I'm a 17 year old female who has suffered from acne since age 12. It has ranged from mild to moderately severe during this time.
2 years ago it suddenly went away to the shock of my (rather incompetent) dermatologist and myself. And it stayed away for about a year, but now it's back with a vengeance.
I have several problems I feel might be related and may help pinpoint the cause and treatment options for my acne.
My symptoms are:
Moderately sever acne (nodules, pustules, blackheads, whiteheads, etc) on my face and body
Extremely oily skin (I can see oil within minutes of applying makeup)
Irregular cycles (ranging from 28-40 days)
Acne clears significantly during the first few days of my period and the week after tends to be its worst
Excessive sweating (somewhat controlled with certain dri)
Oily scalp
Poor circulation
Maybe I'm just really screwed up genetically, but I feel like at least some of these things must be connected.
I would love any feedback or suggestions. I'm so sick of the pain of acne and having no self esteem because of my oily, bumpy skin.
(I've been on several topical antibiotics, retinols, BP, oral antibiotics, and natural treatments/supplements to no avail. Duac was the topical that helped that one year.)
Check your hormones, or only the testosterone/ progesterone levels and discuss the results with endocrinologist or gynecologist. A dermatologist isnt helpful in cases of hormonal acne. You are pretty young and you can try a birth control pill if you dont have issues to stay away from it. But, even if you dont want the pill discuss the combination of natural supplements. I have hormonal acne, i was on diane 35, and now i take vitex and saw palmetto to balance the hormones.
Check your hormones, or only the testosterone/ progesterone levels and discuss the results with endocrinologist or gynecologist. A dermatologist isnt helpful in cases of hormonal acne. You are pretty young and you can try a birth control pill if you dont have issues to stay away from it. But, even if you dont want the pill discuss the combination of natural supplements. I have hormonal acne, i was on diane 35, and now i take vitex and saw palmetto to balance the hormones.
Thank you! As soon as I get some money I plan on having my hormone levels tested.
Personally, I'm not interested on going on BC yet; I'm worried its going to screw up my hormones even more in the long run.
But I didn't think most doctors recommended supplements/natural alternatives to BC or antiandrogens? That would be amazing if I could get this under control with supplements!
The pill does not mess hormones, dont worry about that. I realize that you are young and intimidated to use it. In fact the sooner, the better for the pill. It is not allowed only in cases of smoking habits, 35+ age, and blood circulation problems. Other than that it is safe to use it, under a doctor's consultation of course. Eventually, its up to you to decide. Supplements are recomended by homeopath doctors, as the traditional docs of western medicine prefer to promote common drugs. So, an accupancturist or homeopath doc is the most suitable to guide you. Generally speaking supps do work.
Actually, the pill can certainly mess with your hormones. Birth control (whether it is a combination of estrogen/progestin or just progestin) is synthetic hormonal medication. Birth control can cause all sorts of negative side effects and risks, including more serious conditions like insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, and breast and cervical cancer... I have studies and if you're interested I can link them.
I was stupid and started the pill at 18 when my only previous problem was acne. I tried about a dozen different brands and they all gave me horrible side effects and estrogen dominance. The ironic thing is that they didn't touch my acne. I didn't get the estrogen dominance under control until a year or so ago when I started using natural progesterone cream. I was 25.
It's very possible to get your acne under control with supplements. Not everything works the same for everyone, though, so it can be a bit of trial and error. Hormones also take their time to adjust, so it does take a lot of patience. I responded to another user recently with some natural options... I would personally start with something simple like vitamin D before trying something more extreme. If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask! (:
The pill does not mess hormones, dont worry about that. I realize that you are young and intimidated to use it. In fact the sooner, the better for the pill. It is not allowed only in cases of smoking habits, 35+ age, and blood circulation problems. Other than that it is safe to use it, under a doctor's consultation of course. Eventually, its up to you to decide. Supplements are recomended by homeopath doctors, as the traditional docs of western medicine prefer to promote common drugs. So, an accupancturist or homeopath doc is the most suitable to guide you. Generally speaking supps do work.
Pills do not mess hormones?! I have had first hand experience with pills and yes they bloody well do! All you have to do is search pill hormone imbalance into google to find billions of results. Just don't take the pill, honestly, it's the worst thing you can do for hormonal balance...mi don't know if this woman know so her stuff but I have had so many hormonal emotional issues with the pill, I don't think putting anything synthetic into your body can be good for it on a long term basis.