I had terrible acne as a teenager.
I remember reading in Dolly magazine that the way to hide your pimples was by turning them into beauty spots with a black kohl pencil. That might work if you had just one or two spots, but I looked very odd with my face covered in twenty black ‘beauty spots’.
No wonder I never got kissed by any of the cool boys!
Clearly using eyeliner as a cover up wasn’t working, so Mum took me to a dermatologist who prescribed me oral antibiotics as well as antibiotic lotion of varying strengths for a few years.
Nothing worked, so I ended up taking a number of courses of Roaccutane. A super heavy duty drug that had been marketed as being the ‘cure’ for acne. ( I do believe it stopped my skin from scarring).
Finally by the age of nineteen I had clear skin. My reprieve was short lived, with my cystic acne coming back with a vengeance when I was 21. Still another course of Roaccutane and it still wasn't enough.
My skin specialist sent me to an endocrinologist who diagnosed me with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (basically my body produces too much male hormones and the side affects for me included acne and later problems falling pregnant- but that is a whole other story!)
LISTEN: Dr Ginni Mansberg shares the one thing most women don't know about their bodies (post continues aftter audio...)
The so called cure for my acne was hormone treatment and then later I went on the contraceptive pill. That has been enough to keep my skin behaving most of the time. However since turning forty I have been introduced to the joys of yet more acne!
Why? And I know it's not just me and my decades long problematic skin. Acne is an all too common problem for many women once we approach pre-menopause and menopause.
According to skincare expert Ingrid Seaburn (and a disclaimer- she is a lovely friend of mine!) our forty something year old hormones are going through another shift which can result in adult acne. Those nasty spots on your chin/jawline/neck/cheeks/back can be linked to the decline in estrogen which leads to an imbalance of testosterone in our bodies.
Top Comments
I have suffered from acne since I was 14 years old. The constant teasing from the girls who had the "perfect" skin was beyond a joke. Thought that I would grow out of it, went on the pill, and at the age of 32 finally went on Roaccutane. Clear(ish), porcelain skin for about 10 years, and now, at almost 49, it is back with a vengeance. Unfortunately anything I try makes it worse and it takes forever for it to calm to a manageable level. Gone are the makeup free days, though I will say the mineral based makeups are a god-send. I feel for any woman who suffers from acne, it is just no fun.
Hi Jessica, I used to get adult acne consistently (I'm in my 40s), until I started using Arbonne anti-ageing skincare & cosmetics. All products are certified Vegan & GF. It made such a difference, I'm now a consultant. Let me know if you'd like a free sample. Rita