Hello All,

So Im new here but need some help figuring how to attack this acne issue.. So a little background I never had acne 3 months ago. I started taking Lutera and about two weeks in my skin became really oily in fact I started having severe night sweats. Weird right? So I switched about a month into it to Microgestin. My oil production was still pretty bad and pimples started to form on my cheeks and forehead. So I stood on this for another month until a month ago I decided to call it quits. So a total of two months jacked up my skin and possibly hormones . So anyway Ive been off of bc for a month and granted my skin is not as oily or getting night sweats my skin is still weird. Im getting a lot of whiteheads and my skin is still oily. Is this a sign of low progesterone? I started taking saw palmetto for a little over a week and haven't seen any change. I am considering Vitex to help regulate my hormones but I am unsure. Also Ive been on Dans regimen but even the oil free moisturizer leaves me oily and Ive tried a few he suggested including his! Can anyone offer any advice Id greatly greatly appreciate it. Thank you.

If you read this post, it suggests Lutera is a bad birth control for acne... Microgestin is also on the list you should avoid.

It's possible that this is just a temporary upset it could take a few more months but your hormones could level themselves out again without assistance. My advice is to be a little more patient before starting to take a supplement or medication. Hormonal treatments are a commitment and it will still take at least 3-4 months to see full results.

In my case, even the smallest amount of estrogen caused side effects. I couldn't handle any birth control and even spiro gave me problems. However, progestin-only pills and some forms of progestin can cause acne too progestin is synthetic and not the same as natural progesterone.

If after a few more months nothing changes, then you can start looking into your options. It's still just too early to say if you actually need to make a change in your hormones to clear up... and now if you clear up or keep breaking out it will be difficult to tell if Saw Palmetto is helping or hurting without waiting even longer.

Hey thank you so much for your response. Yes I saw that list like 2 weeks ago and I wish I would have seen it three months ago! Basically I got screwed taking two of the worst forms of birth control in regards to skin issues. And yeah I decided against the Vitex because I am unsure where my hormonal issue actually is. I read that high androgens cause overly active sebaceous glands while I think (correct me if Im mistaken) low progesterone causes tighter pores. I don't know I may be totally off with that. But yeah really kind of desperate to figure out why I am getting all of the closed comedones and whether they all develop into pimples or not. Granted like I mentioned the oily skin has gone down a lot but not enough..and now since on the regimen I can add flaking to this mix. Its like I have oily dry flaking skin..if that makes any sense

Hey thank you so much for your response. Yes I saw that list like 2 weeks ago and I wish I would have seen it three months ago! Basically I got screwed taking two of the worst forms of birth control in regards to skin issues. And yeah I decided against the Vitex because I am unsure where my hormonal issue actually is. I read that high androgens cause overly active sebaceous glands while I think (correct me if Im mistaken) low progesterone causes tighter pores. I don't know I may be totally off with that. But yeah really kind of desperate to figure out why I am getting all of the closed comedones and whether they all develop into pimples or not. Granted like I mentioned the oily skin has gone down a lot but not enough..and now since on the regimen I can add flaking to this mix. Its like I have oily dry flaking skin..if that makes any sense

No problem... I hope it clears up for you soon! (: It's a good thing that the oily part has improved again it has only been a month so it could just take a little more time. I think the mistake was to start a second birth control and upsetting your hormones even more without letting them calm down from the first pill. What's done is done though, so now it's just time to be patient and let your body recover.

You're correct about excess androgens in most cases but I'm not sure about low progesterone and tighter pores... using natural progesterone cream does make my skin feel very soft, though.

Knowing that you've never had acne before taking the pill definitely makes me think it is hormonal so topicals won't do much at all; it could even cause more irritation. One of the mistakes people make with oily skin is drying it out too much which causes the skin to overcompensate. I would just take it easy on adding anything or changing your routine too much. Try to stay positive and relax... if you stress about your skin it will only make it worse! Good luck and I wish you the best! (:

You are absolutely right! I should have never switched the pill in such a drastic way. To be honest I had never had so much experience with birth control or the blow that is can cause to your hormonal balance. Initially I took them because of my period irregularity but I did not have acne or pcos. I had taken Loestrin Fe a few years ago for three months and had no side affects what so ever other than weight gain maybe. Even coming off of it did nothing to me emotionally or acne wise.

You are also completely right about the irritation. I think over the past month out sheer desperation think Ive been drying my skin out so much so that Im getting closed comedones. I had always used Bp for years and never needed lotion or creams of any sort. Now just using purpose strips my skin and feels tight. I don't know I guess my skin just needs to balance its self out. And prior to the whole birth control thing I did have acne but it was really mild like a pimple every few months or so. So this is very confusing to me. But thank you so much I will try to relax but I must admit Im obsessing over this big time. Also maybe the change in hormones is making me a little loopy also lol .

