The Acne Thread – Post on problems, questions, treatments and/or solutions etc

[RueFaubourg]

I'm a huge fan of Mario Badescu drying lotion and the Kiehl's Drawing Paste but god that sh*t smells wretched. And it stains too, and once it's on your skin, nothing gets it off, it has to be absorbed which can take hours. So if you're a very busy person, the drawing paste might not work for you.

You might want to consider buying a special blue light. Let me explain. Its a very bright and intense light that is not harmful to your skin, won't give you cancer, 15 minutes under the light every other day or even every week can really improve your skin b/c the light is on the end of the spectrum that penetrates your skin and kills the bacteria lurking in your pores. They are around like $120 I think. My facialist got me hooked.

And I know they're expensive but regular facials and microdermabrasion have helped my skin tremendously.

 

[Amélie]

hmmm, so many different methods...my skin is going through a "stage" atm, i'm sixteen, never really had ache/skin probs in my life, and then all of a sudden, towards the end of this year my skin jus has a total breakout, it was jus around the time i took time of work (in a cafe-subject to dirty air that could clog up pores), yeh bizarre ay...so i think something's up, i'm going to have to try a few of these methods...cheers guys!

 

[Becky_da_da_da]

100% unrefined, raw African Shea Butter.

Its completely natural and doesn't clog up your pores.

I'd also go see a dematologist

 

[fab_fifties_fille]

I've found that pure tea tree oil put on blemishes at night helps

 

[lizzyb831]

I just got the Murad treatment, so I'll report back on it in awhile.

 

[misschloe]

Well I had quite a lot zits too a while ago and it was awful.. all I could think about was my acne (even if it wasn't that bad) and it also made me insecure about myself. But I paid a visit to a dermatologist and she prescribed me Skinoren and Differin (sp?), which are products to cure medium acne. These products cleared my face up and I'm so happy.. I sometimes get some zits here and there but they are easily covered by foundation and my zits aren't as bad as they use to be, which is also great! I think you should definitley visit a dermatologist.
I have also heard that Tea Tree Oil helps (it didn't help me) and taking birth control pills. And sometimes when I feel that there is a zit coming somewhere on my face, I put an ice cube on it and hold it for a while.

 

[EdK]

i use minocycline and retin-a micro. minocycline is very effective at removing whiteheads/blackheads but i hear that your body becomes immune to it after a while =*(. also the retin-a micro is effective at stopping zits and it also acts as a exfoliater so if you have mild acne scars or changes in pigment, using it for a month + will start to clear them.

 

[wenthybu]

i have tried dermatologist....which she wasnt really helpful and it was getting a bit expensive.. so i decided to use Proactiv...it was good..at least it cleared most of my acne but not all...so i decided to take yasmin birth control pills and it saved my skin! i'm using mario badescu and darphin skincare at the moment.......my skin is soooo much better now that i can go out without concealer on!!!

 

[snowqueen]

go on the pill

 

[divakate]

Tetracycline for Acne

Hi Everyone!

I was just wondering if any of you have taken tetracycline for acne. If you have, what have you experinced while on it? Has it worked? Has it made your face dry, etc? Please share with me!

 

[TWILO]

Hi Everyone!

I was just wondering if any of you have taken tetracycline for acne. If you have, what have you experinced while on it? Has it worked? Has it made your face dry, etc? Please share with me!

i've taken in for acne. if you're planning on getting pregnant or are pregnant, you shouldn't take it. it's really strong.... and it clears up your face within 2-3 weeks. i only took it for 1 month.

 

[EdK]

I'm using minocycline right now. It works ok. I've used regular tetracycline and doxycycline now minocycline. Thing with antibiotics is that you have to keep using it to prevent acne. And once you use a certain kind of tetracycline for a while your body grows immune to it, so you have to switch to another member of the family. its kind of ridiculous. But while your on it, you still have to be avid with your clean face routines or youll still break out a little.

 

[melvalous]

I've used tetracycline before...it gave results for a bit, but my acne came back anyways, I think my acne is too strong. Then I stopped it cause its an antibiotic, i hate taking pills every morning and night and there are long term side affects, uumm, kidney problems and other things. I was on minacycline (sp?) but i stopped that a couple months ago because its also an antibiotic, I believe its not as strong though. Currently using Clindoxyl Gel.

