To not want to live like this?

[Lagirl20]

Hello

I'll try to keep this short and sweet... I am desperate for a solution!

I am in my late twenties. I have had, since puberty, incredibly oily hair (needs daily washing), incredibly oily skin (complete shiny oil slick two hours after washing), clogged pores and bad hormonal acne.

My body produces an insane amount of oil. I've tried most acne treatments going (creams, antibiotics, etc) and I've tried washing my hair less/not at all but nothing helps. The oily hair and skin must be hormonal. I am desperate to not feel so oily and greasy and disgusting every day. I don't have any other symptoms but this must be a hormonal imbalance. Does anyone have any idea? Is anyone else the same? Has anyone else successfully treated this?

I am thinking of forking out hundreds to see a hormonal specialist. Help! :(

My hair used to be so so bad, I’d shower in the evenings, and wake up with greasy hair.. like full greasy hair. Or shower in the morning and by lunchtime it would be greasy.

I went through the toughest patch of my life of not washing my hair every day. It was really hard because it looked sooo bad for a while.

But now I wash my hair once or twice a week and it’s so much better.

I think if you stop washing your hair all together your body regulates it’s self.

For the hair issue.. get it bleached / highlighted maybe. Mine is greasy when it's natural but the blonde highlights I have dry it out a lot and it's sooo much easier to manage.

You don't need to spend to see a specialist just ask your gp to prescribe you the pill. Personally I'd recommend yasmin for skin

I used to have greased hair until I changed my hair washing routine. I use faith in nature tea tree shampoo once/twice a week and nothing else. I wash and rinse twice.
Look into lo/no poo.

Roaccutane May help you- dermatologist could prescribe i think. Drys out your skin

Another vote for cutting out dairy! And generally eating less oily foods, so less sausages, chocolate, butter, fried stuff. If I eat those things my skin is dripping with oil the next day, it's grim. Dairy gives me horrible cystic chin spots.

Terrible teen acne , sometimes huge boils that have left scarring . Had very oily skin and hair and was told to stop eating sweets, eat more veg, etc. when this didnt work was prescribed Benzoyl peroxide and Roaccutaine which are very harsh but effective for me. Now have to wear moisturiser as has left my skin very sensitive. Still have to wash my hair every second day as it looks limp then greasy.
I retried various diet adjustments over the years but have seen no real difference

I cannot believe how many replies this has had. Thank you, THANK YOU all for sharing and making me feel less alone, it truly means so much to me.

So much good advice. I have been contemplating Roaccutaine over the past year or so, despite always being adamant that I’d never take it. Brilliant to hear success stories. For those of you who took it, did your scalp and hair remain less oily afterwards too? I’m current TTC and so being able to take it is a couple of years away, but I’m seriously considering it.

On the topic of diet, thank you to the poster who suggested cutting out bread. I’ve cut out dairy in the past, and tried going vegan and very clean eating, to no avail. However earlier this year I did a month of no carbs/no sugar and my acne cleared up almost overnight. (Hair still greasy though). It’s such a restrictive diet which is why I’m no longer on it but it did work - no sugar must be a key here.

Finally, feeling boosted at the thought of fewer wrinkles - this is a nice side effect I am already noticing along with very well conditioned hair

When you wash your hair put the shampoo onto DRY hair. Rub in, leave for a minute or so then rinse. It gives it time to break up the grease, I find this really helps my greasy hair.

When you shampoo your hair ensure you only use tepid water, hot water stimulates the sebaceous gland and therefore sebum (oil), gently massage with slow stroking movements from root to tip, no rubbing, scrubbing etc as this also stimulates sebum! Use a good quality clarifying shampoo, it may be worth consulting a salon as many can recommend and sell a pre-cleanse scalp treatment and shampoo to help. Schwarzkopf professional for example manufacture fantastic scalp treatments but only retail through salons. Good luck.

I have had a couple of clients who have hair exactly as you describe. We have done a full head bleach and toner on them and it has cleared the problem so that now they only need to wash it every few days, Bleach dries your hair out so much I very rarely suggest it to anyone for this very reason but it maybe helpful in your case: This might not be a route you want to go down but it's worth considering.

If there is any way at all you can afford it then I wouldn't hesitate to go to a private derm. It will be expensive but it will be the best money you have ever spent.

I had a lot of problems with my skin and hair being extremely dry, as well as hormonal acne, and the nhs wasn't very helpful. I wasted years being passed back and forth between people who weren't particularly interested and kept trying the same things over and over again.

Private derm took the time to actually speak to me in depth, and had no barriers in terms of what we could do. He just suggested the things likely to be most effective and asked me what I would prefer to try.

NRTF yet, but, this is so spooky. I have exactly the same issue (but I’m in my v late 30‘s) and I feel the same and was thinking exactly the same today and was thinking about posting on here about it.

