Sorry for starting a whole new thread for something this basic, but honestly, searching for "acne" on here is a nightmare since it pops up in basically every single discussion.
I’m currently on a TRT dose of less than 200mg a week, but I'm planning to bump that up to 400 or 500mg of Test C in the next couple of weeks. For those who've done it, how likely is it that I'm going to deal with a noticeable breakout? I’d rather have a game plan ready now than scramble once it actually starts happening. Thanks for the help.
its honestly such a roll of the dice man. some guys can run a gram of test and have skin like a baby and others break out just looking at a vial lol. if you didnt get acne during puberty you'll probably be fine but definitely have some salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide wash ready just in case.
the biggest thing that triggers acne for me isn't the dose itself but the fluctuations. if you're jumping from 200 to 500 try to pin more frequently like every day or every other day. keeping your blood levels stable helps a ton with keeping the skin clear.
get yourself some zinc supplements and head & shoulders (the stuff with zinc pyrithione). use the shampoo as a body wash and let it sit for a few mins before rinsing. sounds weird but it works wonders for back acne when youre blasting.
bro searching for acne on here is definitely a rabbit hole lol. honestly 500mg is where it usually starts for most people. if it gets bad dont sleep on getting an actual prescription for accutane but hopefully you wont need to go that far.
watch your estrogen levels! high e2 is usually what causes the oily skin and breakouts for me on 500 test. if you start feeling like a grease ball you might need to dial in your AI a bit more.
ive been on 500 for 12 weeks now and honestly its not as bad as i thought. just a few spots on my shoulders. just make sure you change your bed sheets and pillowcases way more often than you think you need to - like every 2 or 3 days.
one "stupid" thing that helped me was staying hydrated as hell. when i slack on water my skin gets way worse on cycle. also shower immediately after the gym - dont let that sweat sit on your skin or its game over.
good luck with the blast! honestly you might not even get any. i went from 150 to 600 and literally nothing changed skin-wise. just have a plan but dont stress too much yet or the stress might actually cause the breakout haha.
honestly it's a total coin toss. some guys can blast a gram and stay clear, others get one pimple at 200mg and it's game over. the biggest thing is stability- if you’re pinning once a week now, maybe switch to daily or every other day when you bump the dose. it keeps your levels from spiking which is usually what triggers the bacne
get some salicylic acid body wash and a long-handle brush for your back now just in case. also if you start getting those deep cystic ones, don't pick at them! it just makes the scarring way worse. 400mg isn't massive but it’s enough to make your skin way oilier than trt levels for sure
just a heads up that it usually hits the hardest when you change the dose or come off. your body hates the hormonal fluctuations. i’ve found that taking 50mg of zinc and some extra vitamin b5 helps keep the oil down but everyone is different
i’d have some nizoral shampoo or hibiclens ready to go. use it as a body wash and let it sit for a minute before rinsing. it sounds overkill but if you're prone to acne it’s a lifesaver once you go above trt doses. good luck with the blast bro
it’s probably gonna happen at least a little bit lol. just stay on top of your hygiene and change your bed sheets way more often than you think you need to. if it gets really bad you might need to look into low dose accutane but hopefully 500mg won't push you that far
