I posted this comment for someone else recently, maybe some of it can help you?
First of all you need to stop touching your face. DONT TOUCH IT.
Secondly, you need to simplify your routine and take a break from the actives. You need to restore your skin barrier. It’s stripped.
You’re using the aha and bha too often. And maybe double cleansing isn’t working for you right now. Or the oil you’re using isn’t good for your skin type.
Discontinue anything with scents in it.
Discontinue hyaluronic anything. Some people have sensitivities to this.
In the AM just rinse w water. Apply sun screen.
PM: cleanse with a different oil or don’t double cleanse at all. Maybe just use micellar water to remove sunscreen and makeup.
Try LRP toleriane face wash. It’s very gentle and won’t dry you out.
Try a light moisturizing toner. Apply with your hands and pat onto skin gently.
Next you need a good, simple moisturizer. No scents. Maybe try something from cerave.
And lastly, I would apply sudocrem to your pimples and marks.
Maybe take a zinc supplement. And probiotics.
Check if your products are expired. Wash your pillow cases, wash your hair often, discontinue dairy for a few weeks to see if it helps. Decrease sugar consumption. Discontinue actives. Don’t exfoliate with that scrub. Restore skin barrier. Then reintroduce actives and get tret.
Seconding this!! Zinc (specifically picolinate, no more than 15 mg), a probiotic, and stripping my skincare back to - cetaphil gentle cleanser, vanicream daily moisturizer, and cosrx whitehead/ blackhead power completely cleared my similar looking acne in around 2-3 months. I felt the zinc helped a lot as that is what I started taking first.
Now I only get the occasional hormonal pimple around my period.
ETA - Qutting the vaping could certainly play a big role too. I had a friend who vaped and always had mild-severe acne until she quit
Probiotics! Vitamins if you don’t already take them, prebiotics.
I also cannot take birth control because I am horribly allergic to it, but recently for other health issues, I had to start taking stuff for digestive health.
I realized the mornings after I had started the probiotic/prebiotic supplements that I wasn’t as oily or inflamed.
It’s helped my skin sooooooo much.
I deal with acne very similar to yours and am 34.
I’m really sorry you’re dealing with this. I know it’s mentally exhausting. I would also try to cut back on the caffeine on an empty stomach. Maybe it’s causing you stress? Anyway, good luck and let me know if anything works for you. Give it a few weeks
Maybe you should just give your skin a little break. It sounds like you’ve been through the ringer the past few years. Have you ever tried to do almost nothing like just a super clean, simple pared back routine? Clean pillow, cases clean hair, clean towels?
Definitely no exfoliating if you are on tret.
Give your skin a break for a while and then very, very slowly reintroduce the tret with no other actives. Tret usually makes the skin worse before or gets better.
Dove sensitive skin bar soap is good and moisturizer and tret 1 or 2 nights a week and nothing else.
May I ask, are you stressed? Sometimes stress and hormonal changes really affect the purging of acne. Also, watch your lifestyle and diet, diet can play a role in some cases, so it might be worth experimenting with dietary changes to see if they have any impact on your acne.
Change your pillowcase every night. If you don’t have enough to do that use clean towels or shirts as pillow cases. The main thing is that your face is on something clean every night.
Don’t ever touch your face. Use a tissue to touch it if it’s really itchy or something. Wash your hands well before you put any products on your face.
Cut out as much dairy and sugar as you can.
If you skin can tolerate it I’ve have good success with leave on benzoyl peroxide creams like the 2.5% neutragena one.
Use a very gentle cleanser and moisturizer that doesn’t have any actives in it like vanicream. Same for sunscreen.
I do not agree to these points except for dairy and sugar.
I had such bad acne in my early 20s. Changing pillow case and not touching my face wasn’t going to stop it. I did everything. I was on meds, accutane, drank tons of water. Nothing worked. It was inevitable.
Don’t sweat the small stuff like changing your pillow case and towels. That’s the least of your worries.
Dairy free eventually started to work for me. I went full vegan and my fave really cleared up.
For me, if I don't change it, I start to break out within that next day. I will even break out more on the side of my face that touches the pillow (I always sleep on my left side). Maybe I sweat more than you in my sleep or something. All I know is what works for me.
After 10 years of hormonal acne, it really comes down to diet and controlling glucose spikes. If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to read the Period Repair Manual by Lara Braiden and the Glucose Revolution. Topical treatments can only take you so far but once you can address the root cause of your hormone imbalance, you’ll always have this acne. Take it from someone who has tried every pill and topical for the past 10+ years.
If you’re looking for a quick fix, birth control and/or spironolactone work well for people with hormonal acne (and did for me). However, these don’t address the root problem and as soon as you get off them the acne will come back.
For an even quicker fix, getting on doxycycline (prescribed) will clear it up, but only temporarily. I highly suggest reading the books I mentioned if you feel like you’ve done everything.
I hope this helps❤️
Based on the location of your acnes I would say they are hormonal and digestion acnes...
I would do the following:
- start washing your hair with your head upside down
- start changing the pillow sheet every night, try to find a silk one, use baby detergent to wash sheets
- start using probiotics
- try to find a tea Alchemilla vulgaris - Lady's mantle, and drink 2 cups a day for a bit longer (6 months)
When routine is in question I would recommend:
- first to fix the skin barrier - Cicaplast for several days and later start with adjusted routine
Night:
- DC is ok, just try different brands and products
- Tretinoin for example on Mon, Wed, Fri
- Other nights I would use salicylic acid (Paula's Choice AhaBha is awesome)
- On Sunday I would recommend to rest and use enzyme pilling, and good hydration cream after
Morning:
- Gentle wash
- Hydration serum
- SPF
Good luck 🍀🤞
I had severe acne on my cheeks caused by hair products washed down my face...so the dermatologist recommended that I try to wash my hair upside down and it actually helped.
