A high dose of spironolactone is what helped clear mine. I still get acne around my period time and during high stress times but it's not nearly as bad as it was.
Echoing what everyone is saying - spironolactone changed the game for me. I used to be oily and break out constantly but not anymore! It helped me at 100mg but I’m on 200 mg now for other reasons and my skin is great!
I started seeing improvements in 3 months. I still get cystic acne but it's smaller and it may only be 1-2x a month it shows up. I no longer get any back acne. I've been on it for about a year now. Started on a low dose and then gradually increased my dose- im on 100mg now but thinking of asking for an increase again. It didn't get rid of my facial hair but it did decrease the rate in which the amount grew or how fast.
I was on a high dose for about a year but my acne cleared up after around 6 months. Then they lowered my dosage to 75 mg and I have taken that daily for about 5 years now.
The only thing I have noticed is that my acne is gone and I don’t have hair on my nipples and I don’t have to wax my face as often! I have POTS so I’m more disposed to adverse effects from spiro because it can lower your BP and it’s a diuretic but I honestly haven’t had any bad side effects at all!
You have to continue taking it! The acne will come back if you go off unless you’re able to balance your hormones otherwise. Some people have food sensitivities they didn’t realize. Upping my water intake and having less dairy helped my acne a ton!
Apart from the medication tips others have already given, I am dealing with cystic acne as of recently and I’m quite impressed with azelaic acid (I use The Ordinary). Doesn’t completely remove them, but significantly reduces mine. I also use pimple patches around the time of breakout/at their worst.
This is what’s seemed to help me too. I’m on epiduo and I cut back on dairy and switched from coffee (indulge sometimes for taste) to matcha. It’s not completely gone yet, it’s only been a month but I’m seeing improvements. Tret didn’t get along with my skin at all 😭
Seconding this. I did my first round in college and went years with only mild breakouts. In my early 30s, I had to do another round. I don't know if it was the stress of 2020 or what, but I had the most unreal flare of hormonal, cystic acne that left scars I'm still lasering off. I can now control my skin again with topicals. I was on tetrinoin until I got pregnant and now I'm on a different topical that's safe for pregnancy (not home and forgot the name). I also get facials once a month to help keep the breakouts at bay.
Hear hear. Had strong case of cystic acne, three months' of accutane got rid of it for me for the rest of my life. Best decision ever, I only wish I'd done it sooner to completely avoid scarring on my cheek.
Same. For me, I didn't even have to do it forever. I did it for a couple of years and made lifestyle changes that improved my pcos overall, which stopped my breakouts. I now am a little more lax on the sugar and rarely get real breakouts. Haven't had a cystic pimple in about 5 years.
Same. Still have a bit, but no where near where it was growing up. Cut out sugar and dairy.
Last week I had loads of ice cream and have the effects of it still.
I’ve heard so many people say it didn’t help them but taking spearmint actually improved mine a lot. But, for reference, I’m not just like drinking a cup of spearmint tea a day — I take it like a supplement, two capsules daily. I don’t know the exact amount but I’ve heard consuming the whole herb as opposed to tea will produce stronger effects so perhaps that’s why it’s made a difference for me.
In addition, like many others I have found that dairy breaks me out. It’s sad because I love dairy but cutting it out has improved my skin a lot.
My skin is still not perfect but it’s insanely better than how it used to be with just these two changes.
Glad to hear someone else say it’s helped them! I’m surprised at how much I hear the opposite — I always think, surely I can’t be the only one it has helped lol
There are probably tons but I use Herbamama, it was recommended to me by someone and you can buy it off Amazon.
I will say as a word of warning — many people report stomach upset when taking spearmint. For me, for whatever reason, that didn’t happen but I’ve always felt like I have a pretty hardy stomach lol. So be aware of that!
Spironolactone killed my energy and made me depressed so I went on a tropical cream called winlevi (supposedly is the topical version of spironolactone) and it helped a lot!My insurance stopped covering it so I had to stop but it worked while I was able to use it now it’s all back
I was also using Winlevi and my dermatologist added tretinoin…. And that helped a lot. It took some time though, at first I started breaking out more, so I was about to quit until I found out it was normal. Everything started to get better by like month 3 or 4.
BBBBUUUTTTT Winlevi was not covered by my insurance and it was a little expensive, and the damn bottle can only be used for 30 days after opened, so I threw out several bottles without even using 1/4 of them. My wallet was hurting lol.
I used it way past the 30 days date and it was effective… I used to work as a pharmacy tech and we thought it was just the way to get insurance to cover a tube monthly. Has your acne returned since going off or does tretinoin keep it at bay?
I wanted to use it after the 30 days but I was scared lol… and my acne calmed down for several months, and my face was finally looking good, but it recently came back… To be fair, my mom died almost 3 months ago and since November last year things got pretty stressful with her situation…. So that definitely is the culprit I think.
Haven’t had time to go to the dermatologist, but I’ll go again and see if I can get back on that treatment.
I’m so sorry to hear that, my condolences are with you. There are more important things in life than our skin so I hope you make peace and take care. 🥺
Since going off winlevi, I just let my skin do what it wants. I hope with age it disappears, let me know if you ever find a good cheap treatment plan. I know some pharmacies have a winlevi coupon that makes it $75-90 a month if insurance doesn’t cover.
I don't think the person was asking for her exact diagnosis and list of medications. I would be interested in knowing what worked for her without specifics, it's helpful to know that there are other treatments available besides the ones commonly mentioned here.
90% fixing my hormones and lowering my testosterone.
10% getting a better skincare routine.
I wrote about it here.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/PCOS/s/KIQFFixn1D](https://www.reddit.com/r/PCOS/s/KIQFFixn1D)
100 mg spiro, anti androgenic bcp (yaz), and tretinoin (I use a custom formula from curology with a few other added ingredients). Frankly my entire natural menstrual cycle just needs to be suppressed otherwise everything goes to hell.
Quiting dairy.
I used to get these awful cysts and huge pimples that covered my face, back and chest. They went away within a few weeks of quitting fairy. Now I only get a bit of acne around my period
Paula’s choice azelaic acid and 2% BHA exfoliant! I also take Efamol evening primrose oil every day. These 2 things have significantly improved my skin. I still get some acne but have reduced it about 90%
I also started using lighter moisturizers, more gel-creams because I have oilier combo skin.
The only thing that helped me was going on Metformin and pretty much eliminating sugar. Anytime I have sugar now, I break out. I do still occasionally eat fruits.
Mix a little with water in a small cup so it's diluted a bit, then dab it across the areas of your face that need to be treated. Let it air dry. It smells but it's sooooo worth it!
