Acne breakout after cycle
So I ran my first cycle about a year ago using Test C at 500 mg/week for 14 weeks and anadrol 50 mg/day for 4 weeks towards the end. I had arimidex on hand but never used it as I was told by my "mentor" to not use it unless I got gyno symptoms ( Which luckily I never did). He has been using gear for over 15 years so I reluctantly took his advice. I now know this is the wrong approach and will get bloods done next time around.
Long story short, the cycle went well and I didn't really get any negative side effects until I came off. When I came off I started breaking out everywhere in bad cystic acne. This was no normal acne, I'm talking huge painful welts on my face, almost like boils. My face, shoulders,back, and chest were covered in acne. I used a liquid research clomid for PCT and the clomid seemed to make the acne even worse.
Months later and my skin is clear I'm just left with some scarring on my back and shoulders that is slowly fading over time. I would like to run another cycle soon of just Test C 500 mg/week. I was also thinking of adding proviron as well. I picked up some Aromasin for PCT as I've read that it can help fight acne during PCT due to it being an estrogen killer. I'm wondering if an estrogen rebound is what caused this bad breakout? I've used the search bar on here and I've read tons of acne threads and done plenty of research on it. I'm just looking for any and all advice on how to prevent this from happening next time around. I hadn't had acne since my teenage years until this happened and even then it wasn't nearly as bad as this was.
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This happens to me after every cycle
trash300get your e2 in range, if to high start 0.25-0.75mg / week, then start an isotretinoine therapy , 20-40mg ed - 4 months, do bloods regulary! Work together with a doc.
Estro likely got way out of whack coming off cycle. Like the guys said, get bloodwork to check estro during and after cycle and control level with AI as needed.
This is what I suspect. I felt very emotional during and months after PCT, granted this year was pretty rough. No signs of gyno at all, though I know I may just not be prone to gyno even if my estrogen is high. One thing I did notice when I took the anadrol is that my skin would get itchy after taking it, especially my scalp.
Good to see you back on the board bro
Thanks. Trying to catch up and get back in the swing of things.
Should have done bloodwork.
Keep in mind there are other steroids out there. You might just not be cut out for test centric cycles.
I have thought of this as well..seems like the golden era guys didn't even really use test and they all seemed to have great skin all the time. But I know most here would advise against using only an anabolic without a test base.
Yeah I would just say tread lightly if you decide to research that direction. Definitely know it inside and out, but there are a few guys here who respond well to those types of cycles.
Also in some cases they still use a test base, just like 100-200 mgs rather than your usual higher doses.
aromasin is an AI like adex... likely youre gonna get acne again this time get PRE MID AND POST BLOODS like sam said so you KNOW whats going on and can tackle it
Yes I'm going to get bloods done this next time. And I know aromasin is like adex but I read about some other people having success while using it during PCT to control acne. I suspect that my estrogen was way high when I came off cycle and that may have contributed to the acne. Keep in mind, I never even used the adex on cycle so my estrogen was probably up there.
This is one reason you should run pre, mid and post blood work.
Atleast on your first few cycles...
mauieHey Sam, can you please explain this a bit further? I've noticed that many people in gyms have bad acne symptoms all over their bodies, which I'd like to avoid as I'm planning my cycle after Christmass. What should I watch for in my bloods? are there any special requirements to ask the laboratory for? Is there anything with direct relation to the acne?
You need to get a full panel with a female panel for estrogen and prolactin.
Use the search bar at the top of the page.
There’s volumes on there..
AnonI had a bad experience with research chems for PCT years ago myself. And I never trusted research chems again. Pharma grade or UGL only for me.
You're asking for any and all advice to prevent acne during your next time around.
I will tell you what works for me. 20mg of Accutane every other day. If I take it ed my skin is clear but my lips are bacon. If I take it eod my skin is clear but my lips are not bacon. So I take it eod. I've used pharma grade and UGL Accutane and both have been equally effective for me. I still take good care of my skin and use an acne wash in the shower but it's really the Accutane that makes the big difference for me. I also take breaks from Accutane. I don't stay on it. I usually take it for about 3 months at a time. That's what I do and it works for me.
I have considered picking up some accutane and running a low dose towards the end of my cycle into PCT. Have you noticed any permanent sides while running just 20mg EOD?
