I'm 21 and I think it's been almost 8 years since I've left the house without make-up.
My acne started when I was 13. I actually remember being the only girl in my year who wore foundation. How embarrassing is that? Later in high school more girls wore foundation, but there was a year or two where I was the only one.
There was even a time where a teacher tried to make me to go the bathroom to wash off my foundation (I only wore foundation and powder for oiliness, no mascara etc.) because in my school girls weren't allowed to wear make-up - I left and walked home. She didn't even take me aside, she shouted in front of the whole class for me to go take off my make-up. It still makes me fume to this day - How could a 40+ year old woman pick on a 13 year old like that?
Anyway, that's kind of off-topic, but I guess it's a good introduction to how the past 8 years have gone.
I guess looking at it realistically, I only had really bad skin between 13-16, but it's never fully gone away. Not enough for me to leave the house without make-up on and a full make-up bag with me. I've tried various antibiotics (none of them did a thing), benzoyl peroxide, prescribed topical treatments, birth control - None of them did much, except for the benzoyl peroxide - But that comes with it's own host of issues.
I've had something of a love-hate relationship with benzoyl peroxide - It would work, but made my skin red and dry (and every woman knows what foundation looks like on flaky skin. Urgh) so as soon as it would make me clear enough, I would stop using it. Then the acne would come back. Then I'd use it for a little while again. Then stop. And so on.
About a year ago I was prescribed Yaz to try combat my acne. It helped ever-so-slightly, but I was nowhere near clear. This year I went back to my dermatologist (in tears, I'm embarrassed to say) and she recommended Accutane. I didn't want to try something so drastic just yet, so instead she prescribed me Diane-35 (which, through Googling, seems to come with it's own array of issues).
The first two weeks were hell, my skin broke out in places its never broken out before (my cheeks and jaw), and furthermore it was cystic acne, which was something I got extremely rarely. I was truly ready to stop - But hey, I had spent money on it and needed to not get pregnant (ha!), so I figured I would just last for ONE month then switch back to Yaz. I'd rather go back to bad skin than worse skin.
It's been 2 weeks now and I can see a slight improvement.
For the first time since I can remember my forehead is almost completely smooth (I usually have lots of tiny bumps)
My face is noticeably less oily
BUT
Right now, I have three almost-healed cysts on my cheekbone (all which started with Diane-35), one almost-healed one on my jaw. And one just starting to form on my cheek (hello you little b---tard. I see you). Added to that, I have three pimples on my chin and two by my lip (which are luckily almost invisible with make-up on).
So some areas of my face are improving, some got worse (but are getting better). The only real irritation right now is the cyst forming on my cheek. Beyond frustrating, and it hurts like hell!
This topic is mainly for me to rant and rave, hopefully it will help someone else.
Morning routine:
Face-wash (Ponds)
Lemon juice (Leave it on for 15 minutes while I get dressed)
Exfoliate (only if my skin is too dry and flaky for make-up) with sugar and honey (I'm not organic, I'm cheap)
Pond's vanishing cream
Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Foundation
MAC Studio Fix powder
Afternoon (or the second I get home):
Remove make-up (Johnson & Johnson Cleansing Wipes)
Face-wash (Ponds)
Benzoyl Peroxide
Night (after showering):
Almond oil
I used to keep the benzoyl peroxide on overnight, but I HATE how it dries out my skin and makes it flaky. So I'm trying to experiement to see whether keeping it on for a few hours then putting almond oil on will combat the dryness and redness. I literally cannot put make-up on if I've used benzoyl peroxide on the night before, and I believe I've stressed how much I cannot be seen in public without make-up on! (That sounds dramatic, but damn, it's the truth).
So how am I feeling right now?
Optimistic. I thought my skin would get A LOT worse, but the major problems (cystic acne) seem to have come and gone. Hopefully. I don't think I can deal with another cystic acne breakout - Especially when they are purplish, can't even hide that with make-up!