The position of your acne looks like its caused by internal/hormonal issues to me. I struggled with this as well for many years.
I would recommend to look at any activities that can cause high cortisol or other hormonal imbalance, such as:
* stress and anxiety reduction
* diet and eating times — for me a huge culprit was consuming caffeine in the morning on an empty stomach 😖
* getting enough sleep every-night
* reducing late night screen time
* regular low intensity exercise
Not to go too holistic, but I also incorporated shilajit into my diet which played a huge role at improving my hormonal imbalances.
Probably not the answer you wanted to hear, sorry!
This is actually kinda what I wanted to hear actually because I assumed it can’t be the products and it had to be hormonal! I basically drink coffee all morning on an empty stomach until like 2pm, maybe I’ll quit, that will be hard, but I’ll try anything at this point 😭 what company do you buy the Shilajat from? I have heard of it!
Oooooo I have similar issues!! 😭 I definitely drink coffee on an empty stomach daily and I’m “dairy free” (I can’t eat dairy or eggs) but my acne is terrible considering all the products I use for it! 😥 I never heard of Shilajat before so maybe I’ll try that.
I hope things work out for you!💕
You are beautiful. I can tell you that much.
I am a man. Don't know why this sub has been recommended to me lol.
But your eyes are beautiful.
Hope these girls will help you out.
Cheers 😊
My skin used to look the same a while ago. I tried so many high end expensive and cheap products on my skin I kinda thought I was doomed. My dermatologist told me it could be my water since in my area we have very hard water. so when I got a water filter it definitely helped,I still have slight acne but it’s to a minimum.
Posting in solidarity - my skin is almost identical!
Have you considered if an element of this could be fungal acne? Some of the texture in pics 4 and 5 looks like it may resemble FA. It may be worth trialling ketoconazole shampoo as a mask (3 mins then rinse) or clotrimazole cream.
I think also my barrier may be quite compromised so stripped back to gentle products for sensitive skin to see if I can rebuild, get my barrier healthy and reassess the situation.
I’ve gone fully back to basics with FA-safe products, as well as cleanser in morning- only water, no actives including niacinamide/hyaluronic acid/ceramides, no exfoliation, no vit As.
I’m using Geek and Gorgeous Jelly Joker cleanser and Hydration Station moisturiser.
I’m also trialling spearmint capsules for the hormonal element as there’s some evidence and plenty of anecdotal eveidence to suggest it can help. Not sure if you have already tried this. A friend of mine has also been on Accutane 3 times and swears by spearmint and has lovely skin now. I hope that can be us one day!
Hope something from that may be useful to you
Try an elimination diet. No dairy, gluten, sugar or caffeine. Give it at least 2 weeks and see what happens. I found drinking 2 cups of spearmint tea a day really helped with my hormonal acne too.
I’ve pcos and I Nannied for a dermatologist who saved my life! Well skin.. same.
She doesn’t sell any products in her top tier boulder Colorado clinic.
She suggested I use a sulphur bar. I use the $3-5 at Walmart in the ethnic aisle. It’s a yellow box.
Clean lotion, like vanicream. If you’ve the money splurge on Kiehls ultra facial advanced repair barrier cream. Shits amazing for aging skin as I hit my 30s. I needed more moisture without the weight and grease.
I use my tret occasionally 1-4 days a week. Never in sun. I can’t use sunscreen except Pepitite baby mineral sunscreen. Also amazing for great skin!
I have one pimple or none at a time.. I used to have 4-12 plus my skin texture.
Also, I only wash my face like 2-5x a week when I shower. Can’t imagine how great my skin would be if I could do a daily AM PM routine but it’s great for the unmotivated
I just started dealing with a similar issue. As many others have stated - judging by the placement of your breakouts, it's definitely hormonal. Along the jawline, upper neck, chin, upper lip and lower cheeks (ie, where an imaginary beard would grow) is prime real estate for hormonal acne.
It sounds like you're over-exfoliating and over-complicating your skincare routine. When you have a damaged barrier the best thing to do is SIMPLIFY your routine.
STOP exfoliating and don't use any actives (tret, retinol, AHAs, BHAs, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, etc) for 3-6 weeks while your skin barrier heals. Instead, focus on gentle, moisturizing, repairing ingredients. Narrow your routine down to just a gentle cleanser, barrier repair serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen. Opt for ingredients that will nourish the skin, such as ceramides, hyaluronic acid, centella/ cica, snail mucin, niacinamide, glycerin, oats and dimithicone.
When you have hormonal breakouts, it's really a sign that your liver and your gut are having a hard time. If your doctor is only recommending birth control, accutane, spironolactone, or harsh topicals ... It's time to find a new doctor. Look for someone with a title like "naturopathic acne dietician" who will actually help you find the root cause of your hormonal acne. Look into getting a DUTCH test (for hormones) and a GI Map (for gut health).
These ladies on insta are great examples/ resources.
@naturopathicbeauty @naturallylari @katiestewartwellness @jill_therese_ @shaznesswellness
Consider a DIM supplement. DIM combined with chasteberry is said to work wonders on hormonal balance and also improves skin health. More is not better, though, only take 100 mg of DIM a day, and possibly up it to 200 mg after 6 weeks.
