67 replies to this topic

[WishClean]

Hi everyone,
After much embarrassment towards my skin recently, I decided to post photos of my worsening acne condition on this forum in hopes of support and advice. I figured, if I go out in public looking like this, I might as well post pics on here in a supporting environment.
These are pics I took today. My acne has gotten progressively worse in the past 4-5 of weeks. In the midst of it (2 weeks ago), I had a facial, high frequency, and a mini-peel (glycolic, not sure of the % but not high). After the facial, my skin got worse, and now I have inflammation in parts of my face, as well as hormonal cysts (not sure if they are related to the rest of the breakouts, but for the record I'm not PMSing so it doesn't make sense why I would get those at this point in my cycle). My periods are more or less regular, although I have been diagnosed with PCOS in the past.
What I have been doing recently:
- I went off the agnus castus (chaste berry/ vitex) regiment I was following due to breakouts. I thought it stopped working and was not needed by my body anymore, so I stopped it gradually. I had been having allergic reactions as well, not sure to what, and occasional hives that seemed to have stopped when I stopped taking agnus castus so maybe there was a correlation there?
- I stopped taking evening primrose a few weeks after that because that wasn't helping things either in the long run.
- I started taking Vitamin D3 supplements (it's in a dropper, with sunflower oil, not sure if the sunflower oil is bad?) - around 2500/ 5000 IU daily
- I started taking neem supplements (in oil form again, pure neem tinture)
- I started taking taurine supplements

Meanwhile, I have reduced my caffeine intake (not even redbull sugarfree, which I was taking for the taurine), have been gluten free for almost a year, and try to avoid junk food.
Any ideas as to what might be causing the sudden flare up? The small bumps (whiteheads? ) under my skin have been there for a while, could those be keratosis pillaris?
Any advice is greatly appreciated.

EDIT: please visit my diet and supplements log with updated pics and the regimen I have been doing since posting this thread. http://www.acne.org/...upplements-log/

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Edited by WishClean, 01 March 2013 - 10:42 PM.

[WishClean]

I forgot to mention that I have been on the herbs I mentioned (EP & agnus castus) for nearly a year. I tried to stick with the agnus castus despite breakouts because it had worked for my in the past. I usually try to stick with one treatment for a while before beginning a new regiment.

[CWR24]

Have you gone to a dermatologist? Thats probably your best bet get on some kind of topical or maybe even Accutane.

[WishClean]

Have you gone to a dermatologist? Thats probably your best bet get on some kind of topical or maybe even Accutane.

Yes I have gone to various dermatologists, and the standard response is antibiotics (which haven't helped me) and retinol/ Retin-A (which makes things worse). I'm getting my hormones tested to see what's going on, but the tests are really expensive and my insurance doesn't cover them. I was just wondering if some of the supllements/ herbs I have been taking have made things worse. My face was definitely clearer 2 weeks ago, this is a rapid deterioration that's why I think it can be an irritation of some sort.

[tracy521]

have you thought about spironolactone? i am experience a lot of cystic acne myself that really came on back in late november and my derm wanted me to try this pill for a while and see if it works. i am taking 50mg now and will ramp up to 100mg in a week or so. it only costs me like $12 through my insurance. i think it takes a few months to work but its great for the hormonal acne that occurs in the lower half of the face.
i would probably stop the supplements for now just to be safe.

Edited by tracy521, 08 January 2013 - 08:01 PM.

