane past the age of 18, and coincidentally NONE of them work out that much. My forehead is compltely clear. I only get breakouts around my lips, chin, jawline, and nose. My breakouts are always the really big, painful, cystic-kind that literally hurt as they swell up. They usually leave marks that stay around for months or even years.

My skin cleared up almost completely two years ago when I went to Europe for almost a year. Maybe because I didn't work out a single time? My diet didn't change much-- lots of rice, veggies, chicken, and the weather was about the same there as it was where I live-- maybe a tad bit colder but sun exposure was nearly identical. So maybe it was the fact I didn't go to a gym over there?

I hardly ever see overweight adults with acne-- they are always the skinny ectomorophy types of people who usually look like they are in shape. I usually don't see too many people with acne at the gym, but then again, most people at the gym are not in shape-- they are trying to get into shape. And also, lots of people break out in different areas, many of which we can't see (i.e. back, chest). And finally, maybe some of us have bodies that just cant handle the increased androgen production brought on my strenuous exercise and others' bodies are able to-- everyone seems to be different. What causes one person's acne might have no effect on somebody else, which couldn't be more obvious by the simple fact that there is no definite cure or solution for acne.

Anyways, my two cents on this topic.

It's been a month and a half since I last worked out--

As happy as I will be to see if my body 'normalizes' and my acne goes away, I am not sure what the hell I am going to do if I can't lift weights and workout...

[Riddled]

I think i also noticed a connection between doing weights and acne. I'm pretty sure the effect on my skin isn't as bad when i do longer workouts say 1 1'2 - 2 hrs or by ending weight lifting sessions with some cardio. I also think doing higher reps with lighter weights rather than low reps may be better. I know this goes against conventional wisdom regarding mass gaining and it isn't always practical but i think it may be better for your general health anyway. If there is any logic to what i am saying it maybe because, in general, i think you are supposed to do 45 - 60 min sessions to see optimal testosterone levels after which they begin to fall. My theory is that by doing longer sessions or by ending with some cardio you "use up" the excessive testosterone which "may" be having a negative affect on your skin.
I don't do enough cardio but when i stick to it i definatly notice an improvement in my skin, so maybe doing more cardio based work in general may help. IMHO i think the key is to "burn/use up" the excessive testosterone.

I think if you look at most fitness based sports people then there is very little occurrence of acne, i have also noticed that you tend to see some women with skin problems in the power based athletic events which may be because they are on some kind of steroids [ ie testosterone ] and i think women see the biggest difference when taking these drugs.
I think testosterone in itself isn't the cause but is just one factor and is maybe more of an important factor in some people than others.

Sorry i know this is useless for those of you already doing a lot of cardio.
Just my opinion probably worthless.

[sverd]

delete

Edited by sverd, 05 May 2010 - 03:03 PM.

[ammoniatone]

@crevin - It's interesting you mention you're an ectomorph and have a hard time putting on weight. Same here. I don't really understand the science of any of this (science is hard) but I wonder if fast metabolisms somehow overload the liver, compromised even more by trying to process all the additional androgens from the workouts, leading to increased reliance on the skin (especially around the glands) to purge, etc.?

I tried milk thistle for liver cleansing, but the stuff I got was like 12 bucks for a 2-week supply. It didn't make a difference in my skin during those 2 weeks that I could tell, and that's too much to spend on a folk remedy, imo. There are those liver purges, but they sound hellish and dangerous, and, what, are you supposed to keep purging the rest of your life? So I don't know.

It's actually good to hear that your acne went away when you were in Europe for a year (assuming it went away because you weren't working out). I've been worried that I had started some irreversible chain reaction, and even slowing or stopping my workouts wouldn't mean the acne will disappear. So there's hope at least.

@riddled - Yeah ... I've read somewhere that doing cardio right after weight lifting requires your body to use up some of the excess testosterone. Makes sense. I admit I rarely do cardio. Just about once a week, and not in conjunction with weights. As a skinny guy, I have no need to burn fat, but it might help with the skin.

@sverd - It does seem like those neck acne marks take forever to fade ...

[sadhatter]

Hey everyone, thanks for the replies, means a lot

I've stopped working out now for about a month, feel so guilty not doing it and am totally gutted because I was A) Really enjoying it and B) Really starting to notice a difference... I was working out three times per week for 45 minutes to an hour per work out, all totally weight lifting...

I was also having 2/sometimes 3 protein shakes per day, 4 boiled eggs per day etc. etc. was really into it and following a diet regime given to me by my friend who is a bodybuilder (who incidentally has very bad skin and is 30!).

For me, I'd rather have clear skin than be muscly I think... it would be lovely to have both, but I need to see if my skin clears before I get back to weight training. At the moment, it hasn't really, but I probably need to give it time.

For me, there's no doubt the weight training started all of this - it all began about3 weeks after I started weight training and I was getting spots on my neck, jawline etc. and blocked pores there that I've never ever suffered with before. It is too much of a coincidence in my opinion. Just a month before I had been on holiday in California and I didn't have a single spot and I looked back at photos of me a year ago, i.e. Jan 2009 and I had like one spot, if that, and my jawline/neck didn't have a mark on it.

