I'm 54 and Have Had Cystic Acne for a Year. What Test Should I Take?

Hey JJ Here. Every year around this time, I get the urge to make my home feel a little extra special. A space that feels just like the holidays. And Wayfair is my go to for that. Think cozy textures, twinkly decor, warm lighting, and all those little touches that make you want to curl up with a good book and a blanket. You'll usually find my books stacked on a great little end table I got from Wayfair, proof that function and style give can coexist. Now, whether you're adding last minute hosting essentials, picking out gifts for loved ones, or refreshing your decor for the season, Wayfair makes it easy with beautiful finds, great prices and fast delivery. And when the holidays wind down, Wayfair has everything you need to tuck it all neatly away. Smart storage solutions for every room from the kitchen to the closet. Plus, with free shipping for any order over $35, that's fast delivery and a total peace of mind. It's the perfect mix of joy and order, bringing the holiday spirit in, then storing it all with ease. If you're ready to make your home feel as good as it looks, get organized, refreshed and ready for the holidays. For way less head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Wayfair Every style, EVERY home that's W A Y F A I R.com hey, it's JJ here. You know, I've been talking about environmental toxins forever, and laundry detergent is a sneaky one. A lot of them contain harsh chemicals like dyes, preservatives, and even UV brighteners. Those brighteners don't actually clean anything. They just coat fabric so your eyes think things look whiter or brighter. That's more chemicals I don't want on my family sheets or skin. And if you've got sensitive skin or allergies around the house, this can be a big problem. That's what got my attention about Earth Breeze. It looks like a dryer sheet, but it's actually laundry detergent. You toss one in the washer and that's it. No pouring, no mess, and no heavy plastic jug. Their packaging is lightweight cardboard, which helps reduce plastic waste. And if you choose the fragrance free option, it's gentle, hypoallergenic, non irritating and non sensitizing. I really like how simple it is and how fresh and clean everything comes out without those unnecessary chemicals. Right now you can try Earth Breeze for up to 40% off with free gifts@earthbreeze.com virgin that's earthbreeze.com virgin for up to 40% off plus free gifts on your first order.

Some people think nature is like this, but actually it's like this.

That's why Colombia engineers everything we make.

For anything nature can throw at you. Columbia engineered for whatever.

I'm 54 and have acne. I eat no dairy, gluten free, and I fast. I've made improvements to my fasting insulin, but I've had cystic acne for the past year. What test should I take? I suspect hormones. This is JJ Virgin, four time New York Times bestselling author, celebrity nutrition expert and and fitness hall of famer. I've been on a lifelong quest for answers to the toughest health questions, and now I'm sharing what I found with you. Welcome to Ask the Health Expert. Vebster from Instagram asks. I'm 54 and have acne, I eat non dairy, gluten free, and I fast. I've made improvements to my fasting insulin, but I've had cystic acne for the past year. Which test should I take? I suspect hormones. I do too. Especially at your age. You're in that like the stormy age. So I will be right back with some things that you can look at. Stay with me.

Hey, J.J. virgin here. Okay, real talk. So often the holidays sneak up on me, travel, gifts, hosting all the things, and suddenly it's like, wait, who spent what and where? And I know I'm not the only one who's looked at a bill in January and thought, wow, that escalated quickly. If you want to keep your finances under control this holiday season, you need to be using Monarch. It's rated the Wall Street Journal's best budgeting app of 2025. Monarch is the all in one personal finance tool that brings your entire financial life together in one clean interface on your laptop or on your phone. Monarch lets you link everything and gives you real time visibility so you're not shocked later. Right now, I've been checking the holiday spending category so I don't accidentally start the new year with that dreaded debt hangover. And honestly, just seeing everything laid out is already helping me stay more aware. This season, Monarch does the heavy lifting. It links your accounts in minutes, gives you smart categorization and super clear visuals. Yes, that end of year reset could be a real goal. This time. Don't let financial opportunity slip through the cracks. Use the code virginonarch.com in your browser for half off your first year. That's 50% off your first year. @monarch.com with the code Virgin, the holidays.

Are all about family. But at the Chrysler Wrap of the Year sales event, it's all about you. Enjoy every mile in the most awarded minivan in America, the Chrysler Pacifica. With the most standard safety features in its class. Available Stow n Go seating and the available Stow and VAC built in vacuum. Make the most of the holidays with a great deal at the Chrysler Pacifica Wrap up the Year sales event based on Ward's small van segment. Based upon the latest available competitor information, Chrysler is a registered trademark of FCA US llc.

