AI facial scan technology keeps saying she looks 15 but I’ve known her for a long time, when she was 21 she looked 12ish. When she was 18 she looked about 10. She says her hormones were checked when she was 24 and they were normal, she says she only looks young because she has big eyes and a small nose. Starting about 2 years ago her face started getting acne, and any treatments just made it worse. the only thing that helped was antibiotics. it isn’t just one or two spots, she says she’s getting up to a dozen new spots at once and parts of her face are constantly sore. Some of the spots are very tiny, like pore-sized, and get white heads. She never had acne when she was in school or college and she doesn’t wear any makeup and hasn’t tried anything new. Before her period she gets very irritated-hyper, one time she got so pissed off at a pretty mundane thing she threw a mug at the wall. Her bloods are normal too since she had those checked recently. She also told me once that her sweat is “very sticky” rather than watery.
Since 31 is still very young, is this normal for her age? I was told acne typically stops by 45. I mean for a cis woman (I’m trans so idk if this is just normal cis woman things)
I feel for your friend because my mom had acne until (I assume) she hit menopause, and my acne starts back up if I ever take a break from continuous birth control. Doctors are also incredibly dismissive about these things because no one understands female hormones -yay for us!!
I can’t diagnose your friend, but I can point you in some directions to bring up at the doctor:
What treatments? (you don’t have to tell me, but have it ready for the doctor) Usually they’ll hand you some benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid along with the antibiotics as the initial treatment. Maybe tretinoin (retin-A). These are very harsh actives, so they can be very irritating if you use too much or don’t combine them with a skincare routine. They also just don’t work for everyone. She can go back to the dermatologist and try something else.
This sounds like it could be fungal acne (again not qualified to diagnose, go to a doctor). If it’s itchy and also gets worse with heat/sweat, try some anti-dandruff shampoo with ketoconazole or zinc pyrithione and see if that helps.
She should speak to her doctor about PCOS and/or PMDD. They will likely recommend birth control for these conditions if she has them, but that is not the only option if she doesn’t want to go on it.
“Looking young,” “big eyes,” and “small nose” could be indicators of various genetic or endocrine conditions, but I wouldn’t bring this up to the doctor since it’s super vague and doesn’t point to anything in particular. She should just stick to symptoms that are bothering her. Presumably the doctor will be able to spot the connection if there is one.
I don’t think this is a useful question. Acne is a common condition even in adults, but it is still a condition that most people want treated. The point is she wants treatment. If a doctor dismisses her with a “oh it’s normal” or a “it’s just a sign that you have young skin!” (my mom got this line into her 40s…), go to a different doctor.
+1 for the anti-dandruff shampoo trick. I keep a bottle in the cabinet for when I work outside in the summer. It’s the only thing that prevents massive breakouts (all over my chest and shoulders) after I sweat a lot. Use it like a face/body wash, and let it sit for an extra minute or two (however long the bottle says) before you rinse. For particularly bad/stubborn spots, I use it like an overnight spot treatment. Dab it on directly and let it dry before bed, then rinse off in the morning.
It will only make a difference if the acne is actually fungal. But if it is, your friend will likely see a world of difference.