Acne Problems

[dudewithasock]

I've been plagued by bad skin pretty much since I started puberty, and my face shows it. Apart from my inability to tan naturally and my supernatural ability to burn horribly, I have a pretty bad acne problem that I can't seem to get rid of. I've tried a lot of stuff, from those single-use Stridex facial cleanser pads to a variety of creams. I've heard that a common acne-cream ingredient, Benzoyl Peroxide, actually wreaks havoc on the skin, and shouldn't be used. Is this true?

Has anyone else had bad acne and now has a triumphant story to tell? Any general advice as far as this goes? It's starting to get really annoying.

[augustdreamt]

I've heard good things about Proactiv, but my experience with it was not so pleasant. I'm horribly allergic to the stuff.

[spazdude222]

My skin isn't a story of triumph, but I do have less of a problem now than i did before. I use two prescription gel/cream/goops (one in the morning, one at night), and facewash with Triclosan. it works pretty well for me.

[dudewithasock]

I'd atually prefer over-the-counter stuff, to be honest...probably cheaper, which is good right now.

[Matt_V]

Try drinking your own pee. I heard that it helps clear up acne.

[Jerrick]

I've been plagued by bad skin pretty much since I started puberty, and my face shows it. Apart from my inability to tan naturally and my supernatural ability to burn horribly, I have a pretty bad acne problem that I can't seem to get rid of. I've tried a lot of stuff, from those single-use Stridex facial cleanser pads to a variety of creams. I've heard that a common acne-cream ingredient, Benzoyl Peroxide, actually wreaks havoc on the skin, and shouldn't be used. Is this true?

Has anyone else had bad acne and now has a triumphant story to tell? Any general advice as far as this goes? It's starting to get really annoying.

Try a tretinoin cream. There is also a bar soap called Panoxyl that is pretty good. Its 10% Benzoyl. There is also a few pills out there to take. Stay away from Acutane, as its horrid, and has horrible side effects, like balding, and stuff. But there are other kinds with little to no side effects, and might work for you.

You should go to a doctor and have them check your face out, and they can prescribe something to you, then you can just get the generic so its cheaper. Retin-A is expensive! lol

Whats ive noticed, they main way to get rid of acne, is to dry your skin, and thats what a lot of the ingredients do. I can see its harmful, because it makes your skin more sensitive to light, but after using acne medicine, put on some sun cream stuff and you should be fine.

Have you have just tried a regular bar of soap? Very clean, and very dry.

Also, what is your diet? A lot of what you eat can make your acne worse, and there's also a lot of what you can eat tat will help take it away.

[spazdude222]

Well, the one cream stuff has 5% benzoyl Peroxide and 1% clindamycin, and the gel stuff is .1% apapalene... so i dunno if it's possible to find that stuff OTC, but if so, that's the stuff that's in my stuff. Benzoyl Peroxide is like a godsend if you know how to use it. Once a day is plenty, or it will dry your skin out and itch like hell. Don't go more than 5%, and if you use it at all, use a face lotion at night. I have some adidas after shave balm that I use when my skin is tight and scratchy.

[Chrashing]

I'd say, see a dermatologist. They can educate and prescribe effective medication.

[catinabag1]

i've heard toothpaste works. it drys out the acne. i haven't tried it yet but i'm about to.

[dudewithasock]

Try a tretinoin cream. There is also a bar soap called Panoxyl that is pretty good. Its 10% Benzoyl. There is also a few pills out there to take. Stay away from Acutane, as its horrid, and has horrible side effects, like balding, and stuff. But there are other kinds with little to no side effects, and might work for you.

You should go to a doctor and have them check your face out, and they can prescribe something to you, then you can just get the generic so its cheaper. Retin-A is expensive! lol

Whats ive noticed, they main way to get rid of acne, is to dry your skin, and thats what a lot of the ingredients do. I can see its harmful, because it makes your skin more sensitive to light, but after using acne medicine, put on some sun cream stuff and you should be fine.

Have you have just tried a regular bar of soap? Very clean, and very dry.

Also, what is your diet? A lot of what you eat can make your acne worse, and there's also a lot of what you can eat tat will help take it away.

Some good advice there.

I do use soap, yeah. It has helped some. As far as my diet, eh, it's not all that good I guess. I've been getting more fast food (a few times a week instead of just once every 2 weeks or so) since I started working, and been eating more ice cream because of my job, dunno if that makes a difference.

Been more stressed too lately, cause of school and work. That might be part of it.

The general consensus so far seems to be 'see a dermatologist'. Guess I should look into that...

