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Okay, so I guess I should give a little background first. I'm a 21 year old female, I've always dealt with very, very mild back acne and occasionally a few pimples near my collarbone where my sports bra sits (I run a couple miles for exercise every day, but take a shower right after).
Anyway, I started taking birth control about 10 months ago (ortho tricyclen) and like clockwork, every 2nd or 3rd week of the pack i would break out in tons of tiny red pin-prick looking acne spots on my chest and back. It would then clear up when I reached the 4th week (no hormones). I stuck with this for 3 months until switching to a different birth control. However, I'm still dealing with acne on my chest. It's not as bad as the breakout from the first birth control, but it's definitely enough to make me want to cover up and cry about it. I switched my shampoo to sensitive brands, same with my laundry detergent and went to a dermatologist. I've been using atralin (morning) and acanya (night) for 5 weeks now. Besides being very dry and itchy, I was hopeful and it seemed to be working. However just as I reached the end of week 5, I had a massive breakout of the red little spots in the middle of my chest. I'm not sure if it's going to heal and if this is an "initial breakout" and I should just stick with it, or if this is a completely wrong treatment course.
Basically I'm just really sad and feel alone and sick of having to cover up and hide my body. I'm disgusted looking at myself and I need help. I don't know what to do anymore.
Hi,
I've never been on birth control for acne before, but I know a few people who ended up having a larger breakout after switching the brand they used. From their experiences, it lasted for awhile before they ajusted to it. The wait would definitely suck, but you could try some other methods to help speed up clearing the acne on your chest:
Sea Salt
This works wonders. Just put 3 teaspoons of sea salt in a cup/bowl and combine it with a half cup of hot water. After, gently dab on the solution to the affected areas and let it dry. After about two or so hours you can apply moisturizer so your skin doesn't get too dry. I rarely get chest/back acne, but when I do I usually use this method to help clear it quickly. You could also try putting the solution into a small spray bottle and just spray it on the areas before going to bed, work etc.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Mix together a cup of green tea, 1/4 cup of honey, and 1/2 of apple cider vinegar. Dab onto the affected areas and let it dry. All three are great ingridents to combat acne and help reduce scarring.
Apple Cider Vinegar Drink
This one probably sounds disgusting, but it actually has great results and is really well recognized. Combine 2 tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 tsp of honey, 12oz of water, and 1-3 drops of lemon juice. It's usually better to drink it before meals, but you can sip it throughout the day. It's great at stopping inflammation, and most people who try it say it helps clear up acne all over in a matter of days.
I'm really sorry I can't be much more helpful on the birth control topic, but I hope one of these methods help with clearing up in the meantime. Best of luck!