Im trying to cut out all dairy products, I read that the hormones in milk products specifically clog your pores and makes your acne inflammed so try that and also try to stop master****ing i noticed that helps with my skin a lot more than I thought it would also don't touch your face at all..but yeah hope that helps and hang in there friend I know it sucks but it will go away in time, don't worry about people looking at you funny or saying mean things those people just want to see you upset and want to keep you inside your house afraid. Eveyone has challenges in life, are you going to overcome them? It's your life man take control.

12 hours ago, StirredBead said:

Im trying to cut out all dairy products, I read that the hormones in milk products specifically clog your pores and makes your acne inflammed so try that and also try to stop master****ing i noticed that helps with my skin a lot more than I thought it would also don't touch your face at all..but yeah hope that helps and hang in there friend I know it sucks but it will go away in time, don't worry about people looking at you funny or saying mean things those people just want to see you upset and want to keep you inside your house afraid. Eveyone has challenges in life, are you going to overcome them? It's your life man take control.

I'm vegan and cutting out dairy did help. Having social anxiety hasn't made this any better lol. It's only been like three days now but I think the cream is already helping. I'll just have to see if it works long-term because so far nothing has. Thanks for the advice!

Wow, that sounds pretty bad! Did they prescribe anything else, like an antibiotic ointmentto go with it?? Tretinoin cream will help dry out current acne but will do nothing to prevent future acne. You're really better off with benzoyl peroxide...this will accomplish both.

try clindamycin, retino- A or salycilic acid. Hopefully they'll dry it out. Best of Luck

Ok here's an update in case anyone cares to read it:

(I think I'll come back and update every few days.) I've only been using the cream for around four days now and OH MY GOD my right cheek is nearly smooth. It's been dry but I've been really lightly exfoliating and it's getting softer. I'm not really experiencing the purge a lot of people talk about from the cream though. I've had a few small blemishes pop up, but as soon as I feel them coming on I've put the cream on and they vanish. It still hurts to talk or smile but it's a lot better than before and I got a beautiful 9 hour sleep last night for the first time in so long.

I'll come back and update in a few days because I can't find many people with cystic acne who log their progress so I guess I'll do that.

Thanks for for the replies, I'll just stick with the cream for now because it seems to be doing so well.

3 minutes ago, DesperateVegan said:

Ok here's an update in case anyone cares to read it:

(I think I'll come back and update every few days.) I've only been using the cream for around four days now and OH MY GOD my right cheek is nearly smooth. It's been dry but I've been really lightly exfoliating and it's getting softer. I'm not really experiencing the purge a lot of people talk about from the cream though. I've had a few small blemishes pop up, but as soon as I feel them coming on I've put the cream on and they vanish. It still hurts to talk or smile but it's a lot better than before and I got a beautiful 9 hour sleep last night for the first time in so long.

I'll come back and update in a few days because I can't find many people with cystic acne who log their progress so I guess I'll do that.

Thanks for for the replies, I'll just stick with the cream for now because it seems to be doing so well.

what cream did u use?

The best thing that has worked for my cysts is the Mario Badescu buffering lotion. Miracle worker for cysts. Good luck to you.

Ok it might seem like I'm updating really early but my skin is doing better! It got really weird and I had to really really gently exfoliate, but it's getting smoother. Not soft (I blame the dry winter air) but it's getting smoother.

The main reason I gave in and started using a prescription medication is because of the pain. I really don't care about the smaller general acne. It's just the cystic acne that's gotten so bad to the point where I could barely sleep at night. Though the cream seems to be working, it'd still be appreciated if anyone has any advice for natural solutions. I've tried a ton but it wouldn't hurt to try some more I guess.

Now, after using the cream for even less than a week it's been getting a little less painful. My skin is quite red and kind of itchy/burning but they're going down and getting better faster than I thought they would. I'll update if there are any changes.

Update!

ok so maybe I got my hopes up about not experiencing a purge from the cream BUT everywhere I read about this treatment says that it gets worse before it gets better. So there's still hope! My skin has been really itchy and kind of burning lately, but I've been trying to take it easy and not go overboard with the exfoliating. My skin feels gross right now but I think it's getting better. My left cheek is clearing up pretty well; it's almost soft and smooth now. It's the right side and my chin that are purging now. I'm actually happy about the purging because it means it's working. I'm so excited. I'll come back and update some time next week.