AnonNo sir, no permanent sides. 20mg eod is a low dosage, a simple search online will confirm this. There are studies on the effectiveness of eod dosing vs ed dosing and eod is basically just as effective as ed dosing but with less sides. My lips getting dry and cracking and bleeding is really the only bad side I have ever got from Accutane. I do seem to be less acne prone nowadays. I've been using Accutane on and off for years. Before I started using Accutane I tried oral antibiotics for acne which helped but a couple times I broke out with Pityrosporum folliculitis. Yeast or fungal based folliculitis is a real bitch to get rid of and going to the dermatologist ain't cheap. There is a natural balance in the skin between bacteria and yeast, antibiotics can overkill the bacteria and cause some yeast or fungal related skin issues. And these issues are often misdiagnosed as acne and made worse when treated like acne. Accutane works differently than antibiotics and I prefer it over antibiotics for acne.
If you go the Accutane route be sure to stop taking any Vit A supps because Vitamin A toxicity is real and not something you want. Taking Accutane and Vitamin A at the same is dangerous according to doctors. Also drink plenty of water bro.
Another thing you can do is use OTC Nizoral shampoo once a week. After you shower you would stop the water then apply it to all the areas you get acne, wait about 45 seconds, then rinse it off. The Nizoral shampoo contains "Ketoconazole," which does a few things. It cures or prevent fungal skin issues. It is also an androgen receptor antagonist, competing with androgens such as testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), this can slow balding on the head and also reduce steroid acne on the body and face. I'm not too sure how it really works but I have found it does help me with body acne on cycle if I use it once a week or once every 2 weeks. I just keep some in the bathroom. But don't fuck around and use it too often cause it will irate your skin.
I see no lies here. Great information from Shred777. I have worked in dermatology for a LONG time and accutane is definitely the way to go. Figure out a dose that is right for you. I recommend starting with 20mg eod and seeing where that goes from there. If the sides (dry lips, dry eyes, skin cracking) start to happen just cut back a bit.
I know how my body reacts to gear and I breakout every time I come off a cycle. Even with bloods done and balancing out my e2 with AI, it still happens. Even though I have access to the best derm products, accutane and nizoral help a ton! I use nizoral on my hair, face, and body a couple times a week and it works wonders!
I don’t stay on the accutane all the time. I have just simply incorporated it into my PCT routine and my skin has improved drastically! It’s super important to take care of your skin when you are on/off gear. Having huge acne breakouts can really mess with your head. You start to lose confidence and hide all of your gains and hard work under clothes to hide the acne. Being on gear isn’t something that you should do part way. Be smart, do your research, keep up with blood work and follow through all the way until you are done with PCT.
Yes I appreciate all the help and advice from everyone. I'm planning on ordering accutane to have on hand for my next PCT. Just going to run it low dose and take care of my skin the best I can with everything I've learned. And I agree the breakouts really do mess with your confidence and self esteem..a year later now and I'm finally starting to feel comfortable wearing a tank top again. Did you fellas suffer an initial breakout when starting the accutane at such a low dose? Some say you breakout worse at first but others say they don't.
AnonI never had a breakout when starting some Accutane. I have heard of it tho, some call it a purging period. It's never happened to me and I've used both pharma grade and UGL Accutane. No difference in pharma and UGL Accutane btw, they both do the same thing from my experience, dry lips and all.
For me personally I don’t tend to breakout worse when I start accutane. My acne stays the same for a bit but then noticeably clears up a lot once it kicks in. Everyone is different though and I know some people do break out worse initially. Accutane is wonderful as far as how well it works.
How long before it starts to work? I'm planning to run it through PCT and was wondering if i I should start a few weeks before PCT so that it has time to kick in.
Start the accutane on your last week of your cycle. I’ve had a lot of success doing it this way.
AnonThank you.
Give them a vote if you find it helpful.PermalinkI was actually on Doxycycline for a few months for my acne and I got some kind of fungal rash on my face. As if having the acne wasn't bad enough. I used nizoral on my face and it got rid of the rash but I had to use it at least a twice a week. Low dose accutane seems like a better option after going through that.
So do the dry lips and skin go away after you stop taking the accutane or is that permanent?
AnonSo you have tried the oral antibiotics route and got some kinda fungal rash. Me too. Maybe we have similar skin. I switched to Accutane and I'm glad I did.
The dry lips go away within about a week after stopping Accutane. It's not permanent. You wont have permanent dry lips from using Accutane for a few months. I also have noticed that when I start a course of Accutane the dry lips are worse for the first few weeks then I start to tolerate the Accutane better. And if your lips or skin start getting too dry skip a dose, I've done that. 20mg eod seems to be the sweet spot for me. I say all this having used Accutane on and off for years now.
RustyhookerI replied with a logical answer....so you deleted and rewrote the post?
What happened was I hadn't finished writing the post and submitted it by mistake so that was my bad but I do appreciate the answer.
RustyhookerAhhhhh.....welcome to eroids sir