I'm not a big fan of the Aztec mask nor ACV - I think they are overhyped. Cetaphil has irritants in it, so I would avoid that too and switch to something gentler. If you post a pic of your face, that would be helpful.

I'm not a big fan of the Aztec mask nor ACV - I think they are overhyped. Cetaphil has irritants in it, so I would avoid that too and switch to something gentler. If you post a pic of your face, that would be helpful.

Thanks for the reply! What cleanser would you suggest? To be honest, the Aztec mask has just been drying out my skin quite badly and hasn't really made much of a change to my acne so I may stop using it. I was thinking about using vitamins or supplements before going down the BC route. Do they help with hormonal acne?

And here are some pictures of my face.

Hey,

 

I'm new to the forum, but have been following it for quite a few weeks. This is quite long and I'm really sorry about this! I'm kind of at a loss as of what i should do :/ My acne started at around 11, when i started going through puberty. I'm 19 now, and my acne hasn't really changed much. I've always had it on my chin, jawline and a little on my neck. It usually flares up a little around my period too. I didn't go to the doctors until last year September/October roughly as I was too embarrassed. She prescribed me Duac, which didn't make any difference to my acne whatsoever. I went back and she prescribed me Differin/Adapelene. It calmed down my spots a little, but I still kept breaking out.

 

I decided to wean myself off of the Differin in about March or late February, I'm not too sure. During that time, I don't think I used anything on my skin, except maybe a cleanser sometimes. Other than that I'd wash my face with water. Don't think it really helped, I still kept getting breakouts and some horrid ones around my period. I hated going in to university because my face looked terrible and I didn't want anyone to see me I find it hard to make eye contact with people alot, or I'm paranoid they're staring at my acne.

 

Mid-April onwards for a month, my terrible breakouts were back...they were so painful and it was exam season so I couldn't avoid everyone. They were these horrible pustules on the side of my neck and jawline. I started using a Cetaphil cleanser and bought a Clinique clinical clearing gel which didn't give me any breakouts for about 3 weeks. Then all of a sudden, I breakout horribly on my lower neck and chin I bought a La Roche Posay 3 step system and only used it for about 3 days but then stopped because I got new breakouts and was too scared to continue.

 

So since the 18th June, I've not used any products. I only wash my face with water and use the Aztec Indian healing clay mask mixed with ACV. My acne cleared a teeny bit, but I'm still breaking out. Plus the mask makes my face incredibly dry, so I've restarted using my Cetaphil cleanser again and will use the moisturising lotion too.

 

I'm not sure whether I should start using BC pills or Spiro? Lots of people seem to have success with it for their hormonal acne, so I was wondering if I should give it a try. Any tips?

 

Thanks

Hi! . I've never had any issues with cetaphil cleanser for sensitive skin (NOT the oily skin kind, it's very irritating). It doesn't treat acne, but it's good for washing off the day (and makeup) and has few ingredients.

The pattern of your acne certainly looks and sounds hormonal, but you may want to get a dermatologist involved at this point, because your skin also appears very inflammed. Unless you have any contraindications, you may talk to your OB/GYN about birth control pills, particularly ones with drosperinone - it may help. However, you should know - hormonal treatments typically take quite a while to begin working (months), and do nothing for the inflammation of your active acne in the mean time. In addition to the birth control, you may try something a little more aggressive than ACV or masks at this point, given the level of inflammation I am seeing in your pictures. Perhaps going back to the differin might help, since it sounds like it was helping somewhat in the past.

 

Hey,

I'm new to the forum, but have been following it for quite a few weeks. This is quite long and I'm really sorry about this! I'm kind of at a loss as of what i should do :/ My acne started at around 11, when i started going through puberty. I'm 19 now, and my acne hasn't really changed much. I've always had it on my chin, jawline and a little on my neck. It usually flares up a little around my period too. I didn't go to the doctors until last year September/October roughly as I was too embarrassed. She prescribed me Duac, which didn't make any difference to my acne whatsoever. I went back and she prescribed me Differin/Adapelene. It calmed down my spots a little, but I still kept breaking out.

