Adult acne - so annoying!

[ellie09]

I am 30 years old and suffered acne since my teens. The only break I had from it was when I was pregnant and it seemingly cleared up (maybe hormones not sure!)

I have been on contraception since I was 14, and off it around 1.5 years in those 16 years. So around 14/15 years overall.

My skin looks like a teenagers skin. Lots of scarring as well as hormonal break outs all over my chin, neck, jawline etc.

I eventually seen a skin specialist who put me on an antibiotic Lymecycline and gave me some Treclin cream for my face and its to be reviewed in 3 months.

I dont really want to depend on long term medication for acne and I also dont want to come off contraception.

I have tried changing my diet - I am already dairy free as I am lactose intolerant. I tries cutting out gluten. I have a mainly healthy diet with fruit, veg etc. Ive cut out alcohol. Nothing works in that regard.

I have tried so many lotions, potions etc but they will work a bit and then stop.

Has anyone tried anything not medication related?

It really affects your self esteem, and whilst I wouldnt say mine is "severe", its definitely the "moderate" kind.

I wont go to work etc without wearing make up as I am very self conscious!

I would go to a cosmetic skin clinic, they have treatments for acne which aren’t too expensive

Can you change your contraception? It sounds hormonal (if it stopped as soon as you were off your contraception and pregnant) and it might be worth getting a hormone profile done to understand what exactly is causing it - maybe too much testosterone? There's Chinese medicine that focuses on balancing hormones you could try if you don't want anything stronger.

Lymecycline doesn't need to be long term. I had a bout of acne on my jawline and lymecycline cleared it in 3 weeks and I've never needed to take it again. Never figured out what caused it but it came out of the blue, and I thought stress related.

I’ve had acne all my life until trying roaccutane

I was in my 40s when I worked out it was hair products causing mine. I don't use anything except shampoo and conditioner now and it's totally cleared up. I wish I had realised 20 years sooner!

I've suffered with adult acne for ten years and have tried every potion and lotion on the planet it seems. I'd hate to add up how much it's cost over the years! Lymecycline provided some respite, but I found it just helped reduce the number of spots and help clear the ones that did appear quicker rather than preventing them, and I was still getting scarring. I was on this for over 12 months, which I shouldn't have been as antibiotics aren't an ideal long term solution. After changing GP I was finally referred to dermatology and am now on roaccutane. You have to be taking the contraceptive pill to take this. I'm in my second month of a six month course and I finally feel like my skin is getting somewhere! After the 6 months there will be further treatment to treat the scarring left from the ten years of acne.

Push your GP for a referral to dermatology. From my experience you need to see a specialist to get the medication/treatment that actually works, as GPs aren't allowed to prescribe it. The difference in their attitude is amazing too. It felt so nice to speak to someone who actually took me seriously and sympathised with me, rather than feeling fobbed off. I know what a struggle it is to feel like you have to mask your face to leave the house 😥

Another one who has taken roaccutane here. I went privately and they prescribed it straight away - with the NHS I think your acne has to be ‘severe’ for them to prescribe it.

It’s horrible being on it, completely dries you up and I can’t imagine it’s very good for your body BUT it did help and my acne has never been the same again! I still do get the odd breakout now but nothing in comparison.

Roaccutane was the only thing that helped me. I was prescribed it in my late 20s having suffered acne all through my teens and had all the antibiotics, ocp and topical treatments with no joy. It cleared it right up very quickly and it never came back and the side effects weren't too awful.

I had adult acne and the only thing that cured it was long term anti-biotics. Oops - meant to say that I also needed vitamin supplements because they gave me a very dry scalp. But they did work.

I took roaccutane too it was life changing.

Its for drug resistant persistent acne or cystic according to the NICE guidelines.

I never had acne as a teenager, but developed it in my twenties. It was about the same time I had been on and off the pill. I often wondered if that was connected.