[gia1]

try birth control pills

[WishClean]

have you thought about spironolactone? i am experience a lot of cystic acne myself that really came on back in late november and my derm wanted me to try this pill for a while and see if it works. i am taking 50mg now and will ramp up to 100mg in a week or so. it only costs me like $12 through my insurance. i think it takes a few months to work but its great for the hormonal acne that occurs in the lower half of the face.
i would probably stop the supplements for now just to be safe.

tracy, I haven't tried spiro before...seems like the only thing I haven't tried besides acutane and other heavy-duty drugs. Are you experiencing any side effects with spiro? Does your acne look similar to mine? Someone told me today it looks like my skin is detoxing, but I have no idea why it would be since I'm not doing a detox. So I'm guessing my hormones are messing with me again lol

try birth control pills

Gia, I tried yaz in combination with androcur and it took me years to recover from the sideeffects. Are there any other milder birth control pills to consider? I would rather exhaust all holistic options before resorting to anything else, but I'm interested in what everyone else is taking for acne control

[tracy521]

yeah spiro is supposed to work really well for hormonal acne so i am praying everyday that it starts to work for me. i haven't had any side effects at all from it but today i am upping to 75mg and then 100mg so i will keep you updated if anything changes. my acne is mostly cystic with some little red bumps mixed in but its mostly all on my chin and jawline area. i did have some bad breakouts by my nose area but that has cleared up mostly now just left with lots of red marks there. i don't think it looks like you are detoxing but then again i don't know what that would look like. my face was pretty darn clear before i got contact dermatitis from a cleanser i was using so having all this cystic acne right now is a lot to deal with especially when you notice your face getting worse by the day. i would say to get to the derm and ask for spiro because it takes some time to kick in. my derm wants me to use retin-a as well but i havent started it yet.

[WishClean]

yeah spiro is supposed to work really well for hormonal acne so i am praying everyday that it starts to work for me. i haven't had any side effects at all from it but today i am upping to 75mg and then 100mg so i will keep you updated if anything changes. my acne is mostly cystic with some little red bumps mixed in but its mostly all on my chin and jawline area. i did have some bad breakouts by my nose area but that has cleared up mostly now just left with lots of red marks there. i don't think it looks like you are detoxing but then again i don't know what that would look like. my face was pretty darn clear before i got contact dermatitis from a cleanser i was using so having all this cystic acne right now is a lot to deal with especially when you notice your face getting worse by the day. i would say to get to the derm and ask for spiro because it takes some time to kick in. my derm wants me to use retin-a as well but i havent started it yet.

Yeah, keep me updated on your progress with spiro, hope it works for you! Did you notice any side effects? Did you get your hormones checked before the doctor prescribed you the spiro? I'm getting some hormonal tests done next week just to see if I can find what the issue is. The problem is that I need multiple tests done and they are expensive but I would rather know if I have an imbalance instead of trying to figure it out on my own by trial and error.

[tracy521]

yeah spiro is supposed to work really well for hormonal acne so i am praying everyday that it starts to work for me. i haven't had any side effects at all from it but today i am upping to 75mg and then 100mg so i will keep you updated if anything changes. my acne is mostly cystic with some little red bumps mixed in but its mostly all on my chin and jawline area. i did have some bad breakouts by my nose area but that has cleared up mostly now just left with lots of red marks there. i don't think it looks like you are detoxing but then again i don't know what that would look like. my face was pretty darn clear before i got contact dermatitis from a cleanser i was using so having all this cystic acne right now is a lot to deal with especially when you notice your face getting worse by the day. i would say to get to the derm and ask for spiro because it takes some time to kick in. my derm wants me to use retin-a as well but i havent started it yet.

Yeah, keep me updated on your progress with spiro, hope it works for you! Did you notice any side effects? Did you get your hormones checked before the doctor prescribed you the spiro? I'm getting some hormonal tests done next week just to see if I can find what the issue is. The problem is that I need multiple tests done and they are expensive but I would rather know if I have an imbalance instead of trying to figure it out on my own by trial and error.

i will for sure! i hope it works too because this is really killing me. i never leave my house anymore just to go to work and i feel so bad because my hubby wants to go out and do things but i just feel so awful about myself. i havent noticed any side effects at all so hopefully with this higher dosage it will stay that way. i have had my hormones tested twice in the past and they were fine but i might have them tested again just to see if anything has changed. i have suffered on and off with cystic acne for years but never like this and i have usually been able to maintain it with antibiotics. i went to an endocringologist last time and just had to pay my co-pay but i know if you are paying out of pocket it can get very pricey. let me know what you find out with the testing. you can always email me through this site if you need to talk.

