Hello,
I am a 29 year old male and all of a sudden a few months ago I noticed that my skin had become extremely oily. When I woke up after a good night's sleep, my face was disgustingly wet. At first, there was just oil no pimples although lately pimples have formed especially on my forehead. I have tried aczone which didn't do much and I tried Clindoxyl which simply made my skin painful and itchy. It didn't solve anything. I have been to various dermatologists and they all seem keen to push Accutane but I have absolutely no interest in getting on it right away because of the side effects, although I would consider it after trying unsuccessfully with other things. In the interim I was wondering if there were any drug say Minocin or Doxycycline that someone can recommend that may help to deal with the oil and the acne.
Thank You,
Jonathan Barr
This is one of the greatest failures of the pharmaceutical industry. I can find a pill for just about any ailment I can have or even think I have. Hell, if I think my s@%# is a weird color, I'm pretty sure I can find a pill for that. But for oily skin? Nope.
I've done a lot of research on it and as of today there is nothing available that is directly formulated to target oily skin. Companies are working on it though, as an effective and safe oral medication would be a gold rush for whatever company that can make one.
There are currently medicines in the trial phase by various companies, but it will be some time before they are deemed effective or not, and even longer before they hit the market.
For a woman, some birth control pills do the trick. Won't do squat for us men though.
It's odd that you experienced this at 29, so I'd say that it likely will be temporary or at least ease off after some time. If you've experienced it since puberty like some I'd imagine to some extent it is almost permanent.
One thing you can try, is an ACV solution. I've heard and read lots about it. I plan to do a 4 week trial when my college is out for winter break to see if it's effective and practical. Mix 3 parts water with one part Apple Cider Vinegar, apply to your face with a cotton ball once or twice a day. I've read for some people it makes a dramatic difference in noticeable oil.
My only problem is that it is vinegar, so it smells terrible. I'm currently experimenting with different ways to neutralize the smell while still retaining it's helpful acidic properties.
I do not recommend Accutane unless your acne becomes unbearable. The risk involved with taking Accutane is tremendous, and oily skin has been shown to come back after treatment in some people.
Good Luck.
If you did not have oily skin before then try to identify what changes you have incorporated that might have led to your skin getting oily. There are lots of factors that lead to increased oily production on the skin. For instance, some people including myself note increased oil production after weight-lifting. Also, using the wrong cleansers/moisturizers might be another factor.
It is always a good practice to try following a good diet. Some people recommend taking B-Complex vitamins or B5 vitamin but that should be done in moderation without overdosing which I believe could have unpleasant side-effects
Good luck!
BTW, even if you go the Accutane route, if the oil problem is caused by hormones then most likely that it will come back after you stop Accoutane. I have seen a few posts on the site reporting that oiliness came back after they stopped Accutane.