Acne help?!

[samantha06]

Hey guys,
So throughout my teenage years ive never suffered with acne, even during and after both pregnancies, and trying different contraception, ive had spots of course but never acne.

Im now 25 and Since April this year (2020) my skin broke out really bad and i just put it down to a mixture of things, stress, lockdown (UK) wearing lots of makeup ect, but after a month of good skin care (wash, cleanse, tone, moisturise x2s a day and exfoliating twice a week) drinking at least 3l of water & not wearing any makeup, it wasn't clearing and the spots were painful.
I called the GP in early May and after a phone consultation and sending photos they prescribed me DUAC once daily gel cream, which cleared my skin up wonders, finally felt myself again, ive kept a good skin care routine and i drink lots of water, at least 3l a day, i didnt use the cream for a month once i finished the prescribed course, but over the last few days its coming back.
Ive started work again (im a mobile hairdresser) so unsure if masks/visors havent helped, also started wearing light makeup again (bb cream) while at work.

Im just at abit of a end with it, the doctors have prescribed another course of the cream, but in the long run will i just keep getting flare ups now? What could suddenly be causing it? When i stop the cream again isit just going to come back? Is their anything else i can do/try to prevent it coming back, do i need to use the cream for longer?

I am going to speak with the pharmacist when i collect my prescription tomorrow but thought i would see if anyone else has been in the same boat and had any advise for me😊

Thankyou!

(Like to add, my children are 6years and 2years, so unlikely to be hormones returning from pregnancy ect)

[attillathenun]

Totally sympathise OP, a fellow sufferer here (although pregnancy cleared it up and it hasn’t returned as badly since baby was born 7 months ago!). I highly recommend la Roche posay or Vichy for skincare brands, I’m using la Roche effaclar range at the moment and have been for years and it’s great. It’s not as harsh as other targeted acne brands, it’s expensive but a little goes a long way and definitely worth the money. I would say you might be exfoliating too much and maybe try ditching the toner completely. You can make your skin too dry from over cleansing which can also make you break out. Also I find oil based cleanser to take makeup off good, coconut oil is super gentle and a little goes a long way!

Lastly (and I know this might be depressing..) age has definitely played a part. I’m now 31 and it’s nowhere near what it was like when I was 25. I still get painful big spots, but they aren’t a constant thing anymore like they used to be. I’ve seriously overhauled my diet in the last few years and cutting down on snacking and sugary food has also helped.

Hope you find something that works for you and clears it up!

[RubySlippers77]

Oh @samantha06, I do feel for you. Acne can sap your confidence but please remember that probably no-one else notices/ cares about it! I always thought mine was horrific but no-one actually remembers it

My GP prescribed me antibiotics for mine - I was late 20s, fit, healthy etc, no apparent reason. They did take about a month to work (it was 4 x 250mg erythromycin daily, if I recall correctly) but then it was absolutely fine. His explanation was that the antibiotics killed off the bacteria causing the acne, but frankly by that point I didn't care, I'd have tried anything

He told me just to cleanse and moisturise with aqueous cream, nothing else, keep it very gentle and just make sure your skin is completely clean at the end of the day - fine to wear make-up but do take it all off properly. I also found the Kalme range brilliant for reducing redness once I was over the initial phase of getting rid of the acne.

I was on the antibiotics for two or three years but had no problems once I came off them.

Good luck

[samantha06]

Thankyou so much guys. Gp and pharmacist seem to be going with 'just one of those things' which is annoying, but understandable as they wont see me due to covid.
Ive got a benzoyl peroxide cream which is working. I use simple kind to skin face wash in the morning following by the foaming cleanser & moisturizer. Then if i wear makeup i always use moisturizer as a primer & avoid oily makup!
Then i take makeup off with micellar water, then wash again with simple face wash, then use the prescription cream😊It has calmed down loads, but i just dont want to become reliant on a cream that long term can thin my skin etc. Also im still hoping to be married at the end of the year (thanks covid!!!) So im also worried about having a flare up for the wedding😬

Thankyou ladies for your kind words and advice🥰

[blurpityblurp]

Some people are just prone to acne. If it’s mainly on your chin, then it’s likely hormonal (not post-natal just something some women get).

Masks definitely cause huge acne outbreaks for me, so that could be a factor.

Sudocrem is a lifesaver for mask acne (or any acne). And DUAC as you’ve already discovered.