When Skincare Wasn’t the Problem

Sometimes acne doesn’t start with skincare mistakes, bad products, or diet. Sometimes it starts somewhere completely unexpected.

Everything was normal. Life was normal. Until one day, out of nowhere, I had a seizure. I don’t remember it. I didn’t even know it happened until later. Doctors’ visits followed, tests were done, and eventually there was an answer. A cavernoma in my head.

To prevent future seizures, medication was necessary. Lamotrigine was prescribed, starting at 50mg. At that dose, nothing changed. My body adjusted, my skin stayed quiet, and life went on.

Then the dose was increased to 100mg, and that’s when my skin reacted.

Not gently. Not slowly.

Painful, inflamed acne appeared almost immediately. Deep, red, swollen breakouts filled with pus and fluid. They showed up around my eyebrows first, then between them, then spread to my beard area. Every breakout hurt. Talking hurt. Touching my face hurt. Existing with a face hurt.

I stopped the medication by choice, expecting things to calm down. They didn’t.

Even after three months, the acne kept returning to the exact same spots. Same places. Same pain. Like my skin had memorized them.

Due to my medical history, I couldn’t use a combined birth control pill, so I started taking a mini pill called Cerazette. Instead of improving my skin, it triggered a flare-up. Acne spread across my cheeks and turned into painful, red hormonal acne that was impossible to ignore.

That’s also when the comments started.

“Ohhh, what happened to your face?”
“Is it stress?”
“Did you change something?”

I thanked them for their concern
and gave them the answer they wanted.
Not the one I had.

At that point, I stopped trying to fix everything at once. Skincare was reduced to the basics. Cleanser. Moisturizer. Azelaic acid. Nothing more. No experiments. No optimism.

After more than two months on Cerazette, the inflammation slowly softened, but it was clear something still wasn’t right. A dermatologist later changed the mini pill to Slinda, and only then did things begin to shift. Pimples didn’t disappear, but they became smaller, less painful, less aggressive.

This wasn’t acne caused by bad products or poor routines. It was acne caused by change. Medication. Hormones. The body reacting in ways no one warns you about.

And that’s the part people don’t talk about enough. Acne isn’t always a surface problem. Sometimes it’s a side effect of survival.

This is only my personal experience and not medical advice. Everyone’s body reacts differently. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication