Ive been dealing with severe cystic acne for 5 years. Ive seen a number of dermatologists and holistic doctors. The only thing that helped was birth control but it caused me to gain a substantial amount of weight and had other psychological side effects that were bad enough for me to stop taking it. Doxycycline helped keep it more manageable and I stayed on it for a year. I weened myself off of it a few months ago in hopes of keeping my liver healthy and the acne came back with a vengeance. It mostly affects my cheeks, chin and now my forehead. The cysts are painful, the skin is red and inflamed and itchy. I am so depressed and I dont know what to do. I dont want to leave the house, go to work or see anyone. Im afraid to use makeup or anything on my face at all. Ive tried veganism, cuttting out all sugar, gluten and dairy. Nothing has helped. Ive been having suicidal thoughts and I just want to feel normal. Please any advise would be helpful.
I'm sorry you're dealing with this. I also am dealing with depression since my teens and i'm now 34. First off, know that you do not have to struggle with this beast alone. I would recommend reaching out to a licensed therapist in your area and get into some CBT or other form of therapy. Dealing with acne is tough enough, dealing with it when your mind is in a bad place is a friggin nightmare. After that is taken care of, take a step back and start from scratch. List what you have tried and how it has impacted your skin (goodm bad or indifferent). For many of us, our acne is not caused by one or two things. Sometimes, we have to get several things in order to see clearance (ex: stress free, good diet, good skin care routine, imbalances addressed , etc)