Big horrible spotty face! Help!

[LittleDitto]

Fucking hell!

I always had decent skin. It’s literally my ONLY redeeming feature. However the last few years, and I know it’s probably peri-menopause, I’ve started getting hideous spots around my chin and jaw when I’m about to have my period and it’s ALWAYS made worse in the summer. Honestly I will have about 20/30 spots a time and I can feel more under my skin. I’ve tried EVERYTHING I can think of. I now don’t even moisturise that part of my face. Everything I ever put on it makes it worse! I’ve tried all manners of exfoliants, scrubs and cleansers and nothing seems to work what so ever. When it’s really bad I’ve used detol. I know that’s probably not good but it’s just really getting to me!

Is there anything else I can try before I just claw my own skin off?

Hey love, did you know that if you are too harsh to your skin it will make it so much worse? I think you need a much gentler and more consistent approach. Stop putting harsh things on your skin like dettol, for the love of god! What you need is an exfoliant like a salicylic acid or glycolic acid. Nip and fab are great for this when your skin is really bad. Get the pads and the face wash. Use a very gentle and hydrating rather than oily moisturiser once a day, because your skin will produce more oils if it's dehydrated. Bare in mind skin takes 90 days to completely heal and regenerate. So you have to trust in the products you are using for a while and also trust in any vitamin supplements you are using. Drink loads of water. Treat your skin as if it is unwell and be good to it. But salicylic acid and glycolic acid are your friends. I've also found that a tiny drop of tea tree or another healing oil like lavender on an angry spot really works. But over stripping your skin will just make it so much worse.

Stop with any form of exfoliant and scrub!
As above, a gentle cleanser, a salicylic product and a moisturizer will help. Niacinamide will soothe.
Effaclar duo range, Nip & Fab Teen Fix, and Paula's Choice all have the same % of Salicylic.

Exactly. You need to much gentler to your skin and try to understand the message it's sending to you. Plus the process of healing may mean that other spots come up from under your skin as the salicylic gently exfoliates. If it gets really bad, go to an expert.

I had this until I hit menopause. I'm on HRT but that's nothing compared with the equivalent teenage hormones of peri menopause as you body tries to kick start the ovaries. I had greasy limp hair and acne like I did at 14.

Mine lasted three years. My advice to you is don't suffer, go see your GP and get a prescribed cream. They work and it's not for ever.

Are they deep cysts in your face or raised pimple ones?

I think you need to calm down. Both in the way you are treating your skin, because you are being too harsh and that will overstimulate your skin. But also because being out in nature and getting fresh air and sunlight on your bare skin will really help.

I can and will totally recommend Superdrugs Me+ Salicylic acid cleanser with ceramides. It has been an absolute game changer for my 60 yo skin. I have always had good skin, not even many wrinkles let alone spots, hit about 58 and bloody hell! This stuff is also fairly cheap, I think I paid about 12 quid for a 500ml bottle, lasts ages and for me at least, it works. Good luck

Zinc tablets

I had really bumpy skin and lots of breakouts and I found that the Cerave foaming facewash for bumpy skin really helped. It's got salicylic acid in it. My skin still has issues but the bumps are almost completely gone and I hardly ever get spots any more, just one or two perhaps around my period. Agree with pp who say you need to be consistent with it though and give it time to work.

Not an expert, but I found that vitamins with nicotinamide helped me. However, I took high concentration ones which caused skin flushing which was really scary. Therefore I switched to a multivitamin with nicotinamide included (at lower concentration) and now don't get my monthly painful chin spots.

Thank you so much for all your helpful advice! It’s not true acne but just pimple type spots. They’re just awful! I’ve never tried salicylic acid before so I’ll give it a go. It’s so horrible how your face just gets like this. When it first started hapleneing a few years ago (I’m 45) I just thought it was because of the heat and sweat in the summer when I’m exercising.

the worst thing I did once was try one of those de-fuzz blades my skin was ok at this time but I had the biggest breakout for weeks afterwards. Next thing I tried was waxing, but the same thing happened so I’ve relented to the fact I look like Brian Blessed. But I really can’t be doing with these fucking spots on top of it.

Duac. You can buy it from an online pharmacy. Use the lower strength first as it’ll burn your skin off if you aren’t careful.

You need to moisturise as well.

I’d just go to the drs. Acne’s got a lot of treatment options.

LRP effaclar duo has really helped my jawline spots

I counted 50 on my chin once, it was really depressing. I broke the cycle with Acnecide which gave me dry skin but it was worth it. Since then I’ve used Clinique clarifying no.2 twice a day, and my skin isn’t perfect but it’s fairly clear.

Your skin sounds like mine, except I’ve had it ever since I was 12. Here’s what helps me:

Cerave or Cetaphil facewash. I use the normal/oily skin Cerave.

See your GP and ask for Epiduo - this contains benzoyl peroxide, same as in Duac or Acnecide, but it also contains a retinoid. (good for spots but with anti ageing side bonus). Use nightly. Watch out it bleaches coloured fabric.

I am also on Dianette contraceptive pill which helps a lot but the GP may not give it to you, I am borderline for it at age 42 and pretty sure they will take me off it soon. Worth asking. Or HRT might help? I read menopausal spots are caused by a drop in oestrogen which allows our “male” hormones to dominate. (I am probably murdering the science here but yswim).

Paulas choice bha salicylic acid transformed my skin

Hello
this was me as well, my 15yr old skin reappeared with the onset of the perimenopause. Like there isn’t enough else to deal with!
I’ve had a subscription with Dermatica for the last few months, actually for sun damage, and my skin has cleared up dramatically.
My chin is no longer a constant embarrassment to me but sadly my sun damage hasn’t shifted in the slightest.
Winners and losers.
I’d thoroughly recommend it