Acne can make anyone feel insecure. Hormonal acne journey is perhaps one of those least talked about topics that are emotionally difficult to put into words.
If you are reading this you probably have struggled or are struggling with acne. You are not alone because despite the myriad of potions and lotions promising us clear, radiant skin I too struggled with acne for more than a year.
Acne brings along a lot of insecurity and sharing an acne story is all the more uncomfortable for me. Primarily because this is an ongoing journey and my skin is still far from being perfect. And as much as I hold back myself from sharing it on the internet I realize my blog is against body shaming and towards self-acceptance, self-love and body positivity. Acne shaming and acne self-shaming are no different.
Over the years I have learned so much about my skin and body. I honestly believe that anyone with skin or bodily issues would probably know 100 things more about their skin and body than someone who hasn't gone through havoc with them. I have spent years reading articles and watching videos about adult acne and It has been a battle for me ever since I turned 21 years. Back then, It was always two or three pimples at a time which would dry out and eventually heal on their own. However, things became worse in my mid-20’s when I suffered from painful hormonal acne for over a year.
Here is the timeline of my acne journey along with the products I used. I am in no way presenting you with a cheat sheet for your condition but rather explaining my story to broaden your perspective.
It all began around March 2019. My "not so perfect" skin started going much more imperfect. I noticed painful pimples developing on the sides of my cheeks. Needless to say I assumed they would heal on their own because I had never experienced acne in clusters before. I had lots of bumps on the forehead, along with bigger pimples that kept growing and healing and growing back. I suspected it was fungal acne and washed my face with anti-fungal shampoo (ketoconazole 1%) for two weeks while also changing my pillow cover every other day. This didn't help in any way and the acne on the sides of my face stubbornly sat there for around five months. By this time I had learned the art of ignoring and hiding it with my hair.
Fast forward to September 2019 when I visited India and got acne shamed by some relatives. It made me feel insecure and the next day I went for a blood test along with a gynecology check-up. I have always been an acute believer of healing from within and that made it important for me to know what was happening inside my body. The reports came normal which was a big relief but then again, it left me confused. Everyone was worried about my skin since I had my wedding day scheduled in November 2019. A traditional Indian wedding ceremony lasts around a week and is a very tiring period for the bride. I was expecting a huge gathering of friends and families whom I had not seen in years. For any girl the wedding day is probably the most special day of her life and I desperately wanted to look my best. Anyhow with all that shaming and my reports I came back to Tokyo by September-end and started my search for a Japanese dermatologist.
I consulted a dermatology clinic in Shibuya and the first thing they recommended me was a food allergy test. As per my results, I had no food allergy but I was allergic to house dust and some type of fungus. House dust can trigger a lot of uncomfortable symptoms. Excessive sneezing is one of the thing I had experienced several times in the dining area of my house. The diagnosis therefore, made perfect sense to me. The doctor prescribed me Nadofloxacin 1% cream along with Benzoyl peroxide gel every night along with a week's dosage of antibiotics, vitamin-c + pantothenic acid capsules and b-complex pills. In my desperate attempt to cure acne I also cut out my dairy intake. I continued using the two creams and the vitamins throughout October and November and observed very little difference. In a month's time before the D-day I also took two acne facials at the clinic. The facials really helped in calming down my acne and flatten the bumps on my forehead before the big day. As a result, I was able to cover up the rest of my acne and scars with makeup. Everything went really well and behind that glamourous shiny bridal wear I felt pretty and confident.
I came back to Tokyo and during my December appointment, I requested the doctor for something stronger. She prescribed me with Epiduo gel in continuation with the nadifloxacin 1% cream and the vitamins. I noticed my condition getting better but didn't stop some bigger pimples from forming pus. Those ones didn't heal for the longest time.
January 2020, I went back to India for a short period. The acne kept growing and now spreading to my cheeks. The older, painful, deep, red inflamed ones also still existed. At home, I was consuming dairy products again. I belong to Haryana in India and we have a huge culture of eating dairy foods. At this point, I was really upset with myself and continued the prescribed creams and the pills.
February 2020 I returned to Tokyo while still continuing with nadifloxacin 1% and Epiduo gel and vitamins every night. My husband suspected I was breaking out because of the dry winter air and house dust so he bought me an air purifier and humidifier. I did notice a little difference in my skin condition. At this stage I was also eating less dairy except for the regular Indian milk tea (chai).
It was mid-March 2020 that I started using pimple patches on those big pimples with pus. Also,
started following Intermittent fasting (16:8) and became dairy free again. Just in case you are unfamiliar with 16:8 intermittent fasting, it is a form of time-restricted fasting that involves eating only during an 8-hour window and fasting, for the remaining 16 hours every day. While continuing my prescription creams and vitamin pills and following the fasting diet I started seeing a big change in my skin. The acne started healing, forehead bumps disappeared, inflammation decreased.
My hormonal acne has settled down now. The bigger ones that had pus have dried out. Though I got two pimples around the chin area during my periods but honestly, for me that's still tolerable. I am also using a clay mask by Innisfree once in two weeks from the last month.
I have learned that with any skin issue, it’s definitely a sign that something in the body is out of balance. My skin is still not perfect but I see progress each day. The scars are also fading off slowly.
The combination of nadifloxacin 1%, Epiduo gel (Adapalene 0.1%/ Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5%), CeraVe moisturizing cream non-comedogenic, vitamin-c (Cinal vitamin-c+pantotheinc acid), B-complex pills (Neurovitan vitamin B) along with intermittent fasting and no dairy has helped me improve my condition significantly.
I also try to eat less hot foods and consume fennel seeds (saunf) every day. My elder sister follows Ayurveda and she recommended me to eat one spoonful of fennel seeds (saunf) post every meal to balance my Vata and Kapha doshas.
I hope this post gives you some hope. It is not easy to deal with the acne-related stress and acne itself but I am here to say you are not alone. Just love yourself while on this journey and heal yourself within.♡♡♡
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