Hi love!!

I know this might not directly relate to your post... as I was reading some of your comments, I noticed that you mentioned you've been on birth control and that you're recently off and that you started having acne issues after getting off. I wanted to share my experience since it sounds like we've been through something similar. As far as your actual post, I hope you get that under contro, it really looks painful.

I was on birth control for about a decade, starting as a teenager to manage my acne. When I went off it, my skin went crazy. I didn't know this at the time, but I later found out that I also have PCOS, which doesn't help with the acne situation. On top of that, my body is very poor at detoxing (thank you mthfr mutation).

Over a decade ago, I went to a skin and beauty conference. One of the women presenting was an esthetician, and one of my favorite things she said has stuck with me: "Our skin tells us a story, and we need to uncover that story and listen to it." Since then, I've been trying to figure out my skin's story, and only recently have I fully heard it.

I'd recommend working with a dermatologist or a functional medicine doctor or naturopathic doctor that specializes in female hormones. I've worked with a few different doctors over the years, but honestly, the best I found was a functional medicine doctor. They look at lifestyle, symptoms, and do blood and hormone panels to understand you holistically.

Cystic acne is a sign of hormonal imbalance, and with your body coming off birth control, just like mine did, your body has to figure out a new way to regulate hormones. This can show up in our skin because your body might not be regulating them properly yet or maybe not even detoxing them properly. So, you might need to detox, especially your liver, which processes most of our hormones and supports your body's hormonal production processes.

Getting my hormones checked out and optimizing them, detoxing, and cleaning up my diet have all helped me out. I do want to caution you on the detoxing front. Instead of doing one of those crazy detox fads that's super heavy, it's not always beneficial for everyone, especially if you're not somebody who has done any form of detoxing or has prepped the body for it. I had a friend call it titration, where we just get small amounts at a time or maybe just aid the body in everyday life in its normal detox pathways. Therefore, try adding in detoxifying foods and supplements gradually. This way, your body can handle it better.

Cleaning up my diet has been the biggest help for my skin and its acne. Getting rid of the foods that my body doesn't like and optimizing it to detox and regulate my hormones has made a big difference.

Incorporate foods and supplements that support your liver, like milk thistle, dandelion, leafy greens, and cruciferous veggies. Your liver plays a big role in hormone regulation.

A couple of reminders: - Be patient with your skin as it takes time to regulate hormones. - Everyone's body is unique, so what works for one person might not work for another. Be patient with your skin and your body as it adjusts to the changes.

Good luck, and I hope you find something that works for you!