Edited by tracy521, 09 January 2013 - 12:08 PM.

[WishClean]

yeah spiro is supposed to work really well for hormonal acne so i am praying everyday that it starts to work for me. i haven't had any side effects at all from it but today i am upping to 75mg and then 100mg so i will keep you updated if anything changes. my acne is mostly cystic with some little red bumps mixed in but its mostly all on my chin and jawline area. i did have some bad breakouts by my nose area but that has cleared up mostly now just left with lots of red marks there. i don't think it looks like you are detoxing but then again i don't know what that would look like. my face was pretty darn clear before i got contact dermatitis from a cleanser i was using so having all this cystic acne right now is a lot to deal with especially when you notice your face getting worse by the day. i would say to get to the derm and ask for spiro because it takes some time to kick in. my derm wants me to use retin-a as well but i havent started it yet.

Yeah, keep me updated on your progress with spiro, hope it works for you! Did you notice any side effects? Did you get your hormones checked before the doctor prescribed you the spiro? I'm getting some hormonal tests done next week just to see if I can find what the issue is. The problem is that I need multiple tests done and they are expensive but I would rather know if I have an imbalance instead of trying to figure it out on my own by trial and error.

i will for sure! i hope it works too because this is really killing me. i never leave my house anymore just to go to work and i feel so bad because my hubby wants to go out and do things but i just feel so awful about myself. i havent noticed any side effects at all so hopefully with this higher dosage it will stay that way. i have had my hormones tested twice in the past and they were fine but i might have them tested again just to see if anything has changed. i have suffered on and off with cystic acne for years but never like this and i have usually been able to maintain it with antibiotics. i went to an endocringologist last time and just had to pay my co-pay but i know if you are paying out of pocket it can get very pricey. let me know what you find out with the testing. you can always email me through this site if you need to talk.

Yes, I know exactly what you mean. My self-confidence is at an all time low at this point and I try to avoid social events because I feel self-conscious. I can imagine it's worse when you are living with someone, but I'm sure your hubby loves you no matter what. The last relationship I had brought out many insecurities about my acne, to the point where I would spend 2 hours every day covering up my acne with makeup and trying to make my face seem flawless. It was just too much effort for me, and the relationship fell apart within a few weeks! Ironically, my skin started improving towards the end of the relationship (to the point where I only needed minimal makeup), but then the breakup messed with my hormones and I'm back to square one.
The most recent hormone test I had done was over 2 years ago and my hormones were normal. At the time, I was only taking Earth Source vitamins (the solgar brand) and they worked well for about a year.
You said you have been taking antibiotics for a long time, right? I'm wondering if in your case the antibiotics have messed with your digestive system...have you looked into candida symptoms? Candida is very hard to diagnose 100%, but long term use of antibiotics is one of the main causes.

[tracy521]

i can totally feel your pain. i bet it was so hard spending all that time covering up your acne. i dont cover up my face at home and i just feel so ugly all the time now. i know my hubby loves me no matter what but i am so embarrassed. he told me he doesn't care what i look like and that he loves me for who i am not what i look like but i still want to look good for me and for him. its a long story but i thought i might have had a candida issue but i cant tell for sure. i have taken probiotics the entire time i was on them and never had a yeast infection or thrush or anything but i was talking to my doctor last week and he gave me diflucan to take for 3 days to see if it would help anything but it didnt do anything at all. i am taking these yeast defender pills but i might stop them just to be safe. i pretty much believe 100% my acne is all hormonal though because the rest of my face is pretty much clear and it gets worse before my period. i did try to go the natural route for a bit by eliminating all wheat, gluten, dairy, eggs etc and it just made my skin worse so i know its not diet. i even went to see an acupuncterist but had no luck with that either

Edited by tracy521, 09 January 2013 - 03:29 PM.

