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breaking out…any suggestions?
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My dermatologist did hormone lab tests on me. Despite my hormones being normal, she wants me to try spironolactone…I'm undecided as to whether I want to try this. I've read online that hormones can be normal, but how the body uses them can be too concentrated (like skin cells, causing acne.) Anyone tried it before? I've read it can be really good for adult acne caused by hormones.
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I unfortuntely also have this problem! I struggled for many years w no results having tried just about everything, including proactive.
I finally got serious in treatment with my gynecologist and dermatologist. I have clear skin now, but it was a process!
I started w laser treatments- not the surface one but deep fractional laser.I know thats not an option for everyone but it really halted the acne that was there-
Then for upkeep now, any blemish that appears I have to treat immediately by getting the hottest water I can stand on a sterile cotton ball and applying pressure to the spot twice daily. hot water and lots of pressure! The spot also then gets treated w a bleaching cream ( I use Obagi)
Retinae is a staple! I not only use it on the blemish, but my derm has me use it all over my face for wrinkle prevention (im 38)
If I get a very deep cystic spot appear, my derm treats it as an emergency! lol… I come in right away and have it spot treated w the laser to get energy into it and break it up right away!
I cleanse twice a day w quality product (skinmedica or obagi), toner, moisturize, retinae and bleaching cream
Once a week, I use a 20% glycolic at home and a deep moisturizer
I also cleanse w a clarisonic brush, but you can buy one OTC now that works just as well..
Never touch your face w your hands!
Keep your cell phone away from your face, wipe it down w alcohol regularly.
Bacteria casues acne, so it is really important to keep your hands etc off your face, wash your cosmetic brushes..
I also have switched to Jane Iredelle mineral makeup- it is actually good for your skin and wearing the foundation acts as a barrier of protection to your skin to keep the bacteria off your face. Bacteria cant grow in those minerals so you are safe. ( i know Chem said otherwise on another forum, but Jane Iredelle website says it does not support bacteria and so does both of my doctors)
It seems like a lot- and it is! But, If you are serious about getting rid of it, this will work.
I previously tried all other OTC methods and NONE worked. I struggled for years.
This is the first time in about 15 years that I have clear skin. BTW, I did not have acne as a teenager- it only showed up once I was an adult!
I know this treatment plan can be exspensive and not everyone will be able to do,but adopting any of the parts that you can will help (ie- hot water cotton balls.. practically free!)
I was also instructed to not pop / squeeze as it can spread bacteria , leave scarring and cause more acne- that is why you use the hot water cotton ball pressing.
I try to get a facial every two weeks where they can do extractions safely- but that isnt always possible for me. The facials really help to unclog the pores and keep everything steady.
For me, it was all totally worth it! My self esteem had suffered SOOOOO much from the constant acne, and sometimes it was even very painful!
btw, I had tried w fail oral antibiotics and birth control pills. This has been the ONLY treatment plan that has been successful in all these years.
Good luck to you and keep us updated on your progress and let us know what works / doesnt!
With work and investigation if money is an issue, I am sure you can look for cheaper products w similar ingredients from those Ive listed. The clear skin is definieoly worth the work!
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As mentioned by someone else- make sure your moisturizer has SPF in it- always wear it! The sun is so damaging and if using retinae, you must wear it at all times. 🙂
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I just wanted to give everyone an update, and maybe this info can help you guys. My acne got soooo unbelievable bad after going off of Yasmin. Obviously it's hormonal since my skin was pretty nice on Yasmin, with the occasional pimple here and there. I had tried accutane twice in the past with no luck. My doc just put me on spironolactone a couple of weeks ago. I'm told it can take several months to be fully effective. So far I've noticed I am not as greasy (yay, cuz the grease made me feel disgusting!!!) The acne on my face and chest is significantly better. I have a few pimples on my jaw line, and one or two on my chin. I have a few tiny ones on my chest. My back is about 50% better. I do still have a bunch of little tiny pimples on my back and maybe 2 or 3 cystic ones that are new, but I think most that are still there are the ones that have been healing since I started the medication. I can give an update in another month or so.
In reality, this medication is supposed to be taken with an estrogen containing birth control to be the most effective, but as I cannot do that as of now, I will take what improvement I can get.
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Hi! I had the worst skin possible. When I was on birth control it cleared up quite nicely (still a few but not nearly as bad). At one point I went off it for about two years and my face was disgusting. T hen you start using more makeup to cover it and…it's just a vicious cycle. I think I was also on Yasmin! I don't remember. Proactive didn't work for me at all and when I stopped using it, my face became an oil slick.
Anyway, I've gone back on birth control and I'm using something called Benzagel. I only use the gel, not the cleanser. I can find it at Walmart or Shoppers Drug Mart (Canada). And it works great. Just watch your clothing! It'll bleach it because it's peroxide. It's priced very well. It's kept my pimples at bay (except that time of the month of course), and when they do pop up, they go away faster and they're far less noticible.
http://www.columbialabs.ca/Pages/ClassOfProducts.aspx?ClassID=1
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Hi, I have tried countless over the counter and prescription medicines for acne treatment, and quite honestly, the best thing is to change your diet and switch to natural products without harsh chemicals or detergents.
The main thing is to cut WAY back on your sugars (aim for 15g or less per day). Drink plenty of water and a great all natural hair/body/face company I would reccommend is Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve.
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Diet changes won't work if the acne is hormonal, which sounds like cruwysie has. That same thing happened to me, went off yasmin, broke out. Unfortunately, I can't go back on Yasmin for health reasons, but spironolactone is helping my skin dramatically (though not as well as when i was on Yasmin, but at this point I will take anything.) At least now my chest, back, and shoulders are clear. If you failed accutane more than once, then it's probably hormonal and either yasmin or spironolactone are your best options (or both.)
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Mine is also hormonal, and while I still break out during my menstrual cycle, changing my diet and what I use on my body helps DRASTICALLY in between. I did have great luck with Beyaz (birth control) and a combination of Sulfameth (oral supplement). I still take the sulfameth, however I have noticed more breakouts than when I was using Beyaz. It helps to reign it in with the diet and skincare products though. I strongly advise against wasting money on over the counter products though, they are heinously expensive and very, very rarely do anything….. except make your skin worse! (at least in my case)
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My Skincare Regimen: (slightly more helpful than my previous comments)
1) Wash Face (twice daily, morning and night) with African Black Soap – I use Allafia Liquid African Black Soap to avoid the inevitable melting of the bar, but you can use either.
2) Manuka Honey (anti-inflammatory) Apply to clean, dry face and leave it on for 30+ minutes then rinse with lukewarm water, pat dry. I do this daily or occassionally, upto you.
3) Unrefined Extra Virgin Coconut Oil – apply to clean, wet face (immediately after your shower is ideal while your skin is still warm and damp). This is my moisturizer. A little goes a long way, so don't over do it (also be sure to use a tool to get the product out of the container, as the oils/bacteria from your fingers will ruin the product over time). I do this 1-2 times daily (once in the summer, twice in the winter)
4) I use Chagrin Valley's Cafe Moreno shampoo bar (they have a vast selection of shampoo bars). Before that I used Baking Soda & Apple Cider Vinegar to wash my hair. It is 100% Natural and doesn't cause me to breakout along my hairline and jaw.
And of course I watch my sugar intake VERY closely. This is what works best for me, maybe it won't for you, but it's a very cheap alternative and worth a try! 🙂
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