Honestly, I have exactly the same problem, cycle as you!

I just recently started breaking out about a month ago and it's getting worse everyday. I had almost no acne during the summer!

I just don't know what to do any more. I think I should take Accutane, but I really don't want to.

EDIT: A bit more info

I'm 17 years old male and had moderately-severe acne since 15 years old, the worst being when I was 16. I'm alternating with differen 0.3% and clindoxyl gel overnight.

Some thing that may of affected my acne also.

-Face has been drier than in the summer

-Diet changed from eating extremely health, to snaking on sweets and junk food, all in less than a month

-Started taking multi-vitamins around the time of breaking out.

-

I just want to add to this because I have pretty much the same problem and am hoping people on these boards can shed some light.

I am also in the northeast and around this time of year (late oct/early nov) I start breaking out terribly. I have had my first cysts in several months and the overall state of my face is a mess. I can't help but attribute this to the cold as it seems like the most obvious reason. Cookey Monster, as to your point about not blaming the cold because the breakouts stop in jan/feb, I think you're wrong (at least for me). A somewhat similar thing happens to me but I suspect it is because my face/skin adjusts to the change in climate. My skin prefers the hot, humid summer because it is dry and sensitive. When the winter rolls around, or even the fall, it is not prepared for the cool, dry air. It produces too much oil, or too little, too much in one place, not enough in another. After a few months, it begins to adjust and regulate itself to function better (I should note that I have no scientific or even anecdotal evidence to prove my point, it just seems to make sense).

I am at the point where, after having this experience for several years now, I am ready to conclusively blame the change in humidity/temperature that comes with the cold weather. The question then becomes how to deal with it. My problem is, even though I can moisturize, my skin does not like a lot of products and generally breaks out more the more I apply.

Sorry for the long post and I don't want to hijack your thread but I do have a question for anyone who can answer: I've started moisturizing a lot and my skin has been recovering but my jawline is breaking out pretty badly. Is this because it is getting too greasy? Should I keep moisturizing and hope that it adjusts? Any ideas?

Yes.. replies!

@All: I have updated the topic post; tell me what you think.. (please tell me if I wasn't clear on anything)... my idea was to get everyone working together by having people try different things to accelerate the finding of the best 'cure' (by lowering any duplications of experiments and thereby increaseing efficiency... science! Lol)

@ Lakers247:

Similarities: Cyclic Pattern, FW Cycle started Oct, Progressively degenerative

Differences: Cycle start at the age of 15, currently 17

Currently Trying: alternating with differen 0.3% and clindoxyl gel overnight.

Theories: Lack of facial moisture in Fall/Winter period, Poor diet, Multi-vitamins

Ideas for treatment: Accutane

Hey! Maybe moisture is the problem; I will test this out. I have a decent diet. I also take multi-vitamins.

@ kimball:

Similarities: Northeast region, FW Cycle starts at late Oct, Several years, Skin sensitivity(?)

Theories: Cold, Adjustment/Regulation Problem, Change in humidity/temperature

Tried: moisturize.. [sensitivity issue]

Hey kimball! Hm.. I'm no expert, by any means, I'm just trying to use what I learned from highschool Bio XD. btw, what hi-jacking? I see none :] infact, I feel like I need all the info I can get.

My skin is super sensitive in this stage of the cycle, I don't know if you feel the same way but in any case, I use Cetaphil 15 SPF moisturizer because I was told that Cetaphil is known for its benign behavior on sensitive skin. I've used it since summer with a intermittent pause during Oct. Ifeel as if it has either a minimally positive or no effect; nonetheless, I still apply it since I haven't experienced any bad effects.

Hope this helps!!!

As a side note, I've been recently put on: 2.5 BP gel + cetaphil SPF 15 (Morning) and 0.025 Tretinoin gel (night).

Thx all,

CM

ps. please feel free to propose ideas for experiments and if you're willing try them on your selves... be sure to log/report info! Thx again!

I've heard that your skin is "thicker" in the winter and that's why there is so much dead skin build up and extra dry skin which causes major break outs. Exfoliation is key or a good Ret. Summer is supposedly when your skin is thinner but def. more oily.

Anyone want to test out: Baking Soda?

[Edited link out]

Although romey does not have our same skin type, she uses it to treat whiteheads and pustules. I thought I might be worth a try. I have recently been put on Tretinoin and BP, so I probably wont be testing this one out.

Also I've been looking into this one too: A True Hollistic approach

[Edited link out]

This one also mentions using baking soda... but less frequently.

Let me know your thoughts.

