Keeps getting worse, any help would be greatly appreciated

Hi

I am 17(m) and am looking for any tips/advice on how to help with my acne. I have always had pretty bad skin since I started puberty but it was manageable and it didn’t affect me too much mentally. I found a good skincare routine and my skin was spotless for 3/4 months at the start of 2024. I was doing everything in my power to keep the pimples off my skin; changing my pillow case every night, washing & moisturizing 3x a day, etc. Then around June, I started noticing a few more pimples on my face, nothing out of the ordinary for me, however, it’s been getting progressively worse and worse to where right now it’s the worst it’s ever been and it’s weighing down on my mental health.

I’ve recently cut out all processed foods, sugars, and dairy to try and slow down the rate at which I’m getting spots but it doesn’t seem to be working, I keep waking up with 3/4 new pimples every day and they just keep adding up.

I am struggling to focus in school because I can’t stop thinking about how awful my skin looks. I also find myself getting extremely angry and frustrated any time I see my reflection, I don’t know if the added stress of acne is worsening my acne maybe?

I honestly have absolutely no idea at all what caused this, nothing has changed in my lifestyle, diet, etc. My best guess is hormones. I have no idea. Advice would be greatly appreciated for anyone who has experienced a similar issue.

Sometimes there’s nothing you can do to prevent this. I suggest going to a dermatologist and getting on doxycycline. Accutane works wonders but it is a much longer process and does have some dangers, mental health related.

Someone commented on doxycycline. That’s between you and your dermatologist, but I’d advise it strongly as it kills your gut microbiome and can make your acne worse when you’re off of it. Also, it is known to make people very sick

You might be over-cleansing your skin!

That being said, this type of acne (especially in your teen years) is often best addressed by a dermatologist. It can often be hormonal, which is more difficult to treat with topical medications