Acne

[natalie_christin 61]

Hey there,

I know this question is kind away out of left field but I thought I would ask it here before going to the doctor. Has anyone experienced acne postop… And I'm talking way postop – I'm about nine months out. I've never had Acne – in my teenage years and even when I was on hormones in my 20s. Now all of a sudden, for about the past month or so I have huge amounts of acne on my face. It's not an issue of oily skin or anything like that – I just have bumps all over my face– cheeks, forehead, Chin, etc. I don't know if this has something to do with changes in my body after having surgery or if it something else.

I have other medical conditions but nothing new or recent. I thought I would take a chance and ask you guys and see what others might've experienced.

Thanks so much and have a good day

[WhoKnows 288]

Acne tends to be seriously misunderstood. Cosmetic companies want to be able to sell over the counter topical "solutions," so we've all been lead to believe that our acne is the result of dirty skin. If that were the case, little kids would have lots of acne (kids are dirty). But who do we associate with acne? Teenagers! That's because (most) acne is hormonal - especially acne that's deep under the skin. For a lot of people, serious acne stops with puberty, but others aren't so lucky. Some women break out on a monthly basis that ties in with their cycle. I had a terrible explosion of deep cystic acne when I stopped taking the pill when I was 22.

So, if you're experiencing acne for the first time in your adult life, I'd go have your hormones checked.

What you shouldn't do: over wash your face! Irritating your skin will only make matters worse. Choose a mild cleanser like Cetaphil and use it twice a day tops (frankly, if you wash your pillow cases enough, you can just use warm Water in the morning). Also, don't pick your skin or pop pimples. It can lead to infection. Most of the time, prescribing antibiotics for acne goes nowhere, but if you can't stop touching an already irritated face, it could be a different matter.

Again, go get your blood work done by either a dermatologist or an endocrinologist.

[natalie_christin 61]

Honestly, there in nothing to "pop." Not too gross anyone out or anything but, the bombs are completely solid – there's no Fluid filled ones that makes sense. I'm wondering if it's something else. I have multiple health conditions… There hasn't been any real changes.

[WhoKnows 288]

Are the bumps deep under the skin and painful? If so, it sounds cystic. Like I said, I had that when I stopped taking the pill. The only solution was Accutane, which I view a little bit like the surgery. Yes, it's a pain (though the reputation is worse than the reality), but it's also the only thing that's actually proven to work in any real capacity.

Again, you should really go see someone, both to have your hormones done, but also just to make sure it is indeed acne (it probably is).

[natalie_christin 61]

I think I figured it out... I have psoriatic arthritis... Psoriasis is a part of it..... This sucks...

[April206 128]

Sounds like cystic acne. Mine was caused by too much testosterone. Taking maximum dose of spironolactone has cured it. While it is a Water pill, it also blocks excess testosterone production. Who knew? lol

[WhoKnows 288]

But would psoriasis cause lumps under the skin? You should really have it checked out.

[natalie_christin 61]

But would psoriasis cause lumps under the skin? You should really have it checked out.

Yeppers, it is apparently a byproduct of my psoriatic arthritis. Hopefully the new med will help.... Unfortunately it takes 3 months to kick in.

[WhoKnows 288]

Oh gosh, well, good luck! And the silver lining is, at least you know the cause and even if it takes three months, you have a likely solution.

[natalie_christin 61]

Oh gosh, well, good luck! And the silver lining is, at least you know the cause and even if it takes three months, you have a likely solution.

Hopefully… There's no guarantee that it will clear up at all but the medication says it takes at least three months to start working. Hopefully it will.