So.... Here I am again! Had a nice couple of years off this site because my birth control Dianette kept me pretty much clear. But having been on it 3 years and being worried about the health risks, I made the decision to come off it about 3 months ago. Since then, all hell has broken loose on my skin! I have cysts on my forehead and along my jawline and even my hair has started falling out....
Part of my just wants to screw the risk of the pill and go back on it, but part of me sees that if this is what happens when I come off it (especially the hair shedding) then it's clearly been messing with my body big time.
So, having been investigating hormones and reading Green Gables's fabulous long post on the topic, I have decided to try the natural route. I figure that my skin responded really well to the anti androgen cyproterone acetate in my pill, so maybe if I can simulate that effect naturally then my skin will respond well to that too. With that in mind, I started taking Saw Palmetto 160mg capsules morning and night 4 days ago. I've also ordered Stinging Nettle Root extract and intend to add that to my regimen when it arrives in the post. Meanwhile I will be keeping up my topical use of Epiduo and Zineryt as these have always served me well and I see no reason to stop them given the lack of side effects or health concerns.
Day 5
IthinkI've already seen some tentative progress with the Saw Palmetto (although the timing might just be coincidence of course). I haven't (yet) had any new cysts form since taking this supplement. I have however continued to break out with smaller spots. My hair is still falling out in abundance but I don't think it's quite as bad as it was a week ago. So I am cautiously hopeful but don't want to count my chickens too soon....
Hey I've read a couple of your posts on here and decided to chime in. In June I began taking Saw Palmetto. I took three pills (can't remember the dosage) and I had a panic attack. So I reread Green Gables post and began taking pygeum along with saw palmetto to help lessen the side effects of saw palmetto.
I now take 2 pygeum and 2 saw palmetto capsules a day since July. I also rub tea tree oil and vitamin E on my face (helps dry up existing acne in 1-2 days), use a bentonite clay mask once a week (draws up the impurities in your skin), and use a lancome product that helps with dark marks. My skin has gotten a lot better. I still break out around my period and I do still get some acne, but the type of it has changed from mostly cystic to whiteheads with the occasional cystic pimple.
So far it's been around 3 months and my skin is still responding to this regimen so I encourage you to stick with it. It will take awhile for the BC to wear off but once it does, maybe you will see better results.
On 9/28/2016 at 6:33 AM, Destiny389 said:Hey I've read a couple of your posts on here and decided to chime in. In June I began taking Saw Palmetto. I took three pills (can't remember the dosage) and I had a panic attack. So I reread Green Gables post and began taking pygeum along with saw palmetto to help lessen the side effects of saw palmetto.
I now take 2 pygeum and 2 saw palmetto capsules a day since July. I also rub tea tree oil and vitamin E on my face (helps dry up existing acne in 1-2 days), use a bentonite clay mask once a week (draws up the impurities in your skin), and use a lancome product that helps with dark marks. My skin has gotten a lot better. I still break out around my period and I do still get some acne, but the type of it has changed from mostly cystic to whiteheads with the occasional cystic pimple.
So far it's been around 3 months and my skin is still responding to this regimen so I encourage you to stick with it. It will take awhile for the BC to wear off but once it does, maybe you will see better results.
Thank you so much for your comment! I'm breaking out at the moment and kind of despairing so this gives me a little ray of hope. I'm now on 640mg of Saw Palmetto a day and 300mg of Stinging Nettle Root and I'm about to try upping the nettle to 600mg as well. I've heard of pygeum but not tried it. How much of that did you take? I really hope my skin starts responding to this soon as I'm getting so so depressed. Starting to wish I'd never come off birth control because my hair is falling out too, as if the skin wasn't bad enough on its own. 
Sorry about the hair loss. That alone would freak me out. But hormones are a weird thing. Maybe ask your doctor if you can do something about it.
Right now, i'm taking 200 mg a day of Pygeum and 320 mg of Saw Palmetto a day. But lately, I have been noticing that my acne is coming back. But then again, I have not been consistent lately due to college and life in general. But I might need to up my dosage and be very strict with taking them.
But my skin always does this. It'll get worse when I start the regimen, then better, then the regimen will quit working as well. I was *hoping* that taking a hormonal approach would solve this, but ugh. I'll keep you updated on that.