Hey guys,
I’ve been on 100mg of Testosterone Cypionate weekly, broken up into 5 subcutaneous injections in the stomach/love handle area. It has been 4.5 weeks since I started. I am also taking 750ius of HCG.
I have begun getting small pimples on my arms and shoulders. I’ve never had body acne and I’m starting to get a lot.
Does anyone have suggestions to combat the acne? I’ve tried some salicylic acid body wash and Taro-Clindamycin/Benzoyl Peroxide, which significantly dries my skin.
Does anyone have advice? I’m hoping to get rid of it completely.
Need to get at the source here as most acne medications other than accutane are not going to be highly effective.
Yes some may fair well with BP or salicylic acid but it can be a never ending battle if your trough/steady-state FT level is too high!
When first starting TTh hormones will be in flux during the weeks leading up until blood levels have stabilized (4-6 weeks TC/TE) and T/DHT levels are rising which can cause oily skin/acne in genetically prone individuals.
Even then if you have never struggled with acne in your teens it is not a given that you will get a free ride when using exogenous T especially if you push your trough let alone steady-state free testosterone level too high!
You may just be having a reaction to the rising hormone levels as you are going from low T--->higher T levels.
Even then once blood levels stabilize chances are you may still end up struggling with acne if your trough/steady-state FT is too high on your current protocol.
You need to get labs done at the 6 week mark to see where your trough FT and estradiol sit and I would throw DHT in there too!
Although you started on a sensible dose of 100 mg T/week split into more frequent injections keep in mind some men can still achieve a high-end/high trough FT especially when split into more frequent injections and seeing as you threw in hCG this will drive up your T/e2 further.
Again you need get labs done so you can see where your trough FT sits.
Unfortunately you started T + hCG off the hop so it can be more difficult to pinpoint what is truly contributing here.
Always better to start on a T only protocol so we can see how your body reacts to T only and where said protocol (dose of T/injection frequency) has your trough TT, FT, estradiol, DHT let alone other critical blood markers RBCs, hemoglobin and hematocrit.
