Adult Acne for 2 Years and Feeling Defeated: Would Love to Hear Your Stories and Guidance
Hi everyone,
(These photos are currently me starting doxycline mono 100mg only on week 1)
I’ve been struggling with acne for about 2 years now, and I’m feeling really defeated and looking for advice or even just people who can relate.
Growing up, I never had acne. My skin was always pretty clear and glowy. Then one day I decided I wanted to get into skincare and be one of those routine girls, so I started washing my face regularly with La Roche-Posay products. Not long after, I started breaking out. I don’t know if it was a coincidence or not, but that’s when everything seemed to start.
Then I started getting monthly facials because of this, and looking back, I feel like my skin got worse every time. Eventually I stopped because I realized they seemed to be triggering more breakouts.
Since then, I’ve honestly made things worse by constantly trying new products and treatments. Now I’m dealing with active acne, redness, scarring, and post-acne marks.
So far I’ve tried:
Clindamycin
Tretinoin (multiple strengths)
Doxycycline 100 mg
Minocycline
Various skincare products recommended by dermatologists
My dermo prescribed Seysara and Winlevi, but my insurance denied both of them.
Because of that, she started me on doxycycline monohydrate 100 mg and tretinoin 0.025%.
For anyone wondering, my current routine is pretty simple:
Doxycycline monohydrate 100 mg
Tretinoin 0.025% (I’ve only used it once so far)
Washing my face every morning and every night with La Roche-Posay Purifying Foaming Cleanser
Ironically, that’s the same cleanser I was using when all of this seemed to start 2 years ago. My dermatologist still wants me to give it another try because she doesn’t think the cleanser itself is causing my acne. My acne is only on my cheeks, but my dermatologist ordered me hormonal blood work and everything was normal.
The problem is that I just started the doxycycline and it feels like my skin is getting worse, not better. I used the tretinoin once and felt like my skin immediately started breaking out more, so I’ve been scared to use it again.
At this point, I’m wondering if Accutane might be my next step, but I’m honestly terrified of the side effects. I don’t even know if my blood clotting disorder would affect whether I can take it.
Has anyone else had acne appear suddenly as an adult when they never had it growing up? Did doxycycline or tretinoin seem to make your acne worse before it got better? If you’ve been on Accutane, was it worth it? Were there any treatments that finally helped after multiple others failed?
I just feel really alone, discouraged, and not confident in my skin right now. Sometimes I wonder if I’m just not giving treatments enough time to work, if my skin is purging, or if I’m simply not on the right treatment yet.
I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences because right now I feel like I’ve tried so many things and I’m running out of hope.