u/Choice_Ad522

I’ve struggled with acne to varying degrees since I was around 12ish. It’s usually on the milder side (definitely visible without makeup on any given day, often visible with makeup) and gets noticeably worse the week before my period or if I travel (despite being super careful about hygiene while traveling). After going to a bunch of college visits in April, my skin is a DISASTER. It now seems to have no correlation with my period and is just bad all the time. It’s also on my chest and back. I have several smaller whiteheads/blackheads and a few red, inflamed bumps. My routine is gentle but my skin still looks irritated.

My current skincare routine involves panoxyl moisturizer, cerave gentle salicylic acid cleanser, and murad salicylic acid spot treatment, none of which seem to do anything. I have really sensitive skin (used to be unable to use benzoyl peroxide at all, it doesn’t cause a reaction anymore but it also doesn’t do anything). I just bought the differin 5% benzoyl peroxide cleanser to see if it would help (thought 10% would be too harsh)

I haven’t seen a dermatologist in a few years. Back then, I was prescribed sulfur wash (did nothing), tretinoin (2 strengths, did nothing but I also wasn’t consistent enough with it as I was young at the time), and doxycycline (helped marginally, but my regular doctor said not to keep taking it for as long as I was so I stopped). I’m about to ask to see a dermatologist again since this is the worst it’s ever been and I’m starting to see scarring. I’ve also been using winlevi but it seems to almost make it worse. Hydrocollid patches help a bit, but every time I put one on, another pimple sprouts overnight. I’ve been going without makeup lately and it’s done nothing.

I also do all the obvious stuff (washing back/face after using conditioner, using a silk pillowcase, changing pillowcase/sheets, wearing new pajamas every night). I do have an issue with picking at/touching my face, but even when I actively try to stop doing that, my face breaks out (and starts to feel dirtier). I did get a facial once which made it worse (maybe a year ago)

I’ve never wanted to go on accutane because of the side effects and my dermatologists wanted to try other stuff first (though this was 3/4 years ago), but at this point I’ll do anything. I’m starting college this fall and I just want to look decent.

Any suggestions? Sorry for the long rant, this is starting to affect my confidence more significantly.