I'm really happy with how smooth my right cheek and forehead look, but frustrated with the cystic acne marks on my left cheek and jaw (two VERY visible ones, two are flat and easy to hide).
The pimples around my chin/mouth area aren't a HUGE bother - To some people they might be, but I've been dealing with acne in that area forever so it's not a big difference.
I really just want my skin to clear up enough so that I can start treatments to get rid of the pigmentation. I'm lucky in that I don't have much scarring (only tiny scars on the insides of my cheeks - Still not sure if those are scars or just pores ha!), but I do have a lot of reddish and purplish marks.
I really want to be able to wake up next to my boyfriend and lie in bed talking to him instead of running to the bathroom to check my skin (and if it's bad, putting on make-up).
So here's to the first post of a new chapter 
Hey! My story is very similar to yours. I'm now 21, have had acne since I was 13, haven't left the house without make-up in 8 years, have a continuous love/hate relationship with benzoyl peroxide and have just started on Dianette/Diane-35 as a last resort to avoid Roaccutane! I'm also combining it with Lymecycline because I haven't tried antibiotics for my acne before now and my skin does seem to be improving overall, though it's very red from the hyperigmentation and I'm still getting new spots come up (luckily no longer the painful cystic ones I had before though!)
I just wanted to wish you the best of luck with it all and would be interested to see how it goes for you. Stay strong, push through this horrible initial phase and I really hope this treatment works out for both of us!!
Hey! My story is very similar to yours. I'm now 21, have had acne since I was 13, haven't left the house without make-up in 8 years, have a continuous love/hate relationship with benzoyl peroxide and have just started on Dianette/Diane-35 as a last resort to avoid Roaccutane! I'm also combining it with Lymecycline because I haven't tried antibiotics for my acne before now and my skin does seem to be improving overall, though it's very red from the hyperigmentation and I'm still getting new spots come up (luckily no longer the painful cystic ones I had before though!)
I just wanted to wish you the best of luck with it all and would be interested to see how it goes for you. Stay strong, push through this horrible initial phase and I really hope this treatment works out for both of us!!
It's so nice to know someone is going through the same thing!
When I realised I was 21 and still dealing with acne I knew it was time to do whatever it took to fight it. I always thought it was a puberty thing, but realizing I'm actually an adult now and still have acne, it really freaked me out.
My skin looks slightly better today than it did yesterday, which is really exciting.
I've read on here that some people get a really bad breakout during their placebo week on Diane-35. I still have a week or so to go before my placebo week and I'm stressing a bit -- Have you done the placebo week yet? Did it make any difference to your skin?
Hi, I'm also on birth control and my skin/acne problems sound very similar to yours! Although I know we're all going through tough times with our skin it's actually nice to be able to relate to people with the same problems as me.
I just wanted to ask what you think of the Johnson & Johnson Cleansing Wipes you use to remove your makeup? Are they gentle on your skin?
I also have the same reaction to benzoyl peroxide as you, and was wondering if you have tried anything a bit more natural as a treatment? I've found that the dryness/flakiness/irritation I get is very likely to be one of the sources of my acne, because when my face is calmer I don't get anywhere near the same amount of spots. I'm currently having quite good success with just tea tree oil mixed with water and the Botani range. Just a thought anyway!
I hope your current routine works out for you, I'm also waiting for the day where I can lie in bed next to my boyfriend and not have to give my skin a second thought!
Hey! My story is very similar to yours. I'm now 21, have had acne since I was 13, haven't left the house without make-up in 8 years, have a continuous love/hate relationship with benzoyl peroxide and have just started on Dianette/Diane-35 as a last resort to avoid Roaccutane! I'm also combining it with Lymecycline because I haven't tried antibiotics for my acne before now and my skin does seem to be improving overall, though it's very red from the hyperigmentation and I'm still getting new spots come up (luckily no longer the painful cystic ones I had before though!)
I just wanted to wish you the best of luck with it all and would be interested to see how it goes for you. Stay strong, push through this horrible initial phase and I really hope this treatment works out for both of us!!
