need serious help with my skin!
i am 20 yrs old, female and ive been struggling with severe acne since 2023 (17 yrs old). until then i had really really clear skin. ive tired anything and everything that people have recommended / stuff that ive read and researched, but absolutely nothing works. both korean and western skincare have not worked. i have really oily yet dehydrated skin, with a lot of white heads and pimples (the kind where you get white gunk + seed when you squeeze) as well as so many hard deep painful cystic acne. my acne is also super inflamed and irritated, and sometimes my skin dries out so bad it becomes flaky and peels off (esp after spot treatment cream). i’m so tired of this because ive lost all my confidence and cannot even go outside without makeup on. recently i went to the doctor (gp not derm) and they have me 1% adapalene which ive been using for a month but no difference at all - maybe bc people say it takes 3 months to see any difference but im just paranoid bc nothing ive done so far has worked. i also have alot of scars and hyperpigmentation because im a chronic skin picker :/ i just want my old, normal skin back bc ive wasted so much money and so much products with zero results :(
so if anyone has had similar experiences, can you please tell me what you did to fix it? any products or methods that are not accutane or heavy retinoids? or maybe if its my hormones / gut health problem, how do i fix that too? lastly, ive also used 2.5% benzoyl peroxide and found out i am super allergic to that, it makes my face swell up and itch so bad.. any help is much appreciated - thank you!!
TLDR: super stubborn acne (irritated and inflamed) for 4 years, how do i fix it?