Budget Buster: Cystic Acne @ 32!!

[southern_redhead]

Birth control pills solved mine...same exact thing. So sorry... each of us has a different solution. Sorry yours had to be a budget buster!

Funny, BCP is what *started* my problem. A pimple or two here and there then, at 17, my GYN says "Oh, I see you have some breakouts. These BCP's will clear that RIGHT up." By the end of that pack my face looked like a bomb site. Zits everywhere. I went round and round trying different brands then finally gave it all up after DH and I married but still deal with it today. I do think it somehow warped my hormonal system but maybe I'm just bitter

OP- I can totally relate, (except I'm still looking for something to help mine) which Juice Beauty products do you use?

I use the Cleansing Gel and the Blemish Serum. Expensive and hard to find (here of late) but sooo worth it. They keep my skin clear and also give it a nice, smooth texture which it doesn't have on it's own.

I had acne as a teenager. It got a little better as an adult. Then I started getting it again in my 30's. My Dr. put me on spironolactone. Please ask your Dr about it. My skin is beautiful. It controls the oil production. I do have to have my potassium level checked once a year, but it is so worth it. Even my sister comments on how nice my skin is.

I'll ask but my skin is dry, dry, dry. The problem must be internal. Either hormonal or bacterial or both....

 

[mnasf]

I got rosacea at about 30. Not only do I have the pimples but an extremely red face. I constantly get asked if I'm okay. No medication has really helped much and I've done some laser but still have more I should do. Anyway, I feel your pain.

I had bad acne in my teens then good skin in my 20's and I'm just about to hit 30 and I got acne again. I went back to the dermatologist and he says it is Roseca (sp?).

I have to take an expensive antibiotic now. It stinks. But it is really embarrassing at this age to have worse pimples than a teenager. So I do it. I figure we cut in so many other areas of the budget but if something is a need then that is just one area we can't cut.

 

[smokeyblue]

I feel your pain. I'm 30 and in the last year my skin has totally gone insane. I've done some pretty brutal hormone regimes in the last 10 years for my endometriosis and I think my body doesn't know what the heck is going on.

Right now my problem is severely dry skin and tons of little red spots and I get terrible cystic nodules that take a month to go away. I honestly have no clue where to start. It takes months to get into a dermatologist here and I can't afford an expensive fix anyway. I've seen about 50% improvement using Clean & Clear sensitive wash and astringent and Dove moisturizer. I can't wait for winter to be over!!!

 

[MissAndrea]

I had good skin as a teen and started getting the cystic acne in my 30's. When I became a vegetarian it went away. And now that I'm back on meat, it hasn't come back. I would say to try that for a few months. It cleared up my skin very nicely.

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Funny you say this because I was just getting ready to comment that even though I've had acne since I was 10, there was a 2 month period when my skin was flawless. It was 7 years ago during the Atkins craze. I went on a low carb diet and my skin had never looked better in my life. However, I do not really like meat, so I only stayed on it for about 4 months, but still. Mine may be related to sugar.

 

[smokeyblue]

wrong thread

 

[labdogs42]

I'm 37 and my face breaks out worse now than when I was a teen. I tried retin-A in my 20's and that stuff was horrible. made my skin crack and peel, etc, so I gave up on that. It sounds like there are a lot more options out there now. Maybe I'll try a dermatologist again. I'm sick of my pimples!

ETA, thanks for starting this thread!

 

[Helene]

I had cystic acne about 3 years ago. The derm tried me on a couple of medications, and then I did a course of Accutane for 6 months and that completely took care of my issue. I will get a little pimple once in a while, but very, very rare (I am 39 now)...

I, too, developed serious cystic acne in my 30's. Seemed to kick in after I had my kids. I struggled with the antibiotic/yeast infection cycle for several years. Once I stopped anti-biotic tx, another round of cysts and scarring would hit.

Ultimately, I did the Accutane. Best decision I ever made. I still have acne prone skin, but no longer deal with scarring issues. I wish I had done it sooner. Now I am trying to deal with trying to minimize the scarring and I'm thinking of going the route of chemical peels. Very $$, but my complexion depresses me.

Good luck...I encourage you to invest now in prevention.

 

[kelleyrn2000]

I can relate as well. I'm 32 and worrying about wrinkles and acne. It's just not fair!

BC pills do help my acne, but unfortunately they also make me nauseated and usually make me sick as well.

I could go to the derm, but my insurance copay is 50%, so not sure I want to do that.

Once I get a pimple, it take several weeks to a month before it finally goes away...I have no idea why!!

 

[HM]

Are you on any kind of hormonal medicine....like birth control? You might want to check into doing a low dose estrogen type if you are using something 'stronger' now. You might find that it helps.

 

[HeatherBelle614]

Has anyone done the FX treatment?? I have some minor scarring that still bothers me and I have been looking in to FX. Any experiences to share? (It's one of those things that everyone else tells me you can't even see, but I know it's there and want to get it fixed.)

 

[tinker&belle]

I got rosacea at about 30. Not only do I have the pimples but an extremely red face. I constantly get asked if I'm okay. No medication has really helped much and I've done some laser but still have more I should do. Anyway, I feel your pain.

Have you tried Finacea (cream)? I have found that to be helpful. I also take an oral antibiotic right now, but hopefully once it is under control I will just use the cream.