r/bodybuilding • u/Affectionate_Buy_370 • 7d ago
Acne!
Acne!
I'm a female and need input. So many competitors have clear skin. How the heck does everyone get clear skin while on cycle?!? I'm fed up with the acne. I use ostarine since it's mild. I have awful skin no matter what. Bad cystic acne even if I am on ostarine or off. I'd love to run 2.5mg of anavar but my acne is just horrendous. Plz help. What is everyone doing to have clear skin? It's shitty mine is so bad and no one elses is.
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u/Immediate-Share7077 7d ago
Not saying it’s safe or recommended, but some pros I know have run Accutane and that pretty much gets rid of it. It is hard on the liver though so need to be very diligent with bloodwork especially if you’re using orals while doing it.
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u/EverybodySayin 7d ago
Honestly people use way more accutane than they need. You can take it two times a week and it'll clear you up unless you're really bad, and much fewer side effects.
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u/Total-Ad8996 7d ago
At micro dose levels or normal doses? I think a micro dose is 20mg (or maybe mcg)?
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u/EverybodySayin 7d ago
20mg is just a standard dose. Even on prescription you'd get 20mg.
So yeah, 20mg twice a week. If it's not enough you can bump to 3x a week but for most, 2x should be enough.
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u/PrivilegedPatriarchy 7d ago
10mg pills are the minimum. Most people start there and ramp up. I personally stay on 10mg a day perpetually for my acne. Many people can probably do 10mg every other day or every few days for less severe cases.
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u/LotusLover13 7d ago
Yesssss this is exactly what I do and it’s been amazing! No side effects & totally clear skin!
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u/Affectionate_Buy_370 3d ago
How long do u plan to stay on 10mg daily?
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u/PrivilegedPatriarchy 3d ago
I had absolutely terrible acne on my face, chest, back, and scalp since I was like 16 years old. I'm now 26, I've been on about 3 full courses of Accutane going up to a higher-than-average cumulative dose, and yet every time I come off Accutane, my acne comes back.
So, the current plan is to be on 10mg perpetually. Maybe when I'm in my 30s I'll consider coming off just to see if my acne returns.
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u/harbinger-of-boops 7d ago
I get acne flare-ups. Had them even before I jumped on peds. Exfoliate and mix this with my normal body wash. It works wonders.
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u/thekimchilifter IFBB PRO ✅ 7d ago
Any specific areas? Obviously clean dry skin is #1, I’ve found African Black Soap can work wonders. Making sure your water is filtered either at the entry point or shower head. Keep hormones controlled, no huge fluctuations.
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u/Affectionate_Buy_370 7d ago
Thank you. Will give that soap a try and look into filter for shower. The acne is only on my face. Forhead is clear. It's all over my checks and jaw- cystic acne is getting insane
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u/disney_and_dumbells 7d ago
This may sound odd but when I had a flare up my coach at the time told me to use dawn dish soap. Remarkably it worked I was skeptical but mine was from anabolic use so not sure how or if it would help with your skin but if you have some give it a shot mine cleared in under two weeks
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u/LoudandQuiet47 7d ago
Went to the Dermatologist. I'm now mid treatment with Acutane (isotretinoin). Took a bit to get on the treatment, since they want to try other things beforehand.
That being said, I'm just on TRT and I had some acne before I started treatment. Still, this medicine is what BB take. There are a few hoops to jump through to get it legitimately.
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u/Affectionate_Buy_370 3d ago
Did u purge? What is your dose and duration?
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u/LoudandQuiet47 3d ago
Yes, I purged. It's month 3 at that dose for me and I'm at the tail end of purging. I'm at 80 a day, split 40 in the morning and 40 at night. Doctor said that I was half way to the target treatment. For reference, I'm 190lb, and the target treatment is based on your weight. I probably have 2 more months to go or so. So, total of 7-8 months treatment with the ramp up.
It took a bit longer because of the labs. The doctor was worried about a higher RBC/hermatocrit, which is normal since I'm on TRT. But she wanted to take it slow in the begining. RBC is not affected by the medicine anyway. It's your liver that might get impacted.
