Chin Acne

[VanessasMom]

I'm a 34 and female. I was taking birth control for almost 10 years to control my acne in this specific area. The birth control was the only thing keeping the chin acne under control - it was great. Three months ago I stopped taking the birth control with concerns of being on it too long. Should I go back to taking an oral contraceptive or is there other options that can provide the same results? My chin acne is awful! The acne flares up during ovulation and hasn't completely gone away. I work in Sales and it has been extremely embarrassing over the last few weeks meeting with clients this way. I don't wear allot of make-up as my skin is very oily. I plan on going back to my regular regimin of micro derms once a month, but I'm not sure that alone will be enough.  

[loiloi]

This sort of acne is called Peri-oral dermatitis and as you know is hormonal. Yasmin and Dianette (Diane35 in USA) are the best contraceptive pills for this condition as they contain anti-androgens. When you are over 35 the risk of complications from taking the pill increase. Other risk factors are smoking and being over-weight. Your doctor will decide if the risks of you taking the pill outweigh the benefits. Another useful medicine for this type of acne is the oral antibiotic Oxytetracycline. If you take this whilst on the pill, use a condom as there is a risk of contraceptive failure. My skin sounds similar to yours and i use Estee lauder cleanser for oily skin. I also use their full-coverage make-up to give me more confidence when working or going out. Loiloi x

[heyang]

If you really don't want to go back to birth control, you can also take Spironolactone/Aldactone, which is the active ingrediant in Yasmin. It isn't, of course, a birth control pill.It has an anti-androgen affect and will suppress your breakouts thruout the month. It will begin to work in 2-3 weeks (I think the literature says longer, but that was my personal experience.) Good luck!