Dabbling in hormonal and prescription treatments

Hormonal birth control

Just as a disclaimer, treatments for acne that are prescribed can be very effective when treating skin concerns. I’ve heard it from friends, I’ve read the articles and seen the before-and-afters on TikTok, so I have full faith that the prescription route can absolutely be the right decision for some. My experience is not a warning story against medication; instead, it’s a personal story of what I have learned works best for my body.

After being prescribed and starting a low dosage of birth control specifically for my acne concerns, I only lasted a week on it. Taking it for only a few days, I started to feel a little off, both mentally and physically. My appetite was ravenous, I was nauseous, my emotions were erratic and I felt a great deal of dissociation from my normal self — all side effects not uncommon with the pill.

While these changes weren’t unusual, they were intense enough to signal that this was not the ideal treatment for my body. 

Doxycycline

Less disruptive with hormones specifically, but still taken orally, derms often suggest antibiotics for persistent acne — though only for the short term. I was specifically placed on Doxycycline, an antibiotic intended to treat a variety of bacterial infections, like: 

• Acne
• Rosacea
• Gonorrhea 
• Chlamydia

While the antibiotic helped keep my skin stable, I did not find it to be improving anything, making it an option that didn’t seem sustainable for me to continue using.

Giving it a fair try for a few weeks, the unsuccessful trial period pushed me to keep looking for long-term fixes that weren’t just band-aids on the issue.

Tretinoin

Revered as a holy grail among the acne community, I wanted Tretinoin to be both effective and suitable for my skin’s needs. Being a concentration of pure retinoic acid, the topical cream is one of the strongest on the market for acne treatment, which makes it both effective and harsh.

Though the steroid works by speeding up skin cell turnover to promote clear skin, to get to that point, the skin barrier may experience side effects, like:

• Redness
• Dryness
• Itching
• Burning
• Increased sensitivity to UV

Even after following the derm’s instructions, my skin barrier felt damaged, with breakouts raging and more painful than ever. 

Accutane and more intense hormonal treatments

As my acne persisted, I questioned whether it was bad enough to be treated by more intense medication, like Accutane. After visiting a dermatologist for guidance, I was given a firm “no” on the potential of being a candidate for Accutane. She explained that while it reduces oil production significantly and stops acne at the source, it also disrupts the body far beyond the skin barrier. 

Some studies suggest that Accutane has the potential to cause hepatitis and other gastrointestinal side effects.  On the mental side, studies find that the drug can negatively interact with hormones and your mental health, potentially causing depression, psychosis and suicidal thoughts.

Aside from the mental and physical side effects, Accutane is also not compatible for treatment if you’re trying to conceive, with reports linking it to life-threatening birth defects. 

So, clear skin would eventually come if I were to have it prescribed, but at what price?

After the rejection, I decided to switch gears and take a more holistic approach to treatment.