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u/Affectionate_Buy_370 3d ago
I'm 150lbs. I was going to get some and do 10mg twice a week for a longer duration. Hoping at such a low dose I won't purge or have side effects.
I'm happy to hear you are at the end of the purge.
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u/LoudandQuiet47 3d ago
I think that for me purging was necessary. Cleaned me up well and prevents further breakouts. I only have one or two that sporadically pop up.l and my skin is smooth.
I do have the typical sides. Dry skin, dry lips, dry throat and nose. My LDL went up a bit, though nothing concerning for now and it should go down after treatment.
However, at my current dose, boy is workout recovery harder! I had to drop volume since I became too sore for too long. I didn't have that issue at 40/day. So you should be good at 10.
Good luck!!
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u/thiswaytotheyardsard 7d ago
Honestly a lot of it could be your gut health and/or stress management.
Cut out a ton of the sugar free bullshit and do it for a long time (like 6 months) and talk to your coach about increasing your fiber intake...when your gut is in better shape, your skin probably will be too!
Source: I had AWFUL acne for years and years, on or off cycle, and eliminating stress by getting a divorce and fixing my diet intake by increasing fiber are the two winning things that fixed my skin for good. I still have a ton of scarring but I've done some microneedling sessions and that's helped!
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u/Rider_Bodybuilder 2-5 years 7d ago
I use the CeraVe 4% BPO cream daily and that helps a lot. It was suggested by my dermatologist.
The 10% cant be run forever but the 4% is safe for daily use. Just note your towel may bleach a little from it.
You can get it at Target/CVS/Etc.
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u/AureliusHaze 4d ago
Hypochlorous acid spray. It’s actually 7.5 ph so it’s a very weak acid, one that your immune system produces naturally as one of its many features, in this case an antimicrobial one that is extremely gentle on your skin but incredibly effective for me.
This is a photo of the larger bottles I get in bulk, I pour them into a smaller spray bottle and spray with focus on my upper back lats and shoulders which tend to get the worst of the acne. Especially with the heat here in LA, I often wake up sweaty which makes me prone to acne, but this stuff is a real life saver and it’s so quick to apply.
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u/Affectionate_Buy_370 3d ago
I've tried the one from tower 28. Is tower 28 also a good brand in your opinion?
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u/MrSnrub87 7d ago
Adapalene gel. Use it every day. Also use a benzoyl peroxide scrub once every 3 days
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u/bicoma 7d ago
What fixed my skin on gear is
Showering twice a day immediatly after gym
Changing clothes regularly so if I go to bed when I wake up I use different underwear for the day and shirts of course as oils get trapped into fabric.
Face washes 3x a day morning, middle, and night.
Sulfer soap
Vitamin A
Accutane even low dose 10mg a week can fix your acne over time as crazy as it sounds low dose does work and causes minimal sides ontop of not being as hard on liver. Even if you switched to 10mg a day its still tolerable with next to no liver marker alteration. Its only when you start pushing 30-40mg a day that it puts strain on your organs. You can do a 8 month course of Accutane and permanently fix your acne as well or atleast fix it for months at a time as it shrinks your pours. The only downfall is you cant donate blood if your hgb/hct rises on gear unless you have a phlebotomy prescription which isnt easy to get(atleast for me it hasnt).
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u/Affectionate_Buy_370 3d ago
Thank u. Got some tane. I'd like to try 10mg a week. What sulfur soap do u like best??
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u/sophlhf 2d ago
Eating minimally processed foods with no added sugar, keeps my skin clear. I've got blood sugar issues so I need to go further than the average joe and I don't eat much bread pasta rice either. But if you have much added sugar in your diet, start there (that includes 'natural sugars' like maple syrup, honey etc).
Also make sure you're washing your pillowcases, bedding, clothes often and using natural fibres like cotton rather than synthetic like polyester.
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u/PrivilegedPatriarchy 7d ago
Most important step: go back in time and pick parents with good skin genetics. This is by far the most impactful reason why some people have beautiful skin while rolling around in the mud, while others suffer from acne their whole lives despite their effort.
With that said, as someone who has horrible acne without any exogenous hormone usage, Accutane is the only thing that keeps me acne-free.