[WishClean]

i can totally feel your pain. i bet it was so hard spending all that time covering up your acne. i dont cover up my face at home and i just feel so ugly all the time now. i know my hubby loves me no matter what but i am so embarrassed. he told me he doesn't care what i look like and that he loves me for who i am not what i look like but i still want to look good for me and for him. its a long story but i thought i might have had a candida issue but i cant tell for sure. i have taken probiotics the entire time i was on them and never had a yeast infection or thrush or anything but i was talking to my doctor last week and he gave me diflucan to take for 3 days to see if it would help anything but it didnt do anything at all. i am taking these yeast defender pills but i might stop them just to be safe. i pretty much believe 100% my acne is all hormonal though because the rest of my face is pretty much clear and it gets worse before my period. i did try to go the natural route for a bit by eliminating all wheat, gluten, dairy, eggs etc and it just made my skin worse so i know its not diet. i even went to see an acupuncterist but had no luck with that either

Acne can certainly cause psychological issues....it has caused me depression and low self-esteem on many occasions. At least on acne.org we are not alone, and it's good to know that many other people are going through similar skin issues. Where I live most people have relatively clear skin and I always feel like I'm the only one with pimples Do you wear makeup when you go outside, btw? I have to wear it to face the world everyday and function...I'm too embarrassed to go to work without makeup because I feel like people might judge.
How long did you try acupuncture for? I have been doing it for over a year now and it has definitely helped me. Some practitioners are more experienced than others, and I did have a few who were not as good. It depends on who does your treatment and how experienced they are at dealing with acne and hormonal imbalances.
Today I had high frequency done on my face and it feels much calmer....I might post updated pics if there is an improvement within the next few days. It's a temporary fix, but at least it makes putting on makeup less time consuming.

[tracy521]

i so hear ya there it has caused me so much anxiety and depression the last few months. i try to be positive every single day but getting cystic acne and having it not go away at all unless i get the cysts injected is just way too much. i am at the derm literally every week getting another shot or two and as soon as i start to feel better about myself i get more cysts. its like a never ending cycle and the worst acne i ever had in my life. it is good to have this website and know that are people out there that are suffering too i just wish i had a good friend with acne like me. all my friends and family have clear skin so it makes it so hard to see anybody because they have no idea what i am going through and all they say is did you ever try proactive? the hardest part is going to work since everybody has clear skin there as well. ugh! i feel like such a freak when we have meetings and stuff. i do wear makeup but not as much anymore since i have the lights off in my office but i put concealer on my spots and then do my eyes up and stuff. now when i do go out which is rarely at all anymore i will do my entire face so that i look somewhat normal. i do feel better with the makeup on thats for sure.
you know i didnt try acupuncture for long at all so that is probably my fault but that is only because i am taking spiro now and she said to only come back when i am off meds and she can try various supplements to try and balance the hormones. i like the idea of going the natural route but i do think some things just cant be fixed with natural remedies ya know? ooh what is high frequency? i have done acleara in the past and it broke me out terribly so yesterday i got a tca peel. i hope it helps to clear up my skin a bit thats for sure. the girl that did the peel said it will give me a nice fresh layer of skin and that i should start peeling tonight so i pray that it helps. something needs to work. yeah let me know more about the high frequency when you have time and i would love to see pics. take care!

Edited by tracy521, 10 January 2013 - 10:23 AM.

