hi im new to this site , never had spots at all until i was in my early thirties , started getting them quite badly on my back and shoulders , it would get worse just before my period die down a bit then come back , when i got pregnant at 36 , totally clear skin not a single spot for nine months , about six months after id had her i started getting them back ,now fast forward four years and my whole back is a painful mess of spots complete with scarring , i also get them up the side of my neck and under my chin ,although strange as it is rarely on my face doctor has got me on three months of lymecycline 408mg , but its not working the miricles i hoped it would , is it possible my acne is hormone related and id be better of going on the pill ?
hi, I think all acne is hormonal except for acne caused by make-up or product related breakouts. Androgens=oily skin=acne. Thats why birth control works for a lot of women. I had hormonal acne for years and the only thing which cleared my skin was birth control and anti-DHT supplements.
Hormones are a major driving factor in acne, but are not the only factor. Oil does not equal acne; it alone is not sufficient to form acne lesions, and many people have incredibly oily skin but no acne. There are a bunch of treatments for hormonal acne, I think Spironolactone is commonly prescribed as well as birth control, which seems like it would be very effective for you. Saw palmetto is another option if you want to go the holistic route.
I would recommend contacting your doc and asking about birth control options, as I'm not sure what options are available for you in the UK
spoken to the doctor on phone today , got told to come in to disscuss birth control , and asked about the spironolactone and got told its a directic and not for treating acne , didnt sound to happy when i asked about a referral to a dermitologist either , but i think im going to have to insist on it , thats the joys of the nhs in the uk for you ! thank you to the replies they have been helpful and this site has so much info on acne as well
There are many different causes for acne. Unfortunately no amount of hormone control can fix mine, mine is genetic. Hormones can certainly be the cause for some people though and since you said you were clear during pregnancy it seems like the birth control pill would be a good option for you! Definitely worth asking for a referral to a derm though, just in case. Helpful to have all the info you can about your skin! Everyone is different!
NHS doctors, in my experience, have no idea how to treat hormonal acne. They will offer you standard treatments (antibiotics, birth control) without considering your particular case. Please take their advice with a grain of salt. When I lived in the UK, they prescribed everything from antibiotics to antidepressants for me, and my acne got worse, my hormones got thrown completely off balance, and I became severely depressed. If you are interested, there is tons of advice on holistic methods but you need to be patient with those treatments and give them time to work. It took a while to throw your hormones off balance, it may take a while to restore the balance as well.
Btw, if you do decide to go down the birth control route, many birth control brands are not recommended for women over 35.