[unibikeling]

i know a kid who sits in class and pics his acne, then eats it. Hes gross

edit: sorry, i really have no advice, im just blessed to not have acne i guess, i would help if i could.

[dudewithasock]

i know a kid who sits in class and pics his acne, then eats it. Hes gross

Thanks for the advice.

[spazdude222]

Try a tretinoin cream. There is also a bar soap called Panoxyl that is pretty good. Its 10% Benzoyl. There is also a few pills out there to take. Stay away from Acutane, as its horrid, and has horrible side effects, like balding, and stuff. But there are other kinds with little to no side effects, and might work for you.

You should go to a doctor and have them check your face out, and they can prescribe something to you, then you can just get the generic so its cheaper. Retin-A is expensive! lol

Whats ive noticed, they main way to get rid of acne, is to dry your skin, and thats what a lot of the ingredients do. I can see its harmful, because it makes your skin more sensitive to light, but after using acne medicine, put on some sun cream stuff and you should be fine.

Have you have just tried a regular bar of soap? Very clean, and very dry.

Also, what is your diet? A lot of what you eat can make your acne worse, and there's also a lot of what you can eat tat will help take it away.I read somewhere ( a proactiv brochure I think...propaganda? maybe) that the food you eat doesn't matter... unless you rub it on your face prior to consumption.

[dudewithasock]

I read somewhere ( a proactiv brochure I think...propaganda? maybe) that the food you eat doesn't matter... unless you rub it on your face prior to consumption.

Maybe those calzones at lunch have been squirting grease onto my face.

[sp4rky-m4rky]

I think I am quite fortionate, My skin seems to be genraly pretty good. At points it gets bad and in the past I have used creams and facial washes but they have never seemed to have great effect.

The main thing I notece with my skin is as soon as I start eating sweets or chocolate I come up in a rash of spots, pretty much the next day. It has a similar effect when I dont get enough sleep for a few nights, just not as bad.

Throughout the week I dont realy wash my face much, when it looks/gets dirty I wash it but I dont rutinly wash it like every day.

I heard that washing your face with soap washes off the natural oils that protect it, I dont know how true that is though.

Maybe if your diets not that great you should try and eat better. Thats the best advice I can give, stay healthy, eat well and get enough sleep and your body will do its best to sort everything out.

[BurnerDave]

Wow, the postings here are going up faster than George Michael at a rest stop. I guess the issue is close to home.

IMHO get a proper prescription. Over the counter stuff can be too harsh or not effective at all, and you may end up bouncing around from one product to another trying to find one that works...assuming you allow enough time to see if it really works (about 8-10 days). I had it bad when I was young, and now my 16 and 19 year old sons have it. What is working best for them (after trying a few different things) is a daily prescription wash (like a Phisohex) and a daily dose of Minocyn. It took two visits to get the dose right ( not too harsh/not ineffective). Some people have (non-fatal) side effect like with any drug but ya don't know until ya try!

The bad news is you may have to wait it out. The good news is it doesn't affect your riding.


Edit: I also heard that acne comes from within so cleansers that strip all the surface oil off the surface skin might not be the way to go. I think the idea is to reduce the amount of secretions from the inside so the pores don't clog in the first place.

[Jerrick]

Some good advice there.

I do use soap, yeah. It has helped some. As far as my diet, eh, it's not all that good I guess. I've been getting more fast food (a few times a week instead of just once every 2 weeks or so) since I started working, and been eating more ice cream because of my job, dunno if that makes a difference.

Been more stressed too lately, cause of school and work. That might be part of it.

The general consensus so far seems to be 'see a dermatologist'. Guess I should look into that...


My friend, Dawn, has a lot of health books about what foods will do what. It seems kidna crazy, but ive seen her skin, and ive tried it and followed some of the advice in them and it really works.

Stress is always a factor, not just for acne, but for everything. Its best to try and get everything solved and stay as relaxed as you can. Stress is a killer. lol

A dermatologist would be the best bet.

OTC drugs really can work, but its different for everyone. My face takes a lot to dry out, so I use some of the higher doses of things to get the same results. Like when the bottle says use once a day or something, ill sometimes have to use it 3-4 times a day.

Also, a lot of the bottles say results in two days or something, but honestly, give the product a month before judging it. Pictures really can help compare. One picture at the first day, and another after 30 days. You just gotta get a strict schedule for it.

[burjzyntski]

Salicylic acid is a common chemical that is found in most acne medications.

Aspirin is Acetylsalicylic acid.

