The Acne Thread

[thesecretninja]

I have horrible pimples atm, mostly caused by stress and lack of sleep I think. Deffiantly going to go make some green tea in a minute...
What moisturiser do you use if you tend to get breakouts? I need to find a good one that won't make my skin worse

 

[Serenity*Now]

^ do you have dryness as well as acne? If not, why add more product (moisturizer)?
I'd look into an antioxidant product (like Vit C) that is non-como or (prob. most impt) an SPF.

 

[Emma Naomi]

Ughh I get horrible breakouts due to stress, it sucks, cos I'm always stressed!
And it's only on my chin - I very very rarely get spots anywhere else except my chin, which is strange.

 

[McClaire]

Do you touch your chin a lot when you are stressed? I noticed that I used to touch my neck (subconsciously) when I was stressed and my worst acne was always there.

I have oily combo skin and I've been using Hydrogen Peroxide for about a week and it's amazing. Before bed I put it on with a cotton ball all over my face for about 1-2 minutes tops and wash it off then use an acne moisturizer. It's a great toner too. I'm really pale so I notice all my acne scars and I can tell they are disappearing.

Thanks for the link á la Balenciaga

 

[á la Balenciaga]

^very welcome.

sometimes the most inexpensive things work the best, like for example...

flickr/photobucket/walgreens/rideaid

 

[peachyfashion]

I used to have chronic acne when I was younger, but ever since I've been taking the pill after a doctor suggested it it's more or less gone away. I know that that's not a solution for everybody (especially not guys ) but it really did help because of the hormonal changes it makes in your body.

I still get break outs occasionally when I'm stressed etc, but I control those pretty easily with a back-to-basic scrub with soap and water, then I cleanse, tone and moisturise. Also green tea does help to kind of detox the skin...

 

[P Louie V]

Hi, does anyone know of a good cleanser to use for exfoliating? That is the one thing i am missing in my regimen and i think my skin is suffering because of it. Like, my acne is mild (nose area, and an occasional zit on forehead) but i think i really need to add exfoliating to the things that i do. So any advice would be great!

P.S. I never knew about that Hydrogen Peroxide could help fade pimples!! I should try that out too

 

[McClaire]

I just want to put it out there an FYI that I am very pale so the HP worked great for me but one of my friends has tanner darker skin (lucky girl!) and it freaked her out cause it does bleach the skin temporarily. Honestly I didn't notice the difference on me BUT I would read á la Balenciaga's link before you try it some of the people said it doesn't work that well on darker people.

 

[á la Balenciaga]

^did your pimple fade?

HP is more recommend it for fair skin because of the dry and bleach spots.

 

[McClaire]

^ Oh, yes it did. I was just referring to the bleaching. I'm so pale I hardly noticed it A lot of my scars are faded. ah I'm so happy. It evens my skin tone like a dream. I think it's hard having pale skin just because everything is noticeable. I told my friend not to use cause of her coloring but alas no one listens to me.

i think when BP is applied to a popped zit/opencut it results in scarring and hyperpigmentation.

I cut out using Benzoyl Peroxide a few days ago and I have seen a great decrease in hyperpigmentation. Is there any link?

I'm super curious about this^. Is it true? I have BP in a lot of my face washes and I was wondering if it's wise to cut them out and use something different? Does BP scar or worsen closed pimples?

 

[Serenity*Now]

For me, long-term use of BP changed the texture and the color (hyper-pigmented) of the skin on the areas I most used it on. It also made my skin much more sensitive to the environment & sun than anything -incl. retinoids.
And...it wasn't even that effective on my acne
I gave it up and my skin is much better for it.

 

[dumbfairy]

Yesterday I purchased a spot gel by clean and clear,which is something I haven't purchased in a long time,and overnight I can already see a difference,yay

 

[ThiagoMello]

For me, long-term use of BP changed the texture and the color (hyper-pigmented) of the skin on the areas I most used it on. It also made my skin much more sensitive to the environment & sun than anything -incl. retinoids.
And...it wasn't even that effective on my acne
I gave it up and my skin is much better for it.

Geez. That's exactly what happened with me as well. The texture of my skin is different and I got some red marks on my forehead. I haven't used BP in a while but I'll stop using it for now.

 

[P Louie V]

Has anyone ever gotten a Cortisone injection on a pimple? i've heard (by doing research on different websites) that it is very effective, and now im considering it and wanted to ask my dermo about it.

 

[Serenity*Now]

^ Yes, many times. But the result hasn't been consistent.
Ultimately, it's an anti-inflammatory so it's supposed to reduce the size of the cyst. The last time I was injected, it didn't do a darn thing...who knows what happened, really. So I think I would weigh the expense (I pay out of pocket) & the time (to go to an appt) before I do it again.

 

[P Louie V]

^^Oh wow, thank you so much for the info! So it looks like the results of these injections vary. I'm really going to just think about it for now and weigh my options...if i were to get it, i'd want it to work and would be disappointed if otherwise

 

[jasmin5327]

I bought a cream from Bioderma: Sébium Al. I can't find a photo online but the tube is light green. It works quite well, pimples literally shrink the next day! And it's only around 5 euros! Hope it helps!

 

[Modemoiselle]

has somebody tried 'aknenormin'? the main active ingredient is Isotretinoin!

 

[P Louie V]

Does anyone know if there is anyway to go to a Dermatologist besides getting a referral from your regular doctor? Reason i ask is because i went to this derm today (that i was referred to, for the SECOND time. the first time he didnt help me AT ALL and rushed me out of the office, without answering any of my questions and told me to check back in a couple of months) and today he basically did the same thing. I had inquiries about getting Cortisone Injections on a couple of small bumps on my nose and he didnt help me at all. So is there anyway i can look thru the yellowpages or online and find a good derm that could help? OR must i only can get a referral from my doctor?

SO frustrating

 

[Anna026]

P Louie V:

I've always just looked under my insurance website and called a dermatologist from the list provided to make an appointment. I've never had to get a referral, but yours may be different. Regardless, you've got to see someone new STAT!

That's just ridiculous he refuses to do his job! I would suggest that next time you go (hopefully to someone new) you write down a list of your concerns and questions so that if you get siderolled you can do something like point down to your list and say something like "I just have one more question here" or "there's this additional concern I'd like to talk about before you go" etc. That may help put things back into focus and increase the productivity of your visit. Good luck!