All right, so Vester A plus on pulling that dairy out. The first thing that you want to do when you've got anything going on with acne, I'm always going to look at and go, has this always been or is this new? And if this is new and over the past year and you're in that time where you're really probably getting to rock and roll into menopause, you are right on to start really looking at what's going on. Now, we always want to go through and say, let's clear out the obvious, right, and get Captain Obvious out of there. So what would that be? Dairy, gluten, soy, eggs. But especially for skin, dairy, gluten, eggs. And we gotta clear for eggs. And that's what the virgin diet does, is see if they're an issue or not. Eggs, pastured eggs, I think are one of the greatest foods out there. But not for everybody. Not if you have an autoimmune disease and sometimes for some different skin issues. Now, another thing that can impact your skin, acne and especially rosacea, is low stomach acid. And that happens as we age. And so again, I'm kind of putting my detective hat on. And remember, you're your best nutritionist here. Put your detective hat on. You said something changed. I always like to look at diet and then what else has gone on. I'm always going to think enzymes here because you're having challenges as you age, digesting your protein and your fat. So give enzymes a shot. You want one that's going to digest both proteins and fat. Trial on that. The only person who wouldn't be trialing on that is someone who has got any kind of, any kind of ulcers. That's the next thing. All right, now you talked about hormones. So if you are 54 and female, you know, anytime from really 42 up. But let's say as soon as you start to, you'll start to notice like maybe cortisol going up, you're not sleeping as well, you feel like you'd like to unzip your skin and get out of it. You're getting more irritable than you used to. You walk into the bedroom to get something but you have no idea what it was you were going to get. You're happy, you're sad, your skin starts doing wonky things, your periods are all over the place. They come, they go, they go, they go. And of course, as this is going on, yes, your skin could be wreaking havoc with the shifts in estrogen, progesterone. I mean, we already know that when you've got regular cycles, you can pretty well see what's going on with your skin during that. So one of the things that I would recommend is going to a functional medicine doctor, making sure your thyroid and adrenals are going well and having a Dutch test to look at your hormones to see where things are, to see, you know, if you've got the issues there that are creating the hormone imbalance that's creating the acne. Because again, that's what you suggested. The things you'd want to do on your own is everything you can to help achieve that hormone balance so that you have the least amount of work to do with them. Making sure, of course, get your thyroid tested, that your thyroid is an optimal, not normal range. Normal is not optimal. Normal for me is I'm hypothyroid. Making sure that you're really being kind to yourself and taking time out for self care because your estrogen, your body's going to really lean on your adrenals during this time. So if your adrenals aren't in tip top shape because you've been overtaxing them, you're going to be in trouble. So now's the time, if it hasn't been before, to put yourself first and take time out. Look at some products that can help. Your skin, like retinals are a great one topically, probiotics internally and gla, the fatty acid GLA can be super helpful here and zinc, so some good supplements to help as well. And then going and having a Dutch test to really look at what's going on with your sex hormones. Those are all the things that I would try and I love the fact that you're so aware and make sure you're using a diary to really kind of target this so you can get a better idea of what's going on as well. All right, hope that helps. And if you're watching live on Instagram right now, if you've got questions, you can drop them here. And also you can go over to subscribetoj.com and that is how you subscribe to Ask the Health Expert. It is my daily show. I answer your questions. I also do deep dive, great interviews with my pals. And we're actually getting ready. I'm not telling you yet, but in September we're doing something super cool. We're doing something new. All right, this is JJ with Ask the Health Expert. I do this five times a week, so make sure you never miss a show by going to subscribetojay.com.

Hello listeners, this is Anne Bogle, author, blogger, and creator of the podcast what Should I Read next? Since 2016, I've been helping readers bring more joy and delight into their reading lives. Every week I check all things books and reading with a guest and guide them in discovering their next read. They share three books they love, one book they don't, and what they've been reading lately, and I recommend three titles they may enjoy reading Next. Guests have said our conversations are like therapy, troubleshooting issues that have plagued their reading lives for years and possibly the rest of their lives as well. And of course, recommending books that meet the moment. Whether they are looking for deep introspection to spur or encourage a life change or a frothy page turner to help them escape the stresses of work, school, everything, you'll learn something about yourself as a reader and you'll definitely walk away confident to choose your next read, with a whole list of new books and authors to try. So join us each Tuesday for what Should I Read Next? Subscribe now wherever you're listening to this podcast and Visit our website whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com to find out more.