We can hardly find a person who isn’t prone to acne during the post cycle. But what could be the reason for acne during pct, unlike during the cycle? 

Acne is an inflammation of the oil glands and hair roots on the skin. During PCT, transitions of hormones lead to several reactions. Acne is one of the reactions. During PCT, hormones are everywhere, in unstable states, causing imbalances and affecting many things. Acnes are no different here!

But, will just knowing the basic information to be enough to take precautions? This article discusses acne during pct and the do’s and don’ts to avoid unpleasant spots.

So, let’s get started!

What Are The Reasons For Acne During PCT?

The hair follicles that are clogged with oil and dead skin cells are the major culprit. These cause whiteheads, pimples, or blackheads. 

On the other hand, PCT means Post Cycle Therapy is required after every cycle to recover. During PCT, you face different behavioral changes due to hormonal imbalances.

Usually, hormones are responsible for all kinds of physical changes. During the cycle of steroids, the flow of synthetic hormones leaves the body off balance. 

To recover from the cycle, PCT is imperative. The imbalance of hormones does not mean you have the wrong doses. 

Rather it indicates the recovery of your body. Blood clotting, oil clotting, and dead skin cells are symbols of changes too. 

The post cycle acne is one of the reactions!

What Are The Solutions For Acne During PCT?

Staying clean and hydrated is the only solution for acne during PCT. 

During PCT the body overcompensates and produces much sebum. The overall reaction causes changes, oil clotting, dead skin, mood swings, inflammation, recovered testosterone level, etc. 

This is common. No solution can be found that can altogether avoid acne. But, being clean, hydrated, and avoiding scratching can help stop spreading acne during PCT.

Some prefer using steroid acne cream. Hydrocortisone can aid in treating inflammatory skin conditions such as redness, itching, and swelling.

But topical hydrocortisone is not commonly used to treat acne as it’s less effective against bacteria. Thus it fails to prevent breakouts. It may, however, help to improve the appearance of inflammatory acne.

What Are the Symptoms?

Symptoms of acne after steroid cycle are often observed. It usually appears on the chest, face, neck, back, and arms. Symptoms include

• Small red bumps
• White or yellow spots
• Whiteheads and blackheads (open and closed)
• Large, painful red lumps
• Cyst-like swellings 

If you scratch or pop any of the acne, then some other effects are noticed like-

• Red marks on healed spots
• Dark marks on old spots
• Scars.

Therefore, taking immediate action is wise to prevent acne from spreading or attracting infections. 

What Stage Of PCT Acnes Are Worst?

The severity of acne is divided into three stages:

1. Mild: Generally, whiteheads and blackheads are observed with papules and pustules (a few).

2. Moderate: Widespread whiteheads and blackheads, and also papules and pustules.

3. Severe: A lot of large, painful papules,  nodules or cysts, and pustules are seen. Some sort of scarring is also observed.

Well, acne is not permanent. They’re temporary side effects. Acne may get worse for 1-2 months after taking isotretinoin. Then starts clearing.

What Type Of Steroids Cause Steroid Acne?

Anabolic steroids cause steroid acne!

It is highly used for medical treatment. Athletes and bodybuilders are more often observed taking anabolic steroids for enhancing their performances. 

The bodybuilders use the steroid orally, through injections, and in the form of cream or gel. Acne appears during post-cycle therapy.

Because hormones fluctuate and hit harder during PCT. Four to six weeks after the post-cycle therapy, the acne will start vanishing.

What Are The Treatments For Steroid Acne? 

The treatment option for steroid acne is two- antibiotics and topicals.

Topicals: Topical Retinoids are an important treatment option. It’s the foundation of acne care.

People can also begin using topical retinoids at home. Because topical adapalene 0.1 percent (Differin) is available without a prescription.

Retinoids are usually vitamin A derivatives. It’s available in the form of  lotions, gels, and creams. They’re great buffer to acne. 

However, three months of consistent use would help to see any effect.

Antibiotics: To treat steroid acne, a doctor may prescribe oral or topical antibiotics (off-label). Treatment with antibiotics may take many weeks to show any result.

However, antibiotics cannot promise long-term solutions to acne.

