Looking for a good combination book that ideally incorporates some or all of these topics, herbalism (in depth information about medicinal herbs and their properties, general knowledge), gardening for medicinal herbs, recipes, and bonus if there’s a bit of etymology, spirituality, or storytelling aspect. Also open to other suggestions.
I want to share my journey because I know it would’ve helped me when I first discovered I had PCOS. For context, my PCOS is genetic, but symptoms were completely dormant until a traumatic life event (my sister was killed by a drunk driver in November 2021.
1 (Jan 2022): I was 21, never struggled with acne on my face (always had terrible body acne but that’s easy to hide) and started noticing small bumps on my face. (Looking back, I’m laughing at the fact that I thought that was acne)
2 (Aug 2022): began getting painful cystic acne and closed comedones all over the face. Yes, it wasn’t that bad. But I had never had breakouts of more than a few whiteheads on my face before. started missing periods.
3 (Oct 2022): cystic acne did not stop. Spread to my neck, back, and chest. Average cycle was every 2-3 months.
4 (March 2023): acne continued to get worse. Period still irregular. At this point I stopped taking pictures because I couldn’t stand it. Acne went from moments of being really bad to being ok.
5,6 (April 2026): I am now 26, so yes my skin has aged 4.5 years. Over the last year and half, my acne started calming down. My periods are now almost regular. While I may not look that different in the pictures, my acne is completely different. I get a few cystic pimples every one in a while. Yes I still have acne, yes I’m still insecure, but it’s not nearly as bad as it was.
What I’ve learned and what I would’ve done differently.
- PCOS can be triggered by a traumatic event.
- the worst thing you can do for hormonal acne is pick at it
- the second worst thing you can do is not treat it sooner. I didn’t go to a specialist, dermatologist of any kind because I didn’t have the money. Now I get monthly facials. Huge difference. The longer you wait to treat acne the more scarring you will have. Go to a doctor and get that prescription now, ask for help, whatever it is. Don’t just spend endless time research just to not do anything about it and hope everything will fix itself (me). Changing drug store products won’t do much for hormonal acne.
- sunscreen EARLY in life. Just because the sun can hides your acne temporarily, doesn’t mean it’s helpful. Sunscreen EVERY day will help prevent bad acne scars.
- IT WILL GET BETTER. PCOS can feel like the actual end of the world. It’s not. You will get through it. at the end of the day it’s all about stress management. Stay active, go outside, do lots of yoga and meditation. It may not fix your symptoms but it will make life a million times better.
Also, I know my acne “isn’t that bad” compared to other people. I’m not here for pity or support, I’m here to express to anyone who was in a similar position as me when I first started that you can live with PCOS symptoms and be happy.