https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 07 Apr 2026 05:35:08 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hormonal-acne#post-2907167 Sun, 29 Dec 2019 10:40:01 +0000 Fawn 2907167@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My skin went insane when I went off birth control pills in my low 20s. I always had acne, but it was pretty mild for years until then. I had horrible cystic acne that covered my cheeks and made me feel awful. I tried everything under the sun to get rid of it, but I finally ended up taking a 6 month course of accutane at 25 and that's what helped the most. </p> <p>I did deal with some acne after accutane, but nowhere near as bad as before. Pregnancy seemed to help as well and I havent dealt with more than a random pimple or two throughout my entire pregnancy and now 8 months later I'm still acne free.</p> <p>I have some indented scars from how terrible my acne was and wish I did accutane sooner to avoid some of the marks on my skin. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hormonal-acne#post-2907148 Sat, 28 Dec 2019 21:39:32 +0000 Lilbear 2907148@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had terrible hormonal/cystic acne that started in my early 20’s. I have tried everything under the sun...diet, cleaning regimens, professional facial treatments, special creams and antibiotics from the dermatologist, etc. Nothing ever fully worked, and I was tired of feeling self conscious and bleaching everything that my face touched. What finally worked for me is taking accutane at 37 years old. I was always afraid of it, but that was overblown on my part. I took it for 6 months and now I am FINALLY acne free. I would speak to a dermatologist. Spironolactone didn’t work for me (adverse reaction before it even had a chance to work) so there was nothing left for me to try except accutane. In hindsight, I wish I wasn’t so afraid of accutane and that I had just taken it when it was first recommended to me 15 years ago. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hormonal-acne#post-2907075 Fri, 27 Dec 2019 14:15:12 +0000 MrsSRS 2907075@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Trying to remember I think it was about 40/month. Part of the premise is that too many products can be overwhelming. So it is a simple three step cleanser, moisturizer, and tailored to your needs prescription cream. Just those until your skin is happy then you can slowly add fave products back in if you wish and see how your skin does. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hormonal-acne#post-2907051 Fri, 27 Dec 2019 04:47:19 +0000 meadow 2907051@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@foodiebee: I was dairy free for about 9 mo when nursing......but that didn't leave me with any lasting benefits.......</p> <p>I'm sure I had benefits while dairy free, but I can't see myself doing that for the rest of my life....</p> <p>@MrsSRS: their website seems super interesting. How many products did they assign you/ how much do you pay per month?</p> <p>@Violet11: that's good to know......when I used it I ruined pillow cases and shirts </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hormonal-acne#post-2907046 Thu, 26 Dec 2019 22:51:01 +0000 Kemma 2907046@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I get hormonal acne but I suspect I make it worse by having a crappy diet and not eating enough water, I’m also a picker so any pimples I have are made worse by me picking at them (this has been a problem for most of my teenage and adult years).</p> <p>I do find that using Trilogy Rosehip oil on my face does at least help promote healing and I’ve just starting taking a hormone blend of hemp and evening primrose oil (plus something else) so hopefully that will help. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hormonal-acne#post-2907027 Thu, 26 Dec 2019 15:34:39 +0000 foodiebee 2907027@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@meadow: Cut dairy out of your diet. I struggled with this on my jawline a few years ago, cut dairy for a year, then reintroduced it when I got pregnant, and now post-pregnancy I'm still eating/drinking dairy without issue. I heard for years about cutting dairy to help with this and didn't want to be bothered with it, but it worked really well and fast. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hormonal-acne#post-2907014 Thu, 26 Dec 2019 11:39:13 +0000 MrsADS 2907014@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jennibenni same. I'm on spironolactone and a rx retinoid. Also use Aczone rx topical. The retinoid does dry out my skin so I don't use any other topical treatments.</p> <p> I take my makeup off with oil (Mac cleanse off oil), then wash with Cerave ultra hydrating cleanser. Then Aczone, then retinoid, then Cerave night cream. If I'm really dry, I add Cerave PM night lotion in between the Aczone and retinoid.</p> <p>In the morning, I wash or just rinse my face, then Cerave PM night lotion (it's very thin), then Cerave AM lotion with sunscreen, then makeup. </p> <p>My acne isn't *gone* but it's definitely improving. I started spiro, aczone, and the retinoid about 3 months ago. </p> <p>Honestly the aggravating part is that I've always had very oily, acne prone skin and for the first time in my life, my skin is *dry*! So none of my makeup or skincare works and I have no idea what to use. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hormonal-acne#post-2907006 Thu, 26 Dec 2019 09:17:33 +0000 Jennibenni 2907006@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@wrkbrk: I’ve been off of it for several months and I haven’t noticed my skin getting any worse since stopping. I do still have the occasional flare up but usually I can tell it’s due to my period or eating chocolate. </p> <p>If it started getting bad again I’d be willing to go back on the spiro but I wasn’t comfortable staying on a medication indefinitely so I decided to taper off of it and so far so good! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hormonal-acne#post-2907003 Thu, 26 Dec 2019 09:00:21 +0000 wrkbrk 2907003@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Jennibenni: Just saw your response! I was wondering if I would need to stay on the Rx forever or not!? Sounds like you ditched it and are still experiencing clear skin - yay! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hormonal-acne#post-2907002 Thu, 26 Dec 2019 08:57:22 +0000 wrkbrk 2907002@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@meadow: Me!!!!! And out of nowhere. Last January I started getting cysts! I was like what the actual hell? I was 35 and my only child was a toddler. Anyway after trying all kinds of products and facials I went to a derm. She prescribed me Spironolactone and it’s 90% gone now!! No side effects either. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hormonal-acne#post-2906994 Thu, 26 Dec 2019 06:16:18 +0000 Jennibenni 2906994@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is a major struggle for me! Honestly the two things that have helped the most were a prescription for spironolactone and a retinoid rx. The spironolactone really helped so much and I noticed a major difference in how painful and inflamed my breakouts were right away. I took that for about 9 months and it helped get me sort of back to neutral. The retinoid helps keep me there. I’ve also noticed that I do have some diet triggers, chocolate and yogurt. At this point I get the occasional painful cyst and sometimes have two at a time but it’s so much better than when my whole chin and jaw was red and pulsing with knotted cysts. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hormonal-acne#post-2906976 Wed, 25 Dec 2019 16:14:57 +0000 MrsSRS 2906976@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've had really good results with Curology </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hormonal-acne#post-2906965 Wed, 25 Dec 2019 13:00:42 +0000 Violet11 2906965@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@meadow: honestly I was hesitant for that reason but I haven’t noticed any bleaching with the amount I use. But I do make sure I use white washcloths </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hormonal-acne#post-2906964 Wed, 25 Dec 2019 12:52:21 +0000 meadow 2906964@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Violet11: wow!!!! I'll check out those products!!</p> <p>I used BP mid 20s.....can't say I miss bleaching everything........but worth checking out again </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hormonal-acne#post-2906961 Wed, 25 Dec 2019 12:17:07 +0000 Violet11 2906961@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had it so bad the last 2 years but after buying so many different products finally found something that seems to be working for me.</p> <p>Nighttime:<br /> - Dr Bronner’s organic coconut oil to remove makeup. Must be this brand of coconut oil as others seemed to clog my pore.<br /> - Skinceuticals LHA Cleanser gel to wash face<br /> - target brand benzoyl perioxide acne spot treatment on my forehead, chin and jawline.<br /> - then The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension all over face<br /> - eye cream</p> <p>Morning:<br /> - SkinCeuticals LHA Cleanser Gel to wash face<br /> - The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% gel all over face<br /> - The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA face lotion</p> <p>This routine has made a 1000% improvement in my skin and I haven’t had a breakout in months and my skin is actually glowing. I’m just so happy that I love to share with people. Hope this helps! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hormonal-acne#post-2906960 Wed, 25 Dec 2019 11:32:11 +0000 meadow 2906960@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mamabolt: yes!!!! Jawline!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hormonal-acne#post-2906958 Wed, 25 Dec 2019 11:18:57 +0000 JennyPenny 2906958@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine has been really bad this pregnancy. I actually just bought some clean and clear spot treatment to help. I haven’t had acne products for at least a decade because I didn’t really need it. I’ll update if I see any improvement :-/ </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hormonal-acne#post-2906957 Wed, 25 Dec 2019 09:56:11 +0000 mamabolt 2906957@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ugh, me! The jawline acne is my nemesis. I strongly suspect mine is made worse by Mirena but don’t have a backup plan for BC now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hormonal-acne#post-2906956 Wed, 25 Dec 2019 09:28:54 +0000 meadow 2906956@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Who else has hormonal/cystic acne?</p> <p>My teen years were nothing....then 20s &amp; 30s acne is ever present. It was better during pregnancy /nursing but that's it. I'm so over haveing huge zits (using 3 or 4 monstrosities at a time) for 3 weeks out of every 4.......</p> <p>Any tips/tricks other than going on BC? </p>