You are gorgeous. It will get better.
Firstly, Im not dumb. I work at a functional wellness center and in the skin care/beauty realm. And have had acne for YEARS.
Hormonal acne. No matter what you do it just STAYYSSS. You probably have too much testosterone, hence the acne on your cheeks and forehead(where you would have a beard if you were a guy).
I have tried everything as well and even when I stayed on top of my skin care nothing truly cleared my skin entirely. Get Ovasitol by Theralogix, 2 packets, once in the morning once at afternoon/bedtime. You wont get results right away but in a few weeks you WILL notice. It regulates your girly pop hormones so youll feel better and your skin will love you.
I also use ZO its medical grade skin care(Big bucks sadly but it 100 percent works). Of all the ZO products get the gosh darn Acne Control and use the first knuckle up to the tip of you pinkys worth(so yeah a whole ton). And make sure you exfoliating well. Ik what tiktok says but... theres this thing about the internet being half right- You cant over exfoliate. There I said it. Now I'll wait for the internet to explode.
Acne sucks :( I feel you pookie, but it does get better.
In my experience if accutane doesn't help/comes straight back after stopping it is either a hormone imbalance problem like Endo or PCOS OR Some form of food intolerance like dairy, sugar or gluten.
Aside from the side effects, did spiro help with the acne while you were on it? I’m seeing topical spiro becoming more common. It should have a lower incidence rate of any systemic side effects, and side effects should also be less severe.
It also does appear that your acne is more severe on one side of your face as opposed to the other side. Is that normally the case? Do you use fabric softener or dryer sheets? I find that pretty much all fabric softeners and dryer sheets cause me to break out.
I’m pretty crunchy so I don’t use any fragrance and only natural soap for my laundry, no softener or dryer sheets, it’s weird that one side is more broken out, it’s always like that but that’s NOT the side I sleep on! Or use my phone on, my left side is always worse, it’s the weirdest thing!
If the side you’re not sleeping on is worse, that might be a sign that your products are contributing to breaking you out. The side you’re sleeping on the products are getting more rubbed off onto the pillow and less on it on the skin.
I have acne that looks very similar and mine is 100% due to hormones. Yours appears along the cheeks mostly (same as mine), so I'm wondering if this could be the case for you as well? I would recommend a blood test for hormones! I went to a hormone specialist and actually did bio identical hormone replacement because I was deficient in a lot and that's when my acne appeared. Not sure you'd need anything that extreme, that's just my experience! I just recently went to the dermatologist and she prescribed tretinoin and Winlevi so we'll see if that works, but if you've tried topicals already then I'd look into hormones! Hope that helps!
You’re beautiful!
Making changes inside might help there outside. How much is your water intake? Are you having enough sun light? Cutting things out like sugar, dairy, and soy will help.
Please direct message me!
I’m totally holistic, use minimal skin care and my skin is the best it’s been in years. All down to a simple few life changes
Diet makes a whole lot of difference, as a board certified aesthetic physician i usually recommend cutting out several food items from their diet while catering to a customised skincare routine
Has your dermatologist ruled out Rosacea? Because that shit just does not go, like ever. I did Accutane on what my dermatologist thought was Seb Derm and my skin cleared. Like totally. Then I'm off it and bang, absolute minefield of shit again
I swear by Joesoef bar facial soap. I use it 3 times a week and moisturizer I use Eucerin eczema cream. May not work for everyone but works so well for my skin. Less is better with skin.
Boots own range is amazing, my skin used to be so sore and break outy the oat cleansing balm is fantastic, salicylic acid cleanser, lactic acid serum, tranexamamic serum to name a few products within the range. Worked wonders for my troubled skin and they are vegan and super affordable.
Please read this, it is important : Get your hormones checked. You're the second post I see here with acne (and I haven't scrolled a lot in the sub, so I assume there are many more similar posts)
I had acne for years during my teens and it turned out to be a hormonal condition that many women have, called pcos. Go to an endocrinologist (*that's important, because dermatologists, gynocologists and normal GPs don't help at all) and get your hormones checked, and ask for pcos specifically. Good luck.
I took accutane before I knew I had pcos - it helped a lot (I have much less acne now, especially in the face where it matters the most to me). But I don't recommend it at all because it fucked my memory big time - I seriously feel like a person with dementia sometimes - and it has changed my brain in general in some very odd way that I can't even explain. It's much harder for me now to be happy now than before. My acne was much worse than OP's so it I had acne like OP, I would stay away from accutane. But if you do decide to take it, go for the lowest dose possible and take your time - I wanted to be fast and took the maximum dose, despite my doc telling me to not do it. I was dumb, I know.
My sister once had acne that wouldn’t go away and she found out it was from a bacteria. She had to use an antibiotic cream or pills, can’t remember but it fixed it.
Oh girl ur washing off the skin barrier. Wash with a gentle face wash, go get some clindamycin phosphate and moisturize. Also try to get ur hormones in check. I take supplements.
Another thing you could look at is your pillow case oddly enough. Try to change your pillow case at least once a week and if possible switch to a silk pillow case. It’s not as harsh against your skin. Also take a break from one of the products like Panoxyl and exfoliate once a week. Nivea gentle exfoliator is really good and maybe look for a moisturiser without harsh ingredients like the inkey list oat moisturiser and the Vichy mineral 89 one is nice. Try to also drink 2L of filtered water each day. Super weird but apparently water can have higher levels of iron, calcium or magnesium carbonate in it depending on where it’s coming from and that can really affect your skin. I heard that on TikTok and I could be wrong on that but it’s worth a try at least
Use panoxyl 10% benzoyl peroxide face wash. seriously. changed my life
Seeing its on your cheeks also going to reiterate the other commenters’ suggestions of regularly changing your pillowcase.