It's so nice to know someone is going through the same thing!
When I realised I was 21 and still dealing with acne I knew it was time to do whatever it took to fight it. I always thought it was a puberty thing, but realizing I'm actually an adult now and still have acne, it really freaked me out.
My skin looks slightly better today than it did yesterday, which is really exciting.
I've read on here that some people get a really bad breakout during their placebo week on Diane-35. I still have a week or so to go before my placebo week and I'm stressing a bit -- Have you done the placebo week yet? Did it make any difference to your skin?
I know exactly what you mean. I always thought I'd grow out of it, first at 16, then 18, and now at 21 I feel like if I don't do something I'll have acne for the rest of my life!!
Glad to hear your skin is looking better today - I think mine is a bit too!
I also read the same about the placebo week and was quite worried about it. I'm actually on day 5 of my first placebo week today and *touch wood* have been pleasantly surprised not to be faced with a massive breakout! I have a few new spots but they're just standard whiteheads not the horrible cystic variety so I am hoping they will go down again as soon as I'm back on the pill in a couple of days time. If this is all I get on the placebo week then I'm going to be very relieved! I guess it's different for everyone but hopefully you'll have a similar experience to me 
Try not to stress about it too much in the meantime!
Hi, I'm also on birth control and my skin/acne problems sound very similar to yours! Although I know we're all going through tough times with our skin it's actually nice to be able to relate to people with the same problems as me.
I just wanted to ask what you think of the Johnson & Johnson Cleansing Wipes you use to remove your makeup? Are they gentle on your skin?
I also have the same reaction to benzoyl peroxide as you, and was wondering if you have tried anything a bit more natural as a treatment? I've found that the dryness/flakiness/irritation I get is very likely to be one of the sources of my acne, because when my face is calmer I don't get anywhere near the same amount of spots. I'm currently having quite good success with just tea tree oil mixed with water and the Botani range. Just a thought anyway!
I hope your current routine works out for you, I'm also waiting for the day where I can lie in bed next to my boyfriend and not have to give my skin a second thought!
I use the Daily Essentials fragrance free ones - They are gentle on my skin, but they leave a weird oily film that I can't stand. So I always end up washing my face right after using them, I mainly just use them to get my make-up and mascara off... As soon as the pack is finished, I'm gonna buy a gentle cleanser instead... Do you know of any good ones that aren't too pricey?
I used tea tree oil on my skin for a while, I finished a whole little bottle but it didn't seem to make much of a difference... The parts of my skin that didn't have acne felt smoother, but it didn't affect my acne unfortunately.
My skin's looking.... I don't know.
The cyst I was getting on my cheek has retreated, luckily. But I have 4 new pimples 
My skin looks a lot less red, which in theory is good - But it makes my purple and red pigmentation look ever more noticeable. So it's good and it's bad.
I'm not sure what it is, but my skin feels like it's a becoming a different texture - It looks and feels the same without make-up, but when I put my foundation on today my moisturizer just sat on my face and kind of snowballed with the foundation. I washed it off and reapplied it without moisturizer, but it made the pores on my inner/upper cheeks SUPER noticeable - to the point where I didn't take of my sunglasses the whole day. Anyone know what's up with that? It's quite disconcerting.
On another note, he Diane-35 is messing with my hormones intensely. I've cried twice in the past 2 days, for no good reason. I feel miserable and emotional and overwhelmed. It's my sister's birthday tomorrow, and I'm in such a low mood I don't even want to go to her dinner party.
I've read a lot about Diane-35 bringing out depression, but I've never had problems with depression before, so I'm hoping it goes away. I've read some stories about women who took it and were completely miserable while they were on it, and their mood lifted exactly as they stopped taking it - I really hope I'm not one of those people.
Does anyone have any advice for getting over low moods? I'm trying to think positive but honestly, it feels exhausting. For some reason wallowing in misery just seems easier. Ugh! I HATE this!