Why can't life be simple. All I want is to be able to work out and get a nice body and to have clear skin while I do it. Millions of other people do. It isn't fair

[newkidhere]

Aw man haha I came across this by accident but

looks like we're one and the same.

I wish some scientist or something would just fess up and say, "Alright you win. Exercise/weightlifting can cause pretty bad acne in some people."

I was 19 when I started seriously weightlifting and like many of you guys, I am also an ectomorph. To give you an idea, I was 130 flat before weightlifting. after protein, a LITTLE creatine but barely any to make a difference, and some amino acids, and about 3 and a half months of weightlifting in the summer, I got to about 150. 20 pounds in about 3 months.

HOWEVER IT IS IMPORTANT TO MENTION THAT during this period of time in the SUMMER i was for the most part blemish free. However as soon as school rolled around and the weather got colder and the more I bulked and put stress on my body, I noticed spots to appear.

I remember back then I popped away at the ones on my cheek, thinking they were fun b/c I never had such pimples that POPPED so gloriously. Seriously, i'd squeeze and they would just SHOOT out into the mirror, i know i know too much info. And they would heal back just as quickly.

And then around October/November I noticed my face wasn't healing so fast anymore but more pimples popped up. And these were a different kind. These were red headless and painful. Papules I later discovered. These sucked but still not too bad. Then by January, I had blown out cysts and nodules on my temples and cheeks and jawline. HORRIBLE SHIT.

Anyways I somehow was fortunate enough to have everything heal up mostly scar-free during this PAST summer (a good tan helped too) and I felt confident enough to start working out again. Suspecting protein and foods to be a reason why the first time around, I only weightlifted but no extra supplements and no extra bulking. I got ripped and for the most part, blemish free.

again this fall/winter comes around, along with school, and guess what the PATTERN returns. I see some spots. and they progress. healing of skin slows down, hyperpigmentation stays around forever. etc etc. luckily, I'm not getting nearly the extent of the acne I got last winter and I think this is because in November I said fuck this and stopped weightlifting completely. I stopped eating healthy too! I ate like an angel before and now i'm munching on candies and ice cream. And honestly I believe being a complete fat ass now has helped keep my acne to a minimum. It's still there but not nearly as bad.

Sorry for such a long post.

But the Sparknotes version is:

1) Weightlifting and bulking started my acne, which developed into quite moderate/severe acne.
2) Wintertime (less daylight) and the School Year (more stress) seem to play a big factor as well

Conclusion:

It's hard to really say weightlifting is the only reason to blame as oddly enough my acne has only come when it's been winter and during the school year (my skin was fucking awesome during vacation this summer), BUT I DO BELIEVE STARTING TO WEIGHTLIFT back in sophomore year of college was a mistake. I should have accepted my ectomorph body and remained skinny. I truly believe working out has somehow made my skin permanently sensitive.

[williteverend???]

I am a twenty five year old female and I have the same problem! I don't know what is causing it...I do lift weights...because my job requires it...and im sure I am having hormonal issues because of my age but geesh! I started doing Dan's regimen and it is working pretty well on my neck...still a little broken out on my jaw line tho...I wear a collared shirt at work and I was wondering if maybe that is causing it??? I just keep hoping that since it started on my forhead a long time ago and has now moved down to my neck that maybe by the time I am fifty it will be on the bottoms of my feet and no longer on my face and neck...ha

[AllNaturalUser]

I cured my jawline acne 100% after switching toothpaste to a non-fluoride toothpaste. I use a brand called Tom's. It probably sounds crazy, but much research has been conducted on the harshness of fluoride, so you can do your own due diligence.

You have nothing to lose by switching toothpastes, except that the non-fluoride "natural" products cost more. My product costs about $5. But PLEASE, try this. For me, the results were almost immediate. After about a week, I was totally clear.

Good luck!

[indemnity]

There is a phenomenon where there is a problem that nothing seems to fix, then one day, some weird remedy works. People then assume that strange cure fixed the problem when really it was any number of things.

The reverse is also true and people ignore little things for the big new exciting things. Think of junk reports like measles vaccines causing autism (only in UK) or any ridiculous wart treatment.

The neck is a very sensitive area and can easily trap sweat underneath it which can make neck acne worse.

If you are sensitive to acne, particularly 'adult onset acne', it is most likely to form on the neck. Workout=sweat=food for bacteria. Sweaty straining exercise is akin to rubbing bacteria right into your pores.

Acne sensitive people need to wash and apply moisturiser after working out. Apply products sparingly as the neck is too sensitive. Guys, watch how you shave.

[ammoniatone]

If you are sensitive to acne, particularly 'adult onset acne', it is most likely to form on the neck. Workout=sweat=food for bacteria. Sweaty straining exercise is akin to rubbing bacteria right into your pores.