Update:

My skin looks horrible it's dry and flaky and hurts and my skin is still breaking out everywhere. I'm getting impatient and annoyed. I'm tired of feeling so gross and being in pain all the time. Nothing is helping the dryness, and I don't want to leave the house. I've been reading more about this treatment and have yet to find someone who's had good results with it. Everywhere I read people are saying to switch to the gel, rather than the cream, but apparently it's super expensive and I'm broke. I'll stick with it, but I'm just really not having a good feeling about it. My worst breakout spot on my right cheek has gotten darker- now purple. My jawline looks like hell and it hurts to move or speak and emotionally I'm not doing well at all. I just want to crawl into a hole and die.

Another update:

*Warning: really gross*

Ok so the cystic breakout on the right side of my face decided to start bleeding. A lot. It hurts so bad I'm crying my eyes out I'm so fed up with everything. This isn't working I don't know what to do. I might just give up on this and try birth control because I'm hoping all of this is just caused by a hormonal imbalance and not by me being a dirty slob. I'll update when I decide what I'm doing.

Oh my goodness you sound like me..  You are NOT a dirty slob, cystic acne is hell and comes up from underneath the skin being painful well before you can even see it. I really do understand how you feel, I have had many sleepless nights because it hurts so much and it is totally soul destroying too. Unfortunately I can't recommend anything as I am still fighting mine having resorted to Accutane a week ago but I just wanted to let you know that you are NOT alone.
The birth control is definitely worth a try, I had to come off it for medical reasons but when I was on it my cysts were fewer and far between, not gone but better..

Update:

Gross. I feel gross. My skin feels so gross, I don't even want to know what it looks like so I've been avoiding my reflection. The huge cystic spot on my right cheek still hurts like hell but it's getting more flat. My skin is so dry, coconut oil is kind of helping. The weird part about this treatment is that it makes your skin change so quickly. The purge happens but it happens so fast. Little breakouts can come and go within like a day. I know it might seem like I'm updating so much, but my skin has been changing so rapidly. So yes, I'm experiencing the purge, BUT when I do breakout it's very small and doesn't last long. I still don't feel very confident about all of this. I might still look into finding out if this is a hormonal problem. I'm trying my hardest to not give up on this. I'll keep updating.

Have you tried 2.5% BP?? This would be a more effective treatment for getting your inflamed cystic acne under control, maybe coupled with an oral antibiotic for good measure. The tretinoin cream will be more useful after your cysts are gone for smoothing out your skin. My son was also recently prescribed tretinoin cream, and we also saw some good results in terms of drying out acne and smoothing out his skin. But in the end his cystic acne got much worse, so we stopped and went back to BP. His skin is looking much better since we've been doing BP twice a day instead of only once a day. We're going to save the tretinoin cream for later to help his blackheads and whiteheads and smooth out his complexion.

Hey hun! I am so sorry you are going through this, but trust me when I say you are not alone in this battle. I am too, in a very dark place right now and really only find true comfort in this website and talking with others who are experiencing the same things. Now, I too have been dealing with acne, in addition to cystic acne for quite some time (about 12 years since my first zit). I noticed your screen name states you're a vegan, awesome! I am mostly vegan (plant based) with exception of wild fish from time to time...but a few things I want to ask you that I've been discussing with my naturopathic doctor. Are you getting enough fats and protein in your diet? Both are essential for skin health. Also, are you eating high carb meals? If so, you could have a glucose issue. If all these things are in check, then I say it's time to test your hormones; and now is the time to do so (when you are not on birth control yet!) You'll definitely want your FSH, progesterone, estrogen, testosterone and DHEAS checked. And to take it one step further like I did to RULE OUT all hormonal factors, a abdominal and trans-vaginal ultrasound to check your ovaries for PCOS; polycystic ovarian syndrome (a symptom of PCOS is cystic acne). If all that comes back okay, then for me (since antibiotics are no longer working) you can try a combination of birth control and spironolactone (which blocks androgens...which can cause acne in females)...I did this together for 3 years and i was 90% clear. You can find my log under the accutane thread if you want to know more about my journey and why i am choosing accutane for treatment now. It's a tough decision to make, especially as a "naturopathic" advocate. But it's time for me to take the plunge, you'll know in your heart when you are ready to do it. But I will also suggest to exhaust EVERYTHING else until you make that decision. I hope you find peace in knowing that I am in your same darkness, but we are truly never alone.

