Can anyone help with acne problems??

[Deltadawn]

Hi Everyone

Does anyone else suffer from acne? I'm sorry this is quite long but wanted to give a bit of background in case anyone else shares this problem. Very keen to get any advice.

I was on Dianne 35 (contraceptive pill) for 9 years and stopped taking it when I got married 3 years ago. While on the pill, my skin was great. Since going off the pill, acne started. It actually started while in USA so I thought it might be diet related as I was on holiday and eating typical "holiday" food. When I got home, it continued to get worse so I went to the doctor who put me on antibiotics which cleared it up but he didnt let me stay on it in case I became immune to antibiotics. When I went off the antibiotics, it slowly came back.

I dont think it is related to diet as I am a dietician and eat very well. I also drink 2 litres of water a day in winter and 3 litres of water a day in summer. I dont think it is related to poor skin care as my non-acne-affected areas of my face is in quite good condition. I also use an oil free foaming face wash morning and night as well as oil free moisturisers and makeup.

My acne seems to only be located around my jawline which someone once told me is related to hormones. I started charting my acne/breakouts on FF but there seemed to be no obvious cycle to them so not sure if it is related to hormones. The doctor said if it is related to hormones, it will eventually settle down but how long will this take? I am 28 years old and quite embarrassed by my breakouts. I sometimes think my skin is improving and bang! three pimples appear overnight out of nowhere.

I have tried almost every "anti-acne" product on the market and nothing seems to help. Am I missing something or am I just really susceptible to hormone changes? If so, will they ever disappear? I am quite embarrassed by this and am sick of the waiting game.

Has anyone else gone through this, and if so, what worked?

Thanks