My skin is a mess - hormonal acne

[Anonymous]

My hormonal acne goes away after a few months of birth control

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I get acne when I eat too much sugar, specifically too much chocolate (because I really don't eat that much sugar apart from chocolate).

Do you have a food trigger?

It's hormonal acne - no diet changes will get rid of it. As someone who suffers from hormonal acne and has tried everything, including elimination diets, it's very annoying to get "suggestions" like this or have people think I must eat poorly therefore I have acne.

[Anonymous]

I'm in the same boat OP. I'm off birth control now, but when I was on it my acne was a lot better.
To the metformin poster - are you talking about the diabetes medication? Tell me more, this is interesting that it regulates your hormones.

[Anonymous]

I'm also curious about the metformin. I don't have PCOS or metabolic syndrome so am not sure what hormones to test.

[Anonymous]

Your regimen might be too harsh. I had hormonal acne for years and try to kill it with everything - retin a, benzoyl peroxide, etc etc. My skin is so much better when i treat it gently. Now I only wash at night, and I use a 2% salicylic acid every other night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eliminate dairy

Done - I haven’t had dairy in over a year.

Ugh so frustrating

Have you tried those pimple patches that draw out the acne and help healing?

OP here-
Do you have a link? I wonder if they would work on my neck. Right now I try to leave them alone, but sometimes I get asked if I have a hickie. I’m hoping to avoid birth control. My husband gots vasectomy so that I could get off of BC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eliminate dairy

Done - I haven’t had dairy in over a year.

Ugh so frustrating

Have you tried those pimple patches that draw out the acne and help healing?

OP here-
Do you have a link? I wonder if they would work on my neck. Right now I try to leave them alone, but sometimes I get asked if I have a hickie. I’m hoping to avoid birth control. My husband gots vasectomy so that I could get off of BC.

DP.. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It depends on the type, but I use Cover Dot.

[Anonymous]

Keto diet cures my acne.

[Anonymous]

Years of hormonal acne and what has worked for me is gluten free and dairy free diet, topical progesterone to manage hormones during PMS time, plus the Walgreens version of Proactiv. I tried everything except Accutane and spiro - birth control, retinoids, finacea, antibiotics, and nothing else worked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Years of hormonal acne and what has worked for me is gluten free and dairy free diet, topical progesterone to manage hormones during PMS time, plus the Walgreens version of Proactiv. I tried everything except Accutane and spiro - birth control, retinoids, finacea, antibiotics, and nothing else worked.

Which topical progesterone?

[Anonymous]

Thanks I found the dots and progesterone on Amazon. Both have pretty good reviews.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eliminate dairy

Done - I haven’t had dairy in over a year.

Ugh so frustrating

Have you tried those pimple patches that draw out the acne and help healing?

OP here-
Do you have a link? I wonder if they would work on my neck. Right now I try to leave them alone, but sometimes I get asked if I have a hickie. I’m hoping to avoid birth control. My husband gots vasectomy so that I could get off of BC.

Here ya go. You can also find Peach Slices brand patches if your CVS has a K-Beauty section. Or you can go to the wound & burn healing section and buy a pack of big hydrocolloid bandages and cut them down to fit as needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Spironolactone.

This x a million. None of that other stuff is going to do anything for you OP, except dry your skin out unnecessarily. Topicals will not work on hormonal acne. Get some spironolactone, STAT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+1 on the Spiro. Totally works when I’m on it but the acne comes back if I go off.

+2
The acne did come back when I stopped taking it, and my dermo said that was to be expected. He said there is no reason not to take it longterm, especially because the doseage (for acne) is so low. I've taken it so long I can now skip a few days between pills and have no problem at all.

[Anonymous]

I tried it all except accutane. What worked? Obagi nuderm. Cleared all after initial purge. Amazing! Order online or from Derm.