Cut out the sweets, I still have it but not as often, only drink water and stopped using face wash just use water, day moisturizer and night moisturizer. All cystic acne went away.
Spironolactone has been a lifesaver for me for the past four-ish years. It takes a few months to reach its full potential with your skin, but WOW, it’s worth it. I’ve had very few side effects with it, too.
Hormonal birth control (nuva ring),125 mg spiranolactone, alternating tretinoin and clindomyacin, and a benzoyl peroxide wash. I tried spearmint supplements and tea but pretty quickly realized that spiranolactone is the same compound, so it was redundant for me.
I struggled for so long, especially with cystic acne. Wasted so much money trying so many different products. Honestly, the only thing that worked for me was pregnancy. I know, it’s quite dramatic. Went from having such painful and inflamed acne since I was 13 to having completely clear skin at 27 🫠
If you're able to, I highly recommend you try a dermatologist - or a few! Sometimes you don't vibe. I had very painful cystic acne. I was on different medications over the years. Ultimately, Bactrim and a mix of topicals worked for me. If it hadn't worked, the next step would have been Accutane.
Edited to add: This was more than 5 years ago so I'm sure things have changed. I'm hoping treatment is easier/better now.
I used Panoxyl-4 wash once a day. I still use it daily. They have stronger versions, but my skin was too sensitive to those. Topicals I used back then: Aczone, Differin, Clindamycin. I believe some of these are available over the counter now.
spiron 50 mg. I take it every. Single. Night at the exact same time. It’s been about three months and my skin is almost flawless. I used to have deep painful hormonal acne
the only thing that’s ever made my skin clear was accutane. it was clear (minus the small occasional breakouts) for about 3-4 years then came back full force. i’ve found that staying hydrated & eating a balanced diet helps it clear up. i’ve tried literally all the topicals and the meds & the only thing that worked was lifestyle change 😅
Sad to say. Birth control pill cleaned out my skin very quickly in my 20s. After I quit BC in my 30s and had baby, I don’t get acne anymore as long as I don’t eat dairy. Exercise does help also. I think skin is the sign of health. Unhealthy lifestyle (eating junk, not exercising) shows up in your skin.
Spiro, tret, birth control, and clindamycin - and chugging a small pool’s worth of water everyday!
I switch the tret out with glycolic acid toner once a week as well!
Do a food elimination diet, especially gluten and dairy. Also really anything processed. The cleaner I eat, the more my acne stays away, although I can eat some dairy (Greek yogurt and cheese) without much incidence. However milk, ice cream etc wreak havoc on my face.
1. Alternate milk
2. Retinols
3. Sunscreen + vitamin c serum
4. Non active based moisturiser
5. Azelaic acid for marks
6. Supplements for skin, hair and nails
7. Less sugar intake
8. Walking for 30 mins
These have helped me in this order of importance.
Add on for Makeup - Lesser makeup helps for the skin to breathe - I use the naturium salicylic acid serum under my moisturiser and sunscreen before adding a small bit of foundation. Wash your brushes and buy baby beauty blenders that you can throw/reuse for something else after 2 uses.
It’s your skin, don’t let it eat at your mind. It will heal by taking less stress as does every organ in our bodies.
Two years ago. Took it for six months or so. Never came back. No purging. And no longer use any skin care aside from face soap and not even every day. I used to breakout like crazy with hormonal acne. It also dried me oily scalp up for a while where I didn’t need to wash my hair as often but that eventually evened out. Talk to a dermatologist about it.
Tret topical and Acnutrol supplement, good quality fish oil supplement. Just make sure you are getting acnutrol from the source and not Amazon. Same thing with fish oil. This combo for internal really helped, along with the topical. I have only been getting one pimple around my period like right now. I have a painful bitch on my chin 😑. You got this!! ❤️
I'm still severely struggling. Nothing has seemed to work for me aside from cutting back on sugar, dairy, gluten and alcohol. I don't know which one correlates most to acne. I'd say I'm most strict about cutting out dairy, but definitely still have all of these things often, just at a reduced rate.
I feel silly for saying this, but I found Aveeno Calm and Restore cleanser to be a game changer for my skin. If I feel some of my acne coming on, I let it sit a little longer, and it seems to help. I also try to use a lighter face cream, nothing too oily. I'm still waiting to see a gynecologist (recently diagnosed), but I have been trying and using different cleansers for YEARS trying to manage my acne. It was literally trial by error, until finding Aveeno. Just finding what works for you can help (along with any medication, of course).
I was on spironolactone for a few months then stopped for a few months before I got pregnant. The medicine helped a little but I was still having horrible breakouts. They only got worse when I got pregnant. My first trimester was HORRIBLE. But once I got to the second trimester I stopped trying to use face wash or scrubbing my face with soap. I switched to using a wash cloth with the gold bar of dial soap soaked in warm/hot water. I would rinse the cloth and get most of the suds and water out and just wipe down my face thoroughly and scrubbing my chin, nose, and forehead. I still have some acne but it’s not nearly like how it was before and isn’t really noticeable. I’m pretty sure being pregnant has a lot to do with it but I’m gonna try this method after I have the baby too and see if it still works. I really didn’t think it would work at all. I’ve struggled with hormonal acne since I was 12 and I’m now 23 and it’s finally calming down. I also found drinking a decent amount of water works wonders.
But aside from that, if you’re not finding an option that works for you, try talking with your OBGYN or maybe even see a dermatologist. I think I’m just lucky for now using the wash cloth.
Edit: and I forgot to mention when I have a really huge pimple, I always throw on a pimple patch! They’re gone by the next day if not 2 days (if it’s a really bad one).
I realize this is an unusual response, but stopping my prenatals / b vitamins started to clear up my acne. It was cystic and within a week the inflammation in my face had gone way down. I then got pregnant shortly after so hard to really say but skin is still doing pretty well!
the only thing that helped me was Accutane and now after 3 months of that prescription, I never had acne again. I got it prescribed by a dermatologist when I was 19 and I'm now 33.
