Talking about your skin problems is intimate. Rachel Mendoza of Gateway MedSpa knows this fact well: she has had cystic acne for five years as well as hyperpigmentation.

“I had normal ance as a teenager, but no scarring,” she relates about her skin history. But five years ago she developed cystic acne. Because of the scarring and hyperpigmentation, she relates, “I regret not treating it sooner.”

One treatment for acne is antibiotics. But this wasn’t a treatment that Rachel originally embraced. “I didn’t want to be on antibiotics. Even if I’m sick, I don’t like to take aspirin or any pain killers.” So she tried toughing it out on her own, until her family broke down and told her that she needed to do something about her worsening complexion.

After seeking treatment she relates her diagnosis: “I was diagnosed as having hormonal cystic acne.”

Her treatment includes antibiotics, like Doryx (which she’s been on for 3 months) and Spironolactone, which helps balance hormones.

The treatments are also topical. She tells us, “I’m on benzoyl peroxide topical called Epiduo Forte (with Adapalene) and I have been using it for about three months. I also just started using ZO Skin Health line at home.”

Rachael Mendoza – Before and After, 3 months. No Filter. No Makeup.

“So far what has helped me the most with the texture and tone are the SkinCeuticals chemical peels. I’ve had one every month since October. I wish I would have stared earlier so I wouldn’t have the scarring I have now.” To work on the scarring she’s going to continue with the peels and ZO Skin Health products at home.

Rachel’s advice to others who experience cystic hormonal acne is to not wait on treatment. The longer you wait on treating acne, the worse the scars and pigmentation can become, leading to more follow up corrective treatments.

For more skin confessions, read our blog, “Confessions from a Nurse: The Acne Products that Really Work.”