I have hormonal cystic acne and I took pills for that. Can you please suggest an alternative?

Question

Hi doctor,

I had hormonal cystic acne, and got treatment from a dermatologist, and was on pills that helped but caused me mood swings. Now, I do not want to continue them and am looking for an alternative. Can you please help me with this?

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I went through your query. For discussion on your problem, I need to know few more details.

What is your daily routine diet?
What is your activity schedule?
Do you have oily skin?
Exactly what is the location of acne? If there is any specific location like chin or jawline, or nose?
Have you been diagnosed with PCOD (polycystic ovarian disorder)?

In general, you should avoid oily fried foods. You should give more emphasis on yoga and meditation.

Kindly get back with the above details for more discussion.

Answer 2

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

You have beautifully explained your schedule. It is good that you maintain your sleep-wake cycle and walk every day without missing.

Lifestyle modification and food modification play an important role in improving your skin health. So, first, we will discuss that:

Daily you should have fruits, atleast two types of fruits.
Strict ban on junk food, oily food, and sweets.
It would help if you took plenty of water. Take water as much as you can, or you can take unsweetened lime juice.
Constipation is one of the causes of pimples, so give more emphasis on that. Include more salads in your meal; eat more and more fibrous food.

About everyday face care:

Avoid touching your face.
Wash your face atleast twice a day with cold water and soap. Apply soap in a circular motion on your face like a massage. Over scrubbing may irritate the skin, so avoid that.
Do not burst your pimples.
Avoid going in direct sunlight, mostly between 10 AM to 3 PM. Whenever you are going out, apply sunscreen lotion with high UV protection at around 45 SPF.
You can apply over-the-counter medication containing Benzoyl peroxide to acne that will decrease the oil and bacteria.
The application of Aloe vera gel on acne is very effective.

Avoid stress by practicing yoga and meditation.

Yoga gives you glowing skin as it will increase blood circulation of the face.
Meditation helps in maintaining peace and reduces stress.

About home remedies:

You can apply ice cubes to the face in a circular motion to reduce inflammation, redness, and swelling.
You can apply lemon juice to the face as it is rich in Vitamin C.
The application of ginger juice also helps in reducing acne.
Take steam once daily, followed by cleaning of face and then washing the face with cold water.

All these measures will surely help you in reducing your acne.

Emphasis should be given on lifestyle and food modification. For further discussion, you are welcome.

Take care.