PCOS Is Not My Friend: The Acne

By now you've read about my PCOS journey in a number of different ways: the problems with my cycle, the weight related difficulties and the body hair dilemma. Now we're onto the next, and probably most superficial of all of my symptoms: the acne. Oh, the acne. It's the bane of my existence. My chin seriously hates me right now.

{Image source here}

I was a lucky teenager, I really was. Looking back, I never remember having problems with my skin - I had the occasional bad luck with pimples, and I always did have quite oily skin, but I never had acne like others did. I even remember being complimented for having such a nice, clear complexion. Oh hindsight, you are an evil, evil thing. My face is anything but clear now. Who would've thought that I'd ever wish for those days again?

I first noticed that my skin had changed when I moved to London. I don't know exactly what the cause of it was, but I liked to blame the harder water here in the city; but my face did not react well to the move overseas. My face, once prone to oiliness, changed completely. It became very, very dry in some places, but remained oily in others. During the first few years here, I also suffered with problems with my skin after I travelled; it would become extremely red, irritable and scratchy - as if I'd contracted some kind of rash. The pharmacist in the UK recommended I use sorbolene/aquaeous cream for moisturising, but the pharmacist back home in Sydney prescribed me with a mild cortisone cream, which helped quite a lot. But that was just the beginning.

Since starting on the Metformin tablets, I've been experiencing quite bad acne; particularly around the chin and neck. Since I've never really suffered from acne before, it's safe to say that I feel awful - they are red and inflamed, and they often seem to form little cysts - so giant red lumps that don't really ever get any 'head'. {Gross, right?} The worst part is that even if I do my best not to pick or squeeze, they scar. The red cysts eventually disappear but they leave behind a mark. My once-clear skin is now very, very scarred.

I have also been getting little bouts of acne on my back, which again, is the kind that leaves marks. I've been using bio-oil to try and reduce the scarring, but it's not really doing much good - my skin is so fair that even the smallest of bumps leaves a spot behind. It's awful. Here's me trying to get in the best shape and physical health I've been in before, and I'm spotted and marked. What lovely wedding pictures I'm going to take, eh?

Quite a few adults suffer from acne, but I'll be honest: it was not something I bargained for. I never expected to suffer from this, and especially not in my twenties - so much for escaping the hormonal crap once you're out of the teens! If I'm still not happy with my face clearing up in the next few months, that'll be one of the first things on my agenda when I have my follow up visit back in Sydney in December.

Have you ever experienced adult or cystal acne before? What did you use to combat it?