Acne 10 months on T

[loren1]

Hey guys,

I was just wondering if the acne ever goes away on T. Before T, I had perfect skin. But once I started, things have just gone downhill. I have developed very bad acne on my shoulders (I take androgel T so I don't know if that's doing it), my bacne has also gotten worse. But the worst part has been my face, since everyone can see that. I've been on an over the counter cream for a month now, and things were clearing up on my face, not so much on my shoulders/back. But this week, I've just been getting multiple cysts on my face, which is so disappointing, because I rarely get cysts.

It just seems like the T is making my skin worse and worse by the day and it's really starting to affect my life. I have yet to go to a dermatologist because I'm scared that they will be transphobic and not want to help me, so I just don't know what to do. Does the acne ever let up? Or am I stuck with acne for as long as I am on T? I do bodybuilding so it just makes the upper body acne worse. I feel like it's just out of control and I'm at a total loss. Any advice would be appreciated.

[Elis]

Although I had acne pre T I had it worse when T started. I tried over the counter  cream for months without much success. So I finally decided to try antibiotics and prescription acne cream. Which has made the acne scars fade a lot and even my bacne looks a lot better. Just finished the course of antibiotics and have stopped using the acne cream to see if the acne has finally gone away.

So unfortunately going to the dermatologist is the only way to go. The over the counter stuff is very mild and doesn't work for severe acne.

Do you need to tell the dermatologist your trans? Even cis adults can have acne well into their twenties; it's not uncommon at all and they would have seen similar cases to yours.

[Kylo]

I imagine it lasts as long as acne does in regular puberty - technically that is what you're going through again.

[loren1]

Yeah, I think I will try to get an antibiotic cream to also use, and try to make sure the dermatologist is at least trans friendly if I have to tell them. I figured over the counter stuff would work since my face acne is pretty mild, with the occasional cystic stuff, but I imagine it's only going to get worse from here. Do you mind if I ask how bad your bacne was? Mine is pretty mild, but my left shoulder is a disaster. I hope topical antibiotics work, since my stomach can't handle oral ones.

[Elis]

Yeah, I think I will try to get an antibiotic cream to also use, and try to make sure the dermatologist is at least trans friendly if I have to tell them. I figured over the counter stuff would work since my face acne is pretty mild, with the occasional cystic stuff, but I imagine it's only going to get worse from here. Do you mind if I ask how bad your bacne was? Mine is pretty mild, but my left shoulder is a disaster. I hope topical antibiotics work, since my stomach can't handle oral ones.

Both my shoulders had a lot of redness as well as a few pimoles/spots. Now there are no spots and the redness is really mild.

Weirdly I also had redness from acne on my stomach after starting T but that's gone now completely.