Acne Agony

[CareerChange24]

I have really bad acne on my chin and often on my forehead and hairline. I know it’s only one area. But I love to not wear makeup, so if I don’t it’s so red angry and a mess. Wearing makeup I have to spend ages covering it up.

I’ve tried doxycycline and duac to no avail. Can someone recommend something please! My confidence is really low and I didn’t realise how something like this could knock you. The hard lumps I get are massive and I feel the scarring and redness may never go away.

Skin rocks? Skin and me? Medik8??

Tretinoin, or, if the big guns need to be brought out, Roaccutane. Roaccutane can have pretty unpleasant side effects but it works and it changes your skin forever. Talk to your doctor about your options.

To be honest I’ve found GP’s to be clueless when it comes to skin. Roaccuntane wouldn’t be a choice for me as I know it can cause mental health issues and also I have a friend whose teeth it completely ruined.

See a dermatologist if you can to offer you specific advice. Wish I had done this when younger. Mine was much better after dropping cow's milk for plant milk (I don't have a dairy allergy though) which I discovered purely by chance after years of using various medication.

I would but I recently spent 12k on spinal surgery. Paying for more feels very painful. It’s a last resort really but thank you

I would give skin and me a go (I’ve used them for 5 years)

I’ve just heard a lot of people get perioral dermatitis from tret. I don’t need any more skin issues. If it were just a few but it seems a lot. Never had a problem I can’t just sort quick so my skin is driving me mad

I found skin + me completely ruined my skin and destroyed my skin barrier, making my acne even worse. I pared everything back and used really gentle products to repair my skin barrier, which has helped.

Two suggestions:
actually three in most expensive to least order but a combo would be ideal:

• Azulen paste for breakouts at night
• Thayers toner am and pm
• (assume you already use a cleanser)
• either go swimming in the ocean or make yourself a salt water (literally salt in warm water) solution and apply with a makeup pad over your face, wash off once it’s too tight to be ok.

Have you tried the acne.org regime? That uses benzoyl peroxide and did help my acne a lot

skin and me likely won’t give you tret for acne, I’m pretty sure they use a topical antibiotic

Contraceptive pill? Certain types are better for acne. Yasmin I think.

Lymecycline was a game changer for me around age 40. I’d tried so many other meds. It was prescribed by a GP with a dermatology background - bottom be worth a try.
surelyyou can get a dermatology referral on NHS?

I had awful acne, I used lymecycline initially which the dr prescribed. It did take a few months to work but cleared my skin and the acne didn’t return for a long time.

Ive also used skin and me, when my acne did return (triggered by coming off the pill). They used tret in a tiny amount plus a topical antibiotic. It did work, I have sensitive skin too and just used it on my acne prone areas.

I would also consider what you're touching your face with and whether that can be limited. I get awful acne from contact with certain products like any kind of luminous cream, bb cream, etc. I also get bad acne breakouts from things like face massages with oils. If I don't come in contact with them, I don't get acne.

Also, with tret, you can consciously build a tolerance to it without it damaging your skin barrier but it does take trial and error and a couple of months of going slow and buffering and using only a tiny amount at a time to begin with.

Finally, I use La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo face wash, and the M+ cream. And Toleraine if I need it. It is a really great brand for acne prone skin.

GP can refer to hospital consultant, ie to dermatology dept, for eg Roaccutane, nasty side effects but effective.

LED mask is a miracle cure

I've had awful, painful acne for 10 years OP. Recently bought Differin from an online pharmacy and have noticed a significant improvement in just 3 weeks, I am still getting spots come through (I think this is the purge) but they seem to come and go in a few days now.

I have been using it alongside a cheap Superdrug moisturiser and barrier serum, my skin is now significantly less clogged and painful.

Roaccutane was the only thing that worked for me.

Really strong spearmint tea or nettle tea twice a day (not supermarket, I’ll link you if of interest).
or
continuous use BCP Yasmin.
Roaccutane I’ve had too, it’s brutal and a last resort.

You need to speak to a professional to work out your root cause OP. If it’s hormonal none of the suggestions here will help for long, same goes if it’s an internal inflammation. If over production of oil or bacteria are big players you might be onto something with the above suggestions. Do you have times of the month your skin is better?

Roaccutane was a life changer for me. I used to get hard painful lumps on my chin that were so painful it hurt to talk and eat.

went on roaccutane for 4 months and never had another one. That was about 15 years ago. Best thing I ever did. Just wish I’d gone private a year earlier instead of listening to my GP who insisted on all sorts of creams and antibiotics that didn’t work. I’m so scarred now - if I’d gone straight away I would have avoided most of them.

I’ve also suffered awful hormonal cystic acne, had it so so bad a couple of years ago.
I am now prescribed Adapalene from dermatica and my skin is basically clear.

I had same problem. I was prescribed Roaccutane for 3 months and it worked wonders. I thought they stopped them due to the side effects.

Azelaic acid.20%

Hard lumps on the chin are usually linked to hormones I think. I went on the pill (Dianette then Yasmin then Lucette) which helped a lot but I also needed a course of Roaccutane in my 20s (which cleared it completely). Good luck, hope you find what suits you.

My sister had terrible acne as a teenager. Her whole face was red raw with it. The ONLY thing that cleared it was an Australian Tea Tree oil face wash, used three times a day.