Fighting T-caused breakouts and acne?

[D0LL]

One thing I want to learn before starting on T or anything of the sort, is how to fight against breakouts. I've had terrible acne all my life, and it didn't even kind of mostly go away until I got on anti-androgens. My natural T is pretty high, and I can only imagine how high my levels will be if I start taking any type of T-booster.

I have tried EVERYTHING. Proactiv's toner worked for the most part, but that was the only part of their program that helped. My BB cream worked at first, then suddenly stopped working after the first 2-3 weeks. Dry brushing doesn't help, scrubs don't help, even dermatologist-prescribed creams and lotions don't work. Blocking my T is literally the ONLY thing that "cured" my acne (I say it like that because I doubt I'll ever be completely clear).

Does anyone here have anything that's worked for you? My self esteem is already at its lowest point (I literally cry when I see my reflection sometimes), I can't afford to go through with this if it's going to ruin my face and put me over the edge. Has anyone tried spearmint tea on their face? (That's my T-blocking tea! ;P) Should I maybe look into some kind of men's line face wash or something? Or maybe black soap?

[Simon]

Not sure what to say if even dermatologist prescribed creams and lotions didn't work.

I had naturally high T level before HRT too but it was due to tumors not PCOS. Luckily mine has always been confined to my shoulders and back for the most part.

I don't use any soaps on my face. I wash it gently with a wet washcloth in the shower. I don't use hair products either because if you sweat they're just going to get on your forehead.

In my experiences when it comes to acne, less is definitely more. The more crap you put on it the worse it tends to get. That is how it has been with me anyways.

[TheoLeo]

When my face was at it's peak level of terrible when I was 14, I used a 10% Benzoyl Peroxide wash twice a day, and put on a layer of topical Epiduo afterwards.

The Benzoyl Peroxide is ridiculously harsh, and was nearly last resort. You can find it at any drug store, though. As of the past year it switched from being prescription to over-the-counter. I swear by it, though. My doctor had told me if that didn't work, they were going to put me on some sort of oral medication. Luckily, it worked. The Epiduo, on the other hand, is prescription. Also I think of it as not as effective, but it's good for spots here and there, and calming the burn that comes from using BP.

[randomroads]

Neem. It works. I use this stuff -http://www.iherb.com/Neemaura-Naturals-Inc-Neem-Leaf-3X-Concentration-Extract-1-fl-oz-30-ml/14200

I have always had painful acne and cysts. I wash my face with a soap-free cleanser so that the natural oils aren't completely stripped out of my skin and dry me out, and then I apply the stuff above all over my face and any problem areas. It's incredibly potent and will zap them dead within a day. I get painful cysts on my inner thighs from being overweight and if I wash and then apply the neem they are 100% gone within two days.

At the moment I am using the regular neem leaf instead of the 3x concentration but I've noticed it doesn't work as quickly. The 3x concentration also cured a patch of poison ivy on my hand within two days, athletes foot, and I bit my cheek bad and used it as an oral rinse and it healed faster than I've had a mouth cut heal before.

I usually put 5-10 drops in my hand, rub my palms together, and then spread all over my face. It's also really helped my dry skin around the hairline, in my sideburns, behind my ears, and in my eyebrows.

BTW if you do go with the neem stuff make sure you never buy neem SEED oil. I can't tell if it works or not but I've tried it and it's an oil so it dries sticky, it stinks like burnt coffee, and the smell doesn't go away until you wash it off. I hate it. The stuff in the link has an alcohol base so it dries pretty quickly and it doesn't feel sticky unless you use way too much. A bottle will last me 6 months to a year depending on how much I have to use it. I imagine if you're using it on your back and chest it'd go pretty fast.

[Contravene]

I used to have bad acne problems when I was much younger and tried using all sorts of creams and things like that too but they never worked.

I had a dermatologist suggest using rubbing alcohol as an astringent and spot treatment for really problematic areas of acne. I was told to get a rubbing alcohol that was no more than 70% and use it sparingly in a well ventilated room along with a moisturizer so it wouldn't strip my skin. It worked amazingly. I wouldn't suggest doing this unless you've talked to a dermatologist first though since using the alcohol too often could irritate your skin or dry it out.

[Farm Boy]

When I was younger and going through puberty 1.0, I had terrible acne.  My face and back were awful.  None of the scrubs or anything you can buy at the store helped me either.  The only thing that worked was Accutane, a doctor prescribed oral medication.  It dried it right up, and made it so much better while I was on it.  (It of course did not fix the scars that had already been created.)  Unfortunately, it's been linked to some bad side effects and the last I knew it had been recalled.  I don't know if it's available now. 

I'm afraid it's going to get bad again when my T levels start to get higher, so I'll probably be back in the same boat.

[D0LL]

^ I don't believe they make Acutane anymore, or if they do, it's HIGHLY advised you don't take it. I would never use it after hearing some of the side effects some people have had. :/ I have plenty enough health problems as-is...

Neem. It works. I use this stuff -http://www.iherb.com/Neemaura-Naturals-Inc-Neem-Leaf-3X-Concentration-Extract-1-fl-oz-30-ml/14200

I have always had painful acne and cysts. I wash my face with a soap-free cleanser so that the natural oils aren't completely stripped out of my skin and dry me out, and then I apply the stuff above all over my face and any problem areas. It's incredibly potent and will zap them dead within a day. I get painful cysts on my inner thighs from being overweight and if I wash and then apply the neem they are 100% gone within two days.

