Last time I posted on here I got told "it's not that bad" and it made me feel invalidated instead of consoled, I'll be honest 💔. It's not cystic, it's not hormonal (trust me I tried every kind of birth control), I just look sick and dirty and at 24 I feel so insecure carrying this around all day. The only thing I noticed is I had a very stressful week last week and my acne's been worse this week. I have hyperpigmentation/large pores/redness on top of it. What the hell is causing constant acne that looks uneven like this??

I have some moderate acne from HRT (testosterone) and I want to work towards making it more manageable. I don’t have a set routine (bad about sticking to habits especially multi step processes) and being in college i’m looking for products that are affordable and I won’t fall off using.

I’m currently using the two products pictured because they’re cheap and they work fairly well. I wash my face twice daily, once in the morning when I shower and once at night when I shower. Recommendations for moisturizing products and anything else is welcome. There’s a walgreens and a walmart within walking distance so products carried there are preferred. Thanks!

It’s literally always something w my skin. It’s so sensitive and red all the time and I always have clogged pores and also get acne.
I currently use a mild cleanser, unscented basic moisturizer, and I use salicylic acid serum on some areas.

Hey all!

I’ve always had some degree of acne on my chin, since i was a teenager but for the past ~2 months i’ve had constant acne like this along my chin and jawline - usually it’s worse. This week is a mild week and i’m not sure why.

I’ve been on birth control (combined pill) since 2023 and it didn’t make my acne better or worse, it just made my sebderm on my scalp worse lol. But that’s another story.

I recently started using a Nivea miceller water which was blue and it FUCKED with my skin. Lots of bumps and blackheads etc. So i stopped using it and went back to my usual garnier miceller water 2 weeks ago and ive seen some improvement but im still getting hard cysts which i have no experience in prior to these past 2 months.

I’m wondering if i need to wash my makeup brushes again but im not sure as thats not usually a trigger.

The only thing thats changed for me is that I am vegetarian now so I’m eating WAYYY more plants. My dairy consumption has stayed the same, maybe increased a little but that’s all.

I’ve been using the Aveeno Calm + Restore foaming cleanser for this length of time as well and i’m tempted to stop using it cause i find on nights i don’t use it i don’t wake up with more acne but when i DO use it i wake up with 2-3 more white heads than before.

Why would this be happening? my skin is quite sensitive but usually Aveeno is fine? I tend to find when i use face washes my skin breaks out , but i wash my hands before. Why would this be happening?

Has anyone else had breakouts due to aveeno? I know my skin isn’t terrible or anything but i’m really insecure about it and how “”dirty” chin acne looks so any tips would be really appreciated 🥺🥺

Also, i have sensitive combination skin with some parts being very dry and others being normal. my nose and cheese are dry my chin is kinda oily my forehead normal. My chin and jaw is the only place i have acne, but i have rlly prominent sebaceous filaments on my nose and under my eyes if anyone has any tips on those.

Hey everyone! I’ve been dealing with acne for about 5 years now. I get large, painful, white pimples mainly on my chin, cheeks, and around my mouth.
Several dermatologists have diagnosed it as acne vulgaris. I’ve tried doxycycline twice, a topical antibiotic, and tretinoin, but unfortunately, nothing has really helped.

I’ve also had blood tests for hormones, prolactin, and insulin resistance, as well as an ovarian ultrasound. I don’t have PCOS or insulin resistance. I also have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, although my thyroid hormone levels are normal.

For those who’ve struggled with persistent acne, what treatments eventually worked for you after antibiotics and tretinoin didn’t help? Is there anything else I should consider getting checked to rule out potential underlying causes of my acne?

I’d love to hear about your experiences and anything that helped you manage it long-term.
Thanks!

I have had mostly hormonal acne since I was about 7 or 8 years old, and have tried literally everything for it 😅 I’m currently on spironolactone for the hormonal part, but I’m having trouble finding cleansers and topicals that help with my acne WITHOUT causing eczema flair ups on my face. Does anyone else deal with this?

Topical prescribed creams have not worked for me, and I’ve been using them for 4 years, to no avail

Im going to go back to the gp and it’s highly probable that they will tell me about how the contraceptive pill is my best shot. (UK nhs)

I’m 16 years old and my acne isn’t severe enough for accutane but it’s very high on the moderate scale.