I decided to wean myself off of the Differin in about March or late February, I'm not too sure. During that time, I don't think I used anything on my skin, except maybe a cleanser sometimes. Other than that I'd wash my face with water. Don't think it really helped, I still kept getting breakouts and some horrid ones around my period. I hated going in to university because my face looked terrible and I didn't want anyone to see me I find it hard to make eye contact with people alot, or I'm paranoid they're staring at my acne.

Mid-April onwards for a month, my terrible breakouts were back...they were so painful and it was exam season so I couldn't avoid everyone. They were these horrible pustules on the side of my neck and jawline. I started using a Cetaphil cleanser and bought a Clinique clinical clearing gel which didn't give me any breakouts for about 3 weeks. Then all of a sudden, I breakout horribly on my lower neck and chin I bought a La Roche Posay 3 step system and only used it for about 3 days but then stopped because I got new breakouts and was too scared to continue.

So since the 18th June, I've not used any products. I only wash my face with water and use the Aztec Indian healing clay mask mixed with ACV. My acne cleared a teeny bit, but I'm still breaking out. Plus the mask makes my face incredibly dry, so I've restarted using my Cetaphil cleanser again and will use the moisturising lotion too.

I'm not sure whether I should start using BC pills or Spiro? Lots of people seem to have success with it for their hormonal acne, so I was wondering if I should give it a try. Any tips?

Thanks

Hi! . I've never had any issues with cetaphil cleanser for sensitive skin (NOT the oily skin kind, it's very irritating). It doesn't treat acne, but it's good for washing off the day (and makeup) and has few ingredients.

The pattern of your acne certainly looks and sounds hormonal, but you may want to get a dermatologist involved at this point, because your skin also appears very inflammed. Unless you have any contraindications, you may talk to your OB/GYN about birth control pills, particularly ones with drosperinone - it may help. However, you should know - hormonal treatments typically take quite a while to begin working (months), and do nothing for the inflammation of your active acne in the mean time. In addition to the birth control, you may try something a little more aggressive than ACV or masks at this point, given the level of inflammation I am seeing in your pictures. Perhaps going back to the differin might help, since it sounds like it was helping somewhat in the past.

Hi! Thanks for replying I'm still using cetaphil, but I don't use it as much. I'm just so confused because I've seen both bad and good opinions regarding it, but I'll stick with it for now, until I find something better maybe.

I think that I may book an appointment for a dermatologist soon, probably within a month. Going to the GP isn't as helpful, as although my doctor is lovely she seems abit unsure as of what to prescribe me. So dermatologist it shall be!

I'm kind of scared to try out the differin again because I broke out, so instead I'm going to try a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide cream to help calm my spots down in the meantime. And what would be more aggressive than ACV or masks? Thanks!

 

Hey,

I'm new to the forum, but have been following it for quite a few weeks. This is quite long and I'm really sorry about this! I'm kind of at a loss as of what i should do :/ My acne started at around 11, when i started going through puberty. I'm 19 now, and my acne hasn't really changed much. I've always had it on my chin, jawline and a little on my neck. It usually flares up a little around my period too. I didn't go to the doctors until last year September/October roughly as I was too embarrassed. She prescribed me Duac, which didn't make any difference to my acne whatsoever. I went back and she prescribed me Differin/Adapelene. It calmed down my spots a little, but I still kept breaking out.

I decided to wean myself off of the Differin in about March or late February, I'm not too sure. During that time, I don't think I used anything on my skin, except maybe a cleanser sometimes. Other than that I'd wash my face with water. Don't think it really helped, I still kept getting breakouts and some horrid ones around my period. I hated going in to university because my face looked terrible and I didn't want anyone to see me I find it hard to make eye contact with people alot, or I'm paranoid they're staring at my acne.

Mid-April onwards for a month, my terrible breakouts were back...they were so painful and it was exam season so I couldn't avoid everyone. They were these horrible pustules on the side of my neck and jawline. I started using a Cetaphil cleanser and bought a Clinique clinical clearing gel which didn't give me any breakouts for about 3 weeks. Then all of a sudden, I breakout horribly on my lower neck and chin I bought a La Roche Posay 3 step system and only used it for about 3 days but then stopped because I got new breakouts and was too scared to continue.

So since the 18th June, I've not used any products. I only wash my face with water and use the Aztec Indian healing clay mask mixed with ACV. My acne cleared a teeny bit, but I'm still breaking out. Plus the mask makes my face incredibly dry, so I've restarted using my Cetaphil cleanser again and will use the moisturising lotion too.