<3

On February 9, 2016 at 7:28 PM, CNA7 said:

Hey hun! I am so sorry you are going through this, but trust me when I say you are not alone in this battle. I am too, in a very dark place right now and really only find true comfort in this website and talking with others who are experiencing the same things. Now, I too have been dealing with acne, in addition to cystic acne for quite some time (about 12 years since my first zit). I noticed your screen name states you're a vegan, awesome! I am mostly vegan (plant based) with exception of wild fish from time to time...but a few things I want to ask you that I've been discussing with my naturopathic doctor. Are you getting enough fats and protein in your diet? Both are essential for skin health. Also, are you eating high carb meals? If so, you could have a glucose issue. If all these things are in check, then I say it's time to test your hormones; and now is the time to do so (when you are not on birth control yet!) You'll definitely want your FSH, progesterone, estrogen, testosterone and DHEAS checked. And to take it one step further like I did to RULE OUT all hormonal factors, a abdominal and trans-vaginal ultrasound to check your ovaries for PCOS; polycystic ovarian syndrome (a symptom of PCOS is cystic acne). If all that comes back okay, then for me (since antibiotics are no longer working) you can try a combination of birth control and spironolactone (which blocks androgens...which can cause acne in females)...I did this together for 3 years and i was 90% clear. You can find my log under the accutane thread if you want to know more about my journey and why i am choosing accutane for treatment now. It's a tough decision to make, especially as a "naturopathic" advocate. But it's time for me to take the plunge, you'll know in your heart when you are ready to do it. But I will also suggest to exhaust EVERYTHING else until you make that decision. I hope you find peace in knowing that I am in your same darkness, but we are truly never alone.

<3

I keep track of my protein intake and I can assure you I'm getting more than enough protein. I'm pretty sure this is just a hormonal issue

(I'm on mobile and I'm not sure why this update keeps merging with my last reply but I've gotta update so here ya go, sorry)

Update:

Oh my gosh, the left side of my face is getting so soft and smooth!! I don't want to get my hopes up, but if my entire face were as clear as my left cheek is I'd be so happy. My face still hurts though, especially the cystic spot on my right cheek. I started using hydrogen peroxide every night and though it stings, it's been helping a lot. I read the reviews here for it and decided to give it a try. It's been getting rid of the tiny breakouts really quickly. There are only two spots I'm currently really unhappy with. I had a blemish appear and breakout pretty badly under my nose a few days ago. ): in my opinion, that's like the worst spot to breakout. That and also I have one cystic spot on my chin that just makes my chin have an awkward looking bump. BUT BUT BUT the great thing is that both of these are going away really quickly. I still have a few little breakouts sometimes but they usually go away within a day or two. They've mostly been on my jawline and I don't mind them much because they don't hurt or look that bad.
As far as scarring goes, my left side is doing great and my right side is still currently deep in the healing process so I'll get back to you guys on that. I think there is definitely less redness all over though.
I keep changing my opinion on this treatment and it's quite confusing. Like I said before, my skin has been changing so quickly. One morning I'll have five red bumps on my jawline and the next night they'll be flat. My left cheek went from horribly dry and burning to really smooth and soft within a few days. I was worried the dry period would last a long time, but at least my left side seems to be out of it.

This is an extremely long update and it's mostly me just rambling. Skip to the last paragraph if you want a shortened explanation. Sorry for the roll coaster ride, I guess.

My skin looks like shit. Woke up to like five more breakouts on my left cheek and the giant purple mark on my right cheek just looks bigger and darker. My skin is extremely red and dry and it's so extremely painful. I have another breakout just above my lip and dying right about now doesn't sound too bad. I cancelled another one of my piano lessons, this is the third one, because I'd honestly rather kill myself than have someone sit so close to me and see my skin. When I go grocery shopping I wear a scarf over the bottom half of my face. I barely leave the house. I feel like I'd be better off not doing anything to my skin because it just looks like shit and it hurts so bad now. It's so gross and dry and red, and the best part? I don't even have any nice features to make up for it. Even if my skin magically cleared up tomorrow I'd still wake up looking like shit so I guess it doesn't really matter anyway. All this stupid fucking treatment is doing is making my skin so so dry. It's making my acne stand out more and it's making me breakout in places I don't usually. I knew there could be a purge, but I wasn't emotionally prepared for it. So many people say that the purge can last up to several months but I can't live with myself that long. I'm just beyond upset right now. Nothing is helping and I'm running out of time. I have to get a job soon and start learning how to be an adult. I can't sit around my house for weeks crying over how ugly I am. I'm lucky I can take classes online but I know that won't last forever. I have to learn how to just suck it up and shut the fuck up about it. I've missed out on so many great things because I felt too ugly to be seen. I've lashed out at people just because I'm so angry at myself. Who knew having some fucking painful red spots on your face could ruin your entire life.