[WishClean]

i so hear ya there it has caused me so much anxiety and depression the last few months. i try to be positive every single day but getting cystic acne and having it not go away at all unless i get the cysts injected is just way too much. i am at the derm literally every week getting another shot or two and as soon as i start to feel better about myself i get more cysts. its like a never ending cycle and the worst acne i ever had in my life. it is good to have this website and know that are people out there that are suffering too i just wish i had a good friend with acne like me. all my friends and family have clear skin so it makes it so hard to see anybody because they have no idea what i am going through and all they say is did you ever try proactive? the hardest part is going to work since everybody has clear skin there as well. ugh! i feel like such a freak when we have meetings and stuff. i do wear makeup but not as much anymore since i have the lights off in my office but i put concealer on my spots and then do my eyes up and stuff. now when i do go out which is rarely at all anymore i will do my entire face so that i look somewhat normal. i do feel better with the makeup on thats for sure.
you know i didnt try acupuncture for long at all so that is probably my fault but that is only because i am taking spiro now and she said to only come back when i am off meds and she can try various supplements to try and balance the hormones. i like the idea of going the natural route but i do think some things just cant be fixed with natural remedies ya know? ooh what is high frequency? i have done acleara in the past and it broke me out terribly so yesterday i got a tca peel. i hope it helps to clear up my skin a bit thats for sure. the girl that did the peel said it will give me a nice fresh layer of skin and that i should start peeling tonight so i pray that it helps. something needs to work. yeah let me know more about the high frequency when you have time and i would love to see pics. take care!

I know exactly what you mean! Today I felt better after my facial/ high frequency, but the cysts can't be hidden under makeup -they just turn skin-colored but they still stick out. Red marks are easier for me to cover up because they are flat at least, not bumpy. But I did notice an improvement after the high frequency -I'm attaching a pic from last night...I'm wearing makeup now so I will see if there's further improvement when I take the make up off. HIgh frequency is basically an electrical current that disinfects the acne. The aesthitician uses something that looks like a wand and passes it all over your face to disinfect and calm redness. I have been doing this both in Europe and the US since I was a teenager and it helps manage flare ups.
did you have good results with your peel? The mini peel I got last time did make my face glow, but it irritated my acne and caused new breakouts. It felt too uncomfortable sitting on my face anyway, but I thought that was normal. The high frequency doesn't hurt, it tingles a bit as the electricity hits sensitive spots but it's totally safe.
What makeup do you use btw? I'm currently using smashbox healthy fx foundation which I found to be the less irritating foundation for me (and no parabens), but it doesn't look natural on my face and no matter what shade I get it tends to turn a bit orange. I had good luck with jane iredale loose powder mineral foundation because it helped my skin heal, but the issue was that it used to sit on top of my pores and made my face look cakey.

I find that taking pics helps me track my progress and sometimes gives me hope. You can PM me pics of your skin if you want, if you don't want to post any on here. I figured I might as well post mine publicly to make others feel better about their own acne lol.

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Edited by WishClean28, 10 January 2013 - 04:25 PM.

[tracy521]

hey thanks for posting a pic your face is looking great! i want that high frequency facial now. i don't know why i haven't heard of it before. does it help with shrinking the cysts? if so this could be my answer to avoid all these cortisone shots. i just looked it up and there are places in my area that do them so that is what i will be doing next after my peel. my peel went well yesterday but i haven't started peeling yet. i am hoping when i peel that it will take some of the cystic acne with it. i had 2 layers done so i hope it does something. i have another one scheduled for 3 weeks so we shall see but i am getting these to help with the scarring too so i pray they help. i have 3 bumps right in a row on my chin that looks like one long cyst and its awful. i tried to cover it up but it just looks horrid and its really bothering me. i am debating on begging the derm to inject them because tomorrow they have been on my face for about 2 weeks and at this rate i don't think they will ever leave.
i wear bare minerals makeup but it never seems to look right on my face for some reason. it covers pretty well though. i just bought dermablend concealer but its not doing a good job at covering my red marks and i think its because i am so fair. do you know of a better concealer out there? i have never found a good one.
well keep me updated on your progress and someday when i have some progress i will definitely post it here on this site.

Edited by tracy521, 10 January 2013 - 05:35 PM.

