Hey Yal!
New to this forum. I am having such a hard time trying to find a skin care regimen. This week has been the worst week for me, I have the most painful pimples mostly around my chin and cheek area and 2 painful pimples on my forehead. It is hormonal acne.
Since the age of 13 I been breaking out. Not only do I have a oily T zone, but my cheeks and jawline get dry in the winter. I have recently been breaking out on my neck as well, but that's not anything new. I don't suffer from these painful outbreaks in the summer time. Its usually in the winter time. I also have very very large pores.
I have recently been using the new "Dial Antibacterial acne soap with 2% of salicylic acid" in the mornings, in the evening if I decide to wear foundation (which is Dior skin-forever, which has amazing coverage for me) I use Ponds cold cream to remove my make up, then I follow up with Saint Ives Green tea blackhead remover scrub, then I use Target brand sensitive toner, I moisturize with Clique spot remover Serum (because moisturizers make my face so oily) I was refusing to pay money for products that don't work on my face. However at this point I am just having a hard time and willing to spend whatever on products.
Also I have stopped using my Dior forever foundation and been going bear for quite some time now.
I have been to the dermatologist and he prescribed me antibiotics (doxycycline) to be exact. But that doesn't make my blackheads disappear so I have stopped taking them. I also started taking Sprintec (birth control) because I do not want to have kids right now.
I have way more blackheads then acne MOST of the time but right now this absolutely painful acne is just making me so upset I don't what to do anymore. I have dry skin around the places where I recently had a pimple because I been using benzyl peroxide cream as spot treatment on my pimples at night to see if that would work.
A co worker of mine recommended and bought me a bar of Asepso antiseptic soap (Its a black bar) and it smells very strong and medicated. I have not tried it yet.
LIKE I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO AT THIS POINT! I am so frustrated at this point and all I want to do is cry, I am a 24 year old with severe acne on my face, the pimples are not small either, they are huge like 3-6 pimples in one!
Any advice anyone else going through the same problem?
Give the birth control time to work, it will help! Also I think Sprintec is the generic for Ortho Cyclen right? Some people don't get the same results with generics, so maybe you can switch for regular Ortho Cyclen if you don't see improvement? You're beautiful, don't let some stupid acne get you down.
Thank you. I have schedule an appointment with my OB-GYN doctor to see if she can possibly prescribe something else, I have also made a appointment with a dermatologist, the one I had didn't seem like he cared too much about my skin and cared more about a paycheck. Maybe this derma clinic can help me. I refuse to take antibiotics. But thank you very much, this made me feel better
Give the birth control time to work, it will help! Also I think Sprintec is the generic for Ortho Cyclen right? Some people don't get the same results with generics, so maybe you can switch for regular Ortho Cyclen if you don't see improvement? You're beautiful, don't let some stupid acne get you down.
Thank you, I will def try the Vitamin D, will buy tomorrow
Maybe start with a moderate dose of vitamin D, since you say your skin is worse in winter.
Hi Jenni,
I would highly recommend you consider accutane, it will clear your acne. The typical course is about 6 months, and it's very effective. I went on it when I was 21 for six months, and I am now 22 with no cystic acne.
The doctor I went to was Dr. Lodha from Pura dermatology. He is a very good doctor, and he will listen to your concerns. His office is located at 446 W 38th St, New York, NY 10018 and shouldn't be too far away from you.
As for the skin getting worse in the winter, that's natural. Your skin is going to get really dry in the winter up hear in New York due to the cold. If it is hormonal acne, perhaps birth control will help you, and if you want to explore that option, you should. Accutane more or less should be a permanent solution to acne, and you're required to take it with birth control because you're a female.
Thank you! I went to the Dermatologist at Tribeca Skin Center close to Chinatown. She gave me four prescriptions. She gave me Spironolactone 50 MG, Generic version of Retin-A (Tretinoin 0.025% cream) for the evening and Clindamycin 1% (gel) for the morning last but not least Sodium sulfacetamide 10% sulfur 5% Face wash.
However the Fash wash was $270.00 and I def did NOT get it. Ended up going Sephora and purchased Peter Thomas Roth Glycolic Acid face wash 3% which she recommended in the case that the wash she prescribed was too expensive and not covered by my insurance which it was.
Before I went to the dermatologist I did my research on accutane and I heard so many good things about it but so many side effects, which comes with all medication, but I did read the bad reviews on it.