I'm not sure whether I should start using BC pills or Spiro? Lots of people seem to have success with it for their hormonal acne, so I was wondering if I should give it a try. Any tips?

Thanks

Hi! . I've never had any issues with cetaphil cleanser for sensitive skin (NOT the oily skin kind, it's very irritating). It doesn't treat acne, but it's good for washing off the day (and makeup) and has few ingredients.

The pattern of your acne certainly looks and sounds hormonal, but you may want to get a dermatologist involved at this point, because your skin also appears very inflammed. Unless you have any contraindications, you may talk to your OB/GYN about birth control pills, particularly ones with drosperinone - it may help. However, you should know - hormonal treatments typically take quite a while to begin working (months), and do nothing for the inflammation of your active acne in the mean time. In addition to the birth control, you may try something a little more aggressive than ACV or masks at this point, given the level of inflammation I am seeing in your pictures. Perhaps going back to the differin might help, since it sounds like it was helping somewhat in the past.

Hi! Thanks for replying I'm still using cetaphil, but I don't use it as much. I'm just so confused because I've seen both bad and good opinions regarding it, but I'll stick with it for now, until I find something better maybe.

I think that I may book an appointment for a dermatologist soon, probably within a month. Going to the GP isn't as helpful, as although my doctor is lovely she seems abit unsure as of what to prescribe me. So dermatologist it shall be!

I'm kind of scared to try out the differin again because I broke out, so instead I'm going to try a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide cream to help calm my spots down in the meantime. And what would be more aggressive than ACV or masks? Thanks!

Hi - The BP 2.5% is a good bet- that's what I was going with when I meant something more aggressive but I wasn't sure if you had issues in the past with using BP (I see you used duac without success). Retinoids can definitely cause flare-ups, and I totally get why you'd want to avoid that right now. I'd stick with a good BP regimen until you can talk to your dermatologist. Let them know that you aren't willing to work through another flare up given the degree of your current inflammation. Maybe another BP/ Abx combo might be helpful - maybe benzacline (BP/erithromycin).

To me it looks like it could be folliculitis, which can be treated with anti-fungals, not hormonal treatments. Do a google image search for folliculitis and you'll see some of the same pus-filled spots as you have, as well as similar inflamed ones.

Do you get facial hair at all?

 

 

 

 

 

Hey,

I'm new to the forum, but have been following it for quite a few weeks. This is quite long and I'm really sorry about this! I'm kind of at a loss as of what i should do :/ My acne started at around 11, when i started going through puberty. I'm 19 now, and my acne hasn't really changed much. I've always had it on my chin, jawline and a little on my neck. It usually flares up a little around my period too. I didn't go to the doctors until last year September/October roughly as I was too embarrassed. She prescribed me Duac, which didn't make any difference to my acne whatsoever. I went back and she prescribed me Differin/Adapelene. It calmed down my spots a little, but I still kept breaking out.

I decided to wean myself off of the Differin in about March or late February, I'm not too sure. During that time, I don't think I used anything on my skin, except maybe a cleanser sometimes. Other than that I'd wash my face with water. Don't think it really helped, I still kept getting breakouts and some horrid ones around my period. I hated going in to university because my face looked terrible and I didn't want anyone to see me I find it hard to make eye contact with people alot, or I'm paranoid they're staring at my acne.

Mid-April onwards for a month, my terrible breakouts were back...they were so painful and it was exam season so I couldn't avoid everyone. They were these horrible pustules on the side of my neck and jawline. I started using a Cetaphil cleanser and bought a Clinique clinical clearing gel which didn't give me any breakouts for about 3 weeks. Then all of a sudden, I breakout horribly on my lower neck and chin I bought a La Roche Posay 3 step system and only used it for about 3 days but then stopped because I got new breakouts and was too scared to continue.

So since the 18th June, I've not used any products. I only wash my face with water and use the Aztec Indian healing clay mask mixed with ACV. My acne cleared a teeny bit, but I'm still breaking out. Plus the mask makes my face incredibly dry, so I've restarted using my Cetaphil cleanser again and will use the moisturising lotion too.

I'm not sure whether I should start using BC pills or Spiro? Lots of people seem to have success with it for their hormonal acne, so I was wondering if I should give it a try. Any tips?