Sorry I'm rambling. I'm just so upset right now. The treatment is just doing so much more harm than good. Not only to my skin, but to my mental health. I'm already not the most stable of people and this has just angered me so much, I can't keep doing it. I though yesterday I was doing okay but I hadn't really looked at my skin all that much in good lighting. This morning I looked at it and I just had like an emotional breakdown. My mother tried calming me down and she's trying to talk to my doctor about what to do now. I'm going to talk to my doctor and see if there's any sort of pills I can take. I never wanted it to take things this far but I'm so desperate. It's one thing to have acne, and another thing to have giant red/purple/blue cysts that take up your entire chin/jaw/right cheek. It's hurting so bad again and on top of that it just looks and physically feels horrible. I have no self confidence, I feel so gross flaking everywhere, I can barely leave the house without wanting to kill myself and I can barely sleep at night because it hurts so bad. I'll update when I find out what I'm doing. These updates have been everywhere. Quite the roller coaster ride. I just want my battle with cystic acne to be over with. I can't keep living like this.

You are sooooo not alone!!!!!!! If it makes you feel any better, my son is going through the exact same thing!!!! Lots of large, purplish cystic acne, and on both cheeks. His skin's a royal mess too. He's only 14 but has had mild but persistent acne since age 12, until this past December when he really started breaking out bad.

How often are you using the tretinoin cream? If you could incorporate some 2.5% BP gel, you might have better success. Although tretinoin made his skin softer and smoother right away, we also had the same nightmare you're going through with worsened cystic acne and raw, red skin. So we stopped and went back to BP. We aggressively treated his cystic acne with 2.5% BP twice a day (plus cleanser and moisturizer/AHA+) for several weeks. This week things finally were finally calming down enough where we could begin tretinoin cream again. Only this time, we decided to try applying over the top of last night's BP and moisturizer and leave on for 5-6 hours before washing off and doing the Regimen as usual. We only needed a pea-size amount of tretinoin to cover his skin with a light film, and right away we noticed the smoothness like before. We're going to do this on weekends or whenever he's home from school, and not every day. Hoping that doing this 2-3 times a week coupled with only leaving tretinoin on his skin for part of the day might be enough and work better than using daily.

The tretinoin will help smooth skin, help dry out pustules, and should even help heal any minor scarring. It's also not a bad spot treatment. We applied a thicker coating over a huge cyst he had brewing just above his eyebrow and it came to a head by the next day! So it's worth using. But the BP is what will kill p.acnes bacteria and prevent future breakouts, which is why BP is the heart of his treatment plan. His skin reached a major turning point after weeks of struggling to clear up his skin, so am hopeful this is going to work! I can let you know how we do if you're interested.

I love the 2.5% BP they sell on here, but you can get 2.5% BP at any drugstore (Neutrogena On-The-Spot). Try using this twice a day along with a good moisturizer (Cetaphil is a trusted brand and derm recommended). Do this for a few weeks until your cystic acne is healed up enough where you can begin incorporating the tretinoin cream 1-2 times a week. See if this approach works better. You could also ask your derm to prescribe 100 mgs minocycline for good measure. This might help calm things down. 

Sending a big hug your way, you seem like you could use it! 

xx DeLovely

HI All, I am new to this site so forgive me if I am posting in the wrong forum. 

A little bit about me... I have been suffering from breakouts since age 15 (currently 25) and suffer only from cystic acne (not to say I don't get the occasion whitehead every now and then). Now, I know I don't have severe acne, but every week or two I seem to get one HUGE cyst, only in my chin area.

I started birth control at age 16, tried every product - BP, SA, minocycline, doxycline, atrilin, clindamindaycin, two prescription face washes, blue light therapy, cortisone injections. Tried OTC products as well. I have also tried home remedies- toothpaste, ACV, tea tree oil. Recently purchased Renee Rouleau anti-cyst serum - it's done nothing. Mario Badeascu buffering and trying lotion, forget it, doesn't work on cysts. 

Currently use Clean and Clear gentle face wash, and minimal moisturizer, epiduio in the morning and tazarac at night. I take 50mg spironolactone once a day as well. As you can see nothing is helping... still suffer from one cyst(s) every few weeks. I know it may not seem like a huge deal, but I am VERY very pale so any cyst that appears is always red, pulsing and huge (as we all know too well) so they are always very noticeable. Not to mention they hurt, sometimes wake me up in the middle of the night, and give me a lot of anxiety.