If this combination does not work for me, I will most def try the accutane. Thank you very much
Hi Jenni,
I would highly recommend you consider accutane, it will clear your acne. The typical course is about 6 months, and it's very effective. I went on it when I was 21 for six months, and I am now 22 with no cystic acne.
The doctor I went to was Dr. Lodha from Pura dermatology. He is a very good doctor, and he will listen to your concerns. His office is located at 446 W 38th St, New York, NY 10018 and shouldn't be too far away from you.
As for the skin getting worse in the winter, that's natural. Your skin is going to get really dry in the winter up hear in New York due to the cold. If it is hormonal acne, perhaps birth control will help you, and if you want to explore that option, you should. Accutane more or less should be a permanent solution to acne, and you're required to take it with birth control because you're a female.
Thank you! I went to the Dermatologist at Tribeca Skin Center close to Chinatown. She gave me four prescriptions. She gave me Spironolactone 50 MG, Generic version of Retin-A (Tretinoin 0.025% cream) for the evening and Clindamycin 1% (gel) for the morning last but not least Sodium sulfacetamide 10% sulfur 5% Face wash.
However the Fash wash was $270.00 and I def did NOT get it. Ended up going Sephora and purchased Peter Thomas Roth Glycolic Acid face wash 3% which she recommended in the case that the wash she prescribed was too expensive and not covered by my insurance which it was.
Before I went to the dermatologist I did my research on accutane and I heard so many good things about it but so many side effects, which comes with all medication, but I did read the bad reviews on it.
If this combination does not work for me, I will most def try the accutane. Thank you very much
Hi Jenni,
I would highly recommend you consider accutane, it will clear your acne. The typical course is about 6 months, and it's very effective. I went on it when I was 21 for six months, and I am now 22 with no cystic acne.
The doctor I went to was Dr. Lodha from Pura dermatology. He is a very good doctor, and he will listen to your concerns. His office is located at 446 W 38th St, New York, NY 10018 and shouldn't be too far away from you.
As for the skin getting worse in the winter, that's natural. Your skin is going to get really dry in the winter up hear in New York due to the cold. If it is hormonal acne, perhaps birth control will help you, and if you want to explore that option, you should. Accutane more or less should be a permanent solution to acne, and you're required to take it with birth control because you're a female.
Yeah, certainly try all of your options first. And that wash was crazy expensive. Everyone's different, so I'm sure some people react differently to Accutane than others. Personally, all I experienced was the severe dryness associated with it. They're pretty strict with getting blood tests every month to make sure everything is funtioning correctly. Anyways Jenni, I wish you the best!
I hear you, it's been so hard for me to find over the counter facial wash, toners and moisturizer that work. Some seem to only work for about 2 weeks and then I start breaking out again. The Spiro is giving me headaches thought.. I guess that's one of the side effects. Went to bed with a headache and woke up with a headache. I took some Ibueprofen earlier today and that seem to calm down the headache, hopefully the side effect doesn't last long.
I am on Sprintec Birth control, I think the reason for my acne outburst is for the couple of days in a row that I missed in the pack.
But thank you <3
^ If it's hormonal the spiro will definitely work! Honestly I think you could clear up just with the birth control and a good topical regimen.
ugh that sprintec was the absolute worst for me. i had the worst cystic acne on it. ortho in general never made my acne any better but i didnt get the bad cysts until i started taking the tri-sprintec. i would ditch the birth control pills and just do the spiro. spiro works very well for me and keeps me totally clear which is something that birth control never did. good luck with everything 
Thank you I will try that
ugh that sprintec was the absolute worst for me. i had the worst cystic acne on it. ortho in general never made my acne any better but i didnt get the bad cysts until i started taking the tri-sprintec. i would ditch the birth control pills and just do the spiro. spiro works very well for me and keeps me totally clear which is something that birth control never did. good luck with everything
yeah it took me years to figure that out it really wasnt until my derm suggested i start taking yaz and i got a phlebitis in my arm and had to stop all birth control that i realized it. i truly believe had i never take any hormonal birth control i never would have got cystic acne. ugh!
one word of caution you dont want to get pregnant on spiro so just be careful there.
good luck to you and if you have any spiro questions you can always pm me. i would say 100mg is the really the best dose for most people for total clearance but if you have good luck on 50mg then stay on that and see how it goes. just make sure to drink tons of water