Hi everyone,
So I've been dealing with acne for about 5 years now. It wasn't terrible at first, but it's been getting worse over time.
I didn't get my period until the age of 15, unlike my sister, mom, aunts, and grandmas, who got theirs around the ages of 11-13. My mom was thinking about to take me to the doctor just to check up on my health when I got my period soon after, so we never ended up going. It has been pretty irregular- I've gone up to three months in between periods and a couple of times, I've gotten it twice in a month (usually 5 days each time). They're usually pretty painful the first two days, and I break out a lot before and during.
I've tried an incredible number of things to get rid of my acne-
Drugstore cleansers and treatments
Natural/Organic facial products
Murad system
Proactiv
Diet changes (eliminating dairy, meat, coffee, sugars, chocolate, etc.)
Drink plenty of water
Avoid wearing makeup and hair products
Change pillow case every night
Cleanse face 2x a day
I've never smoked or drank alcohol
The list could go on and on. I'm really good about my hygene, and have never gone to bed wearing makeup.
I avoid touching my face as well.
However, the acne is still there. And the frustrating part is that, as soon as my skin starts to 'clear' up after my period, it relaxes a bit then I have scarring, and then my period again. It feels like my skin is never going to clear up and it makes me feel so insecure and self-concsious when people stare at it.
I've read about hypothyroidism and how it can affect acne. I'm not sure if I have that, but I definitely have some of the symptoms (acne, super cold hands and feet at all times, fatigue, always tired, and I can sleep for long periods of time), so I don't know if I should take any of that into consideration, or if I should talk to a physician about it.
I also have my first appointment with a dermatologist in two weeks, and I want to ask for Accutane. I've done a lot of research on it and although the side effects are scary, I'd rather deal with them for a while and get rid of acne, than deal with acne any longer.
Any opinions or comments on the subject would be of great help. Sorry that my post is kind of all over the place.