Any skin experts around ? Pics

[Toomanywheeliebinsagain]

My skin has been getting increasing worse. I'm late 30's and despite a careful and gentle double cleansing regime and a topical acne treatment it now looks like the attached, I'm so depressed by it - I have a professional job which is stressful but use good quality skin products and cosmetics and are really careful about removal. I often have make off free days, have a good diet, drink tonnes of water and take regular exercise. I used to be on the pill and my skin was probably better but I had to come off for medical reasons. Do you think I should go to doctors for antibiotics? It's horrible. Anyone got any cures?

Should add it's mainly on my chin

It's not as bad as you think. This is a bit weird and personal, but I found the one thing that has really helped the cystic-type acne I used to get was realising I was actually constipated a lot of the time and sorting that out. How regularly do you go?

Otherwise maybe you have PCOS or a hormone imbalance?

Have a look at Paula's Choice for the liquid Clear Exfoliants. It's 2% so tolerable on skin and keeps my cystic acne at bay.
Do those ever come to a head? Or just keep reoccurring? Is your skin oily?

I had something like that on my cheeks. It just appeared when I was in my late 20's and I had never had problematic skin as a teenager. My GP felt it was stress-related and prescribed Minocin - a tetracycline antibiotic- which cleared it up within weeks. I had tried so many different topical treatments before that and nothing worked. Might be worth a try OP. Good luck.

Try eliminating sugar from your diet - that can really help. Also use oil free products (I was advised this by dermatologist) and exfoliate regularly. Hope it improves soon. Can be so disheartening.

I am the least woo person I know, but I had acne like that and in desparation in the run up to my wedding I tried acupuncture, and it worked. This was after years of topical stuff and endless antibiotics. It could be coincidence of course, but my skin was clear in my wedding photos.

*Desperation, possibly

Some really helpful posts here. In response to questions.
Mainly just horrid under the skin but sometimes come to a head. They seem to be coming up more regularly.
I 'go' fine although sometimes prevent myself from going for time pressures.
Acupuncture is not a bad idea - have responded to that well in past!

My skin broke out like that when I had undiagnosed Hashimoto's. I'm not saying you have a thyroid problem, but there's definitely something off kilter with your hormones. It's quite common for women in their late thirties and forties to have cystic acne breakouts. You need to tackle the hormonal imbalance, and there are various ways to do this.

For me, the following has worked (I'm 39, and have had breakouts off and on since I was 13).

Topical clindamycin/benzoyl peroxide. This worked a treat, but I didn't like using ongoing antibiotics, even if only topical.

Low-carb diet. Cutting out dairy. There was a study published in the BMJ saying that cow's milk products exacerbated acne issues in prone individuals, likely because of the hormones. So try cutting that out for six weeks and seeing what happens.

Yasmin. This pill was amazing, aside from the fact it made me blue. But my skin was flawless for the year I took it.

Saw Palmetto. Start with 160mg of the standardized extract, and add in a pm pill if you have no stomach problems (I didn't, and I have a sensitive stomach). This has been an absolute bloody lifesaver. I now have completely flawless skin, even right before my period. It blocks the effects of an enzyme that converts testosterone into DHT (responsible for 99.9 percent of acne in women in their thirties and forties). Spironolactone will do exactly the same thing, and that was to be my next port of call, but again, I'm glad that I found something that worked in a similar fashion but isn't a prescription medication.

Skin products. Meh. I've worked my way through everything from Clarins, to oil cleansing, to Proactiv, to tea tree oil, to...every outrageously priced organic line under the sun. I can pretty much use any product on my skin these days and won't break out, because I'm controlling the acne from the inside. I do drink three liters of water daily, and eat very little sugar, as again, doing this frequently elevates your insulin levels and disrupts other hormones. Being insulin resistant is very common in people with persistent acne.

I just read up on saw palmetto and was concerned it can reduce the effect of your contraception and has risks with other drugs so worth checking with your GP before taking.

stopgap did your gp suggest saw palmetto or is that something you discovered on your own via research etc?

user a friend recommended it to me, and I decided to go for it. I didn't know that it can disrupt the efficacy of the pill, but it makes sense, seeing as it acts on hormonal imbalances. I will say that it has made zero difference re the absorption of my thyroid medication.

Let's just say that I was a desperate woman. I am very, very lucky in that my skin has never scarred, even though my breakouts have been cystic at times, but I was so sick of having acne flares, that I would probably have resorted to consuming petrol poured over cat poo if it meant having better skin.

I did mention low-carb diet above, and this is amazing as well, but it is quite antisocial to be Atkins if you like going out, plus I am already skinny and looked horrendous on low-carb, albeit with clear skin :D

Also, acne.org is an amazing resource for acne sufferers, and the forums/reviews cover everything from Accutane to Apple Cider Vinegar.

Can you afford to see a dermatologist?

Have you tried a weak solution of TCP at night? My mum had something similar that was there for months and TCP got rid of it practically over night.

stop. I think you are right that it is hormonal. Hence why it got worse when I came off the pill because I was probably having more swings. It is definitely worse around my period but is appalling at other times as well

It looks like a sensitivity breakout to me, I suffer from this too....you say you use quality products but could you say exactly what they are? Is there any oil based products or essential oils? Also mineral oil breaks me out like that too on my jaw line...

Thanks for reply stop, I think I might look into it.

Spearmint tea might help.

Do try and see a dermatologist though.

Toomanywheeliebins on an ordinary basis (pre Saw Palmetto) I would probably get a couple of breakouts along my jawline two days before my period and two days after my period, and during my ovulation time, but would otherwise have zero spots for the rest of the month. Have you tried tracking your breakouts, so you could see if it's a drop in progesterone, say, that's causing it?

My major breakouts happened when:

The two times I came off the pill, which resulted in cystic acne all along my jaw and some on my cheeks.

After stopping breastfeeding with both my children. Breastfeeding and pregnancy = no spots at all.

Right before I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's.

It sounds as if yours may be hormonal. Coming off the pill often gives unremitting acne for a while. Mine calmed down perhaps 6-8 months after coming off Yasmin, but I appreciate that's a heck of a long time to take a wait-and-see approach.

Good luck with everything, and please update us!

Also, the Republic of Tea does a wonderful concoction called "Get Gorgeous". I'm in the US, so I don't know if they sell it in the UK, but it contains some vitex and other stuff. For me it gave an 80 percent improvement, but I was determined to be completely clear, but the tea tastes good and I know that it has worked well for others.

The fact is you have acne. Whether your acne is hormonal or not, your acne needs treating. It's not a cosmetic issue.

Cut to the chase. Go to your GP.

In agreement with John. Treatment differs depending on type of acne and person's skin. There are so many variables. Much better to go on a tailored program via a doctor and get a referral to a skin specialist after an initial of doctor's diagnosis .

You need to see a Dermatologist.

There are many solutions for acne. I won't say cure - but treatments.

Don't faff around with cleansers and otc products but get proper medical advice.