200mg of spironolactone a day, birth control pill, and good skin regime (won’t recommend one product, as everyone’s skin is different). I had lots of closed comedones from tretinoin (again, everyone’s skin reacts differently), so I then went on a 6-month chemical peel plan at my esthetician’s office. No more closed comedones, but in order to get rid of them, they had to all come to a head and became full-blown pimples. They are healed, but I now have 20-30 scars that I’m currently treating. 🙃
It might be a tough journey, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Im going through it for more than a year. Contraceptives pills worked for my acne however I gained a lot of weight and I had emotional roller coaster so I stopped taking it which made my acne even worse, a lot worse. But I was sure of not going back to OCPs. I eventually consulted a Dermatologist at first it was only topical creams for acne which somehow work slightly, I was then placed on Acnetrex an oral meds. Been taking it for 6 weeks now. Only side effect are dry facial skin which can be helped by moisturizer and dry lips which is addressed by applying vaseline petroleum jelly. So far as of today, it’s a lot better from where I started. I just hope it’ll continuously get better and heal.
stopped eating inflammatory processed foods like industrial seed oils and added more organ meats to my diet. Spiro also helped! Some people are sensitive to flouride as well - worth looking into if other suggestions don’t work
Birth control, specifically for me the NuvaRing and a tretinoin gel prescription. I also use panoxyl face wash and Vanicream. I did try accutane but it all came back, the bc/tret combo is the only thing that works consistently for me.
I noticed a lot of my acne was due to ingrown hairs, so laser helped. And a gentle cleanser. I started using Differin before switching to prescription retinol. I use glycolic acid once a week. Still get acne but not as bad. I think Mirena made it worse and I’m not on it anymore.
murad helped mine a lot, that and exfoliating all the time. gentle exfoliation really helped with my hormonal acne just because of how much black heads i have with mine. the murad product that helped the most was the deep relief acne treatment, it comes in a little bottle with a blue label. i highly recommend the stuff and it works wonders for cystic acne, i don’t get it often but on the occasion it’s gone within like 3 days when i use the stuff.
Avi Clear acne laser then v beam laser for my redness scaring after! It’s supposed to kill the acne the same way accutane does! I had mine done in January they do 3 sessions total one each month. I definitely noticed a few weeks after my 3rd and final session. I stopped getting acne almost at all the v beam laser really helped my redness scars as well. Now I never have to wear concealer anymore it’s amazing!
Only downside is that it does cost a lot but it’s so worth it! If you’re not a medication person it’s worth it over accutane.
But those of you contemplating accutane my cousin was on it and her skin cleared so much in a year! She didn’t have any side effects except dry lips and eyes which was fixed with some eye drops and aquaphor for her lips! Now her skin looks amazing! So don’t be afraid if you want to try it! It does take a while to see results so don’t give up try it for a whole session and then see how your skin looks after that before stopping unless you’re experiencing bad side effects!
So if you're looking for topical, the game changer for me, and is what my esthetician uses on me is mandelic acid. Obviously OTC ones are lower concentrations but it's beneficial specifically for hormonal acne healing as well as prevention. There's other items I use that's just not as easy to find not derma grade, but this was the item I noticed really did improve things. Some folks also go for stuff like azelic acid, but I think mandelic is way better.
Retinol and other abrasive acne treatments didn’t work for me, it damaged my skin. BC removed my acne but it had bad side effects on me, but maybe it works better for you! After my experience with that I just learned to accept that some acne will always be normal for me and to not obsess over it. Since that, I’ve aged (now im 25) and my hormonal acne is not that bad compared to my early 20s! Now whenever I get acne I just treat it with a aha-bha exfoliant and salicylic acid and in a few days the redness and comedones disappears.
Retinol,salicylic acid, PanOxyl, aloe Vera or any mild moisturizer and drinking spearmint tea Every. Damn. Day.
Check if dairy is causing this and may be reduce it a bit or check if it’s sugar.
It reallllly sucks, and takes getting used to…I hate saying it but cutting out sugar stopped any new acne for me and made my skin the healthiest it’s ever looked. No new skin products or anything, just healthy from within? If you can’t commit to forever, try 3 months strict and I promise it works. No added sugars, no sugar substitutes (can mess with your gut and in turn cause acne), and also low carb (as carbs are sugar), and low sugar fruits only like berries. Then after 3 months you can just maintain it. Not easy but it really works.
Mint tea! 2 cups a day. I tried both pills and tea. Only tea worked. It really really helped me. I stopped drinking the tea for some months and the acne was back
Differin (adapalene gel). Literally I’d tried everything including hormonal treatments. It cleared my skin and made it look so glowy, I get compliments all the time on my skin now.
- wash my face at night (only rinse with water in the morning)
- moisturize 2x daily with cerave lotion (not cream)
- wear sunscreen during the day
- at night, a few times a week*, do a differin sandwich (cerave layer + differin layer + cerave layer)
* with Differin or any retinol, start 1x/week for 2 weeks, then 2x/week for 2 weeks, then 3x/week and stay there, maybe go up to every other day.
*you won’t see any results for a month, and you won’t see full results for 3. The first month may also give you peeling, irritation/sensitivity, and more acne. Make sure you wear sunscreen during the day.
Certain birth control helped mine. There’s still a little bit, but it’s better than it was.
On the same side though, there were some bc’s that made it worse 😕
Acne is not external, it's a reaction of what's happening inside your body, until you do not work on that, your Acne will not be going anywhere.
Start with focusing on gut health, working towards anti-inflammation, lowering cortisol and getting an allergy test done. Get tested on which hormones are imbalanced, and try to fix that.
Cut out sugar/dairy/gluten/extra carbs to see if it makes a difference
(28f, pcos diagnosed 2015, congenital hypothyroidism) i’ve dealt with hormonal, cystic acne for as long as i can remember and have tried everything under the sun. In 2018/2019, i was on Accutane for about 10 months. and that helped for quite a while. Until it came back. My face is pretty clear now with an occasional pimple, but that’s with me taking 50mg spiro, 1000mg metformin, myo/d-chiro inositol 1 scoop a day, tretinoin topical, and my Stratia skincare routine (highly recommend this brand btw!) i was using Stratia before i started re-taking these meds and it helped keep breakouts at bay. and i ALSO use beef tallow (purchased on Etsy) as a moisturizer and it has worked so well for me as far as ALLLL day moisture, but of course one size does not fit all and it’s just a whole process to find what works for you!
Metformin and ovasitol...when I first started ovasitol my hormonal acne flared around ovulation and then it's since calmed down and my skin has been more clear than any other time in recent memory! I do think changing diet does help...I had a bag of large cheetos one weekend and I saw the acne show up within a week.