Thanks

 

Hi! . I've never had any issues with cetaphil cleanser for sensitive skin (NOT the oily skin kind, it's very irritating). It doesn't treat acne, but it's good for washing off the day (and makeup) and has few ingredients.

The pattern of your acne certainly looks and sounds hormonal, but you may want to get a dermatologist involved at this point, because your skin also appears very inflammed. Unless you have any contraindications, you may talk to your OB/GYN about birth control pills, particularly ones with drosperinone - it may help. However, you should know - hormonal treatments typically take quite a while to begin working (months), and do nothing for the inflammation of your active acne in the mean time. In addition to the birth control, you may try something a little more aggressive than ACV or masks at this point, given the level of inflammation I am seeing in your pictures. Perhaps going back to the differin might help, since it sounds like it was helping somewhat in the past.

Hi! Thanks for replying I'm still using cetaphil, but I don't use it as much. I'm just so confused because I've seen both bad and good opinions regarding it, but I'll stick with it for now, until I find something better maybe.

I think that I may book an appointment for a dermatologist soon, probably within a month. Going to the GP isn't as helpful, as although my doctor is lovely she seems abit unsure as of what to prescribe me. So dermatologist it shall be!

I'm kind of scared to try out the differin again because I broke out, so instead I'm going to try a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide cream to help calm my spots down in the meantime. And what would be more aggressive than ACV or masks? Thanks!

Hi - The BP 2.5% is a good bet- that's what I was going with when I meant something more aggressive but I wasn't sure if you had issues in the past with using BP (I see you used duac without success). Retinoids can definitely cause flare-ups, and I totally get why you'd want to avoid that right now. I'd stick with a good BP regimen until you can talk to your dermatologist. Let them know that you aren't willing to work through another flare up given the degree of your current inflammation. Maybe another BP/ Abx combo might be helpful - maybe benzacline (BP/erithromycin).

Hi; I have no idea if the BP will help, but I'll try it out as soon as I receive it. Duac didn't work for me but maybe that's because it had clindamycin too, so maybe BP by itself is better? I'm not sure. Also, thanks for the suggestion! And I didn't realise that I probably needed a trip to the dermatologist, so thanks for nudging me in that direction. Hopefully I'll book an appointment relatively soon.

To me it looks like it could be folliculitis, which can be treated with anti-fungals, not hormonal treatments. Do a google image search for folliculitis and you'll see some of the same pus-filled spots as you have, as well as similar inflamed ones.

Do you get facial hair at all?

Hi

I just googled it and I see what you're saying about how my spots look similar. I do have some facial hair unfortunately, I feel like it developed recently in the past year or 2 or so it's mostly on my neck and a little on my chin. But how do I know if I have the condition? I always thought it was hormonal, because it flares around my period and has always been on the chin/jawline/neck.

 

 

 

Hey,

I'm new to the forum, but have been following it for quite a few weeks. This is quite long and I'm really sorry about this! I'm kind of at a loss as of what i should do :/ My acne started at around 11, when i started going through puberty. I'm 19 now, and my acne hasn't really changed much. I've always had it on my chin, jawline and a little on my neck. It usually flares up a little around my period too. I didn't go to the doctors until last year September/October roughly as I was too embarrassed. She prescribed me Duac, which didn't make any difference to my acne whatsoever. I went back and she prescribed me Differin/Adapelene. It calmed down my spots a little, but I still kept breaking out.

I decided to wean myself off of the Differin in about March or late February, I'm not too sure. During that time, I don't think I used anything on my skin, except maybe a cleanser sometimes. Other than that I'd wash my face with water. Don't think it really helped, I still kept getting breakouts and some horrid ones around my period. I hated going in to university because my face looked terrible and I didn't want anyone to see me I find it hard to make eye contact with people alot, or I'm paranoid they're staring at my acne.

Mid-April onwards for a month, my terrible breakouts were back...they were so painful and it was exam season so I couldn't avoid everyone. They were these horrible pustules on the side of my neck and jawline. I started using a Cetaphil cleanser and bought a Clinique clinical clearing gel which didn't give me any breakouts for about 3 weeks. Then all of a sudden, I breakout horribly on my lower neck and chin I bought a La Roche Posay 3 step system and only used it for about 3 days but then stopped because I got new breakouts and was too scared to continue.