Both Antibiotics and Topicals requires the doctor’s prescription. But benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid are two standard solutions that do not need any medication.

Benzoyl peroxide is a potent antiseptic that aids the body in killing acne bacteria. It’s used alone in mild cases, but in more severe cases, it combines with oral antibiotics.

Salicylic acid is also a potential home acne treatment option. It treats and prevents acne by exfoliating the skin and alos by breaking down acne lesions.

In either case, the treatment should be applied to wherever they have noticed the outbreak. It could be a person’s face, chest, or neck.

However, people should not use both treatments. There’s a scope that the combination will irritate the skin. 

The reason is the first-line treatment for acne is topical retinoids. People should try them before using either of these products.

Can Non-Steroid Like Clomid Pct Acne?

No, non-steroidal Clomid can not cause acne during pct.

Clomid is a non-steroid oral medication. Bodybuilders take Clomid to covering-up doping and boost performance. Clomid is a highly effective PCT. 

It restores average testosterone production when combined with other PCT supplements like Nolvadex. It also minimizes the risk of side effects in as little as four weeks.

Clomid works by inhibiting the body’s estrogen receptors. Estrogen levels cannot be detected in the blood like before when estrogen receptors are blocked.

You may experience headaches, pec tenderness, and nausea while undergoing the therapy.However, these symptoms should go away within a week.

What Are The Ways To Avoid Acne During PCT?

The first and foremost way to avoid acne during PCT is to stay clean and hydrated.

One time shower a day isn’t enough. Use a loof and scrub yourself. Minimum, twice a day. It has to be mild and anti-bacterial, and applying moisturizer afterward is necessary.

Before you go out of the shower, make sure to turn off the hot water. This helps to close your pores. Then softly moisturize the areas where you have breakouts. 

You might have more break outs if you get too dry from the extra shower/s. Wash your bedding like a boss. 

Use a Panoxyl bar (benzol peroxide bar, available in various concentrations). Use it once a day for a couple of weeks. 

Lime works profoundly when you have a low concentration and effectively tolerates it twice, daily.

Change your clothes immediately after the gym. Wash your bedding once a week. Try not to touch your face. 

Acne can’t be cured without the use of harsh drugs, but it can be significantly reduced. Because it is similar to human sebum, Jojoba oil can also be a handy aid.

Many people get acne on their face, underarms, and hands near their arms. And some get on the chest or the back. Don’t scratch them. Scratching spreads infections and leaves marks.

Some acne takes a longer time to get cured. Don’t haste and pop any.

Besides, some products help treat acne well. Here is a product that can deal with acne during PCT:

Both of these are highly recommended products for treating acne during PCT.  if you feel confident, try these out.

FAQs

How Long Does Acne Last After Steroid Use?

Three to six months at maximum. At a bare minimum, acne takes 4-8 weeks to go after using steroids. Acne scarring is more common in people of color. And oral antibiotics may be prescribed even for minor cases.

Is Acne A Side Effect Of Steroids?

Yes, acne is a side effect of steroids. Steroid acne is almost the same as typical acne, if not the same. Systemic steroid makes the oil glands capable of inflammation and infection. Fungal acne is another type of acne caused by steroid use.

How Do Bodybuilders Have No Acne?

Proper hygiene after training helps bodybuilders prevent acne. After a workout or weightlifting, people sweat. So, cleaning with a good cleanser helps prevent pesky breakouts. Bodybuilders tend to shower soon after the workout and before leaving the gym. This allows them to have no acne.

Conclusion 

By the end of the discussion, you must now know the reason behind acne during pct! It’s due to hormonal imbalance. During PCT, the hormones fluctuate; after giving it some time, everything falls into place. 

Besides bodybuilding, the cycle for any medical treatment won’t show any abnormal results like acne. But at the time of post-cycle therapy, hormonal abnormality is a usual phenomenon.

To lessen the side effects of the cycle, post-cycle therapy is significant. During this time, people face acne problems. But after everything falls into place again, acne disappears. Patience is highly appreciated during this time.

Hope the article was insightful. Let me know if I missed anything you wanted to know.

Happy jamming!