I want to stick with the Diane, but college is so stressful at the moment - I really don't know if it's worth adding depression on top of the stress. I really don't want to let my grades suffer because of this.
Not the best day ever, but I'm hoping tomorrow will be a little brighter
Hi, I'm also on birth control and my skin/acne problems sound very similar to yours! Although I know we're all going through tough times with our skin it's actually nice to be able to relate to people with the same problems as me.
I just wanted to ask what you think of the Johnson & Johnson Cleansing Wipes you use to remove your makeup? Are they gentle on your skin?
I also have the same reaction to benzoyl peroxide as you, and was wondering if you have tried anything a bit more natural as a treatment? I've found that the dryness/flakiness/irritation I get is very likely to be one of the sources of my acne, because when my face is calmer I don't get anywhere near the same amount of spots. I'm currently having quite good success with just tea tree oil mixed with water and the Botani range. Just a thought anyway!
I hope your current routine works out for you, I'm also waiting for the day where I can lie in bed next to my boyfriend and not have to give my skin a second thought!
I use the Daily Essentials fragrance free ones - They are gentle on my skin, but they leave a weird oily film that I can't stand. So I always end up washing my face right after using them, I mainly just use them to get my make-up and mascara off... As soon as the pack is finished, I'm gonna buy a gentle cleanser instead... Do you know of any good ones that aren't too pricey?
I used tea tree oil on my skin for a while, I finished a whole little bottle but it didn't seem to make much of a difference... The parts of my skin that didn't have acne felt smoother, but it didn't affect my acne unfortunately.
My skin's looking.... I don't know.
The cyst I was getting on my cheek has retreated, luckily. But I have 4 new pimples
My skin looks a lot less red, which in theory is good - But it makes my purple and red pigmentation look ever more noticeable. So it's good and it's bad.
I'm not sure what it is, but my skin feels like it's a becoming a different texture - It looks and feels the same without make-up, but when I put my foundation on today my moisturizer just sat on my face and kind of snowballed with the foundation. I washed it off and reapplied it without moisturizer, but it made the pores on my inner/upper cheeks SUPER noticeable - to the point where I didn't take of my sunglasses the whole day. Anyone know what's up with that? It's quite disconcerting.
On another note, he Diane-35 is messing with my hormones intensely. I've cried twice in the past 2 days, for no good reason. I feel miserable and emotional and overwhelmed. It's my sister's birthday tomorrow, and I'm in such a low mood I don't even want to go to her dinner party.
I've read a lot about Diane-35 bringing out depression, but I've never had problems with depression before, so I'm hoping it goes away. I've read some stories about women who took it and were completely miserable while they were on it, and their mood lifted exactly as they stopped taking it - I really hope I'm not one of those people.
Does anyone have any advice for getting over low moods? I'm trying to think positive but honestly, it feels exhausting. For some reason wallowing in misery just seems easier. Ugh! I HATE this!
I want to stick with the Diane, but college is so stressful at the moment - I really don't know if it's worth adding depression on top of the stress. I really don't want to let my grades suffer because of this.
Not the best day ever, but I'm hoping tomorrow will be a little brighter
Depression is awful but if it's not too severe there are a few things you can do to lift low moods and see if you can get through using Diane.
1. Keep busy, especially socially. Go out and see people, talk to people and fill your day with lots of fun things alongside all the stuff you have to do. Low moods will make you want to sit on your own and not do anything or talk to anyone. This is the absolute worst thing you can do. Literally, you don't have to talk about how you're feeling but even if it's just a case of picking up the phone and catching up with a friend you haven't seen in a while or phoning your mum, interacting with other people will lift your mood.
2. Do not dwell on your low mood. It sounds obvious, but the more you think about it, the worse it will feel and the longer it will last. This goes back to point 1 a bit: distract yourself.
3. Listen to some upbeat music! And whatever you do, do not crack out the Evanescence or REM. Believe me, it will not help.
