The Acne Thread

[Sav_]

I've always had problems with my skin, with ups and downs, but now it's horrible-again. I've tried EVERYTHING, from salycilic/glycolic acid, masks, tonners, homeopathy to some medical treatments.
Things got better when I started with regular facials and BeautyTek treatments, but that's not enough. It seems I have some huge hormonal problems (and that's why it seems I'm hopeless case). So, I'm starting with craniosacral therapy tomorrow. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Try drinking a cup of spearmint tea twice a day. It helps with androgen excess, which is one of the main causes of hormonal acne. It really kept oil production down for me.

Good luck!

 

[Miwi]

^^Thank you! I love spearmint tea anyway,but I wish I could resist honey.

@MeInU I doutbt that's because of skin care products, I only use cleansing gel, toner and moisturizer, all hypoalergenic and non-comedogenic. My esthetician (she's really the best and I trust her) said today that this breakout was caused by stress (which is true, I had an exam today and I was studying madly these days) and it's getting better. The therapy was also good, I felt so relaxed. I hope for the best!
Rebecca, I did, but they have so many side effect I'm really sceptical about it. I might give it a try if that won't help.

 

[teaology]

^ I think a lot of the problem with the Pill is scare mongering, believe me when my Doctor gave me Dianette I decided to some 'research' on google and found all these posts about its awful side effects etc, but I'm only a month in and already it has helped my skin so much. As long as you're careful you shouldn't have a serious problem. The Pill effects different women in different ways but I think most of all it's all too easy to blame the Pill for various 'side effects', I know I have!

 

[PinkPrincess113]

i've been on the pill for 2 years and it did clear my skin.. but the hormonal effects were intense. i couldn't handle it. my mood swings were all over the place and i was emotional 24/7. right when i got off of it, i was back to my normal self!

 

[michyed]

^When my best friend got on it, she was nauseous 24/7 and very snappy/rude. Thank gosh she's off it now. I want to try the pill, but I don't want to drive everybody around me crazy.

 

[The_Ida]

^^Thank you! I love spearmint tea anyway,but I wish I could resist honey.

@MeInU I doutbt that's because of skin care products, I only use cleansing gel, toner and moisturizer, all hypoalergenic and non-comedogenic. My esthetician (she's really the best and I trust her) said today that this breakout was caused by stress (which is true, I had an exam today and I was studying madly these days) and it's getting better. The therapy was also good, I felt so relaxed. I hope for the best!
Rebecca, I did, but they have so many side effect I'm really sceptical about it. I might give it a try if that won't help.

You should try the Nuva Ring. Google it for more info - it has very low hormone levels, and very very few get side effects. My side effects (if you can call it that) are that I can't gain weight, I have clear skin and my headaches are gone.

 

[angelfish]

im kinda cross posting from the accutane thread...
i am black with light brown skin, due to past acne i have terrible dark brown scars all over my face and back. also i still get typical teen-age breakouts on my face even though i am 22!

at this point ive tried retin-a, proactiv and the antibiotic doxycycline. all were temporary fixes. the doxycycline seemed to work the best at keeping breakouts gone but i scarred worse since it made me more sensitive to the sun, also it made me nauseous if i didnt take it with a huge meal so i nevr bothered to renew my prescription.

right now i am just using a 5% glycolic acid cream at night and occasionally microdermasion. the same gycolic acid cream cleared my whole face for months a year ago, but now its not having much of an effect..weird. i also wear laura mercier oil free foundation during the day (which does a good job covering up the scars)...ive read this is a good foundation for acne prone skin, and none of the others like dermablend, etc. come in the right shade for my skin :/

im wondering, should i ask my derm about accutane? it seems like my last hope. the blood work seems tedious but i am willing to do it to get rid of this once and for all. or is there a better solution? ive been going to diff dermatoligists since i was 14, and i usually find that most dermatoligists ive had dont know what to tell me about my skin because they dont seem to have much experience with ethnic skincare in the particular region where i live. so anyone with any insight here, it would be greatly appreciated!

also, is there a better foundation than laura mercier to use? i cant really leave the house without makeup because of the scarring. LM does a good job of covering it up but makes my skin looks so oily/greasy. i would like something matte and sweatproof. (i live in texas lol)

 

[Tatika]

im kinda cross posting from the accutane thread...
i am black with light brown skin, due to past acne i have terrible dark brown scars all over my face and back. also i still get typical teen-age breakouts on my face even though i am 22!

at this point ive tried retin-a, proactiv and the antibiotic doxycycline. all were temporary fixes. the doxycycline seemed to work the best at keeping breakouts gone but i scarred worse since it made me more sensitive to the sun, also it made me nauseous if i didnt take it with a huge meal so i nevr bothered to renew my prescription.