CM

You should probably get your Vitamin D levels tested; a deficiency can affect your skin, and you don't really get any vitamin D during the New England fall/winter due to the high latitude and the position of the sun.

 

I just want to add to this because I have pretty much the same problem and am hoping people on these boards can shed some light.

 

I am also in the northeast and around this time of year (late oct/early nov) I start breaking out terribly. I have had my first cysts in several months and the overall state of my face is a mess. I can't help but attribute this to the cold as it seems like the most obvious reason. Cookey Monster, as to your point about not blaming the cold because the breakouts stop in jan/feb, I think you're wrong (at least for me). A somewhat similar thing happens to me but I suspect it is because my face/skin adjusts to the change in climate. My skin prefers the hot, humid summer because it is dry and sensitive. When the winter rolls around, or even the fall, it is not prepared for the cool, dry air. It produces too much oil, or too little, too much in one place, not enough in another. After a few months, it begins to adjust and regulate itself to function better (I should note that I have no scientific or even anecdotal evidence to prove my point, it just seems to make sense).

 

I am at the point where, after having this experience for several years now, I am ready to conclusively blame the change in humidity/temperature that comes with the cold weather. The question then becomes how to deal with it. My problem is, even though I can moisturize, my skin does not like a lot of products and generally breaks out more the more I apply.

 

Sorry for the long post and I don't want to hijack your thread but I do have a question for anyone who can answer: I've started moisturizing a lot and my skin has been recovering but my jawline is breaking out pretty badly. Is this because it is getting too greasy? Should I keep moisturizing and hope that it adjusts? Any ideas?

Shame really that this post is inactive. I have this EXACT problem, clear all spring and summer, crap during the winter months.

Eat mushrooms they have lots of vitamin D. Keep exercising even though it sucks in the cold. Drink more water dry air makes us dehydrate much faster. Keep you hair short like in the summer

It looks like this is old, but maybe people are still checking it! This happens to me, too. It also seems like my skin has a general dislike of extreme seasons - my skin is pretty good during spring and fall, at its worst in the winter, and a little bad at parts in the summer. I also think that it has to do with the lack of moisture in the winter air.

My background:

25 yo Female

No acne until age 20 - really perfect skin until then

Since then, it seems semi-hormonal and very affected by the winter

One thing I've been doing that seems to be helping is using Manuka honey when I get home from work, to kind of feed my skin some moisture. I also got some Mizon snail gel to help with my skin's moisture - it is a really great unscented gel, and it doesn't irritate my skin at all. It really helps it to calm down. This seems to be helping a lot - I'm not getting the awful seasonal breakouts on my cheeks so far except for a couple of strays, which is a damn miracle.

This winter, I may invest in a humidifier for my room. I'll also be focusing on moisturizing and being uber gentle with my skin and drinking more water, which is a huge departure from previous winters - normally I would apply BP every night and most mornings, wash with a salicylic acid wash, and then pretty much neglect moisturizer. Here's to hoping this works. I'll post again at the end of the winter at the very least to say how it's going!

Female, 20 yo, mild acne, worse during period, but controllable with Glytone Non-Irritating Formula.

This is the second year in a row that I have had worsened acne starting in early-mid November. However, my face is not affected by the seasons and is steady year-round, just little zits that aren't red or able to be popped for the most part. The acne I get during fall/winter months is on my upper back primarily and some on my chest. On my back, the acne is more persistent and sore than the worst ones I experience on my face, but is not cystic acne. They seem to appear overnight and during the day and are almost immediately white on top/"ready to pop" (although I don't pop any of it and try not to ever touch it.) They are only on my upper back and it is not due to shampoo/conditioner, hair length, hydration, diet, cleanliness of clothes/towels, and I use a scrubby in the shower so I'm fairly confident that my skin is mildly exfoliated regularly. I have resorted to buying a spray bottle and filling it with one part water one part organic apple cider vinegar like I did last year and spraying it on my back and chest throughout the day, which 1. stinks up my bathroom and 2. burns all the surrounding skin that isn't covered in acne. It usually clears up around late December/mid January and the scars remain for about a month. All Spring and Summer and most of Fall my skin is clear. I saw a recommendation to check Vitamin D levels...maybe a supplement would do the trick?

Hi everyone i will be so grateful if someone can help me in this i am 19 now and for recent 2 months i am suffering from pimples breakout it all started with upper lip area pimple and then on chin and now on lower cheeks too i had this break out last year in january but i took some medicine for month and it went away in a month i think that was some antibiotic but i didnt use it for more than a month still i had supper clear skin for a year and now i am breaking out again from april and its july already what is going on plz help me will this breakout end up?