4. Eat something! Low moods are made worse by low blood sugar. Treat yourself to a bit of chocolate (or fruit if you're keen on eating healthy) - whatever raises your blood sugar will help.
5. Make sure you're consistently getting enough sleep and do not dwell on low feelings immediately before bedtime. Do something relaxing and distracting like reading instead.
6. Do something creative. Draw something. Make something. It doesn't matter if you're not naturally artistic and the end product doesn't really matter but the process itself is very therapeutic and can be used to let some of your worse feelings out in a healthy way.
7. Just generally do things you enjoy as much as possible, especially when they involve other people who can give you a positive boost 
Edit: I also thought I'd add exercise to this list. Exercise produces endorphins which are clinically proven to improve mood. It doesn't even have to be particularly strenuous (although cardio is great for general health) but I find that just going for a brisk walk through the country can really do wonders for your mood.
Thank you so much!
I actually woke up in a beautiful mood this morning - Last night I promised myself I'd be in a good mood today Last night I read that birth control can affect your Vitmain B12 levels and that can lead to a low mood, so I ate a banana this morning. Haha.
And I was in a good mood, until 5 minutes ago. But the thing that happened would have REALLY upset me anyway, probably more so than it is right now because I'm so determined to be in a good mood today. So I'm just gonna listen to The Beatles and eat my damn banana. Hahaha
Another factor that's probably contributing to my good mood is the fact that my skin looks AWESOME today. All the pimples that sprouted up seem to be retreating instead of coming to a head, which I think is because of the Diane-35 and Benzoyl Peroxide. My skin tone also looks a LOT more consistent - I think because of using lemon juice daily and almond oil at night.
My chest still feels super heavy because of the thing that upset me, but I think if I keep thinking positively and not let it ruin my day I'll forget about it in a few hours
Oh please please for the love of god drop the cleansing wipes. Use a gentle balm cleanser instead (no mineral oil!) - it has made a lot of difference for my skin.
I wanted to keep using them because they're so convenient for travelling and taking off make-up, but I think you may be right.
The day after my sister's birthday I woke up and my skin looked TERRIBLE. I have like 4 or 5 new pimples and the ones that seemed to be retreating look to have changed their minds and are rising to the surface again 
I feel like my acne always gets worse after a night of drinking.... Does anyone have the same problem?
I've done some Googling and it doesn't seem there is a definite link, but I read an article that said the worst types of alcohol for your skin are those with yeast or sugar (so beer and cocktails). Which sucks because I always drink beer.
It's pretty difficult to give up drinking - because I'm a university student most social plans revolve around bars, clubs or house parties.
Or do you think it could be because when I drink I'm too lazy to do my whole routine and just remove my make-up with cleansing wipes?
I don't know which of the two it is - Probably best to give up both for a while
Oh please please for the love of god drop the cleansing wipes. Use a gentle balm cleanser instead (no mineral oil!) - it has made a lot of difference for my skin.
I wanted to keep using them because they're so convenient for travelling and taking off make-up, but I think you may be right.
The day after my sister's birthday I woke up and my skin looked TERRIBLE. I have like 4 or 5 new pimples and the ones that seemed to be retreating look to have changed their minds and are rising to the surface again
I feel like my acne always gets worse after a night of drinking.... Does anyone have the same problem?
I've done some Googling and it doesn't seem there is a definite link, but I read an article that said the worst types of alcohol for your skin are those with yeast or sugar (so beer and cocktails). Which sucks because I always drink beer.
It's pretty difficult to give up drinking - because I'm a university student most social plans revolve around bars, clubs or house parties.
Or do you think it could be because when I drink I'm too lazy to do my whole routine and just remove my make-up with cleansing wipes?
I don't know which of the two it is - Probably best to give up both for a while
My skin also gets worse after a night of drinking (university student as well!) but I think it helps if you make sure you keep really hydrated. Skin hates being dehydrated so I expect it is a mixture of that and the sugar content from alcoholic drinks that means it has such a bad effect on the skin. I always make sure to drink at least three glasses of water when I've been out and had a few drinks and it seems to help a bit, especially if you do the same the next morning.