[WishClean]

hey thanks for posting a pic your face is looking great! i want that high frequency facial now. i don't know why i haven't heard of it before. does it help with shrinking the cysts? if so this could be my answer to avoid all these cortisone shots. i just looked it up and there are places in my area that do them so that is what i will be doing next after my peel. my peel went well yesterday but i haven't started peeling yet. i am hoping when i peel that it will take some of the cystic acne with it. i had 2 layers done so i hope it does something. i have another one scheduled for 3 weeks so we shall see but i am getting these to help with the scarring too so i pray they help. i have 3 bumps right in a row on my chin that looks like one long cyst and its awful. i tried to cover it up but it just looks horrid and its really bothering me. i am debating on begging the derm to inject them because tomorrow they have been on my face for about 2 weeks and at this rate i don't think they will ever leave.
i wear bare minerals makeup but it never seems to look right on my face for some reason. it covers pretty well though. i just bought dermablend concealer but its not doing a good job at covering my red marks and i think its because i am so fair. do you know of a better concealer out there? i have never found a good one.
well keep me updated on your progress and someday when i have some progress i will definitely post it here on this site.

yeah, it usually helps calm my skin down, especially when the cysts look inflammed/ infected. Here is a link that explains the rationale behind the high frequency method. http://www.truehealt...rritt-island-fl
Cortisone thinned the upper layer of my skin when I was using it for more than a few days in a row, so be careful. Sometimes we get so desperate about treating the acne that we forget about potential damages to other aspects of our skin, e.g. premature aging due to dryness and harsh chemicals, thinning of the skin & photosensitivity etc. Hopefully you will see results with your peel! Did you get any purging after the peel, like zits coming to the surface?
I tried bare minerals and it looked semi-natural on my face but then it started to irritate me when my acne got worse so I switched to jane iredale. Bare minerals has some potential irritants for acne, although they claim it's good for the skin...I think the main ingredient that is irritating is bismuth, check to see if it's still used in their foundation. Have you tried revlon's blemish concealer? It's the one I use because I have fair skin too (I get the fair shade) - it's not perfect but at least it doesn't make things worse. The smashbox foundation I use gives my skin a healthy glow but I don't think it's the best for acne-prone skin although it is oil free. It's so hard to match my shade when it comes to concealers and foundation, which makes the fact that I'm wearing makeup even more noticeable.

Edited by WishClean28, 10 January 2013 - 05:54 PM.

[tracy521]

thanks for the info! i am going to start getting these once i heal from my peel. i don't normally use cortisone i just get my cysts injected with it when i go to the derm. i hate doing that believe you me but it does help me avoid a scar most times from the cysts. i have had 4 big cysts that were about the size of a dime and a nickel and had them injected and they still took 2-3 weeks to go away. it seems that it really all i get now which is just crazy to me. i have had 9 shots in the last month!
i have a few small zits after the peel but i dont know if the peel actually caused it. thanks i hope the peel helps too. i like getting them in that i find that they help to clear the clogged pores but as soon as i stop getting so much cystic acne i am definitley getting a facial thats for sure.
i will have to check the ingredients in the bare minerals. i dont wear it very often anymore just maybe once a week but most times i just use it to cover the marks. i will have to try that revlon concealer. thanks!! i have tried smashbox before but didnt like the way it felt on my skin. i have makeup forever hd foundation which covers well but feels way too thick so i never use it. yeah i have a problem with finding my shade too. i cant buy the lightest one cuz its too light but the next one up is usually too dark its annoying!

Edited by tracy521, 10 January 2013 - 06:19 PM.

[WishClean]

Oh I have the same problem with finding the right shade. The fair one makes me look like a ghost, and the next shade (medium) turns orange on my face. I have yet to find a seamless foundation. I did like the close to natural texture of diego dalla palma foundation and it didn't irritate my skin, but unfortunately it settled into fine lines I didn't even know I had!
Well, keep me updated on your progress and anytime you need support! I usually check acne.org anytime I change my regimen and supplements and I figured I might as well start posting stuff since I'm on here regularly anyway.

[Green Gables]

If you like mineral makeup, Everyday Minerals doesn't have crap in it like Bare Minerals. EM has a big selection of foundation shades for different skin tones.