I usually put 5-10 drops in my hand, rub my palms together, and then spread all over my face. It's also really helped my dry skin around the hairline, in my sideburns, behind my ears, and in my eyebrows.

THANK YOU so much! That is right up my alley! I'm going to look into that stuff!

I'm also going to try something called oil pulling. You use an oil, swish it around in your mouth for about 15-20 minutes once a day, and spit it out (DON'T swallow it). It helps whiten your teeth, brighten your gums, and improve your overall mouth health in 1-2 weeks. As this is the one part of my body I've yet to cleanse, I might as well try. I've read results of people noticing their acne disappearing. I'm not holding my breath, but we'll see. For now, I'm going to see how I manage with olive oil, til I can get some sunflower or sesame oil (I've done much worse things to try to clear my skin).

Also, Bio Oil has helped my acne, but the main thing I like about it is it evens my skintone and heals acne scars MUCH faster than anything else. But since it's such a thick oil, it doesn't absorb very well, so I can only use it at night before bed. :/ But it's DEFINITELY worth it. The 2oz bottle lasted me months, and my 4oz bottle has barely been broken into, and I've been using it since maybe the new year. (If you have a wholesale club membership like BJ's or Sam's Club, you can get a set that includes a 4oz AND 2oz bottle for a little more than the price of the 4oz! Saved me soooo much money!)

Borage Oil (taken internally) has helped my friend's acne, but I can't tell if it's helping mine yet or not. Maybe I need to take just a little bit more to do the trick.

Also, Vitamin A helps a LOT of people clear their acne, but unfortunately, it gives me hyperpigmentation (a RARE side effect, as usually it is used to CURE hyperpigmentation). So I stopped taking it.

[Jared]

I also had naturally high T levels but not for medical reasons like you guys have mention. I was on some natural T blocker for a year maybe and for this time the acne stopped. Now I'm almost 7 months on T and I think I'm over the serious breakout. None of the stuff was useful for me, not even prescribed but sometimes the soap did the work. It dries your skin and the acne too.
How long did it last for you who are already over the acne problems? I heard it's usually half a year and I started to worry as my skin is still rough. Just curious.

[matt]

Dude, I have the same problem with acne.

After experimenting over about two years, this is what works for me:

Tea tree oil (full strength- not diluted ones from Bodyshop), apply the oil to spots when they start to develop. They usually die down overnight or over a couple of days.

Face wash: use a mild face wash that cleans well. I use Mario Badescu acne face wash. It is a mild and gentle face wash with very little scent, almost like a medical kind of smell.

Moisturiser: You have to moisturise your face. This is very important, because if your face is dry your skin will produce more oil to compensate. The type of moisturiser will depend on your skin, but I use an oil free moisturiser.

Don't over dry your skin or wash it too often.
Don't touch your face with your hands or anything when you are working etc, you'd be surprised how much difference this makes.
When you sleep, make sure the pillow and sheets do not touch your face.
If you wear a shirt to work, make sure that collar does not rub against your jaw all day long.

In the afternoons if your skin gets very shiny or oily, you can use facial wipes to clean your face or have a quick wash, but make sure it is gentle and moisturise afterwards.

Cut down on greasy or oily/deep fried foods. High sugar content level foods are also bad for acne e.g coke, sweets, chocolate.

These have really helped me. I hope they work for you too. Good luck!

[rexyrex]

i have had acne since i was a teen it was bad, but then it finally calm down, but when i was on T it did play up again which is expected, and i have tryed everything too, i use to wash twice a day but now once a day as it makes it worst and drys out my skin.

Im hoping it will calm down again im use to it now so it dosnt bother me much but i do wish i have a nice clear smooth baby face now and then and do get jealous about it sometimes.

@matt  i have noicted that when i cut down on oily food and sugery stuff it did calm down a little.

I have heard that sun, swimming in a sea and some exercise may help?

[Adam (birkin)]

I've had bad acne since I was about 15. I found my acne has actually improved on T. Before, I was a pizzaface almost all the time, and nothing would cure it. Nothing. Now on T (13 months)...well, I occasionally get breakouts (maybe once every month) and the rest of the time it's just a few small red spots from having acne for so long.

If I have one of the bad breakouts, I can get rid of it in a couple days using something with triclosan in it, that gets rid of them so fast. But I only use that for bad painful breakouts (no more than 2 or 3 days out of the month) because I don't like a lot of chemicals, so the rest of the time, I find these things help keep it away:

- I wash my face and body with a soap that has tea tree oil, I like the Soapworks tea tree soap. And then I moisturize with a face moisturizer for sensitive skin.

- And I find eating less crap really helps. If I eat a lot of sugar or greasy foods my acne gets worse.

[Liminal Stranger]

Funny you should mention that, I was just reading up on oil pulling while looking up natural remedies to help clear up this horrid upper respiratory infection I've got going on right now.

Anyway, while I'm not in the bad acne boat (hopefully won't be on T either), I'd recommend a change in diet to include more vitamin E and making sure to get plenty of rest.

[D0LL]

Don't touch your face with your hands or anything when you are working etc, you'd be surprised how much difference this makes.

This.

You have no idea how much of a difference it will actually make. When I worked cleaning houses, my face looked awful. After I realized I was touching my face while I sat in traffic (working in Baltimore gave me a LOOOOTTTTT of free time in my car, haha!), I bought some hand sanitizer for my car, and made it a point to stop touching my face when I noticed myself doing it. My skin cleared up so much in a matter of weeks.

I'd also like to know from those who've gone through this how long it takes before your body stops acting out after starting T.