There are many different types of birth control so just because one did not work for you, doesn't mean that others won't. The location of your acne screams hormones so try a different birth control or the drug spironolactone. There is also topicals. Some people swear by diet changes too. Moist what you've tried to get more targeted advice.

I get just chin acne too, isn't it the worse! Without knowing what options you have exhausted and for how long you tried them, its hard to givr advice. Me personally I have been on the generic yaz and spironolactone and it hasnt kicked in quite yet (or so i hope it will eventually)

I feel your frustration! I'm 24 and I've finally got my skin under control in the last year! I agree with leelowe1, not all BC is created equal. If you want to be on birth control for other reasons anyway, a low dose hormone pill can be very helpful. Loestrin did help my skin partially. However, being on the pill never fully solved my hormonal acne issues.

If you don't want to be on hormonal birth control, there is still hope! What has worked best for me now is the most boring solution you probably don't want to hear haha
1) Healthy eating- I drink a green smoothie every morning with about 1 cup of spinach/kale/etc, with 1.5 cups of fruit... It is super delicious and after about 1 month my skin seriously started to GLOW! I was SHOCKED, my skin had never glowed before. I thought glowing skin was a myth for me. I always thought I ate okay, but I guess I just wasn't getting as much fruit and veg as I thought. I also added in lots of olive oil for healthy fat. Check out Simple Green Smoothies
2) exercise- Doing yoga 1+ times a week has helped a lot, too. I think it is the work out plus the stress management that is effective. And be kind to your MIND, too! Don't focus on the negative parts of your skin/body, it does NOT help! Focusing on your acne will only create more acne!
3) Gentle skin cleanser and moisturizer. I've found that for hormonal acne, topicals are not particularly effective because the issue is so much deeper and more complicated than just the exterior of your skin. Of course having an adamant cleansing regimen is crucial because unbalanced skin will just cause more problems. You can't just ~not~ wash and moisturize your face. I like the Alba pineapple cleanser because it's gentle and does a good job of taking off my makeup. Cerave Moisturizer is also very gentle, but it's nothing special
4) Get a sense of your hormones! I started using a period tracking app and also tracked my breakouts everyday which helped me know my cycle. Then I started taking DIM-supplement in levels based off of my cycle and when I breakout. (you can find lots of info on this online). This supplement really helped kick out those hormonal breakouts. Now I just take it when I start to breakout and it helps my skin hear so much quicker.

I really hope your skin gets better! I absolutely know how horrible it is!!! Sometimes it feels like it will never end, but I promise if you're diligent and gentle on your skin and body you'll see improvements. I know this seems a lot harder than just a topical treatment/skin routine, but the reality is that living with acne is way more challenging. Good luck you're doing great!

cut out all cosmetics & cleansers containing SLS, and make sure you are washing your face with good quality water. In the 2nd photo, your face seems to be reacting to something you are using.

This is a very easy fix. consider yourself lucky...

Acne in this area is a sign of estrogen dominance. that's why birth control didn't fix it-- you were just adding more synthetic estrogen, when you need to be using a bio-identical PROGESTERONE cream on day 12-26 of your period each month. i recommend Protest-E rubbed onto your gums for easy absorption. Estrogen and progesterone need to be in balance. A lot of people get this type of breakout after starting a vegan diet which includes a lot of soy which is basically estrogen in the body. Don't eat soy. Keep estrogen low, there are too many estrogen mimicking things around us these days (i.e. chemicals in detergent, fragrances, plastic, soy/processed food, birth control pills) that off-set our hormones and can lead to infertility, breast cancer, etc. It's a shame female hormones don't have proper research and are very misunderstood.

i would also recommend vitamin A (Nurtrisorb-A is the only safe brand i would recommend) or eating organic beefliver (preferably grass-fed) once a week (gross, i know). DIM supplement also might help because it rids the body of excess estrogen but I'm not sure about it because it's made from cruciferous vegetables which are known thyroid suppressors. You don't want to solve one problem only to causeanother one...

On 12/17/2015, 159, ella_vader said:

This is a very easy fix. consider yourself lucky...

 

Acne in this area is a sign of estrogen dominance. that's why birth control didn't fix it-- you were just adding more synthetic estrogen, when you need to be using a bio-identical PROGESTERONE cream on day 12-26 of your period each month. i recommend Protest-E rubbed onto your gums for easy absorption. Estrogen and progesterone need to be in balance. A lot of people get this type of breakout after starting a vegan diet which includes a lot of soy which is basically estrogen in the body. Don't eat soy. Keep estrogen low, there are too many estrogen mimicking things around us these days (i.e. chemicals in detergent, fragrances, plastic, soy/processed food, birth control pills) that off-set our hormones and can lead to infertility, breast cancer, etc. It's a shame female hormones don't have proper research and are very misunderstood.

i would also recommend vitamin A (Nurtrisorb-A is the only safe brand i would recommend) or eating organic beefliver (preferably grass-fed) once a week (gross, i know). DIM supplement also might help because it rids the body of excess estrogen but I'm not sure about it because it's made from cruciferous vegetables which are known thyroid suppressors. You don't want to solve one problem only to causeanother one...

 

I just want to remind everyone not to start progesterone creams on their own. I briefly experimented with a yam-based progesterone boosting cream (with no actual progesterone in it), but any type of progesterone cream -- natural or not -- should not be recommended without the supervision of a doctor specializing in bioidentical hormone treatments (watch out - there are many fakes in this regard, do your research carefully when selecting a bio doctor). Main reason for the supervision is that the wrong dose of progesterone, like the wrong dose of estrogen therapy, can trigger certain forms of cancer. That's why bioidentical hormone treatments require regular hormonal testing. Just a warning.

I'm 23 also and have been dealing with acne around my chin/mouth since my mid-teens. I started birth control (Sprintec) about 2 years ago. I'm not sure what bc pill you're taking, but make sure you talk to your doctor about your skin and whether it would help or hurt. Some pills don't help acne because they have a more androgenic form of progesterone. The Sprintec slowed down the formation of new acne some, but didn't really fix anything.

Then 4 months ago I started taking Spironolactone. It has been amazing and super helpful. It does take a couple of months to work, but then suddenly one day there is a major decrease in acne. Especially the cystic (painful, under the skin) kind. Now if I ever get a pimple it will only be one or 2 small ones at a time that go away in a day or 2. I'd be happy to answer any other questions you have about it!