Hi everyone! Today I wanted to talk about my acne story/advice. I honestly never thought I'd be someone who would be writing a post like this. My biggest insecurity has always been my skin. I'm not someone who is genetically blessed with clear, even skin. 7th grade is around the time when I started getting acne. I tried everything you could possibly think of to clear up my skin. Nothing seemed to make a difference, so I sort of just accepted it. All throughout high school my skin was the same, I had a few breakouts here and there but nothing crazy. It wasn't until I was in college that I noticed my skin was getting even worse. I started getting deep, cystic acne that would take weeks and weeks to clear up. I ended up never going anywhere without wearing some kind of makeup because it made me so self conscious. I tried all kinds of skincare products, mostly super harsh and abrasive ones which did NOT help at all. Finally, last year around May 2019 I was fed up and decided to do something else about my skin. I'd heard about Accutane being helpful for hormonal acne, but I've had bad experiences when I've been on birth control before so I decided against that. My doctor recommended a medicine called Spirolactone. This medication is actually used as a blood pressure medication, but is also helpful in clearing up acne. I was really nervous to try it because I've had terrible side effects with other hormonal pills. I was desperate, so I went ahead and tried a low dose.
Side Effects: A few of the possible side effects with this medication are fatigue, dizziness, and headaches. I didn't notice any of these effects personally! The only issue that I noticed was my blood sugar constantly went low. I now take a lot less insulin because this medicine lowered my blood sugar so much. I also made sure to drink a LOT of water everyday, which is something I normally did anyways.
I noticed a difference in my skin right away. Within the first few weeks my acne started clearing up and I didn't have redness anymore. I also noticed my skin was more even and less oily.
I've taken this medicine for almost a year now and I have never been so confident in my skin! I never ever thought I'd feel comfortable without any makeup. Now I confidently go to work, the gym, and almost everywhere makeup free. :)
May 2019: this is my skin right before I started the medicine. This was on a really good skin day. (I don't have any pictures from my bad breakouts because typically I wouldn't want to photograph them.)
April 2020: Almost a year after being on the medicine. Less redness and no breakouts!!
If you are someone who has struggled with acne, I hope this post helps you feel understood and less alone. I highly recommend trying out Spirolactone to see if it works for you!
**I am not a professional so of course check with your doctor to see if this medicine is right for you.
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