You've seen a derma but have you had your hormones checked?

>>54498
i haven’t yet. not sure when i’ll be able to but i could try to make an appointment with an endocrinologist. did you have hormonal acne?

>>54500
Yes, although my situation starting out was a bit different. I wasn't SUPER prone to breakouts although if I did get zits the biggest ones would be on my chest (barf).

When I was in my late teens I started getting red acne on my neck and shoulders that I hadn't been getting before and I already have a family history of PCOS so I made an appointment and lo and behold. They put me on spironolactone and I haven't had another breakout since but if this happens to you ASK FOR ANOTHER ANTI ANDROGEN, spiro sucks and messes with your weight and where it goes.

>>54497
I still have acne all over my back at 27 although it is much better than it was at 20. Of course the less i shower/change sheets, the worse it gets. I'd suggest trying to go without makeup, it does make it a lot worse, even without it, i usually wash my face 2-3 times a day, whenever it feels oily. i don't think foundation makes it look much better anyway. Getting rid of most of my face acne helped me a lot in accepting myself, to help that along, the best you can do is wash your hair/face/pillowcase regularly.

checking hormone levels may also help as suggested >>54498 , i never did it in the end but it is very obvious that there is a link between acne and hormones

Apart from that, I can offer this quote i've read a few days ago:
"Take the fate of the sick—especially those who are incurable. I once read a letter written by a young invalid, in which he told a friend that he had just found out he would not live for long, that even an operation would be of no help. He wrote further that he remembered a film he had seen in which a man was portrayed who waited for death in a courageous and dignified way. The boy had thought it a great accomplishment to meet death so well. Now—he wrote—fate was offering him a similar chance."

It's hard since everyone has different skin needs. I needed to cut sugar out of my life forever, no amount of product would heal that. But you may be completely different.

Following women who have acne on social media helps me even now (the acne is much better but not gone). It normalizes it for you.

My sister had this. She had to push the doctor to give her accutane which finally worked. Don’t be afraid to do this or to change doctor.

As for texture, you can get that lasered I believe. I don’t recommend foundation as sometimes it can make things look worse. Instead, carefully apply concealer where you need it, even if you need it may places. The small patches of uncovered skin that show through will help your skin look more naturally clear. Don’t be obsessive about covering everything either, no one has perfect skin.

What I think can also help a lot is just to avoid looking at your face so your mind can stop stressing. Put mirrors away unless you are actively using them. When you go out, wear a mask and anything else needed to cover your face just so you don’t see it unexpectedly.

Do you use acne patches anon? They are good for making spots smaller and come to a head quicker.

OP! I had extreme, painful cystic acne as a younger teenager. Big neck cysts, back cysts, more acne than normal skin on my face, etc. A teacher once even asked me “what happened to my face.”

I got put on Cryselle birth control combined with Spironolactone. It cleared me up SO much. Please try this anon, it was a livesaver for me. I really feel your pain.

thanks to everyone who replied. i’ve been struggling with this for a while and it’s nice to get some feedback.

>>54524
i used the cosrx ones before but i haven’t bought them in a while. i was thinking about getting some the other day lol

>>54502
>>54525
my mother has pcos so maybe hormones really are the issue. i’m a little scared of the side effects taking an anti-androgen though. same with accutane , >>54513 which i know isn’t one of them but it’s what’s been putting me off of it nonetheless

>>54607
I’m >>54525
Taking accutane is way more dangerous. You have to get your blood drawn each month while you’re on it. I actually haven’t heard anyone say that women taking estrogen is dangerous? I tried taking accutane 2x, and I had a bad headache for 3 days straight so I had to stop taking it. Happened both times. I hope you can try taking bc/spiro. It does sound like hormones are at play.

>>54636
It depends on the dermatologist I think. The only extra thing I had to do on accutane was take birth control because apparently saying that you'll be abstinent isn't good enough. My only side effect on accutane was my lips being painfully dry if I didn't constantly have chapstick on me.
Although none of the products my dermatologist gave me, including accutane, worked. The only thing that helped me was age, I stopped breaking out at 20.

>>54497
Definitely go to a dermatologist. I figure that now is the best time to not wear foundation since we are in a pandemic and you can cover up at least the lower half of your face.

Cut out bad carbs/sugar. Even if it doesn't stop the acne, it will make you feel a lot better cutting them out. I don't know if you have possible PCOS symptoms; if so, I would also suggest a trip to your doctor's and they could look into your hormone levels.

>>54667
Try cutting out other bad foods too. Doctors insist chocolate can’t mess up you skin but they’re taught that based on one bad paper from ages ago. Orange juice, soya, dairy, eggs, etc all can make acne worse.

Also try using only the products here:
https://simpleskincarescience.com/fungal-acne-products-malassezia-pityrosporum-folliculitis/

>>54636
Estrogen is dangerous if you're predisposed to blood clots for any reason.

>>54636
>get your blood drawn each month while you’re on it
Developed country medicine is wack. I didn't even get a baseline liver function test taken when my dermatologist prescribed it for me. Just don't get jaundice and you're fine lmao