I was just thinking I cannot go into my 40’s feeling like this.

I have scalp acne which causes my hair to thin as well - this only started about 7 years ago.

I have really bad oily skin which started around 5 years ago. Got to the point where I’d have to wash my face on my lunch break, my skin was so oily, then the acne came. It was terrible. The only thing that has really helped is taking vitamin B5 and vitamin A together each day. It really helps to reduce my oily skin. I don’t take any other vitamins like biotin as that increases the oil.

Please try dianette before you try roaccutane! Dianette transformed my skin. I got rid of the oily hair by dying and highlighting my hair

I’ve been on Accutane 3 times now since I was 16 each time it’s come albeit never as bad but I’m still as oily. And the last time 5 years ago was the highest dose they could give over an extended amount of time, I had a myriad of awful side effects and in two years it was back, including the scalp acne. I would say it probably reduced the severity by a third. Not enough to warrant going back on it given the side effects.

Given it’s come back so bad every time I’ve had accutane I feel there must be something else at play.

I eat barely any dairy or gluten as I have IBS and I can’t say cutting these things out ever made much of a difference.

Interesting the poster near the start of the thread who said she suffers hair thinning too.

Hi OP!! Please please please don’t go on roacutane did you know it’s actually a cancer drug and because it dries out literally everything that’s why it became “good” for acne. The doctors pushed and pushed for me to go onto it and I kept refusing as the list of side effects were what I was already feeling due to being soooo covered in acne on my face, arms, chest and back. I’m actually a Beauty Therapist and let me tell you I have tried EVERYTHING under the sun for my skin, even making a paracetamol late for my spots lol! Please look for a DMK skin clinic near you. I work with them now in Ireland and just go in for a consultation with a skin therapist, it is a paramedical skin care brand which means that products work internally using the transdermal delivery method which is the same method used in lots of medications. Also means that because the products penetrate the skin rather than sitting on top of the skin it doesn’t clog up pores any more so. If you have any questions please message me. I am so passionate about skincare and helping others as I know what it’s like myself xx

I’m now going to try cutting dairy after this!
I’ve never had acne or much issue with spots til I had my first child at 38. Now I frequently do.
But my hair... I can’t go a day without washing it. Can’t really add conditioner.
I’m 45 now!
However, though I have a VERY oily T-zone I also (despite increasingly white hairs appearing) and smoking and drinking waaaay too much, drink a lot of water, am vegetarian and regularly pass as at least ten years younger than I am (not bragging- an IVF doctor actually had to several times ask me my age (I was 41). Mind you she also said I had a very high AMH levels (lots of eggs).., but not PCOS but I reckon the hormones link is one of those things).
I wish I could offer a fix.
I also don’t get spots much since I cut out white bread, chocolate (almost completely, except at Christmas), crisps, sugary drinks (except booze).).

I'm the same. Things that have helped are the combination pill (Yasmin or diannette) and roaccutane. Try the pill first, I can't take it anymore because I get migraines. And unfortunately I got side effects from roaccutane (not long term/serious but I couldn't continue taking it). But on it, it was the best my hair and skin have ever been. When you're in a position to try it, start on a low dose.

I've tried a variety of antibiotics too, none amazing but made a bit of difference, but got side effects from them all. I seem to be really sensitive to meds.

Now I just use topical meds. One with an antibiotic in, and one with benzoyl peroxide. Which aren't great, but I think they help a bit.

I've also got a tria light therapy treatment. I think it helps a bit, but it's not the magic solution I was hoping for.

Good luck, I hope you get some improvement soon

Before you try Roaccutane can I suggest you try:

Dianette
Spironolactone (GP can prescribe)
DIM supplement

And yes, very low carb will suit you very well if you have PCOS.

Roaccutane changed my life when I was in my early twenties. Amazing stuff. Dried my skin out completely and even over 10 years later I rarely get spots

I could've written this myself a couple of years ago! After doing some reading about the "no 'poo" method I switched to sulphate free shampoo & silicon free conditioner. I can now go three days between washes and my bacne disappeared. I went further and went SLS free in all other toiletries and my skin has never looked better, my eczema has totally gone and my husband's chronic dandruff disappeared.

The Ordinary niacinamide. It's not even expensive. Myself and others swear by it. Wish I'd found it sooner. Until then was reliant on clearisil ultra and Clean&clear daily moisturizer, basically just salicylic acid as active ingredient. But niacinamide stopped the source or the issues, as opposed to constantly having to treat the outcome.

Ask for a referral to a dermatologist for roaccutane. Will treat the oiliness and the acne.
Changed my life. Hard going drug I won't lie, but within 6 months you'll never be oily or spotty again.