Problematic acne

[fujo801]

I'm new here, so here goes. I'm pretty sure I'm not unique in experiencing this, but it's still an annoyance to me. I'm in my late 30s and have hormonal acne. I've been on tretinoin before, but eventually I grew a tolerance to it, so it stopped working. However, when I first started taking it, my severe cystic acne went away, but that was a dozen or so years ago. (Yeah, I just dated myself.) Anyway, I'm sure that this may be relevant. I take the mini pill with an anti-androgenic progestin as the active ingredient. Now, to the point, I have perpetual acne that doesn't know when to stop no matter what method I've tried. For example, I'll find a product and it'll work for a week or a month then it stops. I've used drug store brands, expensive brands, natural/herbal medicine (ex: tea tree oil), prescriptions. I take good care of my skin, and I make sure all my makeup is non acnegenic, but really, it's annoying. I've got everything from little bumps to ugly, red monsters, which usually show up around that time of the month. Some are sore, some aren't. I'm a low effort kind of person and would rather spend time writing than fretting over my skin... my oily, acne infested skin. So, my question is: what is a low effort kind of person supposed to do with problematic acne that seems to grow a tolerance to every method available to fight it? Also, please note, I stay home most of the time, so I don't wear makeup every day. 

[Titian06]

Hi, @fujo801 !  I think you should talk to your gynecologist about changing your pill.  Don't let your doctor tell you it won't make a difference.  I had to go through virtually all the antidepressants before I found one that worked.

I also recommend going to a dermatologist.  S/he is your best bet in determining a good, simple skin care routine and in helping to figure out why your skin is not receptive to products after awhile.  

Best wishes...I understand what you're going through!

[fujo801]

I may have to do the latter since I'm finally on birth control that works for me without the majorly negative side effects. Anyway, I'll ask a dermatologist if there's anything else I can do that my insurance will cover after explaining my issue to him in addition to taking into consideration the rest of the prescriptions I take once I make an appointment. Thank you for the suggestion.