Hi just wanted to ask does the oiliness ever subside after getting off of the pill. Its almost been two months off the pill and my face is just getting worse. Im so depressed over this I cant even begin to tell you. I truly feel miserable as I keep getting these closed comedones all over my face. I have some pretty bad hyperpigmentation all over my cheeks. I stopped the saw palmetto to see if it was making a difference or not as far as the oil production. I don't know if going back on a different pill is a good idea or not..but this is really taking over my entire life and just getting out of control for me . This is just nuts to me that I had clear skin prior to this and this just has ruined my skin and ruined me mentally/emotionally. Any help really would be appreciated. thank you

Hi Krissy, so sorry to hear you are having such trouble. I read through your posts and it does sound like your hormones did get a little wacky from the wrong pill and it does take several months to balance back out. Saw Palmetto is known for helping to combat androgens and in turn reduce oil. Also many women have success with spearmint tea. I have oily skin due to increased androgen/testosterone and take Yasmin, Spiro, spearmint tea. In order to make sure I get rid of closed comedones you need to have a good cleansing exfoliation process to clear the skin from the excess buildup and allow the oil to not get trapped.

If you have any experience a good AHA/BHA and chemical peels can help exofilate your skin and keep comedones at bay. I never had an issue with them until this year, in the middle of winter my skin was SO dry and I started using all kinds of oil free this oil free that and stripped it. It then became very oily and boom comedones the bane of my existence.

Currently I use Cerave foaming for normal/oily skin. Then I use MUAC (Makeup Artists Choice) Mandelic toner to remove buildup, I also rotate in 5% Salicylic to help breakdown the oil and clogged pores from Diana Yvonne. I then use BP, Cerave PM mixed with the AHA from Acne.org. Each week I use a gentle 25% mandelice peel from MUAC. Peels can be your best friend in general, I've got 15% salicylic which helps comedones and clogged pores, Mandelic helps both and pigmentation from acne, I recently ordered their Lactic peel for marks and their Fade peel.. These have all helped clear up my comedones in the last month. I have a few left on each cheek and near my jaw but nothing like what happened from a bad cleansing routine, oily skin and hormones. Hope this helps somewhat. Deep breathes, yuo are not alone and this will get better.

Hi just wanted to ask does the oiliness ever subside after getting off of the pill. Its almost been two months off the pill and my face is just getting worse. Im so depressed over this I cant even begin to tell you. I truly feel miserable as I keep getting these closed comedones all over my face. I have some pretty bad hyperpigmentation all over my cheeks. I stopped the saw palmetto to see if it was making a difference or not as far as the oil production. I don't know if going back on a different pill is a good idea or not..but this is really taking over my entire life and just getting out of control for me . This is just nuts to me that I had clear skin prior to this and this just has ruined my skin and ruined me mentally/emotionally. Any help really would be appreciated. thank you

Thank you so much for the response. Im worried over all because I never had regular periods to begin with. So I dont even know how to gadge how long or how bad this can get for me. I just want to crawl under a rock for a few mnths and wait it out..but of course thats not logical lol. And I actually have MUAC 30% glycolic acid peel but have been scared to use it lol. Ive been doing dans regimen with the aha cream. I started using a retinol gel at night also. I dont know if Im over doing it but Im desperate at this moment. Its amazing how you never appreciate something like having clear skin until you loose that . This is really getting to me. In general people in my life with no acne dont understand how this can negatively affect your self esteem so much. Thank you for letting me vent.

If you are using a retonoid just make sure to stop it 48 hours before doing a peel. I've only used a glycolic toner 10% so not sure about it. But MUAC has yet to let me down. I would highly suggest their Mandelic as it is the gentilest. I 100% feel your pain and have been dealing with it for almost 6 months and finally have a light at the end of the tunnel. If you find that this is really not changing in another few weeks and you are open to BC you might want to look into Yaz or Yasmin or Dianette. I've taken Yasmin before and it cleared me up great, now on it again I don't have issues. But if you'd rather stay away from hormonal treatment you can always wait it out. I've neen on BC for over 16 years and only been off it a few times so I'm a scardy cat to stop at this point. Venting is what this board is for, I've met so many great women that have gotten me through this extremely challenging time in life. I am here whenever and hope that you find something soon that works for you. If you have already looked at diet to help that might be an area. Many of us here are gluten, dairy, sugar and caffeine free. Stinks but is helpful while you try and heal your acne. Maybe you are already doing that and if so keep it up. Hoping you have a good weekend despite this crappy thing called adult acne...