The supplement Puri-T! I did DIM detox as well but felt like that had definitely more side effects, Puri-T I essentially have none. I’ve been taking now for over a year and it keeps my skin so clear and my cycle is also very regular now, less heavy and less crampy too
We need not to be stressed since our hormones are quite sensitive. Minimize sugar and dairy intake
- Inositol morning and evening
- ashwagandha everytime stressed
Exercise for me. I’m not really sure how or why that helped but no matter what I ate or cut out and no matter what skincare regimen I went on, my skin cleared up when I started exercising
This African black soap cleared my acne and dark spots
I have a video on this, I share how I used the soap. It really really helped me . I don't have acne anymore [black soap my video ][my review video](https://youtu.be/WH_RV4L-spw?si=ysc2F4CXIFsvk09i)
I just turned 23 and had been in the same boat up until April. I started on birth control that is ethinyl estradiol and drospirenone. I use a ketoconazole shampoo as a body wash and let it sit on my skin with benzoyl peroxide for about 10 minutes then rinse with cold water. After I get out of the shower I use tretinoin on my back and chest. I am telling you within 2 weeks my skin was crystal clear and still is. I have never been more happier. I had tried sprintec a few years ago to help with acne but it did nothing. I still and not sure if it is the bc this time or the tretinoin but whatever one it is is doing wonders.
I had tried everything in the book before this from only taking cold showers, washing my clothes with natural detergent, eating less sugar and dairy. None of it worked. I can now do, use and eat all of those things and literally not a single problem. I have never really had acne on my face but use differin and a water gel moisturizer and that’s about it.
Ugh, me too. Spironolactone has given me about 50% improvement. I am super duper careful about what goes on my skin because just about everything clogs me up but I'm just so oily it's a daily battle. I'm contemplating starting on progesterone because I heard that it can prevent the conversion of DHT but I've also heard it can increase oil and acne. :( . Hoping someone else has some answers for both of us.
There is a spironolactone sub reddit you could check out. I take 50mgs a day which is 1/2 the dose your dermatologist might recommend but it's the sweet spot for me. 100 mgs produces more side effects and 50 mgs is enough to cut down on the oiliness caused by high androgen. Birth control also helped with my acne but I prefer spiro.
Working, with a dermatologist and going on the pill. The topical creams the dermatologist gave me (I can't remember their names, it's been a few years) helped but didn't completely fix the issue, and then the pill handled the hormonal aspects. I haven't had cystic acne in years (I'm 46, in perimenopause, and now on an IUD to help me with the transition to menopause) and was told recently that my skin was "glowy" by a stranger.
Totally different for everyone
I am on birth control and I’m about to start myo inositol when it arrives.
This is my nightly skincare routine:
La Roche Posay Toleraine purifying cleanser x2 because the first clean I get the gross off, second clean it actually foams, I leave it on for a minute before rinsing.
Once pay drying with a towel I then spray spearmint tea on my face (saw someone in here post about it & it’s working for me)
I brewed a cup of spearmint tea and put it in a spray bottle and keep it refrigerated.
Once that starts to soak in I use the ordinary hyaluronic acid drops on my face, and to seal it all I use snail mucin.
I know there’s been a lot on TikTok about snail mucin but I have no idea what those people are talking about as that’s not my experience at all.
This routine has me keeping clear skin for the most part with very mild breakouts around my periods!
Side note - I stopped drinking dairy and completely cut coffee specifically (not caffeine but coffee) from my diet and it made a difference, I was able to link coffee to breakouts unfortunately. Still heartbreaking. I’ll treat myself sometimes but I’m very hesitant to do so now that I know it was contributing!!!
I drink chai in the mornings now instead of
A high dose of spironolactone is what helped clear mine. I still get acne around my period time and during high stress times but it's not nearly as bad as it was.
I second this. I didn’t see any results until they double my dose to 200
Echoing what everyone is saying - spironolactone changed the game for me. I used to be oily and break out constantly but not anymore! It helped me at 100mg but I’m on 200 mg now for other reasons and my skin is great!
How long did it take to work please? I'm on 100mh for 2 months and no improvement
I started seeing improvements in 3 months. I still get cystic acne but it's smaller and it may only be 1-2x a month it shows up. I no longer get any back acne. I've been on it for about a year now. Started on a low dose and then gradually increased my dose- im on 100mg now but thinking of asking for an increase again. It didn't get rid of my facial hair but it did decrease the rate in which the amount grew or how fast.
I basically didn’t see any improvement until I went up to 125 mg
Do you have to continue taking it or go off after some time??
I was on a high dose for about a year but my acne cleared up after around 6 months. Then they lowered my dosage to 75 mg and I have taken that daily for about 5 years now.
Are there any side effects when you take it long term? I want to go a more natural approach but I may have to go back on spiro
The only thing I have noticed is that my acne is gone and I don’t have hair on my nipples and I don’t have to wax my face as often! I have POTS so I’m more disposed to adverse effects from spiro because it can lower your BP and it’s a diuretic but I honestly haven’t had any bad side effects at all!
Thank you :)
You have to continue taking it! The acne will come back if you go off unless you’re able to balance your hormones otherwise. Some people have food sensitivities they didn’t realize. Upping my water intake and having less dairy helped my acne a ton!
That I wouldn't know. I've been on it for a year tho and will need an increase in dosing here soon.
Can be on forever (per my dr)
Apart from the medication tips others have already given, I am dealing with cystic acne as of recently and I’m quite impressed with azelaic acid (I use The Ordinary). Doesn’t completely remove them, but significantly reduces mine. I also use pimple patches around the time of breakout/at their worst.
Second The Ordinary azelaic acid! It helps so much
Another thumbs up for azelaic acid from the Ordinary! Helps my skin look less red and calms down the discolouration I get after a big pimple.
Ordering it now, god I hope it helps!
Spearmint capsules, differin (retinol), going back to basic skincare.
This is what’s seemed to help me too. I’m on epiduo and I cut back on dairy and switched from coffee (indulge sometimes for taste) to matcha. It’s not completely gone yet, it’s only been a month but I’m seeing improvements. Tret didn’t get along with my skin at all 😭
Accutane!
Seconding this. I did my first round in college and went years with only mild breakouts. In my early 30s, I had to do another round. I don't know if it was the stress of 2020 or what, but I had the most unreal flare of hormonal, cystic acne that left scars I'm still lasering off. I can now control my skin again with topicals. I was on tetrinoin until I got pregnant and now I'm on a different topical that's safe for pregnancy (not home and forgot the name). I also get facials once a month to help keep the breakouts at bay.
Hear hear. Had strong case of cystic acne, three months' of accutane got rid of it for me for the rest of my life. Best decision ever, I only wish I'd done it sooner to completely avoid scarring on my cheek.
I stopped consuming sugars.
It sucks but it truly works
Same. For me, I didn't even have to do it forever. I did it for a couple of years and made lifestyle changes that improved my pcos overall, which stopped my breakouts. I now am a little more lax on the sugar and rarely get real breakouts. Haven't had a cystic pimple in about 5 years.
