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Hello girls,
I have a question for those of you who have hormonal acne. How do you know it's hormonal for sure? I'm trying to figure out if mine is. I used to get nodules and cysts, a lot on my chin but also on my forehead (cheeks have always been pretty clear). I started taking Diane 35 (regrettably, in some ways) two years ago and haven't had many nodules since then but still get cysts and smaller pimples. Now, suddenly, I'm getting nodules again, on my forehead and chin.
Since I get acne on my chin a lot, and because my skin did improve on Diane 35 in terms of keeping nodules at bay (until now), is it likely hormonal? I've never noticed that my skin is different during any particular time of the month, nor has stress ever seemed to have an impact. I didn't think diet played much of a role either, however, this month I decided to be "healthy" and drink ridiculous amounts of fruit smoothies for the first time in my life and after a few weeks of this, I have nodules on my face. It could be a coincidence I guess, and Diane 35 just happens to be becoming less effective.
I really hate nodules and I'd forgotten how horrible it is to have them. I just called my dermatologist too and she doesn't let people come in on short notice and get them injected, so I just have this monstrous lump on my chin and can do absolutely nothing about it.
If anyone has any thoughts on whether or not my acne sounds hormonal, please chime in!!
Edit: I don't know if this is relevant but I don't seem to be too sensitive to changes in birth control... I've been on and off a few different kinds over the past ten years and never had an initial breakout or had problems after going off them. That being said, I know even I won't be immune to the post-Diane 35 apocalypse. I didn't have an initial breakout with Diane, though.
The only way to know if your hormones are out of whack is to have them tested. Many people think certain areas of the face mean hormonal acne but I think it varies for everyone. You could try keeping a journal of when you get acne. Is it always a certain time of the month? In regards to the fruit smoothies, fruit is still sugar and if you eat too much sugar it's going to spike your blood sugar so I would lay off the fruit smoothies. Try to eat a lot of vegetables but limit fruit to 2-3 servings a day, not in smoothie form. Also certain fruits are higher in sugar as well.
What topicals do you use on your face?
Hey mel, thanks for the response. Can you get hormones tested while on the pill though? I was thinking about that, but then I thought since I'm on the pill, my hormones levels aren't representative of how they are naturally.
Yeah, the reason I believed it was hormonal was because my dermatologist noticed there was a lot on my chin the first time I went and said "It's probably hormonal." I asked if it would ever sort itself out and she said "Maybe. Maybe not". Helpful woman..
About the fruit smoothies... I know, that wasn't smart and as soon as this large nodule appeared last weekend I stopped drinking them. I've eaten ridiculously badly in the past though (Halloween candy for every meal for a week.... don't judge 
) and never noticed it affecting my acne so I didn't even consider the smoothies would cause me problems.
I don't use any topicals because I've used several in the past and they've never helped with cysts or nodules at all.
I am aware that my acne is hormonal as it began raging during puberty and always hung around. Many say you can tell by the location, but if you also tend to have oily skin that can be a sign your hormones are imbalanced, either low estrogen, progesterone or higher androgen. I became mostly clear as soon as I started Yasmin, but would still have one or two pimples each week that would go away and never an issue. Before that I had cystic acne from about 16-20 and it didn't care where it showed up, forehead, cheek, chin.
Then it all cropped up again, I remember the actual weekend where I started getting cysts on my chin again, this was around 26. I was on the pill, but had been training extensively, building more muscle, going through a stressful time so hormones got wacky again. Used clindamyacin and bcp and it settled to manageable, again maybe 1 or 2 smaller pimples a week.
Fast forward to 32, changed BCP and was bodybuilding for about 10 months. This through me completely out of whack, no period, hormonal breakouts around chin, jaw and pretty consistent. Not as severe as 16. I was not tested, but since Yasmin worked for me before, the nature of my acne, my sudden increased oil production then the acne to follow, the light blonde peach fuzz facial hair I noticed way more of.
Luckily I came across these boards and am on treatment with Yasmin and Spironolactone and working towards getting clear. If you haven't read into it, I highly suggest the option. Especially if Dianette 35 did work, your hormones may have fluctuated for whatever reasons, diet, life, being a woman and you may benefit adding Spiro to this. Many woman on this board have had succes on both. 
) Happy Friday!
I agree that smoothies can have a lot of sugar in them and that might be aggravating your acne. It's also possible that your body kind of built tolerance to the anti androgenic effect, I know it happened to a few people here and it happened to me when I was on Yaz for the first time. You know your acne is hormonal when it always gets worse around your period, when it's mainly on your jawline and sides of your chin, and when topicals don't do anything in terms of prevention. That's been my experience, anyway. Can't say yours would be the same.
Yeah, it's hard to say. Mine definitely isn't worse during my period and it's equally bad on my forehead and chin. Topicals haven't worked but I assumed that's because it's the more severe type of acne (cysts and nodules) and topicals can't really reach those.
If I don't continue breaking out, I'm attributing my current flare up to the smoothies. I'm so mad at myself about that... what a stupid reason to be stuck with massive nodules for the next few weeks. Then again, I really hope they were the cause because the alternative is I'm becoming resistant to Diane 35.
Still have no clue if what I have is hormonal, though.