So my Dr. prescribed me Differin .01% gel for my acne. Its hormonal. All on my chin/jawline. Mostly large inflamed bumps that hang around for a while.
I dont eat gluten, very limited dairy, caffeine, alcohol.
I also take b complex, d, probiotics and saw palmetto.
I have been doing Dans Regimen and it kind of helps but it just seems at times that my chin area is almost infected and every single bump I get is really red and inflamed.
I believe that Differin will help my skin cycle speed up and shed faster (which I think means clearer pores) however, if the problem is hormones wont that mean that I will just keep purging over and over again?
Any females with hormonal nodular acne have success with this?
Dr also prescribed 8 weeks of Bactrim/Septra (antibiotics) to help with the initial breakout.
I'm thinking of trying this out but maybe wanting to wait til after xmas (holiday parties, family gatherings etc) before giving it a go- I'm scared!
So my Dr. prescribed me Differin .01% gel for my acne. Its hormonal. All on my chin/jawline. Mostly large inflamed bumps that hang around for a while.
I dont eat gluten, very limited dairy, caffeine, alcohol.
I also take b complex, d, probiotics and saw palmetto.
I have been doing Dans Regimen and it kind of helps but it just seems at times that my chin area is almost infected and every single bump I get is really red and inflamed.
I believe that Differin will help my skin cycle speed up and shed faster (which I think means clearer pores) however, if the problem is hormones wont that mean that I will just keep purging over and over again?
Any females with hormonal nodular acne have success with this?
Dr also prescribed 8 weeks of Bactrim/Septra (antibiotics) to help with the initial breakout.
I'm thinking of trying this out but maybe wanting to wait til after xmas (holiday parties, family gatherings etc) before giving it a go- I'm scared!
its a never ending cycle because your skin is always renewing and in this process sometimes the cells dont shed properly leading to them sticking to the walls of the pore and or bacteria invading/ The chance of this increases with an increase in sebum.
I for one found that b-complex made things worse. The b vitamins themselves increase cell proliferation which i thought was good in the case of skin renewal but to me after my experiences is actually counter intuititve. Saw palmetto regulates hormones in a way that reduces sebum production from DHT for example. However these horomones are also influenced by food choices like those that spike insulin levels. So eating 0 gluten and dairy isnt going to cut it unless you can control the blood sugar levels and reduce insulin resistance.
I spot treat with differin because like SA products it not only dries the skin leading to more problems but also causes problems by increasing cell turnover which is its intent but for me just leads to more clogged pores. SO for me i only spot treat, only. nothing as a preventative measure. Seems to work better this way.
Saw palmetto regulates hormones in a way that reduces sebum production from DHT for example. However these horomones are also influenced by food choices like those that spike insulin levels. So eating 0 gluten and dairy isnt going to cut it unless you can control the blood sugar levels and reduce insulin resistance.
so this is what i dont understand. my understanding is that saw palmetto is an anti androgen. a natural one. where as Spiro is a synthetic one. you mentioned that eating no gluten and dairy wont cut it- what you mean by that? how do i help control blood sugar? i thought that removing gluten (most gluten items are high in sugar) dairy, alcohol all help keep blood sugar levels moderated...
any advice is much appreciated. 
I think k3tchup means to avoid high glycemic foods so that would mean no pastries, no pasta, no bread, no potatoes, no white rice, etc. (some people can eat brown rice if they soak it in water overnight first before cooking it). You may already be avoiding these foods since most of them have gluten but if there are gluten free versions of high glycemic foods, it could still potentially cause problems.
Differin and retinoids help some women even though their acne is "hormonal" I don't think it would cause you to purge over and over again, It could help significantly. If, after 3 months, it's not as clear as you'd like, I'd definitely visit the doctor again and consider adding or changing the skin care routine.
ive heard though from many on the boards here that since the acne is hormonal and if im not treating the core reason im getting it (ie hormone imbalance) then the retinoid and adapalene is just helping skin cells turnover at a faster rate making more of my acne come out over and over and over again faster than normal.
when i was using biophora line from a skin clinic and their dr, i was using medical grade salicyclic acid products and all it did was make me break out badly. ever since ive stopped that my skin has been better...
what is your skincare regimen?
On 11/2/2012 at 9:56 AM, chelslaw said:ive heard though from many on the boards here that since the acne is hormonal and if im not treating the core reason im getting it (ie hormone imbalance) then the retinoid and adapalene is just helping skin cells turnover at a faster rate making more of my acne come out over and over and over again faster than normal.
when i was using biophora line from a skin clinic and their dr, i was using medical grade salicyclic acid products and all it did was make me break out badly. ever since ive stopped that my skin has been better...
what is your skincare regimen?
My issues sound similar to yours - hormonal acne, SA made it worse.
I stopped going to a derm about a year ago. First stop was to a natural-facial type place. They do the osmosis products. I really like the cleanser, but I think the other stuff was too heavy (worked at first, then got cysts). Now I'm doing their cleanser (which you can get from a spa but it's cheaper on amazon, here is a link) and then jojoba oil. I am still breaking out a little on my chin, but it is small red bumps rather than cysts. Jojoba oil seems insane but I think it kind of tricks my skin into producing less oil..good luck
So my Dr. prescribed me Differin .01% gel for my acne. Its hormonal. All on my chin/jawline. Mostly large inflamed bumps that hang around for a while.
I dont eat gluten, very limited dairy, caffeine, alcohol.
I also take b complex, d, probiotics and saw palmetto.
I have been doing Dans Regimen and it kind of helps but it just seems at times that my chin area is almost infected and every single bump I get is really red and inflamed.
I believe that Differin will help my skin cycle speed up and shed faster (which I think means clearer pores) however, if the problem is hormones wont that mean that I will just keep purging over and over again?
Any females with hormonal nodular acne have success with this?
Dr also prescribed 8 weeks of Bactrim/Septra (antibiotics) to help with the initial breakout.
I'm thinking of trying this out but maybe wanting to wait til after xmas (holiday parties, family gatherings etc) before giving it a go- I'm scared!
So your using BP GEL and Differen? Your skin must be very dry.