So since the 18th June, I've not used any products. I only wash my face with water and use the Aztec Indian healing clay mask mixed with ACV. My acne cleared a teeny bit, but I'm still breaking out. Plus the mask makes my face incredibly dry, so I've restarted using my Cetaphil cleanser again and will use the moisturising lotion too.

I'm not sure whether I should start using BC pills or Spiro? Lots of people seem to have success with it for their hormonal acne, so I was wondering if I should give it a try. Any tips?

Thanks

Hi! . I've never had any issues with cetaphil cleanser for sensitive skin (NOT the oily skin kind, it's very irritating). It doesn't treat acne, but it's good for washing off the day (and makeup) and has few ingredients.

The pattern of your acne certainly looks and sounds hormonal, but you may want to get a dermatologist involved at this point, because your skin also appears very inflammed. Unless you have any contraindications, you may talk to your OB/GYN about birth control pills, particularly ones with drosperinone - it may help. However, you should know - hormonal treatments typically take quite a while to begin working (months), and do nothing for the inflammation of your active acne in the mean time. In addition to the birth control, you may try something a little more aggressive than ACV or masks at this point, given the level of inflammation I am seeing in your pictures. Perhaps going back to the differin might help, since it sounds like it was helping somewhat in the past.

Hi! Thanks for replying I'm still using cetaphil, but I don't use it as much. I'm just so confused because I've seen both bad and good opinions regarding it, but I'll stick with it for now, until I find something better maybe.

I think that I may book an appointment for a dermatologist soon, probably within a month. Going to the GP isn't as helpful, as although my doctor is lovely she seems abit unsure as of what to prescribe me. So dermatologist it shall be!

I'm kind of scared to try out the differin again because I broke out, so instead I'm going to try a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide cream to help calm my spots down in the meantime. And what would be more aggressive than ACV or masks? Thanks!

Hi - The BP 2.5% is a good bet- that's what I was going with when I meant something more aggressive but I wasn't sure if you had issues in the past with using BP (I see you used duac without success). Retinoids can definitely cause flare-ups, and I totally get why you'd want to avoid that right now. I'd stick with a good BP regimen until you can talk to your dermatologist. Let them know that you aren't willing to work through another flare up given the degree of your current inflammation. Maybe another BP/ Abx combo might be helpful - maybe benzacline (BP/erithromycin).

Hi; I have no idea if the BP will help, but I'll try it out as soon as I receive it. Duac didn't work for me but maybe that's because it had clindamycin too, so maybe BP by itself is better? I'm not sure. Also, thanks for the suggestion! And I didn't realise that I probably needed a trip to the dermatologist, so thanks for nudging me in that direction. Hopefully I'll book an appointment relatively soon.

 

>To me it looks like it could be folliculitis, which can be treated with anti-fungals, not hormonal treatments. Do a google image search for folliculitis and you'll see some of the same pus-filled spots as you have, as well as similar inflamed ones.

Do you get facial hair at all?

Hi

I just googled it and I see what you're saying about how my spots look similar. I do have some facial hair unfortunately, I feel like it developed recently in the past year or 2 or so it's mostly on my neck and a little on my chin. But how do I know if I have the condition? I always thought it was hormonal, because it flares around my period and has always been on the chin/jawline/neck.

That's what I thought...it looks like infected hair follicles, not hormonal acne. Yours might be surface level acne, so there's no need to turn to hormonal treatments if not necessary. Try to find a qualified dermatologist who specializes in acne to make sure it's folliculitis. If it is, there are some useful threads on folliculitis treatments.

I had folliculitis from getting laser hair removal on my chin hair (stupid decision!), and I saw an esthetician who disinfected, extracted & did a peel to calm down the infection. After that, it was much better and now I haven't had that issue in a year or so.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hey,

I'm new to the forum, but have been following it for quite a few weeks. This is quite long and I'm really sorry about this! I'm kind of at a loss as of what i should do :/ My acne started at around 11, when i started going through puberty. I'm 19 now, and my acne hasn't really changed much. I've always had it on my chin, jawline and a little on my neck. It usually flares up a little around my period too. I didn't go to the doctors until last year September/October roughly as I was too embarrassed. She prescribed me Duac, which didn't make any difference to my acne whatsoever. I went back and she prescribed me Differin/Adapelene. It calmed down my spots a little, but I still kept breaking out.

