Does anyone have experience of hormonal acne?

[spottysept]

Hi,
Just looking for some advice, I'm fed up with my skin!

I am 23. Up until about a year ago my skin was clear, normal/oilyish, would get the odd spot if I was due on. Since hitting 22 everything changed and I started to get hormonal acne around my mouth, sore cystic spots that never seemed to disappear.

I tried a proper skincare routine, would double cleanse with a balm followed by cerave cleanser, used the ordinary salicylic acid and cerave moisturiser. I'd sometimes switch it up and use other the ordinary products but basically taking good care of my skin topically wasn't making any difference.

I went to the GP and got the pill (Gedarel) to try to balance my hormones to help my skin. I have never got on well with the pill, the hormones make me extremely nauseous but I went with it anyway because my skin was getting me down so much.

I'm about 6 weeks in with the pill but my skin has got so much worse! I now have cystic spots on my jaw line and cheek bones/cheeks, as well as much worse ones around my mouth. It's awful! As well as the cystic under the skin painful spots I also now have lots of little bumps under my skin. Never had these before the pill, I got curious and squeezed one and it was filled with thick white pus. The cystic ones I try not to touch as they are so sore.

I know in early 20's there are still hormone changes, but how have I ended up with such bad skin all of a sudden! I know I haven't really given the pill long enough at just 6 weeks, but should I just stop taking it? Maybe I should go to my GP and request Yasmin? I have heard this is good for skin.

Does anyone have any advice at all?

I'm going to Australia and New Zealand at the end of October with my friends for a month, the thought of having this awful skin on holiday fills me with dread. It's totally getting me down and taking away my confidence.

Take l-lysine it’s an amino acid usually used to treat herpes simplex (coldsore virus) but it works on hormonal acne! I’ve been using it a week and my sore bruised sebaceous spots are deflating. I’m 27 and have always had the odd spot a month till I was about 24 and I’ve now been erupting is sore painful spots 😭😭😭

I’m 48 and a week ago started on zinc magnesium from Holland and Barratt.

Amazing results.

My skin looks great.

You have nothing to lose.
Try it.

Zinc definitely helps. My sister swears by the ordinary niacinamide and zinc serum.

I took dianette but migraines stopped me. Wish I had a cure!!

I'm peri menopausal and have just started with these... I will investigate some of the products mentioned as I've not tried anything apart from Sudocrem, which worked quite well incidentally.

Don’t piss about with any diet/supplement/herbal tea bollocks, I’ve had cystic acne and you need to see dermatology.

Ask for something to keep it at bay abroad. Wear sunblock so you don’t get hyperpigmentation scarring/hyperpigmentation from the pill.

I’ve had a cows milk allergy for 14years and I take zinc as a routine supplement, never made a scrap of difference. I took roaccutane and it was life changing but I didn’t get it till 41yo so don’t wait if they offer it.

Couldn’t agree more with fluffy!

Roaccutane is hard core though so be prepared and do your research.

I’ve been on it twice and it’s life changing but there are side effects.

I've had two courses of roaccutane. The side effects were horrendous and it wasn't a long term solution for me whereas supplements and lifestyle changes have been. We are all different and unfortunately it's impossible to know what will work. Personally I wish I'd tried the less hardcore options first

@squee123
How’s your skin now?

great now. A very occasional spot, one or two a month maybe but they are small, not painful and heal quickly.

OP - my advice is to go to the GP and get a referral to a dermatologist as soon as you can.

I had severe acne in my mid-thirties and became very depressed, ending up in an obsessive cycle of researching miracle products and regimes. I spent a fortune and my skin got worse and worse. Finally, I went to the GP in tears and they referred me to a dermatologist. I was prescribed Roaccutane, a smaller dose over a longer period of time - this is supposed to minimise the side effects. It was life changing and cleared my skin completely.

My only other advice is keep the products you use to an absolute minimum. Cut out anything that you think might be clogging your skin. A process of elimination is best rather than throwing loads of new products at it.

One of my derm nurses has been on it 3 times but she has great skin.

Ok, it has side effects but a great success rate.

@BelindasGleeTeam I have the ordinary niacinamide+zinc and it never made any difference unfortunately.

Yes I have spf 50 for my face for my hols.

I'm not sure whether what I have is severe enough for roaccutane. I'm tempted to post a pic but I think it'll gross you all out too much.

Roaccutanes for cystic acne, or persistent mild acne that doesn’t respond to other prescription treatments.

Your face doesn’t have to be one giant pustule to need it.

The dermatologist will decide if you need it or not. Taking it is a walk in the park compared to waking up every morning with a new pustule erupting.

@Fluffycloudland77 ok that's good to know, thank you.

Just waiting for my GP appointment, still 2 weeks away but what can you do. Fingers crossed there is some improvement before my holidays.

I had hormonal acne all over my chin for 15 years. The cysts were there constantly and I was so embarrassed.

My GP prescribed a zinc cream, I tried Dianette, I had weekly microdermabrasion, I used every Clearasil ever invented; nothing worked. But then I gave up dairy and wheat and my skin cleared up right away. If I indulge in cheese then I start to get the throbbing of a spot, but as long as I go back to non dairy eating it just goes away and never comes to a head.

Why don't you try doing a 1 week 'detox' style diet OP? One where you eat fruit, vegetables, legumes and brown rice but nothing processed. If your skin clears up in that week then you know that something you were eating is triggering the acne. You can then slowly reintroduce trigger foods to see how your skin reacts.

I’m 36 and have awful hormonal acne on my jawline, large cystic spots.
I’m on Epiduo which is a mixture of a retinol and benzoyl peroxide prescribed by the GP - I think it’s starting to clear up.