Hey guys,
I really need some advice because I’ve been dealing with this for almost 2 years now and I feel stuck.
Background:
I’ve had acne for around 6–7 years now
Took antibiotics ( Minocycline) for about 9–11 months
It worked at first, but later stopped working
After that, everything got worse (skin + gut)
Since then:
I developed folliculitis on my scalp, but i believes few years ago i used to have some small bumps.in my sclap, when I'm taking haircut often get hurts, but never developed to be more serious until i moved to another country 3 years ago, humidity is soo high here.
Now it also affects my mustache area and around my lips (kind of like a circle)
Sometimes itchy, sometimes just bumps
One important thing:
After the antibiotics, I feel like my gut was completely messed up.
I have an inflammation and i successfully healed it !!!
##At some point, I went on a VERY strict diet:
boiled vegetables
chicken / fish
very clean eating
##During that time:
my skin improved A LOT
but I lost a lot of weight
and it was really hard to maintain (social life, eating outside, etc.)
Now I’m stuck between:
strict diet = better skin but not sustainable
normal eating = flare-ups come back
Triggers I noticed:
maybe certain foods, nuts, eggs, dairy not sure, tried homemade kefir and few min later feel itchy in my skin.
Maybe high carbs also, cz here only noddles and rice are the main food lol
recently I swam in a lake → 4–5 days later my scalp flared badly again,
What I’ve tried recently ( 2026 ):
-tried this time ACV, seems it's working but slowly!
-Also forget to mention ( back to my hometown, went to see a dermatologist, again prescribed antibiotics, but i insisted i won't take them, but she gave a pomade antibiotics called ( fucidine ) works perfect that time, but i stopped few months later, afraid to get resistance!
-Also I've tried olive oil mixed with garlic, put in my hair and face skin, felt sooo good and refreshed my hair and scalp, I've did this when i was in remission btw
-benzoyl peroxide
-adapalene + BP
-antifungal shampoos
-diet changes
Nothing fully fixes it long-term.
Questions:
Does this sound like fungal, bacterial, or gut-related?
Has diet made a big difference for you long-term?
How do you manage this without being on a super strict diet forever?
Has anyone used Hibiclens for scalp or beard area?
I really want to fix the root cause, not just control symptoms.
Any advice or similar experiences would mean a lot 🙏