hormonal acne and diet

[nixpix]

I have had hormonal acne just in the chin area ever since I was a teenager. I went on the pill for years and years and it sorted it. I then had my children and am now in my 40's and its back with avegence. I've been to the doctor and been prescribed Duac and I had used La Roche Possay effaclar duo - which worked well for a couple of months but is doing eff all now.
So my question is - has anyone found that diet had an impact at all on hormonal spots? Any supplements? Anything? ? I'm desperate. Never imagined I'd be using spot cream and wrinkle cream at the sme time in my life. ..

There is not evidence that diet makes a difference to spots (not even chocolate )

I'd suggest to go back and have somebody have another look at you - could it be Acne Rosacea?
Being in your 40s would be the more typical age bracket tbh.
If it is, you could try a topical antibiotic like Rozex gel/cream or even tablets.

Is your skin oily ?

Mine is still oily at the age of 46 - and spotty.

Have tried loads over the years- currently on Spironolactone which is working wonders for me at the moment. (touchwood).

Diets- adding foods, reducing others didn't ever work for my skin. Smoking made it worse - I could tell that my skin looked better after quitting - but diet - no difference.

Go and see the GP - it could be Rosacea,

Thank you for all you're replies. I don't think its rosacea . It's mainly cystic hurty type spots that then turn into huge whiteheads (if they get the chance to live that long) I've got antibiotics in the Duac the doctor prescribed,hoping it will work soon. I've taken oral antibiotics for them in the past but they always made me feel sick.
The doctor joked the menopause should sort them out. At least that's a positive to look forward to.

I feel reassured that diet doesn't seem to affect it from your accounts. I

When I was a teenager they used to say there's no evidence that diet and acne are related. Now I'm in my 30s and have seen the gp as I still have acne, and they said there is now evidence connecting diet and acne.

The only things diet-related I have noticed make a difference to my acne is drinking shed loads of water (instead of shed loads of coke/pepsi) but that never lasts long as I hate water and love fizzy! Or the other thing was the Carol Vorderman detox diet. That did absolutely amazing things for my skin (I also lost weight, even though I didn't need to at the time). I really couldn't believe the difference it made, but it is really difficult (for me at least). Lots of veg, also fruit, nuts, oats, hummus, oats, almond/rice/coconut milk. No dairy, meat, wheat, white rice, bread, sweets, sugar or sweetener - no crap at all, and that's what I live on usually! It's so restrictive I couldn't keep to it even if it turned me into Elle McPherson! But it is worth a go if you're getting desperate.

I'm sure I read quite recently that there was some evidence that linked sugar consumption and acne. From memory it's something to do with causing insulin to spike.

I know my skin is markedly worse if I've been elbow-deep in a tub of quality street.

Also there is something called insulin resistance which can develop in the peri/menopause years.

For myself and a close relative, diet was certainly the root cause... Not only cystic spots (face, armpits and groin although mercifully the latter two just occasionally), as well as random rashes and red patches.

Gluten free (and grain free, Paleo), has resolved these issues - I started the diet for other Health reasons and found lots of other things suddenly disappeared too. A young relative decided to try it (he had deep cystic acne and armpit boils too), and his also resolved.

Paleo is very low in processed carbs (hardly any added sugar), so I suspect that probably helps.

I suffered too. I found dairy would give me cystic acne. My dermatologist didn't believe in diet changes and wanted to treat me while I still ate dairy. I gave up dairy as it didn't bother me to go without (lost a stone in weight too!). Using a daily scrub, zindaclyn and isotrexin gels plus no dairy sorted me out.

Then... During and after pregnancy, no dairy breakouts anymore. Touch wood (touching every bit of wood in the house due to rediscovery and addiction to cheese and all other dairy goodies along with associated weight gain! )

If you feel something is causing it, monitor it and see if a change in diet helps. It won't cure it probably, but may help.

Rosex but a tin of roses would also help

I have similar and was px duac with no effect but roses quickly cleared it up

I've been on spironolactone for 5 years and it seems to have stopped working iwant

have a Dr apt in a couple of weeks, new Dr so will get her opinion.

Pacific - the info on rosacea is very interesting, as I think that might be what I have, so thanks for that. Think I might take my slap off before I go in so she can see my rosy cheeks

I too notice that my skin is worse after eating lots of chocolate...

The only thing that really makes a for me is the pill though.

I do think diet is maybe some how connected to acne but I really do think it's mainly to do with the over production of oil in the glands which then causes spots! I suffered acne for over 10 years really big cystic painful spots I used oxytetracycline for around 2 years but then it stopped working. I then got roacutane which I only needed to be on for 7 months and it has took away my acne completely and I've been off it for over a year, and my diets the same as before! What roacutane does is reduces the production of ur oil glands and changes the characteristics of ur oil glands so when u stop taking it ur skin doesn't go back to producing lots of oil hence the spots stay away! Xx