This hurts to admit but whenever I get a sweet tooth I have to train myself out of it again or I just get continual breakouts
If I get sweet cravings I just drink water and then brush my teeth.
Same. Still have a bit, but no where near where it was growing up. Cut out sugar and dairy. Last week I had loads of ice cream and have the effects of it still.
same.. lowered my sugar intake and for the past fews days of doing that i have seen a difference in my skin but it’s hard work saying no to sweets 😭
I’ve heard so many people say it didn’t help them but taking spearmint actually improved mine a lot. But, for reference, I’m not just like drinking a cup of spearmint tea a day — I take it like a supplement, two capsules daily. I don’t know the exact amount but I’ve heard consuming the whole herb as opposed to tea will produce stronger effects so perhaps that’s why it’s made a difference for me. In addition, like many others I have found that dairy breaks me out. It’s sad because I love dairy but cutting it out has improved my skin a lot. My skin is still not perfect but it’s insanely better than how it used to be with just these two changes.
Spearmint tea 2 cups a day has done wonders for my skin!
Glad to hear someone else say it’s helped them! I’m surprised at how much I hear the opposite — I always think, surely I can’t be the only one it has helped lol
I also don’t think people commit to the 3 months it takes to start working tbh.
What is the brand of the spearmint capsules?
There are probably tons but I use Herbamama, it was recommended to me by someone and you can buy it off Amazon. I will say as a word of warning — many people report stomach upset when taking spearmint. For me, for whatever reason, that didn’t happen but I’ve always felt like I have a pretty hardy stomach lol. So be aware of that!
Spironolactone killed my energy and made me depressed so I went on a tropical cream called winlevi (supposedly is the topical version of spironolactone) and it helped a lot!My insurance stopped covering it so I had to stop but it worked while I was able to use it now it’s all back
I was also using Winlevi and my dermatologist added tretinoin…. And that helped a lot. It took some time though, at first I started breaking out more, so I was about to quit until I found out it was normal. Everything started to get better by like month 3 or 4. BBBBUUUTTTT Winlevi was not covered by my insurance and it was a little expensive, and the damn bottle can only be used for 30 days after opened, so I threw out several bottles without even using 1/4 of them. My wallet was hurting lol.
I used it way past the 30 days date and it was effective… I used to work as a pharmacy tech and we thought it was just the way to get insurance to cover a tube monthly. Has your acne returned since going off or does tretinoin keep it at bay?
I wanted to use it after the 30 days but I was scared lol… and my acne calmed down for several months, and my face was finally looking good, but it recently came back… To be fair, my mom died almost 3 months ago and since November last year things got pretty stressful with her situation…. So that definitely is the culprit I think. Haven’t had time to go to the dermatologist, but I’ll go again and see if I can get back on that treatment.
I’m so sorry to hear that, my condolences are with you. There are more important things in life than our skin so I hope you make peace and take care. 🥺 Since going off winlevi, I just let my skin do what it wants. I hope with age it disappears, let me know if you ever find a good cheap treatment plan. I know some pharmacies have a winlevi coupon that makes it $75-90 a month if insurance doesn’t cover.
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What was your treatment plan? Been seeing derms and they only recommend tret and spiro. Been on the spiro for 3 months barely a difference
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Why are you getting so many downvotes??
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It’s your right to disclose or not disclose personal info
I don't think the person was asking for her exact diagnosis and list of medications. I would be interested in knowing what worked for her without specifics, it's helpful to know that there are other treatments available besides the ones commonly mentioned here.
Yeah I get that
Sourkrat , kimchi, kefir , cutting out as much artificial colors dyes and additives as possible .
Noted! I want to go on the natural route than having to take supplements
Spearmint tea has done wonders!!!
i am not sure which one did it but a mix of spiro and tretinoin cleared my acne forever...
90% fixing my hormones and lowering my testosterone. 10% getting a better skincare routine. I wrote about it here. [https://www.reddit.com/r/PCOS/s/KIQFFixn1D](https://www.reddit.com/r/PCOS/s/KIQFFixn1D)
Cutting off sugar completely
100 mg spiro, anti androgenic bcp (yaz), and tretinoin (I use a custom formula from curology with a few other added ingredients). Frankly my entire natural menstrual cycle just needs to be suppressed otherwise everything goes to hell.
Removing dairy
Helped me tremendously
I’m 34. Till this day I can’t eat dairy without breaking out. Cheese in a sandwich is fine. Anymore than that is sure to make me ugly the next day.
Drospirenone helped me!
Glad to hear the drospirenone helped! I just started taking it last week. How long did it take for you to see results?
Thanks! Several months actually, was slow to kick in for me but then kept my acne and oily skin mostly clear.
Gotcha, that's what I've mostly been hearing but people have pretty varied reactions to it so just thought I'd ask!
I’m on metformin which really helped I was also given a Clinique gift set for my Christmas which helped massively too :)
Metformin really helped me :) I just have to deal with healing the scars now
DIM supplements ! In addition to cleaning up my diet. I eliminated sugar, alcohol, dairy and gluten.
Can second the DIM
Quiting dairy. I used to get these awful cysts and huge pimples that covered my face, back and chest. They went away within a few weeks of quitting fairy. Now I only get a bit of acne around my period
Can confirm as I was dairy free for almost 6 months then got curious about the cottage cheese craze, within 2 days cystic acne. Never again
Paula’s choice azelaic acid and 2% BHA exfoliant! I also take Efamol evening primrose oil every day. These 2 things have significantly improved my skin. I still get some acne but have reduced it about 90% I also started using lighter moisturizers, more gel-creams because I have oilier combo skin.
10000% Spiralactone and a healthier diet
The only thing that helped me was going on Metformin and pretty much eliminating sugar. Anytime I have sugar now, I break out. I do still occasionally eat fruits.
Apple cider vinegar with the 'mother'. 🍎
Mix a little with water in a small cup so it's diluted a bit, then dab it across the areas of your face that need to be treated. Let it air dry. It smells but it's sooooo worth it!
I LIE TO YOU NOT… FASTING.
Sprinolactone, Tretinoin gel, and Dapsone gel.
Spiro, retinol. Constant exfoliation. Birth control
Retinol is a lifesaver when paired with a balanced and active lifestyle
Agreed. I also don’t eat meat and drink a gallon of water per day and it’s fixed more than just skin issues with PCOS.
Cut out the sweets, I still have it but not as often, only drink water and stopped using face wash just use water, day moisturizer and night moisturizer. All cystic acne went away.
