I have forged the battle with acne since I was roughly fourteen. I remember getting my first whitehead on my jaw line even earlier in sixth grade. Of course then my father chalked up my breakouts to a lack of washing my face even though my mother knew better. My first treatment was a topical known as Differen gel which I think every acne sufferer has used at one time. The gel then began to over dry my skin, thus forcing my pores to secrete more oil and therefore instigating more blemishes. Visiting the dermatologist again, he prescribed Differen cream which was supposed to have a moisturizing complex in it to prevent drying. Needless to say, Differen wasn’t working for me regardless of its form. The next step was a topical called Tazorac, also a very popular treatment. By this time I was a junior in high school and so ridiculously embarrassed by my blemishes I cringed when I looked at myself in the rear view mirror before leaving in the morning. My acne was concentrated in the T-zone, nose, chin, but fortunately not my forehead. And my acne didn’t exactly hide; I had the greatest amount around my mouth so I knew everyone was seeing it. The dermatologist then took more drastic steps and prescribed an oral.
The oral was a weak antibiotic called Doxycycline, a little blue pill that was extremely cheap. In fact I was angered when the price went up to by a dollar to $1.65 for a 30 day supply. Usually it helps clear up the skin in a few days, for me it took about three. By college however, my body had become resistant after years of consuming the antibiotic daily. By this time my acne had decided to leave my mouth and instead spread to my cheeks and jaw line, even onto my neck.
Now at age 21 I am still sporting adolescent acne which would be okay if kids I went to high school with who are 19 and 20 who were once acne riddled didn’t have faces smooth as butter now. However, I have found my personal savior, Spironolactone.
First and foremost I had to learn that acne is a skin disease, but it’s okay because it’s the most common skin condition so you’re in good company. Therefore, it typically needs to be treated from the inside out. Don’t give in to ProActive and other skin regimens that only make your face feel fresh because the best way to treat is not on the surface. So I was given Spironolactone which is an oral and is not an antibiotic.
Antibiotics work because they treat inside out killing bacteria (because that’s what they do) thus removing all the nasty stuff that clogs the pores causing blemishes. However, overtime you may find that antibiotics no longer work for you; this is because the body can become resistant. Spironolactone is not an antibiotic. Its foremost purpose is to lower blood pressure but do not be put off by this, because it has been proven to clear acne in adult women. Notice I say ADULT WOMEN. Spironolactone works as a hormone balancer and blocks testosterone. Because of this, it should not be used by men for acne treatment. Since it is a hormone balancer, never take it if you (or your child) are still going through puberty and have raging hormones. Adults typically have clear skin because the hormones have settled.
Spironolactone of course has its side effects and what have you like any other medication but this is the first medication I have ever taken that I have thought to myself “Bring them on!” Side effects include decrease in body hair and increase in breast size just to name a few. Plus, the pill is kind of minty so it goes down easily. Of course there is also the negative effects, if not taken for high blood pressure, the medication can cause normal blood pressure to drop causing dizziness and light headedness. Also, Spironolactone is a diuretic so therefore users end up hitting the toilet more frequently but, the advantage to that is loss of weight. Nothing significant, maybe five pounds but it does get rid of that bloat in the belly. Also, the treatment can cause fatigue but personally I have not noticed much difference.
I’ve taken Spironolactone for several weeks now and have seen excellent results. This oral has proven to be the only medication in clearing up my acne. In my own opinion, the benefits are by far more worth the few negative side effects. Patience is key as it may be several weeks before it goes into effect but I highly recommend Spironolactone to any candidate that would qualify because they will most certainly be pleased with the results.