 

[EdK]

yea i heard it does serious damage to your kidneys. sometimes not always when i take minocycline and not eat anything for a while i can feel the burning sensation in my stomach. anyways damn those drug companies, they make the drugs less effective so you come back and buy their drug over and over again

 

[divakate]

I haven't noticed any bad side effects so far, but it is a pain to have to take two pills twice a day and always on an empty stomach! I am wondering, is it going to dry out my skin? I was taking it in conjunction with the birth control pill and clyndoxil gel to improve my acne, which I have only had over the last four months. It is so strange, I went from having perfrect skin to an onset of acne at age 24, and in such a strange spot-my cheeks! It seems as though it is finally under control I just hope that there is something I can do about the scarring. Also, does anyone know if it is very harmful to go tanning while on tetracycline?

 

[Orchidlady]

Please keep in mind that tetracycline may work for acne, but long term use can really damage your teeth, causing them to turn grey/yellow and develop striations. I've just undergone three months of major dental work at NYU (as well as spending $$$$) to repair the damage to my teeth that was partially caused by this medication. Granted, I was on tetracycline for many years for acne; however, I think that there are other antibiotics out there that will do the job without causing tooth discoloration. Might be a good idea to get some input from your dentist before beginning this type of therapy. JMHO.

 

[star]

i am on orthotricyclin and my face has cleared up ALOT compared to before being on it. and i have been for almost 5 yrs now. although i still get break outs sometimes..mostly due to my period.

 

[EdK]

i was just curious, how does tetracycline cause damage to your teeth. does something happen internally after its been dissolved by yoru body? cuz the med never makes contact with yout teeth fromt he outside.

Please keep in mind that tetracycline may work for acne, but long term use can really damage your teeth, causing them to turn grey/yellow and develop striations. I've just undergone three months of major dental work at NYU (as well as spending $$$$) to repair the damage to my teeth that was partially caused by this medication. Granted, I was on tetracycline for many years for acne; however, I think that there are other antibiotics out there that will do the job without causing tooth discoloration. Might be a good idea to get some input from your dentist before beginning this type of therapy. JMHO.

 

[Terrima183]

Well I had quite a lot zits too a while ago and it was awful.. all I could think about was my acne (even if it wasn't that bad) and it also made me insecure about myself. But I paid a visit to a dermatologist and she prescribed me Skinoren and Differin (sp?), which are products to cure medium acne. These products cleared my face up and I'm so happy.. I sometimes get some zits here and there but they are easily covered by foundation and my zits aren't as bad as they use to be, which is also great! I think you should definitley visit a dermatologist.
I have also heard that Tea Tree Oil helps (it didn't help me) and taking birth control pills. And sometimes when I feel that there is a zit coming somewhere on my face, I put an ice cube on it and hold it for a while.

Wow, i don't want to jinx myself but Differin is basically saving me right now! I finally went to a derm and got it prescribed for me and it's working sooo well. I also use Chanel Rectifiance Intense to moisturize and control oil. I don't even really need Proactiv anymore!

 

[Orchidlady]

I'm not absolutely sure of the finer points of biology, but since tetracycline is a systemic antibiotic, I'd assume that it enters your bloodstream and affects your entire system, including your teeth. For the same reason, you also have to be very careful of exposure to UV rays when on some antibiotics for the same reason; they can make your skin hypersensitive to the sun. Please keep in mind that I was on the drug for 10+ years; so I'm not really sure how long it takes for tooth discoloration to develop. (If you Google tetracycline teeth, you'll find a ton of information :-) The antibiotics did help my skin, but I've now paid the price (literally) in $$$ spent to have my teeth repaired. I was chosen as a patient for the NYU Rosenthal Institute teaching seminar primarily because of the serious tetracycline damage to my teeth. (By the way, this is one of the absolute finest dental clinics in the US...I was totally impressed with their first class operation.) At the time that I began/underwent the tetracycline therapy, no one was aware of the long term effects; however, if I was contemplating the same treatment now, I'd definitely consult my dentist before taking the meds. Perhaps a topical antibiotic would not have the same adverse effect on the teeth but would work just as well...