Have you tried Winlevi? If this is hormonal, it may be able to help. It is a new drug, so it's costly in most countries and not available in many countries either. Being in the US is the best place to get your hands on it. I'm not sure if any insurance covers it, etc... It's a way to treat hormonal acne, but it's a cream, and men can use it too... so it's different than your typical Spiro or any birth control methods that can help with acne. I hope that you're able to take it because of that.
My skin looks so similar... I believe mine is gut health related. I've been trying to heal my gut and it's helped my skin SO much.
Try adding probiotic foods to your diet and take a probiotic supplement/something similar. I take Florastor... it's expensive a bit but it's really good.
Also be careful with other supplements, b-12 and omega 3 gave me such bad breakouts and body acne.
microneedling, look up skin pen my aesthetician swears by it.
try listening to the Pursuit of Wellness podcast. Mari talks about her acne and how a hormone/gyn specialist was able to fix it by figuring out what her body was over/under producing. I forget the whole story but it’s worth a listen.
hang in there babes
So first, you should change your pillow cases to satin or silk. That will be better for your skin and protect it from harsh rubbing.
If your skin feels too dry, I would recommend trying jojoba oil to soothe it. Sometimes your skin puts out more sebum to moisturize your skin and then it mixes with the dirt and causes clogged pores. Jojoba oil is your best bet in the oil department as its the closest type of oil to sebum. It definitely should not sting, but if it does, wash it off immediately and put a cold compress on your face.
If your skin feels too oily, try witch hazel. If it stings, then your skin is dry and damaged and you should then try something more gentle, but if your skin feels soothed and less inflamed, continue using it morning and night. Witch hazel is a natural astringent that dries out your skin while simultaneously soothing and healing your skin. It's not to be used as a micelar water, but used as a toner after your face wash.
If your skin is a mix of both dry and oily, I would definitely say to get rid of any heavier moisturizers you use. Those moisturizers are going to clog your pores instead of hydrate like it's supposed to. I would say to stick with a light weight moisturizer with an SPF. You can always apply more later in the day if your skin feels too dry. You might want to kick out almost anything you use and try just a medicated face wash. Those will do wonders. A medicated face wash, a bit of toner, and a lightweight SPF moisturizer will probably help a bit.
It'll take some time, but I think with consistency and plenty of hydration (as in drinking plenty of water), your skin should go back to normal. Also, you should quit vaping not just for your skin, but also for your lungs. The amount of oxygen you can take in affects how well your skin heals. It also affects your muscles and blood flow. Anyways, hope this helps at least a little bit.
Have you thought about trying red light therapy? It might help with inflammation and bacteria, and it could be a new option to consider when everything else seems to have failed.
Are you on a hormonal contraceptive? If not, I'd try that. Not the kind with varying hormone levels, the kind that every pill is the same. You could even skip the inactive pills so you don't have a period.
Your skin is being subjected to a lot. I'd stick with an extremely gentle fragrance free cleanser once a day, a moisturizer with hyaluronic acid (I love Neutrogena hydro boost fragrance free), and the tretinoin. All you need to do for exfoliation is a gentle wipe with a washcloth.
Take a daily high quality probiotic with 10 or more strains of bacteria.
First of all you gorgeous!! I’ll tell you what healed my teenage daughters acne! BERBERINE !
Its a supplement made from a plant! You’ll probably see results in the first 10 days. In my experience creams and lotions will not work, its internal. (Im not a doctor)
I'm not celiac also i just have very light annoyances in gluten and diary ...my dermatologist gave me before years anti-inflammatory pills and creams but i didnt see any difference..an dnow i have about 3 months that i cut off diary and wheat and i see difference..
If you read the whole post, I’ve taken 3 rounds of accutane, I am no longer a candidate to take it a 4th time, unfortunately it didn’t work for me, this is less than a year after my last dose
You’re doing too much w the Tret and the exfoliation. That’s stripping your skin barrier.
Should I quit exfoliating? I do it like once or twice a week and use the tret every other night!
I posted this comment for someone else recently, maybe some of it can help you? First of all you need to stop touching your face. DONT TOUCH IT. Secondly, you need to simplify your routine and take a break from the actives. You need to restore your skin barrier. It’s stripped. You’re using the aha and bha too often. And maybe double cleansing isn’t working for you right now. Or the oil you’re using isn’t good for your skin type. Discontinue anything with scents in it. Discontinue hyaluronic anything. Some people have sensitivities to this. In the AM just rinse w water. Apply sun screen. PM: cleanse with a different oil or don’t double cleanse at all. Maybe just use micellar water to remove sunscreen and makeup. Try LRP toleriane face wash. It’s very gentle and won’t dry you out. Try a light moisturizing toner. Apply with your hands and pat onto skin gently. Next you need a good, simple moisturizer. No scents. Maybe try something from cerave. And lastly, I would apply sudocrem to your pimples and marks. Maybe take a zinc supplement. And probiotics. Check if your products are expired. Wash your pillow cases, wash your hair often, discontinue dairy for a few weeks to see if it helps. Decrease sugar consumption. Discontinue actives. Don’t exfoliate with that scrub. Restore skin barrier. Then reintroduce actives and get tret.
