Acne ruining my life :(

[fairynick]

I’ve had acne since I was ten years old and am now in my twenties. I have tired everything from the drugstores and beyond and from my GP have been prescribed duac, the pill, adapelene, lymecycline and currently two months into a three month course of doxycycline (which isn’t working).
None of these methods have really worked apart from the pill which caused me to have a pulmonary embolism so I can’t take it anymore.
When I was a teenager the acne was classic t zone forehead and chin acne. When I was around 17 it really cleared up and then came back with a vengeance when I was around 19. This time all over my cheeks and jawline and chin. I’m also slightly overweight and have LOTS of body hair, when I realised this was obviously PCOS I got a diagnosis. It explained why only the pill worked because it controlled my hormones.
My GP said my acne isn’t bad enough for me to be referred to a dermatologist, and he said that if he did refer me it would be a waste because a derm wouldn’t give me roacutane for my skin which is the only other option left. I’m in despair. I wouldn’t say my acne is severe but more moderate, it is cystic and it hurts and there aren’t any scars but there are starting to be marks left. I’m petrified of scarring and I hate myself and the way I look.
I’m sat here crying my eyes out just really fed up and I think I’m coming to the realisation that I’m going to have to walk around for the rest of my life looking like this. I know there’s worse things going on in the world but this is something that I carry with me every day.
Does anybody know if there are any other treatment options available that I haven’t been offered, or if maybe another GP may be willing to refer me to a dermatologist?
Also worth noting that over the years I’ve tried gluten free, dairy free diets and have also been vegetarian. Again with no notable changes to my skin.

Definitely get a referral from another GP. Acne is painful and causes quite a lot of distress.

In the meantime try Cetaphil facecwash, magnesium and continue with Duac. If its hormonal then they will only help not cure.

Acne prone skin is sensitive skin which is why I would avoid harsh products.
Do you use a non comgenic moisturiser and foundation?

Demand a referral! Second GP, or look into the appropriate NICE guidance which will detail when you should be referred and use that as your weapon. I was in same boat as you and although my acne was never 'severe' it was awful and roaccutane was the only thing that sorted it. My argument was that I had exhausted every other treatment option by my early 20s and it was still only getting worse. I'm now early 30s and my acne is controlled by duac after success with roaccutane. I've given up on ever growing out of it!

No way would I ever flame you op, I know how horrible it is and it's definitely not taken as seriously as it should be by GPs. It's a skin condition FFS and should be referred the same way eczema or psoriasis would be.

I know it's so hard with skin conditions as there is no one fix it all, there is something different that works for everyone. Some things that worked for me though was an LED mask, the blue (anti acne) green (repair) lights really seemed to make a difference. And looking after my skin's barrier rather than trying to treat the spots, taking zinc supplements.

People always say cutting out dairy would make a difference but not the case for me.

@fairynick my daughter has Duac cream from the GP, it has an antibiotic and an antiseptic and is amazing. He lets her have it permanently on presription.

Thanks for the replies everyone, I’m definitely going to make an appointment today and really explain what I’ve tried and how I feel and hopefully this GP will refer me!
@loveyoutothemoon if only duac had worked for me

Second opinion. Make sure you really explain in DETAIL how upsetting it all is, OP.

Wtaf is wrong with these doctors

Your GP sounds useless.
I never had what I would describe as acne- more just constant spots, some which were lumpy and lasted for ages.
I put up with it for years, lots of face washes and creams (including body shop tea tree stuff) etc seemed to make it worse.

It wasn't until I was due to get married at 27 that I finally decided enough was enough. I had some facials but had terrible results.
I saw my GP that same week and admitted that it had got to the point that I would avoid looking in the mirror as I hated what I saw. He was great, and put me on antibiotics which took about 6 weeks before I saw results.

10 years and 2 kids later I'm not taking anything and things are much better. I still get greasy skin and the occasional spot but nothing like it was.

Years of suffering have stayed with me though, I hate having my photo taken, would never do selfies, still avoid mirrors- even though there's nothing there to see now.
On this basis alone, I would really push for them to understand how low it makes you feel. Ok, so the antibiotics haven't worked for you- but there are plenty of other things that can be done. It certainly isn't the GPs call to make as to what the dermatologist thinks- how does s/he know?

Good luck...

Booked in for Wednesday after next and I’m coming prepared! I’ve got two months worth of photographs of my face to show these antibiotics have done nothing, and I’m really going to push this time! Thanks everyone for convincing me to give it another go!

Good luck OP.

It's not fair of the GP to fob you off. There are so many treatments/cures for acne and you deserve to get the results you want.

I could have written this a few years back, I started getting acne at 11 and still had it at 26, tried everything! Topical treatments, cyclines and had roaccutane THREE TIMES! Each time it worked for about a year before the acne returned. I also have dark and coarse hair with borderline pcos. I went vegan for a year, but proper wholefood plant based, none of this replacement cheese and meat. My skin has never been better! Honestly it works!