I recently had about two weeks of being breakout free and I have no clue why. But, two weeks ago I had a monster cyst develop right below by lip and had it injected on Monday Feb 8th. Seemed to shrink the cyst a little, but not much. My new derm said she won't inject the same cyst until I wait for 4 weeks?!!! HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THAT PROBLEM? I've had multiple cysts injected 2x and did not have to wait 4 weeks in between (BTW, never suffered from atrophy). I don't know what to do about this huge cyst under my lip because it seems like a cortisone injection is out of the question (even though I know it will most likely help). Don't want to doctor shop either, but I'm losing hope.

Im going through a very stressful time in my life (just graduated law school and studying for the bar now). Oh plus, going on vacation to Mexico with my boyfriend and I am so stressed about my skin.

Any tips, recommendations would be GREATLY appreciated!!!! 

Still trying the Renee Rouleau anti-cyst serum but I have give up hope. Nobody in my family understands my skin problems, my mom keeps telling me to forget about it but I can't. It runs my life  

Thanks for listening to me rant!

Hello Desperate Vegan,

I truly feel your pain. I suffered with severe, moderate, and mild acne for 10 years. I have tried many diets but only one has truly helped me. I am not sure it if will work for you because our dietary habits are totally different. Just tell me what you eat throughout the day. Dairy is not the only acne exacerbating food.

I just want to give you all a big hug because I am going through the same emotional feelings. It's easy for my to say "you're beautiful no matter what" but I know from my own personal experience, those words only fall on deaf ears. I try to explain it to my husband that I want to feel beautiful for myself; from the inside out; and no matter how many times he, my family or friends tell me "you are beautiful Cristine" it simply does not resonate (although I do appreciate the compliment, it's hard to take it verbatim) Don't you ladies agree? I think this is where the psychological effects of acne really do come into play - the OCD, the desire for perfectionism, self-esteem issues, body dysmorphicdisorder, anxiety, and also I know from my experience the "disordered" eating (not an eating disorder), but a pattern of avoiding all inflammatory foods or foods that can/do react negatively with your skin.

Natural Vegan, I know what it's like to cancel plans because of your skin -- I have been doing that lately as well...it's hard to do because I know it feeds the OCD; which for an instance lowers your anxiety because you won't have to face the world but at the same time it's pushing us deeper into depression; isolating ourselves from the world and anyone and everyone we love and feel close to. In order to break the OCD cycle we have to put ourselves in that anxious state-of-mind; to go out into the world with our skin the way it is, because if we don't the cycle will never be broken. Easier said than done, but remember... progress, not perfection is the goal here, because there is not such thing as perfect.A few things I personally recommend; take acetaminophen or Tylenol for the acne pain and inflammation; this helps with all my cysts no doubt. Pop 3, 500mg pills upon waking, and 3 more upon bedtime; watch your alcohol intake though and limit to 3 pills a day if you are drinking that day. Make a rice sock; get a clean sock and scoop 1 c. of white rice into the soak, tie the top in a knot and microwave for 30 seconds (very warm,but not hot). Apply to the cyst multiple times a day; using castor oil on the cyst then the soak will help penetrate the heat but not clog your pores either. Try hydrocolloid bandages for swelling and drainage of a cyst. I swear by these. And remember that added stress can cause your hormones negatively and over compensate on oil production; leading to more acne. Find something you an do at home that relaxes you; lay in a dark room and listen to music, watch your favorite movies or tv shows, write, or even just focus on breathing when you feel overwhelmed or anxious. You are a beautiful person, your just going through a tough time right now; and you are not alone in that at all; I am here. Remind yourself with sticky notes on your mirror that "there is no such thing as perfect" "I am beautiful inside and out" "I am worth self-love"... also, if your anxiety is as bad as mine, seek help from a professional therapist; you are not failure for seeking help (if you decide to), you are helping yourself an that is the first step in overcoming just about anything you'll face in the world, even acne.

