Up until the time I was like 17 and my doctor prescribed me an antibiotic and retin-A micro and told me to wash my face with just water and a washcloth and that killed the worst of it. Zinc-based sunscreen helps too. i would recommend looking into switching to EWG verified makeup if you can. Eat less sugar and seed oils and other inflammatory foods. I actually love chicory syrup as an acne treatment which you can only buy from literally one brand on Amazon it works wonders. I also have a Mirena IUD which I think may have been a big game changer tbh
Apr 12, 2024
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DIM (linked) This vitamin is technically for people experiencing menopause but it helped me so so much with my hormonal acne.
also, as gimmicky as it looks/sounds, curology is the ONLY topical treatment that helped my hormonal acne without making me purge a bunchā¦
If youāre able to, get Blood work done! this will help you determine any other underlying issues that may be contributing.
Drinking hot water + lemon + turmeric + pepper +chia seeds every morning is a godsend. i donāt even really break out now during my period???
good luck! adult onset acne is a bitch truly, and I hope you find something that works for you <3
Apr 12, 2024
š
Ugh, Iāve got some really expensive/intensive ideas (sorry)š« : lasers + isotretinoin. but essentially anything with vitamin A (like a retinol) helps! it doesnāt treat the hormones, tbh, but it reduces the pores oil glands.
Also sulfur face washes really help calm down my breakouts. Really wish Iād known sooner. Good luck! Acne sucks
Apr 12, 2024
š
I have always had a fear of destroying my skin by applying stuff on it that i don't really need. Inherited hormonal acne and you'd think the fear would go away.Most of the people i know my age who have suffered skin issues particularly acne always end up on a skin experimental journey of sorts.
I admit i did fall victim to tret and clozole-B. Solely because of the promise of clear skin.No clear understanding of what i was putting on my skin. Even then something felt off about it. Now determined to care for my skin, i have done some research and still continue to. This is what i have found so far.
My type of acne is hormonal. My forehead for the most part is clear. My cheeks, jawline and chin suffers the most. I also previously thought that i had oily skin. Turns out i just have combination skin. An oily T-zone and dry to normal cheeks. My skin barrier suffered some damage from the use of actives, lack of moisturizer and not wearing sunscreen.
To aid my skin barrier in the healing process i need to simplify my skin care routine and thoroughly understand products and their ingredients. I settled for a moisturizing cleanser that doesn't contain alcohol( it dries out the skin), a good moisturizer that contains ceramides and a sunscreen. I use a chemical sunscreen. La Roche possay works for me because it is light weight and doesn't leave a white cast on top of having good coverage.
I plan on having weekly or bi weekly steaming sessions. Maybe later incorporate sheet masks. I got an alcohol free toner for hydration. I only wash my face at night, do my skin care way before bed to minimize leaving all the product on my pillow. I apply just sunscreen in the morning and re apply when i get off work.
My skin seems to be loving this. I should mention that i started using this products one by one so that i can tell which one doesn't work. This is too long. I'll update later.
Apr 26, 2024
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āLife shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.ā
ā AnaĆÆs Nin
This is uncharacteristically raw and personal, even for me, and pretty heavy! I know many of you have seen me posting through it and I feel safe to talk about it openly now that Iāve safely landed at the start of my new life. Itās honestly even a little bit embarrassing but I think itās important to share.
Iāve never publicly mentioned it on here, but I have a husband; as of Friday, weād have been together for 11 years, and weāve been married for 3 years as of 2/22. I realize now that I wanted to explore what I looked like outside of my relationship with him because I had lost that. This is why PI.FYI has been so meaningful to me as a space to express myself and connect with peopleāto rediscover my voice.
I had been living a lie this entire time, to others but worst of all to myself. Heās been verbally and emotionally abusive, physically but without touching me, to the point that every day I spent with him I was in danger. Iāve been shrinking myself and walking on eggshells to avoid making him insecure and provoking his casual put-downs and fits of rage, while hanging on for dear life to the threads of good I could see.
Iāve wanted so badly to leave, more than anything, but I felt like there was no way out and that this was just something I would need to endure indefinitelyābut someone who is so very dear to me helped me see that I have wings to fly, not by acting as my savior but by reminding me of my own power. The emotional safety they built and the gentle care they showed me made me feel like I could open up to them. With their encouragement I was brave enough to tell the truth to my friends, my family, my boss, and they have received me with warm, loving and open arms and rallied to support and protect me. The financial andĀ logistical aspects were the most intimidating to me and itās going to be tough for a while but Iām going to be better than okay!
Now Iām opening up to you. This isnāt the only abuse Iāve suffered in my life, and my old therapist told me she believed it was my mission to share my strength and light with others to inspire them and show them that change is possible.
I hope that by sharing this, I can reach even just one person who is going through something similar and show that they are not alone, and they are not weak. People with certain backgrounds may be more vulnerable to abuse, but it can happen to anyone. It thrives in darkness, shame, and isolationāand breaking that silence is the first step toward freedom.
Leaving is the scariest thing I have ever done but I have so many angels around me, and I am endlessly grateful. Thank you for being here with me š
Mar 16, 2025
My dad teases me about how when I was a little kid, my favorite thing to do when I was on the landline phone with somebodyābe it a relative or one of my best friendsāwas to breathlessly describe the things that were in my bedroom so that they could have a mental picture of everything I loved and chose to surround myself with, and where I sat at that moment in time. Perfectly Imperfect reminds me of that so thanks for always listening and for sharing with me too š
Feb 23, 2025
Schedule sent my resignation email for the morning, effective immediately ā
š
Feb 27, 2025