I decided to wean myself off of the Differin in about March or late February, I'm not too sure. During that time, I don't think I used anything on my skin, except maybe a cleanser sometimes. Other than that I'd wash my face with water. Don't think it really helped, I still kept getting breakouts and some horrid ones around my period. I hated going in to university because my face looked terrible and I didn't want anyone to see me I find it hard to make eye contact with people alot, or I'm paranoid they're staring at my acne.

Mid-April onwards for a month, my terrible breakouts were back...they were so painful and it was exam season so I couldn't avoid everyone. They were these horrible pustules on the side of my neck and jawline. I started using a Cetaphil cleanser and bought a Clinique clinical clearing gel which didn't give me any breakouts for about 3 weeks. Then all of a sudden, I breakout horribly on my lower neck and chin I bought a La Roche Posay 3 step system and only used it for about 3 days but then stopped because I got new breakouts and was too scared to continue.

So since the 18th June, I've not used any products. I only wash my face with water and use the Aztec Indian healing clay mask mixed with ACV. My acne cleared a teeny bit, but I'm still breaking out. Plus the mask makes my face incredibly dry, so I've restarted using my Cetaphil cleanser again and will use the moisturising lotion too.

I'm not sure whether I should start using BC pills or Spiro? Lots of people seem to have success with it for their hormonal acne, so I was wondering if I should give it a try. Any tips?

Thanks

 

Hi! . I've never had any issues with cetaphil cleanser for sensitive skin (NOT the oily skin kind, it's very irritating). It doesn't treat acne, but it's good for washing off the day (and makeup) and has few ingredients.

The pattern of your acne certainly looks and sounds hormonal, but you may want to get a dermatologist involved at this point, because your skin also appears very inflammed. Unless you have any contraindications, you may talk to your OB/GYN about birth control pills, particularly ones with drosperinone - it may help. However, you should know - hormonal treatments typically take quite a while to begin working (months), and do nothing for the inflammation of your active acne in the mean time. In addition to the birth control, you may try something a little more aggressive than ACV or masks at this point, given the level of inflammation I am seeing in your pictures. Perhaps going back to the differin might help, since it sounds like it was helping somewhat in the past.

Hi! Thanks for replying I'm still using cetaphil, but I don't use it as much. I'm just so confused because I've seen both bad and good opinions regarding it, but I'll stick with it for now, until I find something better maybe.

I think that I may book an appointment for a dermatologist soon, probably within a month. Going to the GP isn't as helpful, as although my doctor is lovely she seems abit unsure as of what to prescribe me. So dermatologist it shall be!

I'm kind of scared to try out the differin again because I broke out, so instead I'm going to try a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide cream to help calm my spots down in the meantime. And what would be more aggressive than ACV or masks? Thanks!

Hi - The BP 2.5% is a good bet- that's what I was going with when I meant something more aggressive but I wasn't sure if you had issues in the past with using BP (I see you used duac without success). Retinoids can definitely cause flare-ups, and I totally get why you'd want to avoid that right now. I'd stick with a good BP regimen until you can talk to your dermatologist. Let them know that you aren't willing to work through another flare up given the degree of your current inflammation. Maybe another BP/ Abx combo might be helpful - maybe benzacline (BP/erithromycin).

Hi; I have no idea if the BP will help, but I'll try it out as soon as I receive it. Duac didn't work for me but maybe that's because it had clindamycin too, so maybe BP by itself is better? I'm not sure. Also, thanks for the suggestion! And I didn't realise that I probably needed a trip to the dermatologist, so thanks for nudging me in that direction. Hopefully I'll book an appointment relatively soon.

>

>To me it looks like it could be folliculitis, which can be treated with anti-fungals, not hormonal treatments. Do a google image search for folliculitis and you'll see some of the same pus-filled spots as you have, as well as similar inflamed ones.

Do you get facial hair at all?

>

Hi

I just googled it and I see what you're saying about how my spots look similar. I do have some facial hair unfortunately, I feel like it developed recently in the past year or 2 or so it's mostly on my neck and a little on my chin. But how do I know if I have the condition? I always thought it was hormonal, because it flares around my period and has always been on the chin/jawline/neck.

