Is a hormonal inbalance causing my acne? If so, how can I balance my hormones?

backne (back-acne) is usually related to high testoterone levels, and the timing certainly indicates the pill. My understanding is that side effects from pill withdrawal will resolve themselves providing your hormones were normal to begin with prior to using the pill. Perhaps this is something you can discuss with your gynecologist?

@drhat77 I hadn’t considered that. I just assumed the only person who would be able to help me is a dermatologist.

I think they might give you a good sense as to how much longer you can expect these symptoms to persist, and how long is too long, and maybe what you can do about it in the mean time.

Acne on the chin and jaw usually means that your testosterone is high. I don’t know how to lower it though. On the plus side, your body should respond really well to exercise right now if you want to tone up!
I use a good glycolic tonor to keep the acne at bay. It works really well and has kept my face relatively wrinkle free at 52. Double bonus. (Yes. I still get acne if I am not disciplined. )

It wouldn’t be stress too would it?

Ask for a checkup for for ovarian cysts. That can raise your testosterone and can also cause irregular or absent menstruation. It’s a simple ultrasound scan and they can give you the results there and then. Mostly they go away on their own, but you may need hormone therapy to help them along.

@downtide The dr actually did say she felt a mass on my ovary. I do have an ultrasound coming up. I had no idea a cyst could be the cause of my issues though.

Considering your other health problems, I’d say what you’ll need to resolve your acne issues are a good and thorough gynecologist to get to the bottom of your female issues.

I think it very well could be related to your missed periods and hormones. Cessation of periods can indicate higher testosterone. The pill might have been masking the problem, not sure if it can cause it? I usually think of the pill as hiding problems, but as you know I am not a doctor, I am just thinking of how women are given the pill to become regular, but I don’t think it makes most of them regular really, it just artifically does while on the pill. I don’t know the stats on the “cure” rate though. I know you were not put on the pill to become regular, but just for pregnancy prevention.

My chin gets pimples from using the phone or if it is touched too much. If I wipe alcohol on it in the evening it prevents the pimple from happening usually, even if I feel it coming on. But, mine are not really hormone related, and yours very well could be. But, the alcohol might help. It is probably a combination of hormones and bacteria I would think. Just remember to still moisturize the area of you try the alcohol.

Are you going to see the specialist your doctor recommended? I assume it will be a reproductive endocrinologist. They will check all those hormones. I’m going to disagree about going to another GYN. I personally would go straight to an RE at this point. GYN’s aren’t usually very good at the endocrine stuff in my exprience, they look to see if numbers are in normal ranges, but don’t necessarily really know how to interpret the tests well.

Some other symptoms of higher testosterone or PCOS is hair on the face, like your “mustache” getting heavier or other hair on the body where men typically grow hair, and weight gain. You might also have some darker pigmentation of the skin on your face or neck if your hormones are being whacky.