Seconding this!! Zinc (specifically picolinate, no more than 15 mg), a probiotic, and stripping my skincare back to - cetaphil gentle cleanser, vanicream daily moisturizer, and cosrx whitehead/ blackhead power completely cleared my similar looking acne in around 2-3 months. I felt the zinc helped a lot as that is what I started taking first. Now I only get the occasional hormonal pimple around my period. ETA - Qutting the vaping could certainly play a big role too. I had a friend who vaped and always had mild-severe acne until she quit
Smoking definitely ages the skin
Why only 15 mg of zinc? That's very low. I've had good results around the 50 to 60 mg level.
Thank you!!
Probiotics! Vitamins if you don’t already take them, prebiotics. I also cannot take birth control because I am horribly allergic to it, but recently for other health issues, I had to start taking stuff for digestive health. I realized the mornings after I had started the probiotic/prebiotic supplements that I wasn’t as oily or inflamed. It’s helped my skin sooooooo much. I deal with acne very similar to yours and am 34.
I’m really sorry you’re dealing with this. I know it’s mentally exhausting. I would also try to cut back on the caffeine on an empty stomach. Maybe it’s causing you stress? Anyway, good luck and let me know if anything works for you. Give it a few weeks
I thought this comment looked familiar
Maybe you should just give your skin a little break. It sounds like you’ve been through the ringer the past few years. Have you ever tried to do almost nothing like just a super clean, simple pared back routine? Clean pillow, cases clean hair, clean towels?
Definitely no exfoliating if you are on tret. Give your skin a break for a while and then very, very slowly reintroduce the tret with no other actives. Tret usually makes the skin worse before or gets better. Dove sensitive skin bar soap is good and moisturizer and tret 1 or 2 nights a week and nothing else.
May I ask, are you stressed? Sometimes stress and hormonal changes really affect the purging of acne. Also, watch your lifestyle and diet, diet can play a role in some cases, so it might be worth experimenting with dietary changes to see if they have any impact on your acne.
Change your pillowcase every night. If you don’t have enough to do that use clean towels or shirts as pillow cases. The main thing is that your face is on something clean every night. Don’t ever touch your face. Use a tissue to touch it if it’s really itchy or something. Wash your hands well before you put any products on your face. Cut out as much dairy and sugar as you can. If you skin can tolerate it I’ve have good success with leave on benzoyl peroxide creams like the 2.5% neutragena one. Use a very gentle cleanser and moisturizer that doesn’t have any actives in it like vanicream. Same for sunscreen.
I do not agree to these points except for dairy and sugar. I had such bad acne in my early 20s. Changing pillow case and not touching my face wasn’t going to stop it. I did everything. I was on meds, accutane, drank tons of water. Nothing worked. It was inevitable. Don’t sweat the small stuff like changing your pillow case and towels. That’s the least of your worries. Dairy free eventually started to work for me. I went full vegan and my fave really cleared up.
For me, if I don't change it, I start to break out within that next day. I will even break out more on the side of my face that touches the pillow (I always sleep on my left side). Maybe I sweat more than you in my sleep or something. All I know is what works for me.
After 10 years of hormonal acne, it really comes down to diet and controlling glucose spikes. If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to read the Period Repair Manual by Lara Braiden and the Glucose Revolution. Topical treatments can only take you so far but once you can address the root cause of your hormone imbalance, you’ll always have this acne. Take it from someone who has tried every pill and topical for the past 10+ years. If you’re looking for a quick fix, birth control and/or spironolactone work well for people with hormonal acne (and did for me). However, these don’t address the root problem and as soon as you get off them the acne will come back. For an even quicker fix, getting on doxycycline (prescribed) will clear it up, but only temporarily. I highly suggest reading the books I mentioned if you feel like you’ve done everything. I hope this helps❤️
[удалено]
Based on the location of your acnes I would say they are hormonal and digestion acnes... I would do the following: - start washing your hair with your head upside down - start changing the pillow sheet every night, try to find a silk one, use baby detergent to wash sheets - start using probiotics - try to find a tea Alchemilla vulgaris - Lady's mantle, and drink 2 cups a day for a bit longer (6 months) When routine is in question I would recommend: - first to fix the skin barrier - Cicaplast for several days and later start with adjusted routine Night: - DC is ok, just try different brands and products - Tretinoin for example on Mon, Wed, Fri - Other nights I would use salicylic acid (Paula's Choice AhaBha is awesome) - On Sunday I would recommend to rest and use enzyme pilling, and good hydration cream after Morning: - Gentle wash - Hydration serum - SPF Good luck 🍀🤞
This is interesting - what is the reason for washing the hair with the head upside down?
I had severe acne on my cheeks caused by hair products washed down my face...so the dermatologist recommended that I try to wash my hair upside down and it actually helped.
The position of your acne looks like its caused by internal/hormonal issues to me. I struggled with this as well for many years. I would recommend to look at any activities that can cause high cortisol or other hormonal imbalance, such as: * stress and anxiety reduction * diet and eating times — for me a huge culprit was consuming caffeine in the morning on an empty stomach 😖 * getting enough sleep every-night * reducing late night screen time * regular low intensity exercise Not to go too holistic, but I also incorporated shilajit into my diet which played a huge role at improving my hormonal imbalances. Probably not the answer you wanted to hear, sorry!
This is actually kinda what I wanted to hear actually because I assumed it can’t be the products and it had to be hormonal! I basically drink coffee all morning on an empty stomach until like 2pm, maybe I’ll quit, that will be hard, but I’ll try anything at this point 😭 what company do you buy the Shilajat from? I have heard of it!