Cystics Sufferer, I think a lot of what I wrote to Natural Vegan will pertain to you as well. To answer one of your questions about the injection of a cyst multiple times; I too have run into this. By injecting a cyst multiple times you are risking not only the indent but scar tissue. Which has happened to two of my spots. If you have enough spirnolactone, I'd up the dosage for your trip to Mexico to 100mg -- you could also ask your doctor to do so. I never saw results from spiro at such a low dose of 50mg. I had 90% clear skin, no cysts for 3 years at 150mg. Side note: have you been tested for PCOS? Hormonal abnormalities? Etc? Cystic acne is a symptom of PCOS and should be ruled out. However, the choice drug for managing cystic acne due to PCOS is spiro, just at a higher dosage. I am an abnormality because I don't have PCOS or hormonal issues, but still the cystic acne. Most likely due to PTSD, anxiety, stress which causes the adrenal glands to run out of gas or over compensate. While I work on the anxiety and stress issues, I will be starting accutane March 1st. Have you considered this yourself? Btw, congrats on graduating law school!

<3 love.

Hello, old thread of mine. I'm back.

Sorry this is long, but I'm so emotional over how far I have come. Hopefully I will never have to make another post like the one I did last year ever again.

I'm here to announce that, hopefully, I am truly on the road to recovery. I'm on spironolactone right now. My first dermatologist was full of shit, it turns out. My new one, however, is a brilliant derm who genuinely wants to help me. He took one look at me and told me my acne was hormonal, unlike the derm before who accused me of just not washing my face (thanks for nothing, asshole). I'm a little over two months into my treatment and though I'm no where near cured, I am currently healing and giving spiro time to work. My cystic back and chest acne has pretty much disappeared. My face is still breaking out but I was clear for an entire month!! I currently have three small cysts, but compare that to my usual 15-20+ cysts I had before, spironolactone has already changed my life. Since my last period though, my skin has been kind of blah, but the cysts I do have are so much smaller, less painful, less red (not purple or blue anymore!!), and heal SO MUCH quicker than they used to.

When I first started spiro, I had three really severe cysts going horizontally across my upper cheek that had been there for TWO MONTHS without showing any signs of going away on their own. Meanwhile, on spiro now, I got a cyst two days ago and now I can hardly see where it used to be.

I just wanted to come back to this old post, and say that I am getting better. There's still ups and downs, but I have finally found the treatment rout I need. No more being accused of not washing my face enough, or not showering. No more being told it's because of my diet, and no more being told all my pain is caused by "having hair on my face".

I didn't think my acne was hormonal. My breakouts were constant, all month long, not just around my period. My first dermatologist grabbed my face, pulled me around, and told me it was because my hair was kind of oily and accused me of not showering enough, and made me feel like I was dirty and gross. She never even mentioned it could be hormonal. My 17 year old self wanted to trust her so I went down the "buy every product at ulta in hopes of finding my miracle cure " rout, without ever realizing on my own that this problem can only be treated from the inside.

My new dermatologist is so kind and determined to help me. Not just physically, but I think he really understands the psychological pain severe acne can cause. He didn't try to give me antibiotics and convince me they would work, or give me tretinoin, and lecture me about having a strand of hair on my face.

For those of you struggling with cystic acne, I cannot stress how important it is to find a dermatologist who genuinely cares about your case. Find someone who listens to you and your concerns. If four years ago I had found a dermatologist like my current one, and they told me my acne was hormonal, I would most likely have been clear this whole time.

It feels ridiculous to get so emotional over acne, but my struggle has been silent and ongoing for so long. All those days of crying myself to sleep and covering myself in makeup and hiding inside my house are already just a memory to me.

I no longer feel suicidal over my condition. I don't exactly love my skin, not yet, but I don't cry when I look at myself up close in a mirror. That's a miracle in itself. I have a lot of healing and progress to make, but I just wanted to come back and say that it's okay to be upset over your acne. There's nothing self centered about wanting to feel beautiful and confident. There's nothing embarrassing about having a hormonal imbalance that results in cystic acne. You deserve to not live in physical and emotional pain because of it. I never ever in the past four years would ever believe that I am where I am right now with my skin. I never thought I'd live to see the day that I have absolutely no cysts anywhere on my body, or a day where I don't feel horribly embarrassed about being seen in public. I was so close to just giving up and accepting that my skin was the way it was. I'm glad I didn't, because I feel like I'm finally on the road to getting better.

Before spironolactone, I had the absolute worst case of cystic acne I have ever seen in my entire life. Not to say my case is the worst there ever was, but it was so severe. I never thought I'd get better, but I am here now. I truly believe that there is an answer out there for everyone, and I hope you all find it too.

I am currently keeping a log of my spironolactone journey too if anyone would like to keep up with it.