If you have/had acne, what has actually made a difference?

[NothingBreaksLikeAFart]

Really fed up with my skin. No longer get big cystic lumps on my cheeks but lots of big pores, whiteheads on my chin and hormonal sore ones on my jawline (these ones are usually before my period).

What has actually helped?

Dianette is all that worked for me.

The pill - dianette then when I came off that I got prescribed lymecycline which also helped.

Agree with Dianette.
However, Roaccutane if you want to go hard core.

I second Dianette got rid of mine to, that was 10 yrs ago.

Diameter here too. Nothing else made a hot of difference but diameter was transformational.

Err, dianette thank you auto correct

Roaccutane - it’s very strong but absolutely worked for me. Dried my lips out loads and I couldn’t get any sun on my face while I was taking it, but it was very effective. Took a while to get a Dr to agree to prescribe it for me as it’s very strong and there has to be no possibility of you getting pregnant when taking it.

Bravura glycolic Acid serum for me and LRP effaclar face wash. Also I avoid any product that is “mattifying” or “shine control” - instantly breaks me out.

Also Dianette still on it 25 years later (although it has been replaced with Co-cyprindiol). Same pill just cheaper brand. Since the brand changed suddenly the GP has no problem with me still being on it!

Diameter

But then do you have to stay on Dianette? I am not keen on being on hormonal contraception long term. Sorry I should have said that in my OP.

Going on the pill, Yasmine. But I don’t like the way it makes me feel so I stopped after a year even though I got no breakouts for the first time ever in my life.

But this year I’ve stopped eating gluten and sugar, and am low-carbing, and that has made as much difference to the acne as going on the pill did. Just hope I can make it a long-term lifestyle choice!

Tried roaccuatane and it didn't work for me. Personally I gave up dairy, took daily vitamin c, zinc and omega 3 supplements, applied a very thin layer of 5% benzoyl peroxide at night and stopped wearing makeup. After 20 years of acne that finally sorted me out. I now average a spot a month having previously been horrendous

The Pill actually made my spots worse 😬
What has made a difference recently - using a teeny tiny dab of Nip Fab Teen Spot Zapper (I’m 41 😀), then Sudocreme (it really takes the redness down and heals the spots), plus using the Pixi Glow Tonic dupe by Superdrug. I found that this changed the texture of the skin on my chin. It used to be have loads of tiny bumps, but is smooth now.

I always post this on here for acme threads.
Ndn’s ds had terrible acne. She took him to a Chinese herbalist who gave him a nasty tasting brew, and in a matter of weeks his skin was totally totally transformed. This was 10 years ago and still all good.

12% AHA cream applied rigorously morning and night. Transformative in my case.

Doxycycline from the gp.

Had to go through the rigmarole of duac and lymecycline first (which did a right number on my guts and they're still feeling 'off' six months later) but the doxy does seem to be doing the trick.

Also use Dr organic tea tree face wash and aveeno (somewhat paradoxically it gets worse if I don't moisturise, I think the dead skin cells etc perhaps get more stuck? Or possibly my sebaceous glands go into overdrive or something?)

I have quite a bit of scarring and hyperpigmentation that I'll deal with when it's cleared totally and I'm sure that it's faded as much as it's going to.

The depo shot has also helped mine but it can make some people's worse.

Nothing otc has made the slightest bit of difference after years of persistence and I wish I'd gone to my gp much much sooner.

It's very nice to have a face that doesn't hurt anymore or bleed when I wash it, and to be able to bare my shoulders in the summer

Dinette worked for me for over 15 years; but, since BF, I'm not on it and my skin is awful. I had Roccutane 10 years ago. It was effective when I was on it, but wasn't the miracle cure I was expecting after the hassle of getting an appointment with a dermatologist and monthly blood tests.

It probably depends on the types of spots you get? I didn’t used to get black heads or ‘all over’ spots, I used to get a handful of large very painful, pus filled (grim, sorry!) spots. Have you seen an endocrinologist in case it’s hormone related? Mine was related to my PCOS

The only thing that helped mine was having a baby. After 20 years of acne my hormones are settled and I have clear skin. Just in time for it to get wrinkly!

Was prescribed oxytetracycline when I was about 17 which cleared me up, although that’s a good 20 years ago

@coco123456789

How did you get referred to an endocrinologist?

I have pcos and am on roaccutane which is helping, but my skin is still red on my chin and over my nose

The Kalme skin range and lots of probiotics

Roaccutane worked wonders but left my skin really dry.
Other than that a really good therapist that can properly cleanse and open spots on a regular basis.
Nothing else worked for me, apart from age as now 41 and spot free.

Goldenhorn - the GP referred me because of the spots and also I had a very blackhairy chin, despite being blonde and pale so suspected pcos. I was only 20 so not at the age where a hairy chin is the norm!

The only thing that worked for me was medication.(needed it from age 20-25.
I think initially I was prescribed something called minoin & then dianette.