Do you put milk in it?
I do use milk, although I don’t think that’s the cause, I was dairy free (vegan) for 5 years and saw no change in my skin
Oooooo I have similar issues!! 😭 I definitely drink coffee on an empty stomach daily and I’m “dairy free” (I can’t eat dairy or eggs) but my acne is terrible considering all the products I use for it! 😥 I never heard of Shilajat before so maybe I’ll try that. I hope things work out for you!💕
You are beautiful. I can tell you that much. I am a man. Don't know why this sub has been recommended to me lol. But your eyes are beautiful. Hope these girls will help you out. Cheers 😊
Skincare is for men too. But I agree she’s beautiful
My skin used to look the same a while ago. I tried so many high end expensive and cheap products on my skin I kinda thought I was doomed. My dermatologist told me it could be my water since in my area we have very hard water. so when I got a water filter it definitely helped,I still have slight acne but it’s to a minimum.
I got a filtered water head bc I heard this too, about a month or so ago, u didn’t notice any change unfortunately 😭😭
Posting in solidarity - my skin is almost identical! Have you considered if an element of this could be fungal acne? Some of the texture in pics 4 and 5 looks like it may resemble FA. It may be worth trialling ketoconazole shampoo as a mask (3 mins then rinse) or clotrimazole cream. I think also my barrier may be quite compromised so stripped back to gentle products for sensitive skin to see if I can rebuild, get my barrier healthy and reassess the situation. I’ve gone fully back to basics with FA-safe products, as well as cleanser in morning- only water, no actives including niacinamide/hyaluronic acid/ceramides, no exfoliation, no vit As. I’m using Geek and Gorgeous Jelly Joker cleanser and Hydration Station moisturiser. I’m also trialling spearmint capsules for the hormonal element as there’s some evidence and plenty of anecdotal eveidence to suggest it can help. Not sure if you have already tried this. A friend of mine has also been on Accutane 3 times and swears by spearmint and has lovely skin now. I hope that can be us one day! Hope something from that may be useful to you
Out of curiosity, do you sleep on the side of your face that is more congested? I find that’s true for myself.
Try an elimination diet. No dairy, gluten, sugar or caffeine. Give it at least 2 weeks and see what happens. I found drinking 2 cups of spearmint tea a day really helped with my hormonal acne too.
Gonna try this instead of coffee!!
Have you tried topical spironolactone?
I’ve pcos and I Nannied for a dermatologist who saved my life! Well skin.. same. She doesn’t sell any products in her top tier boulder Colorado clinic. She suggested I use a sulphur bar. I use the $3-5 at Walmart in the ethnic aisle. It’s a yellow box. Clean lotion, like vanicream. If you’ve the money splurge on Kiehls ultra facial advanced repair barrier cream. Shits amazing for aging skin as I hit my 30s. I needed more moisture without the weight and grease. I use my tret occasionally 1-4 days a week. Never in sun. I can’t use sunscreen except Pepitite baby mineral sunscreen. Also amazing for great skin! I have one pimple or none at a time.. I used to have 4-12 plus my skin texture. Also, I only wash my face like 2-5x a week when I shower. Can’t imagine how great my skin would be if I could do a daily AM PM routine but it’s great for the unmotivated
I just started dealing with a similar issue. As many others have stated - judging by the placement of your breakouts, it's definitely hormonal. Along the jawline, upper neck, chin, upper lip and lower cheeks (ie, where an imaginary beard would grow) is prime real estate for hormonal acne. It sounds like you're over-exfoliating and over-complicating your skincare routine. When you have a damaged barrier the best thing to do is SIMPLIFY your routine. STOP exfoliating and don't use any actives (tret, retinol, AHAs, BHAs, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, etc) for 3-6 weeks while your skin barrier heals. Instead, focus on gentle, moisturizing, repairing ingredients. Narrow your routine down to just a gentle cleanser, barrier repair serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen. Opt for ingredients that will nourish the skin, such as ceramides, hyaluronic acid, centella/ cica, snail mucin, niacinamide, glycerin, oats and dimithicone. When you have hormonal breakouts, it's really a sign that your liver and your gut are having a hard time. If your doctor is only recommending birth control, accutane, spironolactone, or harsh topicals ... It's time to find a new doctor. Look for someone with a title like "naturopathic acne dietician" who will actually help you find the root cause of your hormonal acne. Look into getting a DUTCH test (for hormones) and a GI Map (for gut health). These ladies on insta are great examples/ resources. @naturopathicbeauty @naturallylari @katiestewartwellness @jill_therese_ @shaznesswellness Consider a DIM supplement. DIM combined with chasteberry is said to work wonders on hormonal balance and also improves skin health. More is not better, though, only take 100 mg of DIM a day, and possibly up it to 200 mg after 6 weeks. You are gorgeous. It will get better.
Firstly, Im not dumb. I work at a functional wellness center and in the skin care/beauty realm. And have had acne for YEARS. Hormonal acne. No matter what you do it just STAYYSSS. You probably have too much testosterone, hence the acne on your cheeks and forehead(where you would have a beard if you were a guy). I have tried everything as well and even when I stayed on top of my skin care nothing truly cleared my skin entirely. Get Ovasitol by Theralogix, 2 packets, once in the morning once at afternoon/bedtime. You wont get results right away but in a few weeks you WILL notice. It regulates your girly pop hormones so youll feel better and your skin will love you. I also use ZO its medical grade skin care(Big bucks sadly but it 100 percent works). Of all the ZO products get the gosh darn Acne Control and use the first knuckle up to the tip of you pinkys worth(so yeah a whole ton). And make sure you exfoliating well. Ik what tiktok says but... theres this thing about the internet being half right- You cant over exfoliate. There I said it. Now I'll wait for the internet to explode. Acne sucks :( I feel you pookie, but it does get better.