 

That's what I thought...it looks like infected hair follicles, not hormonal acne. Yours might be surface level acne, so there's no need to turn to hormonal treatments if not necessary. Try to find a qualified dermatologist who specializes in acne to make sure it's folliculitis. If it is, there are some useful threads on folliculitis treatments.

I had folliculitis from getting laser hair removal on my chin hair (stupid decision!), and I saw an esthetician who disinfected, extracted & did a peel to calm down the infection. After that, it was much better and now I haven't had that issue in a year or so.

When I book an appointment with a dermatologist, I'll definitely ask them about folliculitis. Thanks for the suggestion though! I never thought that could be a possibility.

Well, many doctors/ derms misdiagnose folliculitis as acne, that's why it helps to go to your appointment with a bit of information. Some dermatologists do not even bother identifying what kind of acne you have, and just go down the standard route of prescribing antibiotics. In this case, I'm 90% positive that antibiotics will make things worse in the long run because you seem to have a fungal infection. Especially since you have some facial hair...your hair follicles might have gotten infected. Once you get it under control, make sure you exfoliate regularly and use a gentle peel to avoid clogged pores.

Check out the threads on folliculitis, there are some home remedies you could try before your appointment (E.g a yogurt mask, etc)

Well, many doctors/ derms misdiagnose folliculitis as acne, that's why it helps to go to your appointment with a bit of information. Some dermatologists do not even bother identifying what kind of acne you have, and just go down the standard route of prescribing antibiotics. In this case, I'm 90% positive that antibiotics will make things worse in the long run because you seem to have a fungal infection. Especially since you have some facial hair...your hair follicles might have gotten infected. Once you get it under control, make sure you exfoliate regularly and use a gentle peel to avoid clogged pores.

Check out the threads on folliculitis, there are some home remedies you could try before your appointment (E.g a yogurt mask, etc)

Thanks a lot, I'll definitely go to my appointment armed with a lot of information! And I'll check out the folliculitis threads too and try a few of the home remedies to see if they make a difference.

I used to get cysts on my chin like that around 3-4 years ago from dairy. Please please please make sure you cut out all dairy and junk food! I know how painful those deep ones are

I used to get cysts on my chin like that around 3-4 years ago from dairy. Please please please make sure you cut out all dairy and junk food! I know how painful those deep ones are

Does dairy cause those kind of spots? I have cut out junk food from my diet, but even normally I don't consume many dairy products because I don't like them too much. The only dairy I have nowadays is a bit of milk in my cereal. Should I still cut that out?

Fungi like sugar and dairy. However, by putting plain yogurt (dairy) on your face, the probiotics in the yogurt can help prevent fungal infections. Try it on a small patch of skin to see if it makes a difference, but you have to be consistent with it for at least a week to notice a difference. Also, tea tree oil helps with folliculitis.

Fungi like sugar and dairy. However, by putting plain yogurt (dairy) on your face, the probiotics in the yogurt can help prevent fungal infections. Try it on a small patch of skin to see if it makes a difference, but you have to be consistent with it for at least a week to notice a difference. Also, tea tree oil helps with folliculitis.

Thank you, I'll be trying the yoghurt mask! I did use tea tree oil last year, but I felt as though it didn't make any difference to my acne.

 

Fungi like sugar and dairy. However, by putting plain yogurt (dairy) on your face, the probiotics in the yogurt can help prevent fungal infections. Try it on a small patch of skin to see if it makes a difference, but you have to be consistent with it for at least a week to notice a difference. Also, tea tree oil helps with folliculitis.

Thank you, I'll be trying the yoghurt mask! I did use tea tree oil last year, but I felt as though it didn't make any difference to my acne.

It won't work from one day to the next...you have to give it time. Tea tree oil only works on folliculitis, in my opinion. On cystic acne, it doesn't really work.

If you have an infection, though, you might want to see an esthetician to clear it up otherwise it will keep spreading. Mine was out of control, so I went to see an expert to clear it up.

You could also try a bit of calamine lotion as an overnight spot treatment...just make sure it's pure calamine if possible, or with the fewest ingredients possible.

The products I use (cleanser & moisturizer) are from Image cosmetics...their Ormedic line. They truly helped restore my skin's PH. My esthetician was using their line (including their gentle aloe peel) when my acne was out of control and I can't even describe how much these products helped me. I would be selling them if I could lol! I moved away from harsh products and my skin really calmed down, especially the redness.

