Acne still age 39!!

[Lullabywish]

Acne at age 39!!

He everyone, not sure this is going to be on the right topic but I need help. I'm 39 and have suffered with acne since I was 14. I used to get it everywhere, all over my face and back. Now I generally just get them on my chin jawline and around my mouth but I'm not talking little ones, sometimes they can be boils and they are very embarrassing and make me feel very self conscious. My forehead and cheeks are generally clear and skin looks good. I've read a lot about it being hormonal. My diet is good I don't drink or smoke. I've tried Symprove incase it was a gut health thing. What has anyone tried that wasn't dramatic?

I've had roacutane twice before when it was really bad but don't want to be doing something that extreme. I have an LED face mask I try and use regularly, I never sleep in make up and don't wear heavy make up. I since April have been doing skin care serum and moisturizer religiously and my forehead and cheeks look glowing but below my nose is a nightmare.

Any washes people swear by or creams, treatments, tricks? Help me out please 🙏🏼

Try the product by Krishna from the apprentice. It looks really good! https://kishkin.com/

I had acne which was definitely hormonal, it was my main symptom of PCOS - the only thing that really worked well was an appropriate form of oral contraceptive (ended up with Marvelon which worked well for me.) . Apart from that, my skin was beautifully clear when I was pregnant and for a while after - and the one good thing about being post menopausal is that the acne has finally gone.

During Peri (around 43) my one-a-month kind acne really flared up. I had 7-8 going at once in the lower face - cheeks/jaw/around mouth. Nothing was helping, I was nearly avoiding stepping out of the house. It’s only when I started HRT that things improved. Infact skin went the other way to fully clear in just a month. I’ve since regretted not using hormonal contraception since mine is purely hormonal and no skin routine works!
I now use Tretinoin to help with the scars and pigmentation.

I have similar skin, very hormonal and have in the past had roaccutane for cystic ache which helped to a point.

i use Cerave now the anti blemish wash once daily and then moisturisers and my skin is so good.

Very low dose roaccutane was so effective for me.

I have a Dermatica prescription with tretinoin, Azelaic acid and tranexamic acid plus use benzoyl peroxide gel during my luteal phase - my spots are and always have been hormonal. Cerave products plus some lightweight serums.

What about low dose accutane? Some people do need to stay on it. I finally started it at age 46 for mild persistent acne. I am only on 20mg every 5 days and it’s given me completely clear skin! No side effects either, the dry lips cleared up after a couple of months. It doesn’t necessarily need to be the extreme version of the regimen to be effective.

Barring that, the most effective thing for me was Adapalene/Differin gel. Much more effective than topical tretinoin, and gentler on the skin. It is a prescription gel.

Do you have a nice GP? I finally contacted my GP and she was lovely. She prescribed me 15% Azelaic acid (Finacea) and advised using simple Cerave products. It’s early days (just over a week) but I do think my skin is looking clearer and smoother. I can go back to her if it’s not working, apparently there are other options.

Hi. Since your barrier already sounds healthier now, try to focus more on calming inflammation consistently. To give you options, ingredient-wise, look for azelaic acid, sulfur, niacinamide, (or benzoyl peroxide in low controlled amounts). sometimes help that area specifically, but hormonal acne usually responds best to targeted management so a trip to the GP/Derm would be ideal.