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Could my acne be caused by excess testosterone (as a guy)?

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(@mateus560276)

Posted : 06/14/2017 10:51 am

I've told my story numerous times in other topics, so I am going to keep this short. Bottom line is, I am a 20 years old guy with very persistent acne. At some point, it was terrible enough for me to take Accutane, which worked very nice during the time I took it. Acne came back shortly after finishing a long, low dose course. Now it is annoying enough to ruin some of my daysbut not as bad as before. Accutane was the only thing that ever worked for me, and here are some facts that I've noticed over the last couple of years:

  • I first got oily skin and then (mild) acne when I was around 14. Since then it kept getting worse
  • Acne has always been accompanied by anextremely oily skin. Even during Accutane, my face would get oily after around 8 hours, especially around my nose, which had constant blackheads. Shortly after finishing the Accutane course, the oily skin returned. Not as horrifying as before, but pretty bad
  • My body was always hairy, even as a teen (15 years old),when none of my friends and acquaintances had such developed hair on their legs and hands. Basically, if I don't trim it from time to time, you can barely make out the color of my skin.
  • I sweat enough for itto be an annoyance
  • Very high libidoand I get turned on extremely easy
  • Trouble sleeping: it takes a long time to fall asleep even when I am tired and "sleepy". After I do fall asleep, I sleep for very long and still wake up tired
  • Never noticed a link between diet (not "healthy", but I do not eat junk/fast food and I try to keep an acceptable diet) and acne, especially infamous aliments like dairy, sweets, soda, processed food, etc.
  • Accutane was the only treatment that worked for me (in this category I include topicals and oral treatments as well)

These facts made me think that maybe my acne is related to hormones, and especially testosterone. Does this theory make any sense to you, and if yes, is there anything that I can do in order to solve this?

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32
(@dandytsunami)

Posted : 06/14/2017 12:29 pm

i Feel you if anyone knows how to lower testosterone or block it from forming pimples let us know!

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(@strongbadia5000)

Posted : 06/14/2017 1:22 pm

Yes, acne is related to hormones and how your body responds to those hormones.

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(@Anonymous)

Posted : 06/14/2017 4:56 pm

You should change diet and hygene,get sleep and stay stress free.
:)

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4
(@mateus560276)

Posted : 06/15/2017 4:14 am

Thanks for the answers. However, what I am looking for is a more technical approach: should I see a doctor, have some blood work done, take some medicine, etc. Regarding some answers:

  • I do of course know that hormones and acne are related. I am however interested if in my case there is a stronger link between hormone levels and acne, and if somehow adjusting them would help (as it seems I've exhausted all other common factors)
  • I had acne for years, myhygiene is perfect and I've done my research on what is good for the skin and what not. As a student living far away from home and living a very stressful school life, there is not much that I can do related to sleep, stress, and even diet (which as I've said, is decent, but not "healthy"). I've tried major changes to my diet and I've seen no improvements. Anyway, there is little chance that I can change any of these aspects in the next years.
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(@ahaguru)

Posted : 06/16/2017 2:05 am

Organic dairy and meat makes huge improvement!!!
i once switch from organic dairy to regular I got really ugly breakouts!! It's a fact organic makes a difference!

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(@user606822)

Posted : 06/16/2017 2:51 am

I'm in the same situation. I'm 20 years old with mild-moderate consistent comedonal acne and have taken an Accutane course as well. I am currently on retin Awhich has not made a difference at all, actually its made my acne worse. Oily skin, pimples, the whole 9 yards in terms of ugly skin. Would love to have some help!

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(@symph0nik)

Posted : 06/17/2017 9:31 am

I've been wondering this about myself as well. You should get a blood test before anything else, after which you might be able to receive professional advice on what you can do to reduce your testosterone to a moderate level, if it is, in fact, excessive.

When it comes to diet, be wary that some foods can increase estrogen levels and that can aggravate acne much the same way as testosterone.

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(@vida26204)

Posted : 08/02/2017 12:12 pm

Same here.. Benzoyl Peroxide worked sometime.. But its pimples started appearing again. Im 19 and also looking for a help.

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40
(@duperele)

Posted : 10/31/2017 3:00 am

Male acne is in most cases due to hormones, as our bodies develop during teenage years and we produce testosterone to develop, like to grow facial hair and get wider shoulders! Usually when you start getting thick facial hair acnedisappear. That's why acne returns to many males after taking accutane, since they did not outgrow their acne yet, some of them outgrow it during the course ( As people often take accutane in their final teen years when acne is at it's worst, like 17-20). Thus i think Accutane only keeps your acne at bay, and gives you time to outgrow it. I have seen several males that took accutane, their acne came back, and then they outgrew it. You are only 20, and i think your acne journey will come to and end soon as your body gets stable.

zaichik liked
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(@zaichik)

Posted : 10/31/2017 5:31 am

I like dupereles advice and Id also say to go to a professional, if that means an appointment with a doctor or dermatologist, or even asking your local pharmacist to quickly have a look. Generally professionals advice is very worthy, and they will have seen it all.

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14
(@turko)

Posted : 10/31/2017 8:57 am

Same here, i am 24 years old, tried accutane for about 6 courses and they always came back. I'm also hairy (all the body, exceptback and shoulders), and i think this must be the cause and of course genetics.

Accutane worked perfectly when i was into it, but after the course they always come back with 3-4 months (even the drug still in the body). I'm seeking for a miracle.

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