The cleansing wipes are probably also a factor though (my skin never got on with Johnson & Johnson either) so maybe ditch them and use a gentle liquid cleanser for removing the skin make-up and use face wipes for removing the eye make-up only?
I hope the mood side-effects from the Diane aren't taking too much of a toll. Stay active and positive!
So I've been doing some reading up on alcohol and acne, and although there isn't a proven link, it looks like it's not uncommon for alcohol to aggrevate acne... One of the things I read said one of the main reasons is because alcohol is such a huge strain on the liver - So I've decided to replace my morning coffee with hot water, lemon and a bit of honey.
I've also decided that I'm going to stop drinking beer 
It sucks because in my city the student specials on drinks revolve around beer and tequila (my 2 favourite drinks, but also - I think - one of the causes of my skin looking shit)... Apparently gin is also one of the hardest alcohols on the liver, so no more G&Ts.... So I'm gonna start drinking bloody mary's instead... At least tomato juice is a tad healthy 
Also, WINE.
Day 16 of Diane-35 - And my skin looks terrible
I read that hormonal acne pops up on the chin, jawline and around the mouth - So I've come to the conclusion that the spots that have appeared are due to hormones.. I can't remember exactly what I read, but apparently alcohol can cause havoc with your hormones.. So that's another reason to stop drinking (well, most things)... I suppose the drinking + Diane lead to these horrible spots.
I hate having pimples around the edges of my lips! It makes me feel so dirty! I keep thinking people are looking at me wondering if I have herpes or something haha...
My mood has finally improved a little, I think it's because I finally spoke to someone about it so I don't feel like such a freak for being sad over nothing. It just felt good to get it off my chest and have someone say that they're there for me.
So yeah, even though my skin looks shit right now, I'm optimistic that in the oncoming days with changes to my lifestyle it'll improve
Today was terrible.
My skin looks f---king disgusting.
I reapplied my make-up 6 times (literally) this morning. Eventually I gave up and resigned myself to not leaving the house today.
I just look so so so so so so so so bad.
While I was putting my foundation on I felt two HUGE cysts under the surface of my skin - One on my inner cheek, and the other a bit lower right next to my nostril. As soon as I felt them I burst out crying - The marks from the cysts that have just disappeared are still super reddish-purplish, and I still have another red-purple cyst on my jaw line that just isn't going away.
I was actually prepared to call my derm and tell her I want OFF Diane and back to Yaz and to start taking Accutane. But before I did, I researched Accutane and it seems in many cases it gets worse before it gets better.... So I guess either way I'm bloody screwed. Either way I'm gonna look like absolute shit.
I was meant to go out for lunch with some friends today but I cancelled - Can't bear to be in public right now.
I really just don't understand why this has to happen to me. My skin was okay-ish on Yaz, and I feel like I got greedy by wanting good skin and switching to Diane. Now I look worse than ever. Why didn't I just stick with the Yaz? At least I didn't get cystic acne with it!
I've been taking better care of my skin for the past 2 weeks than I ever have before in my life, so for it to get worse just doesn't make sense! And from what I've read about Diane, my skin will only get even worse in the coming months until it finally (HOPEFULLY) gets better.
I fucking hate my life right now.
First of all, I'm so sorry about your experience with that teacher (I know what that means, I had a similar thing happen to me) and that you're breaking out. I'm breaking terribly right now, too. I thing it has a lot to do with hot weather & sweating.
You should take Diane-35 for at least 3-4 months and if you see no improvement, then look for something else. Don't go back and forth between two OC, stay consistent with Diane-35 and see where it gets you. I also strongly advise you to have your hormone levels tested. Hang on in there!