For you, though, you could also try something a bit stronger....I had some success with bioclin's cleanser, which is dermatologist recommended. Also, sebamed is ok, if you can't find bioclin. I still occasionally use bioclin when I get flare ups, and it helps minimize reactions.

 

 

 

Fungi like sugar and dairy. However, by putting plain yogurt (dairy) on your face, the probiotics in the yogurt can help prevent fungal infections. Try it on a small patch of skin to see if it makes a difference, but you have to be consistent with it for at least a week to notice a difference. Also, tea tree oil helps with folliculitis.

 

Thank you, I'll be trying the yoghurt mask! I did use tea tree oil last year, but I felt as though it didn't make any difference to my acne.

It won't work from one day to the next...you have to give it time. Tea tree oil only works on folliculitis, in my opinion. On cystic acne, it doesn't really work.

If you have an infection, though, you might want to see an esthetician to clear it up otherwise it will keep spreading. Mine was out of control, so I went to see an expert to clear it up.

You could also try a bit of calamine lotion as an overnight spot treatment...just make sure it's pure calamine if possible, or with the fewest ingredients possible.

The products I use (cleanser & moisturizer) are from Image cosmetics...their Ormedic line. They truly helped restore my skin's PH. My esthetician was using their line (including their gentle aloe peel) when my acne was out of control and I can't even describe how much these products helped me. I would be selling them if I could lol! I moved away from harsh products and my skin really calmed down, especially the redness.

For you, though, you could also try something a bit stronger....I had some success with bioclin's cleanser, which is dermatologist recommended. Also, sebamed is ok, if you can't find bioclin. I still occasionally use bioclin when I get flare ups, and it helps minimize reactions.

I'll use the yoghurt mask for a while and see how it goes. Thanks for the recommendations! I'm gonna check out the brands you've recommended

Cut out eating dairy for at least 2 months and see if it makes a difference. I know myself that I cannot eat dairy without getting a big breakout so sad because I used to love cheese and ice cream lol

Cut out eating dairy for at least 2 months and see if it makes a difference. I know myself that I cannot eat dairy without getting a big breakout so sad because I used to love cheese and ice cream lol

I'll try cutting out dairy for abit then...or at least cut it down a lot. The ice cream shall be missed though I rarely have it.

 

Cut out eating dairy for at least 2 months and see if it makes a difference. I know myself that I cannot eat dairy without getting a big breakout so sad because I used to love cheese and ice cream lol

I'll try cutting out dairy for abit then...or at least cut it down a lot. The ice cream shall be missed though I rarely have it.

Rice dream (and soy dream, but some people say that is a problem for acne) makes a really yummy non-dairy 'icecream'. They sell it at most grocery stores I've seen.

 

 

 

Cut out eating dairy for at least 2 months and see if it makes a difference. I know myself that I cannot eat dairy without getting a big breakout so sad because I used to love cheese and ice cream lol

 

I'll try cutting out dairy for abit then...or at least cut it down a lot. The ice cream shall be missed though I rarely have it.

Rice dream (and soy dream, but some people say that is a problem for acne) makes a really yummy non-dairy 'icecream'. They sell it at most grocery stores I've seen.

Thanks, I'll look out for that!

Coconut ice cream might also be a good alternative, although I agree that nothing beats the taste of "real" ice cream. Try the yogurt & honey masks, though. If your skin is already infected, as it seems to be, cleaning up your diet might prevent new acne/folliculitis, but will not treat existing issues. That's why I recommend seeing a qualified esthetician who can clear up the infections for you so you can start fresh.

Coconut ice cream might also be a good alternative, although I agree that nothing beats the taste of "real" ice cream. Try the yogurt & honey masks, though. If your skin is already infected, as it seems to be, cleaning up your diet might prevent new acne/folliculitis, but will not treat existing issues. That's why I recommend seeing a qualified esthetician who can clear up the infections for you so you can start fresh.

I've been using 2.5% BP and it's made a slight difference but I still breakout. I will though make an appointment with a dermatologist as soon as possible, probably end of July. I do try to restrict my diet, but unfortunately I sometimes slip and eat sugary and processed foods