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I've had acne since I was 15 I'm now 20. It's located only on my cheeks. I have no acne on my forehead or chin or nose just on my cheeks. How do I know if it's hormonal? Isn't all acne hormonal? I've tried antibiotics and over the counter treatments nothing has helped me. It gets worse around the time of my period but I don't just break out during that time I break out the whole month. My face is also very oily always. I use oil blotting sheets and you'd be amazed how much oil I always have. How do I know what type of acne it is I've heard of cystic and papules and I don't know what any of that means and I don't know how to classify my acne. I usually get one or 2 new pimples every week and they get really red and painful and you can actually pop them. So I went to a dermatologist and she prescribed spironolactone but she said it works best for people with acne on their chin and jawline. Is acne only hormonal if it's on your chin or jawline? Will spironolactone help me at all? My sister has acne and has been taking birth control for about 4 years and she still has acne. Does that mean her acne is not hormonal? How do you know if it's hormonal or not? What can I expect from the spironolactone has anyone tried it?can you tell me how it's helped you?Please help and id appreciate any advice.
Good morning! So many questions, but I will try to cover all of them the best I can.
Yes, all acne is hormonal. Breakouts are usually worse around our period because our hormones fluctuate, causing lower estrogen and progesterone, which generally causes skin produces more oil.
Cystic acne is the larger, painful knots that emerge under the skin. Usually, cysts cannot be immediately popped. They are very painful and generally will take 3-10 days before anything will come out of them. It usually doesn't matter what "type" you have: cystic, blackheads, whiteheads, etc. It's all acne and all caused by hormones.
Spironolactone is an androgen blocker. Androgens are a type of male hormone, present in females as well, that can play a large role in the development of acne.
Taking birth control does not mean your acne will go away. If your sister has acne as well, I am pretty certain you both have genetic makeup predisposing you both to acne. Genes play a role in acne, but mostly because genes play a role in hormonal makeup.
Spironolactone helps a lot of women with acne, however, for most women, the acne returns once the medication is stopped. If you have low blood pressure, be careful with spiro. Also, I recommend limiting your intake of potassium rich foods such as potatoes, salmon, and bananas. Spiro can cause potassium to be dangerously high, that is why blood tests are usually ordered once a month.
Do you have any other signs of a hormonal imbalance? Irregular periods, thin scalp hair, weight gain, depression, mood swings, carb cravings, etc.?
Hi there! I think that the root cause of acne is, indeed, hormonal. There are just instances wherein these hormones become consistently overly active or in some, become unbalanced. On the other hand, the situation may be aggravated by several factors such as hygiene, diet, and the like.
I think you can tell that your acne is hormonal if it is still persistent despite having been tried every acne remedy there is. It will go away for a while and once your skin becomes resistant towards a certain treatment, the acne will come back. You could also try observing your bodily functions. There are certain circumstances when us, ladies, have higher androgen levels than the usual. Look for signs like irregular menstruation and facial hair. Also, they say that the regular spot of hormonal acne is around the chin and mouth area.
Spinorolactone's mechanism is anti androgenic. So it means it blocks the synthesis of male-related hormone in the system. So basically, the first thing that you'll notice is the decreased production of oil.
There are different kinds of birth control. If your sister still has acne while on it, then maybe she's using the wrong derivative. Typical types of birth control used for acne treatment are those that have anti androgenic properties.