It all started about two years ago. I had recently graduated college. My life was changing and stressful. I figured that was why my skin was looking meh.
I didn't really think about the fact that I had just gone off of hormonal birth control pills after about 6 years. Darn you, birth control. Darn you to heck.
I started taking Hair, Skin, and Nail vitamins. I broke out like crazy. I'm talking angry, cystic, crazy acne. I attributed it to the vitamins and stopped taking them. Those probably didn't help, but I don't think that they're what caused my acne.
A few months went by, and I figured my body was just getting rid of the biotin. "Everything will go back to normal," I told myself. Everything did not go back to normal. Everything got worse.
I realized that I had cystic acne. I had never had acne before (except for a mild case when I started distance running in high school). I was now a person with cystic acne. I though it was something you either had since puberty or didn't. I never knew you could get it later in life. You can, though. Yup. Thanks face, I get it. Now go back to normal, will ya'?
I started reading about what could cause it and found out that going off of birth control could do it. I read every website and blog, like you're doing know (Hey, how does she know that?), and came to the conclusion- the acne is hormonal.
Okay, no sweat, right? So I have some hormonal, dragon's breath acne. But it'll go away soon, right? My body just has to adjust. How long could that take, a few more months tops? And with that, I made my third error. A few months, my behind.
I read that taking Evening Primrose Oil balances hormones and could help. It did! It helped give me the worst stomach aches ever. It did not, however, help my skin. So, after about two months I peeled myself off the basement floor (it's where I landed after one of many unbearable stomach cramps) and looked into trying something else.
At this point I was still using commercial products on my face. I tried a few different drug store acne washes. I bet you could guess what happened. No help. At all.
My skin got so bad I barely wanted to leave the house. It was embarrassing, It hurt. I felt helpless and depressed.
I started taking Cod Liver Oil capsules. No harm, no foul. No help. I still take those because- why not?
I ordered some organic African Black Soap online. It maybe helped a little. It's hard to tell what actually works because (and if you have acne, I'm sure you know) what works for a little while might all of a sudden say a four-letter word, drop the mic, and storm out. Things seem to be getting better, and then BAM! No, no no! I still use that soap on my face, and I went from washing two times a day to one.
I also started using the Olay ProX brush. My face feels cleaner when I use it. Does it help with my acne? The jury is still out. In fact, I think they went to lunch one day and never returned.
I stopped using any chemical on my face. I figured fake crap is what got me into this mess, nature was going to get me out.
I tried activated charcoal masks, but they just stained my skin. I tried egg white masks, they helped a little and I still use them sometimes.
I tried making my insides healthy by eating more veggies and less processed junk.
I started taking garlic supplements to keep tics away, but they're supposed to be good for acne. I don't know if they helped, but they didn't hurt.
Are you seeing a trend here?
I bought zinc supplements. Now those I really think did help. I most certainly take those still.
I bought pumpkin seed oil for acne and...hair loss. Yeah, I have that as well now, and I'm assuming it is linked to the acne, so I will be posting about that in this blog, too. It maybe helped a little. I need to find a new place to buy it, though, so I'm not taking it right now.
I started making and drinking beet kvass. I haven't seen much effect on my skin.
I started drinking diatomaceous earth. I like it, but has it cleared up my skin? *To jury- Hey guys. Guys?!*
I bought the Illumask. It uses red and blue light waves and actually works a little, but it's $30 a month, so yeah...
I'm probably forgetting some things. I've tried a lot. But you get the idea. Currently, I have acne. It's not as bad as it was when I was at my worst, but it still gets pretty bad sometimes. Sometimes it's almost like I don't have acne. I'm hoping this is some kind of transition phase, but if having acne has taught me one things, it's not to get my hopes up too high.
The rest of my posts will be about what's going on currently. I'll try to keep you guys up-to-date on anything new I try or just how my skin is looking.
Have you guys tried any of these methods? Anything else?
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