Will I ever be free from spots?!

[ChuckGarabedian]

I’m almost 37 and since early teens, I have never had clear skin. I have always been a bit spotty, mainly my chin and my upper back. I put up with it as it’s not cystic acne and let’s face it, it’s a first world problem! But I do wonder if I’ll ever be free of them - I’m a bit embarrassed to have teenage skin in my late 30s tbh.

I have always taken quite good care of my skin in cleansing properly, drink lots of water, use SPF etc, but chin spots seem to point towards hormones and there’s not much I can do about that. I have been on the mini pill since I had my youngest two years ago but the spot problem predates that.

Have tried various OTC treatments but didn’t find any of them effective. I was prescribed erythromycin by my doctor at one stage, but had to stop taking them when I discovered I was pregnant.

Anyone have any similar experiences? Did your spots clear up eventually, or did any particular treatment/medication work?

I'm 48 and still have these types of issues which started when I was about 16. I'm resigned to the fact I always will. The problem is we are all different so what works for one person doesn't for another

I do agree going to the doctor is a good idea. I think we do ourselves a disservice by thinking it's too small an issue as it really can affect confidence. I've never really had medical intervention.

Things that have helped me:
Gentle fragrance free skincare products
Limiting dairy and sugar
Dermatica (tretinoin and clindamycin) - I know Uncouth skincare have started offering spironolactone which is meant to be good too
Hydrocolloid spot patches

Yes, lots! Im not in the UK but a similar economy and it’s 100€ per appointment (I’ve had 4 in a year) + about 120€ for the medicine each time so nearly 1000€ in total but divided over the year.

she pres my routine right back to just cleanser and moisturizer so I saved a lot there!

I'm 42 and I never had spots or acne until a year or so ago when, like a fucking idiot, I started using hyaluronic acid.

I had no reason to use it, my skin was in great condition and I had no lines, but I developed rosacea - I think the hyaluronic acid buggered up the balance of bacteria and the barrier of my skin.

I've tried everything to shift the spots, and sometimes they die down a bit, but always flare up again eventually. The only thing that really made a difference was when I was on antibiotics after a tooth removal, but I'm not taking antibiotics for spots.

All these products are bollocks. I doubt it's a coincidence that far more women get rosacea than men. My skin was lovely for decades with soap and a simple light moisturiser. Now it's a mess.

I also recommend checking out Dr Natalia Spierings. I absolutely love her no nonsense approach - she discredits a lot of the nonsense that is out there to try get us to part with money for expensive products and guides to what has a proper evidence backing. I read her book and then started the tret subscription - I’ve stopped chasing all other products and use a basic cleanser, moisturiser and sunscreen in the morning then tret plus Vaseline at night as per her recommendations. It’s saved me a fortune in trying lots of things in the hope they will help

I'd echo the others saying that cutting out dairy and sugar has been incredibly helpful. Not entirely; just being mindful of limiting them.

Late 40s here. I struggled with spots since my teens, dianette sorted them out for many years from 16 but in hindsight wish I’d never gone on it! They came back again when I stopped. The only thing which has made a difference is using retinol / tretinoin in my 40. Finally apart from the odd hormonal spot my skin is clear.

Do you take a multi vit? I know it sounds daft but b vitamins make my skin spotty. I took them for years without realising . I stopped and the spots stopped
Last week I started taking omega 3 tablets...2 days later spots. Checked this morning and they have added b12.

I had clear skin up until i was 18 and then broke out in SERIOUS cystic acne ever since. Im in my 30s now and my acne has only started clearing up (see photos). I've tried everything under the sun! However what worked for me is actually stripping my skincare routine back and sticking with basic products and a simple routine.

All i do now is double cleanse, tone, moisturise and SPF (during the day). When i wake up I dont actually wash my face, i just rinse with water and then spray rose water, let that dry and then use SPF. I then do the above routine in the evening (hope that made sense).

I also would recommend getting a green peels if you can. Green peel is a herbal peel, a selection of eight carefully selected herbs, each containing specific enzymes, vitamins and minerals that will help to rejuvenate the skin when massaged in.) I've had three and thats really helped with my scarring, but its pricey so ive also recently started using this LED gua sha device (https://www.vitalityandvanity.com/products/light-therapy-gua-sha-device) which i saw on TikTok. Its meant to help with hyperpigmentation, spots, acne scaring etc. Ive actually seen a slight improvement so will keep at it. I think the red light therapy aspect is what is helping alongside the heating function.

ALSO DONT STRESS ABOUT IT! My acne got worse when i thought about it more and more. Acne/spots does not define you, and im sure youre beautiful regardless! Also stopped dairy for a couple years but im back eating ice-cream because my sweet tooth is crazy lool.

@Ellemeg82 good to see a fellow Simpsons fan in the house! 😅

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, plenty of different options for me to look at. Good to know I’m not the only one with this issue either. Re: PCOS, I’d never really considered this as I’ve never had trouble with heavy periods, no fertility issues (3 children). During an early scan in one of my pregnancies the doctor did find a cyst on one ovary, although he said that didn’t necessarily mean PCOS - it was just the one.

I tried giving up dairy before and didn’t see a difference but to be honest, it probably wasn’t for long enough.

I’m going to contact my GP on Monday and see what they suggest. Thanks again everyone.

As a previous poster said skin+Me are great I use for anti aging mostly but did get occasional hormonal spots. Tretinoin is good for both. They sometimes prescribe an anti biotic. You take a photo of your face and let them know your concerns and they create a formula for you.
I've been using it for nearly 3 years now. Here's a code if you fancy trying it you get a month trial free just pay 3.50 p&p (disclaimer it gets me £10 off my next month if you use my code)

www.skinandme.com/?promocode=LAURENS5YP3

Op, superdrug have an online dermatologist. I had sudden acne in late 20s that I got rid of with antibiotics and omnilux treatment. They've come back in my late 40s. I'm using antibiotic tablets and a skin cream prescribed by superdrug. I've also moved to those disposable face towels from the clean skin club (no idea if those are nonsense but it was a panic buy).

Another vote for Skin+Me. I'm on my second month and my skin has never looked better. I get the odd spot normally around my period, but overall my skin texture has improved, my skintone has evened out and I don't even bother with makeup except for the odd bit of mascara now. I've been frequently complimented on my skin too.

I'm very happy with how quickly I've seen results. I started with the daily doser plus a trial of their cleanser, moisturiser, skin boost and sunscreen. Due to the cost of buying everything full size, once they ran out I only reordered the daily doser and sunscreen. I only use water to wash my face in the morning (as per Dr Shereen Idriss on YT) Then I use a vitamin c + vitamin E and ferulic acid serum in the morning, ELF eye cream, followed by a moisturiser from face theory and then the sunscreen .

At night I cleanse with a gentle face wash by face theory, then moisturise with a night cream (also by face theory) then daily doser and then I slug with either vaseline or pure shea butter. My skin is combination but this hasn't caused any breakouts and has helped with the dryness caused by the retinoid.

I've used facetheory products for a while but haven't had any real WOW results, but they are affordable and decent. Since adding in the Skin+Me my skin is a hundred times better