Do not use Estroblock. It blocks estrogen. All the research says that androgens cause acne, estrogen does not. Estrogen can actually help acne and is anti-inflammatory.

Typically "deep painful cysts" only resolve when you get your hormones under control. Again, most of the research says that the best thing to do is to reduce androgenic activity, and if after many months that doesn't work, then to take control of your insulin/glucose (they're actually called "master hormones").

The top OTC supplement to reduce androgenic activity is saw palmetto.

Yeah cut out the dairy... im not saying its the cause but you never know. Swap it out for almond milk (try blue diamond). The only dairy i will eat is if its such a small ingredient in something like bread or whatever. But i dont eat cheese, yogurt etc.

Also i was the same was with long derm antibiotics. I was taking Doxy which the dosage is anti bacterial. So i switched to Oracea which the dosage is anti inflammatory. Love oracea so much.

Also for me giving up makeup helped so much. The only thing i use is a take my loreal foundation take a q-tip and dot it on like a hyperpigmentaton mark i want to cover- but use only a small amount. and let your skin breath. And to take it off i just take a q-tip and some cleansing water and go over that spot to remove the makeup. Then i cleanse very lightly with Cerave Hydrating Cleanser. My skin is so senstivie so i have to make sure to only use 3-4 hand cup fulls of water when washing with my cleanser because my skin gets so irritated.

Do not use Estroblock. It blocks estrogen. All the research says that androgens cause acne, estrogen does not. Estrogen can actually help acne and is anti-inflammatory.

Typically "deep painful cysts" only resolve when you get your hormones under control. Again, most of the research says that the best thing to do is to reduce androgenic activity, and if after many months that doesn't work, then to take control of your insulin/glucose (they're actually called "master hormones").

The top OTC supplement to reduce androgenic activity is saw palmetto.

I already eat a diet that is pretty low glycemic. The thing is I'm afraid that if I come off epiduo and the antibiotic that my skin will start breaking out like crazy again. I'm tired of the "purge" period that seems to come along with every acne treatment haha.

Do you think if I started taking saw palmetto I would see a vast improvement in my skin? Also, how much of it should I take? and are there any other supplements I should use with it?

Also, I read some of your links and saw that you reccommend taking another herb with the saw palmetto. Which would you reccommend I take with it?

I'm just sensing a little bit of desperation here, so realize that even though you already doing a lot or eating a pretty good diet, in the end it's not enough. You still have acne. There isn't going to be some magic pill that's going to clear your skin overnight. There are several things you can do but it is going to take patience and persistence on your part.

Reducing androgenic activity does work. There is science to back it up. It gets at a root cause that precedes what antibiotics and retinoids can treat.

And yes, even if you eat a low glycemic diet, if you are even remotely hyperglycemic it may not be enough. You may have to take extra steps to even out your blood sugar highs and lows.

Saw palmetto starting dosage should be 320mg daily. You can double or triple that eventually, but it can give you headaches if you do it too quickly, so I typically recommend 320mg daily for a month before you increase. You can add stinging nettle or pumpkin seed oil to help reduce androgenic activity from a slightly different angle. The minimum dosage on the bottle should be fine.

I would stick with those for a couple of months and then if you still have issues you can start looking at the insulin/glucose issue as well. Cutting out dairy is worth it. Dairy really has an extreme effect on blood sugar and has been documented as acne-causing in several studies.

I am completely clear but it took 8 months of consistent hormonal modification. Geoffrey Redmond, one of the top doctors for women hormone's and skin disorders, says that women who have adult acne have a sensitivity to their own (usually normal levels of) testosterone. This means that I must maintain my hormonal equilibrium daily. I don't have to be so careful of my diet anymore but I do have to take a pill everyday. But keeping my testosterone in check, even if I have to do it until I hit menopause, has been much much easier than the alternatives.

I'm just sensing a little bit of desperation here, so realize that even though you already doing a lot or eating a pretty good diet, in the end it's not enough. You still have acne. There isn't going to be some magic pill that's going to clear your skin overnight. There are several things you can do but it is going to take patience and persistence on your part.

Reducing androgenic activity does work. There is science to back it up. It gets at a root cause that precedes what antibiotics and retinoids can treat.

And yes, even if you eat a low glycemic diet, if you are even remotely hyperglycemic it may not be enough. You may have to take extra steps to even out your blood sugar highs and lows.

Saw palmetto starting dosage should be 320mg daily. You can double or triple that eventually, but it can give you headaches if you do it too quickly, so I typically recommend 320mg daily for a month before you increase. You can add stinging nettle or pumpkin seed oil to help reduce androgenic activity from a slightly different angle. The minimum dosage on the bottle should be fine.

I would stick with those for a couple of months and then if you still have issues you can start looking at the insulin/glucose issue as well. Cutting out dairy is worth it. Dairy really has an extreme effect on blood sugar and has been documented as acne-causing in several studies.

I am completely clear but it took 8 months of consistent hormonal modification. Geoffrey Redmond, one of the top doctors for women hormone's and skin disorders, says that women who have adult acne have a sensitivity to their own (usually normal levels of) testosterone. This means that I must maintain my hormonal equilibrium daily. I don't have to be so careful of my diet anymore but I do have to take a pill everyday. But keeping my testosterone in check, even if I have to do it until I hit menopause, has been much much easier than the alternatives.

Thanks for the reply. I've decided that for the next couple of months I'm going to completely cut out dairy and see how that goes. If I don't clear at all I'll begin the supplements, but I just want to be sure I know whats working and what isn't. I have decided not to take the antibiotics though.

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Do you think it's wiser to just cut out to the dairy before trying any supplements?