Having seen the photo I’m surprised your acne isn’t considered severe. It’s definitely bad enough to make your life miserable.

I also have acne (not as bad as yours). I’m on my 30s and it’s got worse in the last 10 years.

Those who have had success with roaccutane, does it clear it up permanently or does it come back once the treatment ends?

What is your skincare routine like? I had fair similar acne (also hormonal) which I’ve been able to get under control (a pimple every few days) using the right products. Took a lot of experimentation to figure out though.

Hi,

I've had acne most of my adult life, granted, not as severe as yours.

Go out and buy Acnecide wash (Boots sell it- abit pricey- £11). This has completely transformed my skin. The first few times I used it, I left it on for 2 minutes and I had severe burns and reactions for days. However, if you start and apply when wash it off within 30 seconds, you can slowly build up tolerance.

It has transformed my life. I used to suffer from hormonal spots on chin plus general blackheads all over, almost completely clear now.

I only use this. At night, remove make up with water and wash cloth. Apply a thin layer to face whilst brushing teeth for 2 mins, then wash off. In my morning shower, I only use water.

It could be you are washing your face too much, therefore disturbing the acid mantle. The tip is to wash your face as little as often.

Also, since putting vaseline over my night cream, I've noticed my skin has improved too.

Also, removing milk from my diet has helped. Yogurt and cheese seems fine but milk is very inflammatory.

best of luck.

user1480880826

For me roaccutane DID work, and following a course my skin was GORGEOUS. However, each time it did return within a year!

You need a dermatologist referral from another G P

Have a read also of veritys website about PCOS

What the others have said re spiro and or roaccutane. Diet has no real effect here, correction of the underlying hormonal imbalance caused by PCOS is the key here

Regarding the spiralactone- I too get blood clots when on hormonal contraceptives. I've had 5 () although fortunately never a pulmonary embolism. Spiralactone was apparently the "safe" option...
Good luck op. I know how grim it can be.

I’ve had acne since the same age and suffer quite bad with cystic acne. Have u tried epiduo? It’s got benzoyl peroxide and a small percentage of adapalene in it. I just got the gp to prescribe it. It was helping my skin a lot but now it doesn’t seem to be working as well. But it’s definitely worth a try. Also, what I have been trying to do is use a 2% salicylic acid wash. I have seen a great difference in using that. I buy one called alba acne and it’s from Holland and barrel. You need to leave it on for a minute for it to work. I am also starting to use raw honey on my face for at least an hour every day...I leave it for two. You will see videos on YouTube on how well it’s helped people with their acne. It must be raw honey or manuka honey which is better. I am seeing a difference with using the honey everyday but it’s only been a few days so I can’t wait to see the long term results.

Definitely see another doctor

Things that have helped me a lot are/ Coal face soap from lush but it's very drying I only use on bad areas + weleda toner twice a day + wilkos cheap tea tree overnight spot gel (Ive tried loads of spot treatments and toners and these were by far the best.
Not eating dairy helps my skin, and gluten too. Though I ought to avoid those for other reasons. Obviously drinking lots of water and changing pillow cases frequently and washing on hot.

But yeah, definitely see another doctor. Good luck.

Roaccutane is for cystic acne or acne that doesn’t respond to what the gp is offering.

I’ve taken it after everything else failed & it’s a brilliant drug. Spirolactone is prescribed off licence for acne so only consultants can prescribe that way.

My sd has acne , very much like yours , shes going to see a dermatologist this month , the low dose antibiotics haven't helped either.

But she has had a few dermaplaning treatments , have you looked into that. It can help acne scaring.

You should be referred to dermatologist as per the NICE guidelines. Extract here:

▪ If the person does not respond to two different courses of antibiotics, or if they are starting to scar, refer to a dermatologist for consideration of treatment with isotretinoin.

NICE Acne treatment guidelines here:

cks.nice.org.uk/acne-vulgaris#!scenarioRecommendation

I have suffered with acne most of my adult life, came and went in stages. still on tablets. but things I have found worked are drinking water, and making sure you go to the toilet once a day, as i suffer from constipation . didn't know that the toxins can get released back into the blood stream, and cause a bacterial infections. And spots love bacteria I had really oily skin , so bad that I was washing 6 times a day. But so far its ok. Loads of fiber in your diet. There is a whole heap on the internet about this. Also I found that vaping can aggravate the skin too, which is one thing I do enjoy, oh great

It is somewhat down to who you see, both at the GP, then the derm themselves. My GP is v nice and got me referred, but the first derm I saw was dismissive and said take the anti-biotics again, ended up seeing a different one the next appt and she had no qualms whatsoever about starting me on it.
As I've just posted on another thread, many people worry about side effects but these can be lessened by taking a lower dose daily, albeit over a longer period of time.
For me, so far so good. Not one cyst since I took it.