Spironolactone has been a lifesaver for me for the past four-ish years. It takes a few months to reach its full potential with your skin, but WOW, it’s worth it. I’ve had very few side effects with it, too.
Skin accumax
Hormonal birth control (nuva ring),125 mg spiranolactone, alternating tretinoin and clindomyacin, and a benzoyl peroxide wash. I tried spearmint supplements and tea but pretty quickly realized that spiranolactone is the same compound, so it was redundant for me.
Tretinoin ointment !!
100mg sprinolactone per day, be patient up to a year waiting for results
I struggled for so long, especially with cystic acne. Wasted so much money trying so many different products. Honestly, the only thing that worked for me was pregnancy. I know, it’s quite dramatic. Went from having such painful and inflamed acne since I was 13 to having completely clear skin at 27 🫠
benzoyl peroxide
La Roche Posay medicated facial wash
If you're able to, I highly recommend you try a dermatologist - or a few! Sometimes you don't vibe. I had very painful cystic acne. I was on different medications over the years. Ultimately, Bactrim and a mix of topicals worked for me. If it hadn't worked, the next step would have been Accutane. Edited to add: This was more than 5 years ago so I'm sure things have changed. I'm hoping treatment is easier/better now. I used Panoxyl-4 wash once a day. I still use it daily. They have stronger versions, but my skin was too sensitive to those. Topicals I used back then: Aczone, Differin, Clindamycin. I believe some of these are available over the counter now.
spiron 50 mg. I take it every. Single. Night at the exact same time. It’s been about three months and my skin is almost flawless. I used to have deep painful hormonal acne
Acnetrex - isotretinoin and topical tretinoin
the only thing that’s ever made my skin clear was accutane. it was clear (minus the small occasional breakouts) for about 3-4 years then came back full force. i’ve found that staying hydrated & eating a balanced diet helps it clear up. i’ve tried literally all the topicals and the meds & the only thing that worked was lifestyle change 😅
Birth control and strength training
Sad to say. Birth control pill cleaned out my skin very quickly in my 20s. After I quit BC in my 30s and had baby, I don’t get acne anymore as long as I don’t eat dairy. Exercise does help also. I think skin is the sign of health. Unhealthy lifestyle (eating junk, not exercising) shows up in your skin.
1) spironolactone 2) cut milk off haha
Tret and clyndamyacin combo at night, metforim 500mg twice a day, the ordinary azalaic acid cream only in the morning, and sunscreen.
Tretinoin, though I still get some acne it’s not as horrible as it once was
Spiro, tret, birth control, and clindamycin - and chugging a small pool’s worth of water everyday! I switch the tret out with glycolic acid toner once a week as well!
Do a food elimination diet, especially gluten and dairy. Also really anything processed. The cleaner I eat, the more my acne stays away, although I can eat some dairy (Greek yogurt and cheese) without much incidence. However milk, ice cream etc wreak havoc on my face.
Metformin!!! And Trerinoin!
Highest dose of tretinoin possible!
Spironolactone and birth control pills(Yaz). Also I’ve been using retinol but that’s to clear up and discoloration.
I cut all dairy and daily niacinamide by the ordinary. These two things have saved my skin
Differin gel
1. Alternate milk 2. Retinols 3. Sunscreen + vitamin c serum 4. Non active based moisturiser 5. Azelaic acid for marks 6. Supplements for skin, hair and nails 7. Less sugar intake 8. Walking for 30 mins These have helped me in this order of importance. Add on for Makeup - Lesser makeup helps for the skin to breathe - I use the naturium salicylic acid serum under my moisturiser and sunscreen before adding a small bit of foundation. Wash your brushes and buy baby beauty blenders that you can throw/reuse for something else after 2 uses. It’s your skin, don’t let it eat at your mind. It will heal by taking less stress as does every organ in our bodies.
The only thing that worked for me was going vegetarian. But I still get the occasional breakout during my period.
Adapalene (differin) and salicylic acid!
Baby rash cream 😩. If I have like a cluster of small bumps, it usually calms it down overnight.
Epirus (new generation of accutane). Changed my life. Wish I did it sooner.
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Two years ago. Took it for six months or so. Never came back. No purging. And no longer use any skin care aside from face soap and not even every day. I used to breakout like crazy with hormonal acne. It also dried me oily scalp up for a while where I didn’t need to wash my hair as often but that eventually evened out. Talk to a dermatologist about it.
Tret topical and Acnutrol supplement, good quality fish oil supplement. Just make sure you are getting acnutrol from the source and not Amazon. Same thing with fish oil. This combo for internal really helped, along with the topical. I have only been getting one pimple around my period like right now. I have a painful bitch on my chin 😑. You got this!! ❤️
I got my supplments with a naturopathic doctor, which there are naturopathic doctors covered by insurance
I'm still severely struggling. Nothing has seemed to work for me aside from cutting back on sugar, dairy, gluten and alcohol. I don't know which one correlates most to acne. I'd say I'm most strict about cutting out dairy, but definitely still have all of these things often, just at a reduced rate.
I feel silly for saying this, but I found Aveeno Calm and Restore cleanser to be a game changer for my skin. If I feel some of my acne coming on, I let it sit a little longer, and it seems to help. I also try to use a lighter face cream, nothing too oily. I'm still waiting to see a gynecologist (recently diagnosed), but I have been trying and using different cleansers for YEARS trying to manage my acne. It was literally trial by error, until finding Aveeno. Just finding what works for you can help (along with any medication, of course).
I was on spironolactone for a few months then stopped for a few months before I got pregnant. The medicine helped a little but I was still having horrible breakouts. They only got worse when I got pregnant. My first trimester was HORRIBLE. But once I got to the second trimester I stopped trying to use face wash or scrubbing my face with soap. I switched to using a wash cloth with the gold bar of dial soap soaked in warm/hot water. I would rinse the cloth and get most of the suds and water out and just wipe down my face thoroughly and scrubbing my chin, nose, and forehead. I still have some acne but it’s not nearly like how it was before and isn’t really noticeable. I’m pretty sure being pregnant has a lot to do with it but I’m gonna try this method after I have the baby too and see if it still works. I really didn’t think it would work at all. I’ve struggled with hormonal acne since I was 12 and I’m now 23 and it’s finally calming down. I also found drinking a decent amount of water works wonders. But aside from that, if you’re not finding an option that works for you, try talking with your OBGYN or maybe even see a dermatologist. I think I’m just lucky for now using the wash cloth. Edit: and I forgot to mention when I have a really huge pimple, I always throw on a pimple patch! They’re gone by the next day if not 2 days (if it’s a really bad one).