Thank you so much for the response. Im worried over all because I never had regular periods to begin with. So I dont even know how to gadge how long or how bad this can get for me. I just want to crawl under a rock for a few mnths and wait it out..but of course thats not logical lol. And I actually have MUAC 30% glycolic acid peel but have been scared to use it lol. Ive been doing dans regimen with the aha cream. I started using a retinol gel at night also. I dont know if Im over doing it but Im desperate at this moment. Its amazing how you never appreciate something like having clear skin until you loose that . This is really getting to me. In general people in my life with no acne dont understand how this can negatively affect your self esteem so much. Thank you for letting me vent.

Hi

I'm not sure where you live but I know of a couple of products you could look into if you want to try the herbal route to balance out your hormones.

One is called Estrosmart by Lorna Vanderhaeghe (available in Canada). It takes a few months to work but is helpful for a number of hormonal issues including acne. (my daughter and I have been taking them for about a year now). Lorna has a website and a really good book about women and hormones.

The other one I have not tried but it is available on line and is called Fem balance by Vitanica. It seems to get a high rating by people who have used it.

From what I know it takes at least a few months for your body to adjust after going off birth control pills perhaps more.

Try and be gentle on your skin because if you use products that are too harsh your skin may compensate by producing more oil (frustrating I know). The Regimen does work but will likely take 2-3 months to see results.

Try and not get too down about it even though it may be hard. Your skin does not define you.

Carpemomentum thank you so much! I love that we can come on here and speak our minds when all of the people around us are tired of hearing it LOL! But yes Im going to try this peel out this weekend maybe. Ill stop everything including BP at least 48hrs before. Im just concerned it would might break me out a little more. Can the Mandelic one be used without stopping all topical's 48hrs prior? I am still kind of considering birth control of another kind but its so frustrating thinking I might choose something that might exacerbate the problem. II guess to describe myself Im not full blown thin pcos but when I had my blood work done I was "borderline". So all in all I would love to really just regulate my periods and body in general and hopefully not sacrifice my face or mind in the process lol. Well see what I do. Also about the diet the most Ive done is drink a little less coffee than I used to lol. Im quite thin and going on & off the pill made me loose more weight than I really wanted to. I know some people wouldn't complain about that but hey different strokes for different folks you know lol.

Hope7 also thank you very much for your input! I appreciate it a lot. Actually I made a post asking people about Fem Rebalance. It contains a lot of herbs that seem interesting. The only thing that concerns me is that at some point I took maca root and within a week I was breaking out. So since then Ive eliminated all supplements except for the things Ive always taken such as muilti, zinc, b12, and vitamin d. So I don't know if I should just hold off on everything and let time do its thing or not.

With the mandelic acid peel, in the morning I would do my normal routine. Wash, exfoliate, clindamycin, bp and moisutrizer and then at night the peel with just some spot treatment of bp and lotion and usually go back to my normal routine in the am. My skin likes the mandelic so I can be a bit tougher with it. Actually going to try the 15% mandelic/15% salicylic tonight and excited to see if it can help clear up the final clogs left from my spironolactone/birth control breakout. I would BE so happy if this can help these last few spots to kick the bucket. Ugh I hate this so much. I shouldn't be excited about doing a peel on a Friday night I should be out not worrying about my skin. Oh well, just a few more weeks left of this and pulling to finally be clear on this combo. I also am thin PCOS, my endo said that is really good because our fertility chances are much greater and less concern about other disease. Either way it stinks, but spiro is great for those with PCOS.

Carpemomentum thank you so much! I love that we can come on here and speak our minds when all of the people around us are tired of hearing it LOL! But yes Im going to try this peel out this weekend maybe. Ill stop everything including BP at least 48hrs before. Im just concerned it would might break me out a little more. Can the Mandelic one be used without stopping all topical's 48hrs prior? I am still kind of considering birth control of another kind but its so frustrating thinking I might choose something that might exacerbate the problem. II guess to describe myself Im not full blown thin pcos but when I had my blood work done I was "borderline". So all in all I would love to really just regulate my periods and body in general and hopefully not sacrifice my face or mind in the process lol. Well see what I do. Also about the diet the most Ive done is drink a little less coffee than I used to lol. Im quite thin and going on & off the pill made me loose more weight than I really wanted to. I know some people wouldn't complain about that but hey different strokes for different folks you know lol.