right now i am just using a 5% glycolic acid cream at night and occasionally microdermasion. the same gycolic acid cream cleared my whole face for months a year ago, but now its not having much of an effect..weird. i also wear laura mercier oil free foundation during the day (which does a good job covering up the scars)...ive read this is a good foundation for acne prone skin, and none of the others like dermablend, etc. come in the right shade for my skin :/

im wondering, should i ask my derm about accutane? it seems like my last hope. the blood work seems tedious but i am willing to do it to get rid of this once and for all. or is there a better solution? ive been going to diff dermatoligists since i was 14, and i usually find that most dermatoligists ive had dont know what to tell me about my skin because they dont seem to have much experience with ethnic skincare in the particular region where i live. so anyone with any insight here, it would be greatly appreciated!

also, is there a better foundation than laura mercier to use? i cant really leave the house without makeup because of the scarring. LM does a good job of covering it up but makes my skin looks so oily/greasy. i would like something matte and sweatproof. (i live in texas lol)

Well, throughout the years, ive posted on this thread about my continous acne problems, and i ALWAYS recommend the same product...skintactix.
I had perfect skin until 18, when i had a HORRIBLE case of cystic acne...(the kind that is like ingrown into the skin, never surface,are absolutely huge, and leave permanent indentations)...so i checked out www.skintactix.com and i ordered the kit that i felt was best for me....i used it religiously for 2 months (approximately) and my skin stayed clear for a good 2 years...you should at least check the page out!!! I buy it whenever i have bouts of acne, which is every couple of years...in retrospect i shouldve at least kept using the cleanser and glycolic exfoliator to keep acne at bay...

have you tried using mineral foundations...i found them to be good at hiding hyperpigmentation when i was post acne and in the stages of reducing my scars....i used bareminerals, but i had to stop, about 3 months into it began breaking into hives unless i wore alot of face lotion....but maybe another brand?
on a scale of 1 to 10 how has the microdermabrasion helped your scarring?

 

[Tatika]

im wondering, should i ask my derm about accutane? it seems like my last hope. the blood work seems tedious but i am willing to do it to get rid of this once and for all. or is there a better solution? ive been going to diff dermatoligists since i was 14, and i usually find that most dermatoligists ive had dont know what to tell me about my skin because they dont seem to have much experience with ethnic skincare in the particular region where i live. so anyone with any insight here, it would be greatly appreciated!

i also work in a pharmacy...and although this is a personal decision..i would firmly suggest against it..although im not a pharmacist, i have consulted with my staff pharmacists about accutane for my personal use, and as friends they dont recommend it.....THE SIDE EFFECTS ARENT WORTH IT.....side effects range from hearing loss to bone mass loss,depression, scarring because ur skin is super sensitive, dips in blood pressure, rising cholesterol levels...and studies show that about 50 % of cases are cleared with accutane...50 % is not a high enough number (for me personally) to risk my overall health...

one last note, the products i use are guaranteed to clear and control acne in about about 90 % of cases (through clinical trials)....at least check out the literature at skintactix.com...if youd like, i can email you before and after pics if youd like a real testimonial..

 

[Romantic Rebel]

Anyone here have any success with Dan's regimen (acne.org)
http://www.acne.org/regimen.html

It basically involves using a lot of benzoyl peroxide.

 

[Serenity*Now]

^ Count me as one of the other 50%. And I was on it twice. So don't think that by going on it it will clear you up permanently.

As far as products, I think it's like hair; some things that used to work, no longer work after a certain time period. It also can do with age.

"YMMV" =your mileage may vary and in nowhere is it AS true as it is with skin. What cleared up one person will not clear up the second.

ASK for samples of everything face care and makeup-wise.

YMMV with foundation too (wearing/not wearing, liquid/powder, mineral/not mineral....) as it breaks some people out and some people it does not and it discourages them from picking innocent

 

[Lite_Brite]

im kinda cross posting from the accutane thread...
i am black with light brown skin, due to past acne i have terrible dark brown scars all over my face and back. also i still get typical teen-age breakouts on my face even though i am 22!

at this point ive tried retin-a, proactiv and the antibiotic doxycycline. all were temporary fixes. the doxycycline seemed to work the best at keeping breakouts gone but i scarred worse since it made me more sensitive to the sun, also it made me nauseous if i didnt take it with a huge meal so i nevr bothered to renew my prescription.

right now i am just using a 5% glycolic acid cream at night and occasionally microdermasion. the same gycolic acid cream cleared my whole face for months a year ago, but now its not having much of an effect..weird. i also wear laura mercier oil free foundation during the day (which does a good job covering up the scars)...ive read this is a good foundation for acne prone skin, and none of the others like dermablend, etc. come in the right shade for my skin :/

im wondering, should i ask my derm about accutane? it seems like my last hope. the blood work seems tedious but i am willing to do it to get rid of this once and for all. or is there a better solution? ive been going to diff dermatoligists since i was 14, and i usually find that most dermatoligists ive had dont know what to tell me about my skin because they dont seem to have much experience with ethnic skincare in the particular region where i live. so anyone with any insight here, it would be greatly appreciated!