First of all, I'm so sorry about your experience with that teacher (I know what that means, I had a similar thing happen to me) and that you're breaking out. I'm breaking terribly right now, too. I thing it has a lot to do with hot weather & sweating.
You should take Diane-35 for at least 3-4 months and if you see no improvement, then look for something else. Don't go back and forth between two OC, stay consistent with Diane-35 and see where it gets you. I also strongly advise you to have your hormone levels tested. Hang on in there!
I am so sorry that you're going through this. Usually with acne treatments things get a lot worse before they get better. Especially when using prescription pills or topicals. If the Diane-35 is going to work for you, you definitely have to stick with it for a few months before seeing results. Right now your hormones are basically in shock and aren't sure what to do, so it's taking the anger out on your skin. But once, the skin cells overturn and your hormone levels begin to even out you should see improvement. BC (especially Diane) works for many many people, so even though it sucks right now you're in good company!
Have you tried any holistic methods to help your skin? Especially to calm down all the inflammation that you're describing? Things such as taking a probiotic and cutting gluten can seriously help in the fight against inflammatory acne! Also I agree with Coldhearted^^ and think maybe you should have your hormone levels tested, just to ensure that everything is going as it should!
Try to hang in... Anything worth having doesn't usually come easy! You can do it!
Thank you both so much for the kind words
Unfortunately, I don't have the money right now to get my hormones tested... My mom thought I was being ridiculous running back and forth to the dermatologist all the time - To her, acne isn't a "real" condition and the effects of acne aren't "real". I've heard hormone testing is very expensive, so I don't think she would be receptive to it at all. I can only imagine my hormones are going a little crazy right now though.
I don't eat much gluten anyway (my parents are super health-conscious), but maybe I can try cutting it down even more...
I went to the pharmacy a few days ago and chatted to the pharmacist.. She was really helpful and reassured me that plenty of people see improvements with Diane, I just have to give it time.
On another note, my skin is looking MUCH better! All the cysts are gone! I still have a few pimples (and a weird cluster of pimples by my chin that feel like sandpaper - They aren't visible though, but they feel very weird). My skin looks notably less oily - I haven't had to reapply my powder every couple of hours during the day which is great!
I'm on the second day of the placebo week, three more days then I start taking an antiandrogen, which I hope will keep things improving even more... Hopefully there will be no initial breakout!
Thank you both so much for the kind words
Unfortunately, I don't have the money right now to get my hormones tested... My mom thought I was being ridiculous running back and forth to the dermatologist all the time - To her, acne isn't a "real" condition and the effects of acne aren't "real". I've heard hormone testing is very expensive, so I don't think she would be receptive to it at all. I can only imagine my hormones are going a little crazy right now though.
I don't eat much gluten anyway (my parents are super health-conscious), but maybe I can try cutting it down even more...
I went to the pharmacy a few days ago and chatted to the pharmacist.. She was really helpful and reassured me that plenty of people see improvements with Diane, I just have to give it time.
On another note, my skin is looking MUCH better! All the cysts are gone! I still have a few pimples (and a weird cluster of pimples by my chin that feel like sandpaper - They aren't visible though, but they feel very weird). My skin looks notably less oily - I haven't had to reapply my powder every couple of hours during the day which is great!
I'm on the second day of the placebo week, three more days then I start taking an antiandrogen, which I hope will keep things improving even more... Hopefully there will be no initial breakout!
So great to hear that things are looking up for you! Taking the antiandrogen will definitely help your face to continue cleating up. Like the pharmacist said, there are many people that have great success with Diane-35, unfortunately it just takes time. But like anything else, this too shall pass. Hang in there! Xo
Any updates on the effects of Diane?
I'm totally in the same boat as you gals, wearing makeup for years, early 20s, won't leave the house without foundation, blah blah blah. I started Diane July of this year and am curious to hear about your progress. I'm almost at 3 months, but I've skipped my period twice so I'm actually a week into my 4th pack...so I'm not sure if speeding up will affect the progress of my skin. Would just love to hear how you've been finding it!