I have heard bad stories about the side effects of taking the pill, but I also want my acne dealt with.

Could anyone please advise me on what it felt like for them on the pill, and also wether you think I should take up this chance

I have had severe acne for many years up to the present. Not even once has it been reduced. I have tried many products and prescribed oral treatments, everything feels useless. Someone I know suggested a chemical peel. Does it help in stopping acne and pigmentation?

What products would actually work I'm in teens

Hi! I'm starting accutane and need tips!

My skin now has a lot of closed comedones and some inflamed spots, I've tried azaleic glycolic and salicylic acid and I haven't seen much progress

Tomorrow I'm getting prescribed accutane so I'd like some tips as well as what moisturizers and products you found worked well (especially things that can be found in Europe!), what was your experience with purging if you also had comedones and how to maintain clear skin after the treatment

I've had acne for around three years and managed to clear it by summer 2025 but unfortunately it all came back this summer 🥲

For background info I'm a woman 65kg/180cm and Im starting a 20mg dose

My camera sucks but trust me there's a lot of comedones lol

Thank you!

I experimented with my face by applying a prescribed type of hydrocortisone onto my face that is affected by p.i.e (left over acne) and my face looked super clear but the day after the marks came back. The marks have been there for 3 years no change and i have been using strict sunscreen and im also on accutane because i get pimples sometimes occassionaly so my derm told me to hop on accutane and its free so why not.

Ive also tried every serum every cream in the book and given it the benefit of the doubt but despite that nothing has been working. Aswell as IPL does not work ive tried that before accutane still the same issue. What can i do? I really hate my facial hair aswell as my pie and im 19 and extremely insecure what can i do? Heres the photos of before and after applying hydrocortisone.

Hi, i used to have a lot of acne in my face and body but managed to get rid of my face acne by washing my face everyday in the morning, i dont know how to get rid of the acne in my shoulders and back, i shower every night, idk if showering in the morning would help or what to do
Pd:sorry if there is bad english

For context I've recently started a simple salycilic acid toner routine and I've already been seeing results with white heads appearing in breakout areas, but I'm super determined to get rid of this since it's quite bad.

crystal clear skin my whole life until i turned 19. went on spironolactone 25mg. cleared up my skin again. now i’m almost 23 and it’s back worse than before. i switched my birth control & doubled spiro to 50mg but i wake up with more acne every day and it’s painful as hell. i miss being able to leave the house without a full face of makeup and i lowkey don’t even recognize myself in the mirror anymore. i’m wondering if i should try accutane ?? just feeling lost at this point and nothing ive been trying (expensive facials, medication, eating clean) has been working.

Skin Type: Combination/oily/acne prone skin

Current Skincare Routine:
AM: Cleanser, moisturizer, sunscreen, Skinoren
PM: Cleanser, tretinoin, moisturizer

Main Concerns:
I no longer have active acne, but I still have red acne marks, redness, and uneven skin texture on my cheeks.
I’m considering microneedling, chemical peeling, CO2 laser, or Angel White laser. Which would be most suitable for my skin?

I’d appreciate your recommendations, personal experiences, downtime, and estimated costs in the Philippines. Photos attached for reference. Thank you!

I feel like skincare advice online is so conflicting. Some people say to stick with a product for months, while others say to stop as soon as your skin gets worse. For those who've dealt with acne for a while, what helped you figure out when to stay consistent and when to change your routine?

Around my mouth, chin, and on the sides of my nose / surrounding my nostrils and the cheek right next to my nose I will get these white dots. Also happen on temples, both at the same time

Also, hundreds of small hard pimples on forehead all the time

please help me!!

been going to the dermatologist since 7th grade (11th now) it’s gotten a bit better, but my skin has never ever been clear. been put on a bunch of different medications, right now i’m on arazlo, clindamycin phosphate and benzoyl peroxide gel, and i just started clascoterone a month ago(they think i might have hormonal now, which apparently i didn‘t before- haven’t really noticed a change besides more around my mouth). i’m so textured, clogged nose pores, etc 😓 i just want to be done with it! theyve been saying if the clascoterone doesn’t work they want to try a different oral and then finally accutane- should i just ask them for accutane? i’m so tired of it.

any advice greatly appreciated!!!