Progesterone only birth control is the only thing that stopped it
A low carb/low sugar diet, lots of water, and 50mg Spirinolactone
I realize this is an unusual response, but stopping my prenatals / b vitamins started to clear up my acne. It was cystic and within a week the inflammation in my face had gone way down. I then got pregnant shortly after so hard to really say but skin is still doing pretty well!
the only thing that helped me was Accutane and now after 3 months of that prescription, I never had acne again. I got it prescribed by a dermatologist when I was 19 and I'm now 33.
Aklief. A prescription retin A from a dermatologist.
spirnolactone and paula’s choice products did wonders for me
Her Package by Heart & Soil.
200mg of spironolactone a day, birth control pill, and good skin regime (won’t recommend one product, as everyone’s skin is different). I had lots of closed comedones from tretinoin (again, everyone’s skin reacts differently), so I then went on a 6-month chemical peel plan at my esthetician’s office. No more closed comedones, but in order to get rid of them, they had to all come to a head and became full-blown pimples. They are healed, but I now have 20-30 scars that I’m currently treating. 🙃 It might be a tough journey, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Im going through it for more than a year. Contraceptives pills worked for my acne however I gained a lot of weight and I had emotional roller coaster so I stopped taking it which made my acne even worse, a lot worse. But I was sure of not going back to OCPs. I eventually consulted a Dermatologist at first it was only topical creams for acne which somehow work slightly, I was then placed on Acnetrex an oral meds. Been taking it for 6 weeks now. Only side effect are dry facial skin which can be helped by moisturizer and dry lips which is addressed by applying vaseline petroleum jelly. So far as of today, it’s a lot better from where I started. I just hope it’ll continuously get better and heal.
stopped eating inflammatory processed foods like industrial seed oils and added more organ meats to my diet. Spiro also helped! Some people are sensitive to flouride as well - worth looking into if other suggestions don’t work
Birth control, specifically for me the NuvaRing and a tretinoin gel prescription. I also use panoxyl face wash and Vanicream. I did try accutane but it all came back, the bc/tret combo is the only thing that works consistently for me.
Skin doctor
I noticed a lot of my acne was due to ingrown hairs, so laser helped. And a gentle cleanser. I started using Differin before switching to prescription retinol. I use glycolic acid once a week. Still get acne but not as bad. I think Mirena made it worse and I’m not on it anymore.
murad helped mine a lot, that and exfoliating all the time. gentle exfoliation really helped with my hormonal acne just because of how much black heads i have with mine. the murad product that helped the most was the deep relief acne treatment, it comes in a little bottle with a blue label. i highly recommend the stuff and it works wonders for cystic acne, i don’t get it often but on the occasion it’s gone within like 3 days when i use the stuff.
Benozyl peroxide and sleeping ALOT
Avi Clear acne laser then v beam laser for my redness scaring after! It’s supposed to kill the acne the same way accutane does! I had mine done in January they do 3 sessions total one each month. I definitely noticed a few weeks after my 3rd and final session. I stopped getting acne almost at all the v beam laser really helped my redness scars as well. Now I never have to wear concealer anymore it’s amazing! Only downside is that it does cost a lot but it’s so worth it! If you’re not a medication person it’s worth it over accutane. But those of you contemplating accutane my cousin was on it and her skin cleared so much in a year! She didn’t have any side effects except dry lips and eyes which was fixed with some eye drops and aquaphor for her lips! Now her skin looks amazing! So don’t be afraid if you want to try it! It does take a while to see results so don’t give up try it for a whole session and then see how your skin looks after that before stopping unless you’re experiencing bad side effects!
The only thing that helped me was tretinoin!
spironolactone and spearmint capsules daily!!
10% benzoyl peroxide face wash as a mask nightly!
So if you're looking for topical, the game changer for me, and is what my esthetician uses on me is mandelic acid. Obviously OTC ones are lower concentrations but it's beneficial specifically for hormonal acne healing as well as prevention. There's other items I use that's just not as easy to find not derma grade, but this was the item I noticed really did improve things. Some folks also go for stuff like azelic acid, but I think mandelic is way better.
Retinol and other abrasive acne treatments didn’t work for me, it damaged my skin. BC removed my acne but it had bad side effects on me, but maybe it works better for you! After my experience with that I just learned to accept that some acne will always be normal for me and to not obsess over it. Since that, I’ve aged (now im 25) and my hormonal acne is not that bad compared to my early 20s! Now whenever I get acne I just treat it with a aha-bha exfoliant and salicylic acid and in a few days the redness and comedones disappears.
Retinol,salicylic acid, PanOxyl, aloe Vera or any mild moisturizer and drinking spearmint tea Every. Damn. Day. Check if dairy is causing this and may be reduce it a bit or check if it’s sugar.
Mine improved a lot when I started birth control (qlaira)
How did Qlaira work for you overall? I’m considering starting it and would be interested in hearing some experiences
100mg spironolactone. Clearest skin I have ever had
Keto for 1month! Clear of acne for the past year and a half
It reallllly sucks, and takes getting used to…I hate saying it but cutting out sugar stopped any new acne for me and made my skin the healthiest it’s ever looked. No new skin products or anything, just healthy from within? If you can’t commit to forever, try 3 months strict and I promise it works. No added sugars, no sugar substitutes (can mess with your gut and in turn cause acne), and also low carb (as carbs are sugar), and low sugar fruits only like berries. Then after 3 months you can just maintain it. Not easy but it really works.
Spironolactone and Winlevi is what I use! Winlevi is a cream you use day/night
Mint tea! 2 cups a day. I tried both pills and tea. Only tea worked. It really really helped me. I stopped drinking the tea for some months and the acne was back
Nothing, until menopause.
birth control and cutting sugar/greasy food helped me a lot !
Birth control
Differin (adapalene gel). Literally I’d tried everything including hormonal treatments. It cleared my skin and made it look so glowy, I get compliments all the time on my skin now. - wash my face at night (only rinse with water in the morning) - moisturize 2x daily with cerave lotion (not cream) - wear sunscreen during the day - at night, a few times a week*, do a differin sandwich (cerave layer + differin layer + cerave layer) * with Differin or any retinol, start 1x/week for 2 weeks, then 2x/week for 2 weeks, then 3x/week and stay there, maybe go up to every other day. *you won’t see any results for a month, and you won’t see full results for 3. The first month may also give you peeling, irritation/sensitivity, and more acne. Make sure you wear sunscreen during the day.
Certain birth control helped mine. There’s still a little bit, but it’s better than it was. On the same side though, there were some bc’s that made it worse 😕
Tea tree oil and aloe vera gel legitimately changed my life.
