Hello.
I am new here and I created an account to see if I could get some advice from people with experience with acne similar to mine.
In the past, my acne wasn't as severe in the pictures (seen below) but it still bothered me then. Back then, my primary care doctor had me on birth control (Tri-Sprintec). I was on it twice. The first time was for 1 year, 26 days (12/20/2015 to 01/14/2017). The second time was 9 months, 8 days (2/12/2017 to 11/19/2017). It did help my acne then but over time I noticed I was developing varicose veins on my thighs so I stopped. Also, I wanted to try to cure my acne naturally (without the use of drugs). The varicose veins have faded away.
Currently, my dermatologist recommends Retin-A (0.025%). He says my acne isn't severe enough for me to be on Accutane. I don't even want to go on Accutane because of how intense of a drug it is so I'm glad he doesn't recommend it for me. Should I get started with using Retin-A?
My esthetician recommends a glycolic acid peel (30%). She uses Image Skin Care products. Should I go ahead and get the peel?
I know these pictures aren't the most flattering or best quality but the lighting is decent enough. This is the worse my acne has ever been. I don't want to go back on any type of drugs as I stated earlier.
Is this acne hormonal? It seems to become more intense as I get closer to my menstrual cycle. Lately, though it seems like it has become worse. It appears on the sides of my face, my jawline, and under my jaw.
Is this acne cystic? It's red, deep, sometimes itchy, and sometimes sore to the touch.
Is rosacea acne a thing?
Sorry, this is so long. Thank you for reading. Any feedback is appreciated.
Pictures:
The placement of the acne suggests that there may be a big hormonal component. And if your menstrual cycle affects your skin to this degree, then it is likely that hormones play a big role. What's your diet and lifestyle like? Have you been tested for PCOS or any other hormonal issues? Are you diabetic or pre diabetic? Topicals can be very helpful but if your acne is caused primarily by internal factors, you will need to get those sorted out to see some consistent relief
On 10/26/2018 at 7:28 PM, leelowe1 said:The placement of the acne suggests that there may be a big hormonal component. And if your menstrual cycle affects your skin to this degree, then it is likely that hormones play a big role. What's your diet and lifestyle like? Have you been tested for PCOS or any other hormonal issues? Are you diabetic or pre diabetic? Topicals can be very helpful but if your acne is caused primarily by internal factors, you will need to get those sorted out to see some consistent relief
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Hi! Thank you for replying to my post. Yes, it seems like a week or two before my period my acne becomes more intense.
My diet could always be better. I am working on limiting dairy products and I do have a sweet tooth. I like to have some dark chocolateevery day to curve my sugar cravings and if it's not that I might have a dark chocolate covered banana.
I go to the gym 3-4 times a week to take low-impact exercise classes called Barre and I also walk my dog for 30 minutes almost every day.
I have askedmy primary care doctor if its possible that I could have PCOS. She says no because my periods are regular and I am not obese. I myself think that it can still be possible that I could have PCOS since I am hairy (but I have always been naturally hairy). I have peach fuzz on upper lips, a happy trail down my stomach (with a few long black hairs), and some light hair on the sides of my face plus having hormonal acne. I went to get an OB-GYN's opinion and she says we can't be sure until I reach age 25. I can't remember why she said that age. What would be the most accurate way of diagnosing PCOS? How do I get "tested"?
I did a pre-diabetic test last year on December 29th. It was for Hemoglobin A1C. My percentage was 4.8%. My doctor says that is excellent and that anything < 5.6% is normal. Maybe it could have raised since then? It's almost been a year.
If its internal factors, what could they be? My gut health? Mental health (stress)? I noticed my bowel movements change from time to time, off and on through stages of my menstrual cycle. I heard probiotics help. In the end, I think its mainly hormones and not my diet. Thank you again!
Most likely hormonal - not even necessarily related to your period, but related to the stress hormone coritsol. Are you an easily stressed/anxious person?
My acne was cystic and similar to yours...it flared when I was very anxious (which is basically all the time, lol), but didn't notice too much of a change around my period.
I'm not sure I would do the peel, as that sounds like it might be harsh on your skin (and any irritation can cause further acne)
Give the Retin-A a try and see how it goes. Just make sure to have a good moisturizer and stay out of the sun.
Yes, it's cystic. I would go on Spiro and/or a BCP like Yaz, Ocella or Yasmin, those are the best for improving acne. I would recommend a gentle chemical peel, but not glycolic acid, it's too irritating. I would go with salicylic,mandelic, and/or lactic acids. Due to personal experience I would stay away from Retin-A. The only retinoid I would recommend is Tazorac. I would do all 3 of these things to get the best, quickest results.
My acne was never as severe as your picture, but it was still pretty bad. A good way to know if it's hormonal is just to get on birth control again. At least then you'll have clear skin relatively quicklyand you'll know what you're dealing with. I would recommend asking about Yaz or a yaz generic if you go this route and it generally takes 3 months to start working.
I was on a yaz generic for 4 years and just recently quit because I wanted to cure my hormonal acne naturally (which I did). Normally people have a really hard time curing acne after they get off bc because their hormones are wack af but my acne fully disappeared in like 3 or 4 months AND HERE'S WHY.
First thing... I know you're only 21 so maybe the first thing is to be patient. I know a lot of people who just didn't have to deal with it anymore once they turned about 25. This was theoreticallytrue for me. I got off birth control at 24 about 4 months ago and just turned 25 at the beginning of the month. My skin has never been clearer and I'm on 0 medications.
NEXT, and this one is really easy, try washing your face with selenium (aka head and shoulders shampoo, i use extra strength). It smells weird but holy shit it works. I also use a benzoyl peroxide exfoliant every couple days and an all natural vitamin E moisturizer after each use. I only wash my face once a day and I never wear make up.
LASTLY, try Paleo. This can be very hard to get into but if you need help I can recommend some easy foods to start out with. Trust me, this works very well and it's an insanely healthy diet for your body. The only thing I'd say to stay away from is anything real greasy (like bacon) as that broke my face out.