Acne sensitive people need to wash and apply moisturiser after working out. Apply products sparingly as the neck is too sensitive. Guys, watch how you shave.

But I really don't think sweat is the issue for a lot of people (with respect to this thread at least) ... I live in NYC, which is hot and humid all summer long - just walking across town every day to and from work I'd sweat like a pig. I've lived here for 10 years and would maybe get the occasional zit or two in random places on my face. No biggie. I started weight lifting last June and yeah I'd sweat, but I didn't start breaking out on my neck - badly - until September.

When I first looked into possible causes of acne when working out, that was usually what came up: sweat. But I'd be extra careful to wash and use a (non-comedogenic) moisturizer, and it kept getting worse. Even though I had been using the same brand of shaving cream and razor for years without problems, I tried changing to a non-comedogenic shaving cream and a different type of razor, but that didn't help either.

It seems like just keeping your face clear of sweat and bacteria should do the trick, but it's deeper - it comes down to how some bodies process the added androgens, increasing sebum production and blocking pores.

But again, there are a thousand different causes of acne it seems ... maybe it really is sweat for some people, but I've ruled that one out for me.

[crevin]

Well said-- I agree with everything you just said, ammoniatone.

I also agree with indeminity in that everyone who prowls these forums (myself included-- I've been really bad about it) will attribute their "improved skin" or "lack of breakouts" to the wrong cause. My acne improved dramatically a couple years ago when I went to Europe. My diet basically stayed the same so I don't think that had anything to do with it. The weather was definitely warmer, so that might have something to do with it. But I also didn't work out one single time and must have lost 15 pounds of muscle while over there. There is no telling what made my acne improve because so many things changed.

I'm by no means convinced with certainty that working out has messed up my hormone levels and aggravted my acne breakouts, but I fairly certain that sweat has nothing to do with it. Like ammonia, I have tried towling off my face (and NOT toweling-- some say it might clog pores) and also cleansing within 2-3 minutes of my workout with a gentle cleanser. It does nothing. Showering right afterwards does nothing. How come I get breakouts during weeks that I don't go to the gym? I'm not sweating. My back and forehead get sweaty as hell and I wear a nasty hair product, yet I don't ever get a single zit on my forehead, back, neck, or chest. ONLY near my lips, nose, and jawline. It is also really cold where I live and the air is really dry and it is hard to break a sweat in the gym.

I haven't worked out since December 1st. I've dropped 9 pounds. I have kept my eating habits the same. My skin is DEFINITELY better. I am still getting breakouts, but my skin tone has improved tenfold. Obviously I haven't been away from it long enough to know if it is helping my complexion, but I'll do it for a few more months and see how I fare. I'll keep everyone posted. I figure if I still have callouses on my hands even two months later, my hormone levels and internal chemistry probably is still all out of whack, also (if our theory about working out=acne in our cases is true)

[JoeBloggs]

I definately break out in the jawline/chin area when I train intensely, Im pretty much convinced that training strenously isnt good for the skin due to the increased testosterone production (im also an ectomorphic body type by the way).

Ive recently been researching a fekload of hormone/liver supplements and I currently take a bunch of liver supps like milk thistle and aplha lipoic acid, since the liver breaks down excess hormones. If the liver is in shit shape then all those excess hormones cant be broken down and instead go into the bloodstream.

Also I started taking Saw palmetto which is a hormone supplement, basically it inihibits DHT (which is the stuff responsible for excess oil production) but at the same time frees up bound testosterone (previously bound to DHT) into free testosterone. So technically it should help my skin.

Especially as soon I'll be back in training again after about a month off, Ive also just come off a low dose course of accutane aswell so Im really hoping this hormone and liver shit will work.


EDIT: Also I agree with the above poster, sweat has fuck all to do with my breakouts after training, obviously it doesnt help but its not the sole cause at all, no way no how.

Edited by JoeBloggs, 20 January 2010 - 12:19 PM.

[moonchild706]

I am a twenty five year old female and I have the same problem! I don't know what is causing it...I do lift weights...because my job requires it...and im sure I am having hormonal issues because of my age but geesh! I started doing Dan's regimen and it is working pretty well on my neck...still a little broken out on my jaw line tho...I wear a collared shirt at work and I was wondering if maybe that is causing it??? I just keep hoping that since it started on my forhead a long time ago and has now moved down to my neck that maybe by the time I am fifty it will be on the bottoms of my feet and no longer on my face and neck...ha

hey. i am going through a similar experience - i am 20 years old and my acne became VERY severe about four months ago, at first it was concentrated around my forehead and then it seemed to move down my face to my cheeks and now my neck and jaw. i was kind of hoping it would just go away after that lol..the jaw/neck is the WORST and so painful . what happened with you?

[Fedupofadultacne]

Hi I am 26 with moderate-severe acne all over my cheeks, jaw, chin.

I dont lift weights but go the the gym regularly 3-4 times a week & sweat alot, but do wash straight away afterwards. Could this be contributing to my acne?

Thanks