Hope7 also thank you very much for your input! I appreciate it a lot. Actually I made a post asking people about Fem Rebalance. It contains a lot of herbs that seem interesting. The only thing that concerns me is that at some point I took maca root and within a week I was breaking out in cystic acne. So since then Ive eliminated all supplements except for the things Ive always taken such as muilti, zinc, b12, and vitamin d. So I don't know if I should just hold off on everything and let time do its thing or not.

Hello,

As I've stated before on this forum. I am almost fully recovered from acne. my doctor said my cystic acne was hormonal and made me take pumpkin seed oil (to reduce oily skin) as well as homeopathy. You can buy this over the counter or order it i think so i suggest if you're open to the idea to have a look on the boiron website you can go on the medicine finder and it should help you find a mild treatment

best of luck

@ Carpemomentum wow another thin cycster so to speak lol. My doctor did blood work and sonogram technically Im not a full pcos but like she said really borderline. But to be honest I consider what I have pcos Ive had every symptom accept the insulin resistance and acne. So Im sure the acne I have now will go away eventually lol. How has your experience been on spiro? Was the initial break out bad? I was considering it a while ago simply for the hirsutism which I unfortunately have been blessed with . I was hoping the right kind of bc would help regulate all of these aspects. Surely Lutera was not the one since Im sure Im sensitive to androgens as it Is and that only aggravated it. And I am going to look into ordering the Mandelic acid peel since it might be more convenient to use as opposed to stopping everything once a week with glycolic acid. But ugh I totally understand you friend its Friday night and I have been obsessively researching birth controls and hormones. I swear Ive learned so much I should have a degree by now LOL kidding of course .

@ Sandrine1985 thank you so much for the advice. I hadn't hear of pumpkin seed oil but I will definitely look into it because this oil production is causing these annoying comedones! Did it take a long time to see results?

Yeah, the endo said 10% of women have PCOS so really do be extreme or have a mild case it still stinks for sure!! Girl I feel you on the research part, I've been dealing with this for the past 5 months I could write a book, a blog, and launch a successful website on how to take care of acne and hormones. But I am so thankful I am armed now with all of this information and can continue to have success. Honestly starting spiro was an easy decision, but it has been a tough journey and hoping it is so worth it. In Nov/Dec I was getting mild but persistent breakouts, would get 1-2 spots then clear. I decided to go on spiro to head this off, 50 mg and I had a pretty rough breakout first few weeks, inflammatory and then I went on doxy. Then the 3-4th week it was all of these tiny comedones under my skin on my cheeks, jaw and chin, NEVER had that before in my life. BUT my skin care routine was crazy, I was doing everything on earth to try and fix my breakouts topically before I figured out a good routine. It was the start of winter and it was dry but oily, so as much as I want to say spiro did this, it might not have been as bad if I had my current routine down. It's taken 3+ months to finally have some control over my skin. It's been 2 steps forward 3 steps back but finally moving forward now. Everyone is completely different, read the reviews. Many women don't have an IB. Many women do. Some women clear quickly and some take forever. I think if you have your diet under control, a good cleansing routine, the right dose of spiro and bc and you will be very succesful in getting control of any breakouts. As much as this has been hell it truly is worth it to have clarity moving forward! I have a journal on my experience:

This board and these women on here, get me through everyday along with some true faith and prayer!! lol

@ Carpemomentum wow another thin cycster so to speak lol. My doctor did blood work and sonogram technically Im not a full pcos but like she said really borderline. But to be honest I consider what I have pcos Ive had every symptom accept the insulin resistance and acne. So Im sure the acne I have now will go away eventually lol. How has your experience been on spiro? Was the initial break out bad? I was considering it a while ago simply for the hirsutism which I unfortunately have been blessed with . I was hoping the right kind of bc would help regulate all of these aspects. Surely Lutera was not the one since Im sure Im sensitive to androgens as it Is and that only aggravated it. And I am going to look into ordering the Mandelic acid peel since it might be more convenient to use as opposed to stopping everything once a week with glycolic acid. But ugh I totally understand you friend its Friday night and I have been obsessively researching birth controls and hormones. I swear Ive learned so much I should have a degree by now LOL kidding of course .

@ Sandrine1985 thank you so much for the advice. I hadn't hear of pumpkin seed oil but I will definitely look into it because this oil production is causing these annoying comedones! Did it take a long time to see results?

I am a thin cyster too, and I got my nasty cystic acne under control with inositol and, after doing some research and also reading hearts' thread, I added DIM as well. My ovulation breakouts have diminished significantly over the past 6 months, and I am looking forward to my 3 month mark with DIM because that's when it fully kicks in.

Also, I follow a low histamine diet, which I believe is optimal for insulin control and for keeping blood sugar levels stable.