I read recently that acne on the jawline and chin is often due to hormones. I had cystic acne at times and it was both painful and embarrassing.

I am sorry to say that it continued until I went through the menopause. I now don’t even get blackheads and my skin is perfect, apart from all the wrinkles.

The only time it got better was when I got antibiotics from the Gp. Another time was when my husband was away for a few months (military) and I was seeing a beautician for skin treatments.

When he came back it started up again. I wondered then if kissing him and his stubble was a contributing factor.

I could have written this, even down to pregnancy clearing it up!
I know you don't want to be reliant on medication, but the only things that have worked for me since pregnancy are Dianette (but I'm now too old for it) and Spironolactone.
I had to go private initially to get prescribed the Spironolactone (combination of NHS GP's not taking skin complaints seriously and super long referral times), but after being on it for a while my dermatologist wrote a letter to my GP asking them to prescribe it on the NHS.
I still get the occasional spot around my period but generally my skin is smooth and clear now. It has also helped to regulate my oily skin and scalp. At one point my hair used to start looking greasy after as little as 12 hours!

Honestly it has been a wonder drug, definitely worth considering as an option.

Here's a side by side comparison of how much my skin cleared up after 6 months on Spironolactone.

Dianette also worked for me. Was prescribed it for hirsutism, but it cleared up spots too.

Two rounds of isotretinoin (roaccutane) was the only thing that worked for me. I was acne-free at 31.

I suffer from acne and the last effects (scarring etc) and Dermatica has really helped me! It’s prescription skincare prescribed by a dermatologist - you have to upload photos, have regular checkpoints.

My skin has never been better, I’ve been using it for about six months. It takes a while for your skin to get used to it (peeling etc at the start) but it’s 100% worth it.

It’s £25 per month and I also now use their cleanser and moisturiser which are pretty cheap compared to a lot of mid range skincare!

Worth a try.

Roaccutane.

Dim supplements cleared mine up but I also came off hormonal contraception. However if you’re 30 you should still be able to get Dianette contraceptive pill. They won’t let you take it as you get older though

@OutlandishBird What a difference! Congratulations on your lovely skin.

I could have been you. I had terrible skin from the age of 12 until I was about 35. I then finally got a 6 month course of Roaccutane. My skin is the best it's ever been, and I'm now in my 40s.
The Roaccutane side effects are no joke, I'll warn you. But, you;re already on the Pill, which they insisted I take also, as birth defects can occur with the Roaccutane. It has genuinely been life changing for me. I actually go out without makeup on now.

Roaccutane didn't help my hormonal adult acne. The spots came back as soon as I was off it and the side-effects were not worth it at all.

Spironolactone. Zero side effects, zero acne. I've been on it for nearly two years and I regularly get compliments for my "beautiful" skin. It makes me sad the life I lived for all of my teens and 20s - consumed by hiding my acne (and even backne). Spironolactone has been a miracle drug for me.

I have also had roaccutane and it's the only think that has worked. As others say the side effects are very noticeable but for me it was worth it.

Great thank you for all your messages with some helpful advice. Its great to know its more common than I thought 😊

I do also think my skin has worsened a LOT from having an underactive thyroid, but there isn't too much can be done with that!

If there is no improvement in the next couple of months, I'll definitely give the specialist your suggestions.

I did wonder about roccutane but I have quite rocky mental health to begin with so I dread to think if it affected me in that regard 🫣

Roaccutane was the only thing that worked, changed my life !

I had laser for my adult acne which did help to clear it up but it came back when I stopped having it done (too ££ to be a long term weekly thing!).

I went on holiday in September and forgot most my skin care so I spent the week just using a face wash and moisturizer which cleared it right up ! That’s all I’ve done since then and I get a few spots around my period but otherwise my skin is a lot better.

I had the same and tried everything. In the end duac cleared it up for me. I don’t need it any more, but I get the odd hormonal breakout and I use it on specific spots rather than all over. The scarring has gone too.