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5-htp + melatonin are working for me

MemberMember
0
(@generic-agent)

Posted : 10/18/2015 8:11 am

Hi everyone,

Long-time lurker here but decided to take the plunge to share with you some positive experiences I've had over the past eight months.

Before i begin, I think it's important to mention that I have suffered from acne since I was 14 or 15 (I'm 30 now). My acne was worst between about 17-23 when huge cystic acne would randomly appear on my upper cheeks and temples, but I pretty much ALWAYS struggled with it in the past 15 years. I was never really able to identify any specific trigger for it. I tried removing different things from my diet, but never noticed any link. Stress seemed to play a role.

Anyway, during this time, I experimented with a ton of products ranging from creams & gels to vitamins and supplements. The ones I can remember are:
Creams & Gels:- Clean & Clear Acne Control Kit
- AcneFree 24-Hour Acne Clearing System
- Benzaknen 10% Wash (German product)
- Cordes BPO 5% (also German)
- Retinol
- Various salicylicacid products
- Kaolin masks
- Various vitamins
- Pollen
-Nigella sativa oil
- Tee tree oil
- Various mild soaps
- Milkthistle capsules
- Saw Palmetto
- Licorice root
- Peppermint, spearmint

Of all of those things, the only products that brought reliable, lasting relief from acne were the washes that contain benzoyl peroxide and, to a lesser extent, kaolin face masks. A couple of years ago I started using them in combination with an electric facial brush and they cleared up my face pretty well. A few things still annoyed me: Whereas I stopped getting pimples on my face, they started appearing more on my shoulders and (strangely) earlobes. And then there was that whole bleaching of my skin and anything that came into contact with it. Oh yeah, and the annoying dryness.

So fast forward to about eight months ago. I started taking 5-htp supplements (200mg) + melatonin (5mg) and extra vitamin C (120 mg) to help me sleep better and, as I started a new job, to hopefully reduce my perceived stress levels. About 2-3 months in I noticed my breakouts were less frequent, but I thought maybe it was just a coincidence. My complexion continued to clear, however, and I am now relatively confident that it is due to the 5-htp. I still have the occasional blemish, but they are always much smaller than they have been in the past and they heal much faster.

So I was wondering if anyone else here has had success with 5-htp. I searched the forums and didn't find any other success stories, just questions about it in general. From my understanding of medical articles, an indirect side effect of 5-htp is a decrease in testosterone. Melatonin also seems to possibly inhibit testosterone secretion. I think this may be the underlying cause of my improved complexion. I have never had my testosterone levels checked, but I have had reason to believe I may have increased levels.

Anyway, just wanted to throw that out there. Good luck to the rest of you in your struggles against acne.

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MemberMember
14
(@wannabebeautiful79)

Posted : 10/26/2015 2:52 pm

5 htp sounds interesting!

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