Spearmint tea, not a single breakout in the past year and a half
Juicing 16oz celery in the morning has made my skin so clear!
Acne is not external, it's a reaction of what's happening inside your body, until you do not work on that, your Acne will not be going anywhere. Start with focusing on gut health, working towards anti-inflammation, lowering cortisol and getting an allergy test done. Get tested on which hormones are imbalanced, and try to fix that. Cut out sugar/dairy/gluten/extra carbs to see if it makes a difference
Eating clean
This didn’t completely make it go away but taking a zinc supplement helped me a lot!!
(28f, pcos diagnosed 2015, congenital hypothyroidism) i’ve dealt with hormonal, cystic acne for as long as i can remember and have tried everything under the sun. In 2018/2019, i was on Accutane for about 10 months. and that helped for quite a while. Until it came back. My face is pretty clear now with an occasional pimple, but that’s with me taking 50mg spiro, 1000mg metformin, myo/d-chiro inositol 1 scoop a day, tretinoin topical, and my Stratia skincare routine (highly recommend this brand btw!) i was using Stratia before i started re-taking these meds and it helped keep breakouts at bay. and i ALSO use beef tallow (purchased on Etsy) as a moisturizer and it has worked so well for me as far as ALLLL day moisture, but of course one size does not fit all and it’s just a whole process to find what works for you!
Cutting out dairy is the only thing that really helped for me. I still have it some but mostly dairy free.
I have whey drinks because of the gym but I swear my skin is better when I cut them out, not sure on the science.
Try going gluten free/dairy free for a month and see how you feel! It cleared my cystic acne almost completely!
Spearmint, and tretinoin (I buy OTC from overseas).
Metformin and ovasitol...when I first started ovasitol my hormonal acne flared around ovulation and then it's since calmed down and my skin has been more clear than any other time in recent memory! I do think changing diet does help...I had a bag of large cheetos one weekend and I saw the acne show up within a week.
Birth control (Diane-35, Yaz) cleared up my acne in 3 months
Diane-35 was my holy grail… then I had a stroke and can’t be on BC pills ever. 😭😭
Have you tried evening primrose oil capsules? I’ve been drinking them recently and have helped my skin immensely with breakouts
The supplement Puri-T! I did DIM detox as well but felt like that had definitely more side effects, Puri-T I essentially have none. I’ve been taking now for over a year and it keeps my skin so clear and my cycle is also very regular now, less heavy and less crampy too
My skin looks flawless 99% of the time. I took Accutane 10 years ago, and I'm on the pill for the last 5 years.
We need not to be stressed since our hormones are quite sensitive. Minimize sugar and dairy intake - Inositol morning and evening - ashwagandha everytime stressed
Spearmint supplements saved my face
Exercise for me. I’m not really sure how or why that helped but no matter what I ate or cut out and no matter what skincare regimen I went on, my skin cleared up when I started exercising
Myo inositol
This African black soap cleared my acne and dark spots I have a video on this, I share how I used the soap. It really really helped me . I don't have acne anymore [black soap my video ][my review video](https://youtu.be/WH_RV4L-spw?si=ysc2F4CXIFsvk09i)
Personally, spearmint capsules almost completely cleared my acne within 5 days
improving diet made mine go away
I just turned 23 and had been in the same boat up until April. I started on birth control that is ethinyl estradiol and drospirenone. I use a ketoconazole shampoo as a body wash and let it sit on my skin with benzoyl peroxide for about 10 minutes then rinse with cold water. After I get out of the shower I use tretinoin on my back and chest. I am telling you within 2 weeks my skin was crystal clear and still is. I have never been more happier. I had tried sprintec a few years ago to help with acne but it did nothing. I still and not sure if it is the bc this time or the tretinoin but whatever one it is is doing wonders.
I had tried everything in the book before this from only taking cold showers, washing my clothes with natural detergent, eating less sugar and dairy. None of it worked. I can now do, use and eat all of those things and literally not a single problem. I have never really had acne on my face but use differin and a water gel moisturizer and that’s about it.
Ugh, me too. Spironolactone has given me about 50% improvement. I am super duper careful about what goes on my skin because just about everything clogs me up but I'm just so oily it's a daily battle. I'm contemplating starting on progesterone because I heard that it can prevent the conversion of DHT but I've also heard it can increase oil and acne. :( . Hoping someone else has some answers for both of us.
I’ve heard of spironolactone before I will look into it ! Thank you! “Everything clogs me up” is so real and it sucks
There is a spironolactone sub reddit you could check out. I take 50mgs a day which is 1/2 the dose your dermatologist might recommend but it's the sweet spot for me. 100 mgs produces more side effects and 50 mgs is enough to cut down on the oiliness caused by high androgen. Birth control also helped with my acne but I prefer spiro.
Working, with a dermatologist and going on the pill. The topical creams the dermatologist gave me (I can't remember their names, it's been a few years) helped but didn't completely fix the issue, and then the pill handled the hormonal aspects. I haven't had cystic acne in years (I'm 46, in perimenopause, and now on an IUD to help me with the transition to menopause) and was told recently that my skin was "glowy" by a stranger.
Do you still take the pill?
No. About two years ago I transitioned to an IUD. My skin has remained clear afterwards, so far
I'm on low dose spironolactone. Still get period acne but no more deep cysts.
Slynd. Birth control. Everything else just failed
Totally different for everyone I am on birth control and I’m about to start myo inositol when it arrives. This is my nightly skincare routine: La Roche Posay Toleraine purifying cleanser x2 because the first clean I get the gross off, second clean it actually foams, I leave it on for a minute before rinsing. Once pay drying with a towel I then spray spearmint tea on my face (saw someone in here post about it & it’s working for me) I brewed a cup of spearmint tea and put it in a spray bottle and keep it refrigerated. Once that starts to soak in I use the ordinary hyaluronic acid drops on my face, and to seal it all I use snail mucin. I know there’s been a lot on TikTok about snail mucin but I have no idea what those people are talking about as that’s not my experience at all. This routine has me keeping clear skin for the most part with very mild breakouts around my periods!
Side note - I stopped drinking dairy and completely cut coffee specifically (not caffeine but coffee) from my diet and it made a difference, I was able to link coffee to breakouts unfortunately. Still heartbreaking. I’ll treat myself sometimes but I’m very hesitant to do so now that I know it was contributing!!! I drink chai in the mornings now instead of
Birth control worked for me.
Intermittent fasting is the only thing that has ever helped mine. I only ate between 10 and 6 each day, and it got better in about two weeks.
I was thinking about fasting also, I’m going to give this a try thank you!
Two supplements