Acne after childbirth

[mochoa]

I am a 34 year old woman.  I have never had a problem with acne or any type of pimples on my face, however, after the birth of my third child 2 years ago I have bad skin.  My face is constantly greasy and I get white heads all over my fourhead and chin constantly.  I also have  a wierd rash like bumps all over my fourhead that will not go away.  My physician put me on three differenty types of antibiotics, retin A and nothing has even come close to clearing it up.  What would make somone all of the sudden develop such bad skin if they never had bad skin before.  I try everything, from washing my face, using acne creams, acne washes, etc, but nothing stops the oil or the pimples.  Help.

[Janine23]

I have the exact same problem on my forehead!   Its been a year now and it hasnt gone away.  It lessened for a month when I stopped drinking coffee so I think caffiene may make it worse.  When I asked others for advice they just said that getting acne is common when you get older, especially around 30.  (I am 26)  And also, I have learned that your skin, hair and menstrual cycle changes every 7 years.  So if you find anything that helps the forhead acne let me know!!   For a bit I used Nivea face wash and cream and it helps a little.  neener_23***@****
Janine

[mochoa]

Thank you for your advice.  My physician just put me on Yasmin about a week ago.  I am in to the second week of taking it and have noticed my skin is breaking out even worse.  How long should I attempt to take it before I can consider it not working?  Also, will the Yasmin cause weigh gain because I have noticed I have more of an appetite now.

[loiloi]

Hi.
Adult acne and late-onset acne are becoming more common. Hormonal changes such as pregnancy and childbirth can trigger this.
It is better to persevere with one antibiotic for a fair trial than switch to another one too soon. Erythromycin has a high failure rate, so tetracyclines are preferable for this condition.
Differin is as effective as Retin-A but generally better tolerated.
Providing you are not overweight or a heavy smoker, discuss taking an anti-androgen contraceptive pill such as Diane35 (oestrogen and cyproterone acetate) with your doctor. Some women also find Yasmin helpful as it is not based on testosterone. Avoid the progesterone-only mini pill or Depot shot as these can make your skin worse.
Eloise.