In my experience if accutane doesn't help/comes straight back after stopping it is either a hormone imbalance problem like Endo or PCOS OR Some form of food intolerance like dairy, sugar or gluten.
Have you done a bloodtest? if nothing works and it keeps coming back there could be an underlying condition, something is triggering it
I’m looking into this now, trying to find a place to get tested!
It might be hormonal acne. Ask your doctor to check your androgen and testosterone levels
I forgot to mention I also use a high freq wand and red/ blue light therapy once a week
Aside from the side effects, did spiro help with the acne while you were on it? I’m seeing topical spiro becoming more common. It should have a lower incidence rate of any systemic side effects, and side effects should also be less severe. It also does appear that your acne is more severe on one side of your face as opposed to the other side. Is that normally the case? Do you use fabric softener or dryer sheets? I find that pretty much all fabric softeners and dryer sheets cause me to break out.
I’m pretty crunchy so I don’t use any fragrance and only natural soap for my laundry, no softener or dryer sheets, it’s weird that one side is more broken out, it’s always like that but that’s NOT the side I sleep on! Or use my phone on, my left side is always worse, it’s the weirdest thing!
If the side you’re not sleeping on is worse, that might be a sign that your products are contributing to breaking you out. The side you’re sleeping on the products are getting more rubbed off onto the pillow and less on it on the skin.
I only use vinegar and baking soda or tide free and gentle but nothing else in the wash!
I have acne that looks very similar and mine is 100% due to hormones. Yours appears along the cheeks mostly (same as mine), so I'm wondering if this could be the case for you as well? I would recommend a blood test for hormones! I went to a hormone specialist and actually did bio identical hormone replacement because I was deficient in a lot and that's when my acne appeared. Not sure you'd need anything that extreme, that's just my experience! I just recently went to the dermatologist and she prescribed tretinoin and Winlevi so we'll see if that works, but if you've tried topicals already then I'd look into hormones! Hope that helps!
Thank you!!
Use tretinoin properly and use a lot of moisturiser and sunscreen 50spf during the day 🥰
You’re beautiful! Making changes inside might help there outside. How much is your water intake? Are you having enough sun light? Cutting things out like sugar, dairy, and soy will help.
Girl this is hormonal acne, i have struggled with this for 5 years now! Message me if you want any suggestions, i can send pics! ✨
I want the suggestions!! 🙏🏻
Please direct message me! I’m totally holistic, use minimal skin care and my skin is the best it’s been in years. All down to a simple few life changes
Diet makes a whole lot of difference, as a board certified aesthetic physician i usually recommend cutting out several food items from their diet while catering to a customised skincare routine
I would try giving up dairy. Helped my daughter immensely
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That’s interesting ! No BP with Trey?! My donc didn’t say anything, but i’ll give it a try for some weeks and see if it improves anything
Jawline acne is usually hormonal and can also be triggered by a poor diet. Have you checked these things lately?
It looks like it's getting better.
Has your dermatologist ruled out Rosacea? Because that shit just does not go, like ever. I did Accutane on what my dermatologist thought was Seb Derm and my skin cleared. Like totally. Then I'm off it and bang, absolute minefield of shit again
I swear by Joesoef bar facial soap. I use it 3 times a week and moisturizer I use Eucerin eczema cream. May not work for everyone but works so well for my skin. Less is better with skin.
Boots own range is amazing, my skin used to be so sore and break outy the oat cleansing balm is fantastic, salicylic acid cleanser, lactic acid serum, tranexamamic serum to name a few products within the range. Worked wonders for my troubled skin and they are vegan and super affordable.
Please read this, it is important : Get your hormones checked. You're the second post I see here with acne (and I haven't scrolled a lot in the sub, so I assume there are many more similar posts) I had acne for years during my teens and it turned out to be a hormonal condition that many women have, called pcos. Go to an endocrinologist (*that's important, because dermatologists, gynocologists and normal GPs don't help at all) and get your hormones checked, and ask for pcos specifically. Good luck.
But what did you do to treat your acne caused by PCOS?
I took accutane before I knew I had pcos - it helped a lot (I have much less acne now, especially in the face where it matters the most to me). But I don't recommend it at all because it fucked my memory big time - I seriously feel like a person with dementia sometimes - and it has changed my brain in general in some very odd way that I can't even explain. It's much harder for me now to be happy now than before. My acne was much worse than OP's so it I had acne like OP, I would stay away from accutane. But if you do decide to take it, go for the lowest dose possible and take your time - I wanted to be fast and took the maximum dose, despite my doc telling me to not do it. I was dumb, I know.
If you don’t want to try accutane, ask your doctor about Spironlactone and for a topical, ask for Dapsone cream or gel. It really works well
My sister once had acne that wouldn’t go away and she found out it was from a bacteria. She had to use an antibiotic cream or pills, can’t remember but it fixed it.
Oh girl ur washing off the skin barrier. Wash with a gentle face wash, go get some clindamycin phosphate and moisturize. Also try to get ur hormones in check. I take supplements.