@Carpemomentum I couldn't agree with you more. I don't think a lot of people understand how it feels to even have a mild case of pcos. Personally I tend to feel less of a woman like something is wrong with me. I don't know exactly what I have and prior to BC my LH and FSH levels were in the normal range as in not premenopausal or anything. But the ratio was borderline and still get a period when ever the heck it decides to come lol. I really wish I were normal and would welcome a regular cycle with open arms lol. But I understand Ive been obsessively looking up hormone related things to kind of get an understanding of what is going on in my body. And I hear you about those comedones they absolutely suck!! Mine have been getting much better now that I have incorporated a retinol gel 5% at night and bp with aha in the morning. I think the key is keep the skin nice and exfoliated. Also I read that your on Yaz and it made you very emotional has that leveled out for you? I am kind of fearful of even attempting to try another pill because I really don't like the depression that comes with them along with the possible acne side affects. Ugh I could go on and on about all of this lol!

@Wishclean wow I am happy to hear you found success with DIM. I am not 100% familiar with the effects of DIM but I do know it helps metabolize bad estrogens I believe. Do you think it helps more with estrogen dominance? I agree also maintaining steady blood sugar levels are especially helpful to pcos girls who already suffer from insulin resistance.

@Carpemomentum I couldn't agree with you more. I don't think a lot of people understand how it feels to even have a mild case of pcos. Personally I tend to feel less of a woman like something is wrong with me. I don't know exactly what I have and prior to BC my LH and FSH levels were in the normal range as in not premenopausal or anything. But the ratio was borderline and still get a period when ever the heck it decides to come lol. I really wish I were normal and would welcome a regular cycle with open arms lol. But I understand Ive been obsessively looking up hormone related things to kind of get an understanding of what is going on in my body. And I hear you about those comedones they absolutely suck!! Mine have been getting much better now that I have incorporated a retinol gel 5% at night and bp with aha in the morning. I think the key is keep the skin nice and exfoliated. Also I read that your on Yaz and it made you very emotional has that leveled out for you? I am kind of fearful of even attempting to try another pill because I really don't like the depression that comes with them along with the possible acne side affects. Ugh I could go on and on about all of this lol!

@Wishclean wow I am happy to hear you found success with DIM. I am not 100% familiar with the effects of DIM but I do know it helps metabolize bad estrogens I believe. Do you think it helps more with estrogen dominance? I agree also maintaining steady blood sugar levels are especially helpful to pcos girls who already suffer from insulin resistance.

Noone really knows 100% how herbs work because not many companies and institutions are willing to fund herb-related research, particularly when it comes to acne and skin conditions. DIM helped me because I had estrogen dominance symptoms. Inositol helped me lower my androgens and manage my mid-cycle breakouts. DIM was the final piece of the puzzle for me.

@Carpemomentum I couldn't agree with you more. I don't think a lot of people understand how it feels to even have a mild case of pcos. Personally I tend to feel less of a woman like something is wrong with me. I don't know exactly what I have and prior to BC my LH and FSH levels were in the normal range as in not premenopausal or anything. But the ratio was borderline and still get a period when ever the heck it decides to come lol. I really wish I were normal and would welcome a regular cycle with open arms lol. But I understand Ive been obsessively looking up hormone related things to kind of get an understanding of what is going on in my body. And I hear you about those comedones they absolutely suck!! Mine have been getting much better now that I have incorporated a retinol gel 5% at night and bp with aha in the morning. I think the key is keep the skin nice and exfoliated. Also I read that your on Yaz and it made you very emotional has that leveled out for you? I am kind of fearful of even attempting to try another pill because I really don't like the depression that comes with them along with the possible acne side affects. Ugh I could go on and on about all of this lol!

@Wishclean wow I am happy to hear you found success with DIM. I am not 100% familiar with the effects of DIM but I do know it helps metabolize bad estrogens I believe. Do you think it helps more with estrogen dominance? I agree also maintaining steady blood sugar levels are especially helpful to pcos girls who already suffer from insulin resistance.

Noone really knows 100% how herbs work because not many companies and institutions are willing to fund herb-related research, particularly when it comes to acne and skin conditions. DIM helped me because I had estrogen dominance symptoms. Inositol helped me lower my androgens and manage my mid-cycle breakouts. DIM was the final piece of the puzzle for me.

Do you think Inositol is more effective in lowering androgens than Saw Palmetto? For me I actually dont think I have an estrogen domincane rather a lack of at the moment. I dont know if raising estrogen levels in me would help combate androgenic ones. I have hot flashes and sweat pretty easily and I attribute this to lack of estrogen. Anyhow I think I should just go to my doctor and get my levels tested. Im glad you found your solution.