also, is there a better foundation than laura mercier to use? i cant really leave the house without makeup because of the scarring. LM does a good job of covering it up but makes my skin looks so oily/greasy. i would like something matte and sweatproof. (i live in texas lol)

it might be a bit premature for me to recommend it, as I'm still in my last month of treatment and can't speak to the long term effects. however, Accutane has been very effective for me personally and with very minor side effects (dry skin on my hands and arms, dry lips for the first 4 months or so). while there are risks, I believe the testing performed and simply paying attention to my body were sufficient enough precautionary methods. my skin was not that bad but incredibly stubborn, and I was sick of having to constantly baby it just for it to be kinda blah anyway. even if my skin does get more difficult again, my dermatologist (who is rated among the best doctors in my state) says my skin will be much more responsive to basic topical treatments regardless. just one perspective.

on the glycolic acid, you might consider moving up to a 10% formulation. it doesn't seem to bother most people's skin.

btw I recommend Nars' oil-free foundation. it's very matte and has buildable coverage. department stores tend to carry it in many more shades than Sephora does if you decide to look into it.
http://www.narscosmetics.com/Oil-Free-Foundation-C58_makeup_7.aspx

 

[angelfish]

omg, thankyou so much, Tatika! the skintactix page is so informative! it got down to the reasons (some of which i had already suspected) why the acne occurs...wheat/dairy and/ or fatty acid defiency! i had already been trying to avoid dairy but now i know i am in dire need of the omega acids! also i am definitely ordering one of the kits, except i dont know if i should order the A1 kit(for normal/combination/oily skin) or the A2 (for excessively oily skin)...i think my skin is somewhere in the middle. maybe i'll order the excessively oily skin kit just to be on the safe side? i am also going to need the inhibiting gel for scars, and the total body wash and total body lotion.

thankyou again for sharing this! judging by the amount of research done and the testimonials on the website, i have ALOT of faith in this product. hopefully i can order it soon!

 

[bucktsofmoonbms]

i've always had horrible acne but the past few years it's gotten worse and turned into cysts. I can sometimes get it under control where i only have a couple on my face but i still have purple marks on my face that don't go away and i don't know if they are scars or if the cyst is still healing. also my face looks really ruddy sometimes, i don't know if there is anything out there that can help either of those things?
the past month or so i started using clinique products again on my face instead of acnefree and it seems to SO be worth the money but i still have these issues which is really bothering me bc right now i don't have the insurance to go to a dermatoligist and get it fixed

 

[emailme.]

again im saying glycolic acid products are your go to for acne!

i just bought a new jar and its really keeping breakouts at bay, smoothing skin out, and getting rid of current break outs.

 

[iRyan]

I never had a problem with acne until recently, I've been more stressed with school and getting less sleep and I've been breaking out very often. I have never cleansed or moisturized my face before because I don't know what to use. But I figure maybe I should start.

I eat alot of greasy junk food because I have such a fast metabolism, and so sometimes I'll touch my face without thinking which I think is part of the problem. I touch my face alot without thinking.

What's a good moisturizer and a good cleanser that is good for sensitive skin and treats acne while preventing it as well? There are sooooo many products out there I have no idea what to use.

 

[Kenysha75]

I have acne problems turning to cyst hurting so bad Im GOIN throught it right now
All I can do is clean my foundation brushes everyday Im using a gental soap to wash my face and I never touched the cyst its the best I can do

 

[emailme.]

i have to say again glycolic acid helps alot especially with cysts because it exfoliates the skin. The bacteria doesnt get in to make it worse and let what is already there come out faster.

 

[Kenysha75]

yes Ill try glycolic acid cystic acne is the worst thing ever I cannot even describe it

 

[dumbfairy]

I never had a problem with acne until recently, I've been more stressed with school and getting less sleep and I've been breaking out very often. I have never cleansed or moisturized my face before because I don't know what to use. But I figure maybe I should start.

I eat alot of greasy junk food because I have such a fast metabolism, and so sometimes I'll touch my face without thinking which I think is part of the problem. I touch my face alot without thinking.

What's a good moisturizer and a good cleanser that is good for sensitive skin and treats acne while preventing it as well? There are sooooo many products out there I have no idea what to use.

Naughty naughty,Having a fast metabolism doesn't justify eating greasy junk food A healthier diet might be a good place to start. As for what products to use,I don't think many of us on here know a definitive answer! I'm still trying to figure out what works for me. Things like clearasil and clean and clear etc have never worked for me,I find they tend to dry my skin. I'm using the face wash by Molton Brown right now and I really like it. Clinique may be a good place to start for you.