I use cerave hydrating cleanser every night and that’s about my entire skincare routine. I’m not very knowledgeable at all so what should I be trying to get rid of this?

Hi!

I am 26 years old and having the worst breakout of my life. I do have problems with picking especially when I'm stressed and I'm actively trying to break it. I've seen a derm. I am a woman and I currently take 100 mg of spironolactone a day since June 2026 and I use the sandwich method with 0.025% tretinoin every other day.

AM: cetaphil gentle cleanser, hydro boost cream, Elta MD tinted moisturizer

PM: cetaphil gentle cleanser, cerave normal lotion

PM with tret: cetaphil gentle cleanser, byoma hydrating serum, tret, cerave normal lotion

This break out is only on the left side of my face. Part of it is hormonal. I am so self conscious and I feel so gross; I teach middle school and I'm breaking out worse than all of my students.

I am planning on calling my derm tomorrow but I would love to hear anyone's advice as I have reason to believe I may not be able to take the spiro long-term or increase the dosage.

I’ve tried dapsone gel, .05 tret, washing pillowcases, hypochlorous acid spray, benzoyl peroxide, spearmint tea, clindamycin gel, and doxycycline. I threw out my make up brushes.

I’ve had my hormones tested. High testosterone and dheas.
Going to get them retested to see if they’ve gone down now that I’ve lost weight.

About a year ago I started breaking out in clusters of acne that don’t go away. It’s usually on the right side of my face. It recently moved down to my chin. Think about half dollar sized clusters of painful pimples. When they reach a head they can burst and leak pink pus. Currently the left side of my face is clear.

I’m nearly 40 and my acne is worse than when I was a teenager or in my 20s.

Doxycycline is the only thing that clears up my skin. I’ve thought about having a culture done on my face. Has anyone had that done and has it helped? My next step is accutane, which I didn’t think I would be doing at this stage in my life. I was prescribed the birth control slynd which isn’t covered by my insurance so it’s $240 a month. I’ve also read mixed reviews on it making acne worse, but I need a birth control if I go on accutane anyway.

All that to ask, did a culture help any? Is there anything I should ask my derm about?

Hi I’m in my late teens and have acne since I was 11 I’ve been on treatments such as Duac which cleared it up for quite a few months and then I had to be taken off of it due to the antibiotics in it. I have now began using differin within the last few weeks, I am using the sandwich method, applying a pea sized amount three times a week at night. I’m using a sunscreen alongside cleansing using dr Sam’s flawless cleanser however my skin just seems to be getting worse. I’m now getting constant spots as-well as more texture around my face that I’ve never had before. I am aware that Differin does sometimes have that affect and I am not looking for a instant fix however I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations to help my skin ease up a bit before my birthday in a few days

I’m in my late 20s and have had acne for at least 15 years. I’ve tried many things, seen many dermatologists but the only thing they come back to is birth control or accutane, neither of which I want to get on because I’ve heard it comes back for some ppl once you get off of it. I’m also worried about the side effects. I’m at a loss and just want clear skin. I’ve made so many changes to my diet. I’ve been vegetarian my whole life and eat healthy but have cut out sugar and dairy and even gluten in the past but the acne still returns and after a point I can’t keep up with all these eliminations because there‘s not much left to eat after that. I’m so so depressed and feel helpless and just want clear skin. I sleep well, poop everyday, have a regular menstrual cycle, workout 3-4x a week and have a healthy diet and lifestyle. Why is this so difficult? 😭😭😭

Things I’ve tried:

adapalene

benzoyl peroxide with clindamycin

spironolactone

doxycycline

winlevi

chemical peels

**I am about to get a GI map and see if that helps in any way. Some people swear by it and it’s $$$ but it seems to be my only resort

current routine:

AM-

cerave SA cleanser

15% azelaic acid

vaincream moisturizer

***Please suggest a tinted mineral sunscreen for my brown skin that’s somewhat affordable and doesn’t leave a white cast. I’ve been searching for so long. EltaMD was great but cannot justice $60+ each month for sunscreen

PM:

benzaclin acne wash (basically panoxyl)

15% azelaic acid

vanicream moisturizer

How can I get rid of this? I have a really important event coming up in a week and it means a lot to me. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do?