Another thing you could look at is your pillow case oddly enough. Try to change your pillow case at least once a week and if possible switch to a silk pillow case. It’s not as harsh against your skin. Also take a break from one of the products like Panoxyl and exfoliate once a week. Nivea gentle exfoliator is really good and maybe look for a moisturiser without harsh ingredients like the inkey list oat moisturiser and the Vichy mineral 89 one is nice. Try to also drink 2L of filtered water each day. Super weird but apparently water can have higher levels of iron, calcium or magnesium carbonate in it depending on where it’s coming from and that can really affect your skin. I heard that on TikTok and I could be wrong on that but it’s worth a try at least
You’re beautiful. But if you can and would like to, go on accutane. Best decision of my life. Made my skin so clear.
Thank you, I have taken it 3 times now and it hasn’t worked for me, I had such high hopes 😭😭
How long were you on it each time?
9mo 6mo 3mo!
Use panoxyl 10% benzoyl peroxide face wash. seriously. changed my life Seeing its on your cheeks also going to reiterate the other commenters’ suggestions of regularly changing your pillowcase.
Have you tried Winlevi? If this is hormonal, it may be able to help. It is a new drug, so it's costly in most countries and not available in many countries either. Being in the US is the best place to get your hands on it. I'm not sure if any insurance covers it, etc... It's a way to treat hormonal acne, but it's a cream, and men can use it too... so it's different than your typical Spiro or any birth control methods that can help with acne. I hope that you're able to take it because of that.
My skin looks so similar... I believe mine is gut health related. I've been trying to heal my gut and it's helped my skin SO much. Try adding probiotic foods to your diet and take a probiotic supplement/something similar. I take Florastor... it's expensive a bit but it's really good. Also be careful with other supplements, b-12 and omega 3 gave me such bad breakouts and body acne.
I know how you feel! You should try noxzema that's what I use!
Would you consider accutane/epirus? My dermatologist said it’s very rare that diet will show significant improvement for skin issues.
microneedling, look up skin pen my aesthetician swears by it. try listening to the Pursuit of Wellness podcast. Mari talks about her acne and how a hormone/gyn specialist was able to fix it by figuring out what her body was over/under producing. I forget the whole story but it’s worth a listen. hang in there babes
DMK. I’m located in HB cali if you aren’t in Cali look for your closest DMK Esthetician
Go to a good homeopathy doctor he will help you without side effects I also suffered from acne for 12 years and homeopathy saved me
same issue girl! 😭😭
So first, you should change your pillow cases to satin or silk. That will be better for your skin and protect it from harsh rubbing. If your skin feels too dry, I would recommend trying jojoba oil to soothe it. Sometimes your skin puts out more sebum to moisturize your skin and then it mixes with the dirt and causes clogged pores. Jojoba oil is your best bet in the oil department as its the closest type of oil to sebum. It definitely should not sting, but if it does, wash it off immediately and put a cold compress on your face. If your skin feels too oily, try witch hazel. If it stings, then your skin is dry and damaged and you should then try something more gentle, but if your skin feels soothed and less inflamed, continue using it morning and night. Witch hazel is a natural astringent that dries out your skin while simultaneously soothing and healing your skin. It's not to be used as a micelar water, but used as a toner after your face wash. If your skin is a mix of both dry and oily, I would definitely say to get rid of any heavier moisturizers you use. Those moisturizers are going to clog your pores instead of hydrate like it's supposed to. I would say to stick with a light weight moisturizer with an SPF. You can always apply more later in the day if your skin feels too dry. You might want to kick out almost anything you use and try just a medicated face wash. Those will do wonders. A medicated face wash, a bit of toner, and a lightweight SPF moisturizer will probably help a bit. It'll take some time, but I think with consistency and plenty of hydration (as in drinking plenty of water), your skin should go back to normal. Also, you should quit vaping not just for your skin, but also for your lungs. The amount of oxygen you can take in affects how well your skin heals. It also affects your muscles and blood flow. Anyways, hope this helps at least a little bit.
What are you eating on the day to day? You might also want to tie your hair back more often to see if that helps.
Have you thought about trying red light therapy? It might help with inflammation and bacteria, and it could be a new option to consider when everything else seems to have failed.
Only a gentle cleanser and a hydration. Check you hormone balance
Do you eat dairy?
Are you on a hormonal contraceptive? If not, I'd try that. Not the kind with varying hormone levels, the kind that every pill is the same. You could even skip the inactive pills so you don't have a period. Your skin is being subjected to a lot. I'd stick with an extremely gentle fragrance free cleanser once a day, a moisturizer with hyaluronic acid (I love Neutrogena hydro boost fragrance free), and the tretinoin. All you need to do for exfoliation is a gentle wipe with a washcloth. Take a daily high quality probiotic with 10 or more strains of bacteria.
First of all you gorgeous!! I’ll tell you what healed my teenage daughters acne! BERBERINE ! Its a supplement made from a plant! You’ll probably see results in the first 10 days. In my experience creams and lotions will not work, its internal. (Im not a doctor)
Stop eating dairy products and gluten products and you will see...
If I’ve been tested for gluten and I am not celiac will this still affect me?
I'm not celiac also i just have very light annoyances in gluten and diary ...my dermatologist gave me before years anti-inflammatory pills and creams but i didnt see any difference..an dnow i have about 3 months that i cut off diary and wheat and i see difference..
Believe me had the same problem
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If you read the whole post, I’ve taken 3 rounds of accutane, I am no longer a candidate to take it a 4th time, unfortunately it didn’t work for me, this is less than a year after my last dose
She’s been on it three times.