If you crush an Aspirin tablet into a fine powder and mix it with a bit of Witch Hazel (a good natural topical astringent) to form a paste, it works as a good/cheap/homemade/effective acne cream.

Sometimes I mix baking soda with Witch Hazel to form a cream that I can use to smear on irritated/pimply parts of my face. When the baking soda dries up and starts to crack & fall off my face, I know it's time to wash it all off.

Toothpaste also works very well for drying out facial skin and soothing, especially if its a paste instead of a gel. The whiter creamy toothpaste works the best for your face.

I don't even spend any money on acne remedies. Everything can be done with preexisting home goods.

As long as you remember to rinse your face with cold water to close your pores, you should be fine. I used to have pretty bad acne & pimples all over, but now that I've figured this acne science out, I'm doing much better.

[kington99]

Roaccutane. I believe it's been banned in this country but you can probably still get it in the US. After years of taking various stuff, various over the counter creams and then prescription drugs such as tetracycline and oxytetracycline, i tried it, it had noticeable effects in less than a day. Trouble is it's expensive, had bad side effects and is quite dangerous. You need to have blood tests before you start and every month or so when you take it. I did a 3 month course and after that the acne never really came back.

[dudewithasock]

Salicylic acid is a common chemical that is found in most acne medications.

Aspirin is Acetylsalicylic acid.

If you crush an Aspirin tablet into a fine powder and mix it with a bit of Witch Hazel (a good natural topical astringent) to form a paste, it works as a good/cheap/homemade/effective acne cream.

Sometimes I mix baking soda with Witch Hazel to form a cream that I can use to smear on irritated/pimply parts of my face. When the baking soda dries up and starts to crack & fall off my face, I know it's time to wash it all off.

Toothpaste also works very well for drying out facial skin and soothing, especially if its a paste instead of a gel. The whiter creamy toothpaste works the best for your face.

I don't even spend any money on acne remedies. Everything can be done with preexisting home goods.

As long as you remember to rinse your face with cold water to close your pores, you should be fine. I used to have pretty bad acne & pimples all over, but now that I've figured this acne science out, I'm doing much better.

The toothpaste thing seems like an interesting idea. We actually have some with baking soda in it for extra whitening power, I might try that.

[Divebomber]

My friend tried proactiv and said it didn't work for her. I have pretty good skin and never had a problem with acne.

[brendon557]

im pretty luckyu, ive never had a problem with acne or anything, i rarely get zits also

[Goats_On_Unicycles]

I have mild acne... I keep it under control by washing my face well regularly, using rubbing alcohol and occasionaly using soap on my face.

[wickedbob]

I got bad acne, but I really don't care. I figure if people don't like it they don't have to look at me. As for people saying it turns girls off, I don't mind, if somebody doesn't wanna date me because of a common skin problem they're not the type of person I care to get to know. Just getting over it is the best advise I've been given and it seems to work wonders of confidence.

I think I've learned not to care since I've had it since 3rd grade mildly and now I'm in 9th. It runs in my family.

The thing that works best for me though is washing my face 3 times a day with nuto-gena, once in the morning, after school, and before I go to bed.

[Emile.m]

Wow, I'm really happy I never got acne problem.

I get one pimple each... 2 months? lol, hey, I didn't even get one this whole winter, wohoo, lol.

[habbywall]

I have it.
It used to be really bad, I found that swimming helped it a lot. I think mine was mostly caused by stress and oils building up on my face.

[catinabag1]

i hate back acne. it hurts to pop em.

[Matt_V]

I get the odd zit on my face, but the back of my shoulders are covered in acne. My chest has a fair bit to. The stuff on my back gets really itchy so I just use a ruler or a big knife to scratch it. I find if i just wash my back really well when I shower it helps.

[wickedbob]

I've got that too matt. It is one of the reasons I don't swim at all anymore really.

For the face, I found something that had worked wonders for me. Wash/change your pillow case 3times a week and use soap with no sent or something like that then just hang dry. All the acne on the sides of my is pretty much gone, it used to be really bad, but once I did that it went right away. I still have it on my chin area though.

[wickedbob]

i hate back acne. it hurts to pop em.

Yeah, its really best not to though, it just makes it worse. That is another thing that made a big difference with my face/back. You might have them longer, but it will lead to less in the long run, I know its hard if you've got one on your face, like I had on my nose, but if you do stop you'll notice a difference.

It also stops them form scarring as much/ as bad. That's my problem, I had to huge ones on my chin for like 2 week and now they have been gone for over a month, but you can still see the marks really bad.

[Ducttape]

I had really really bad acne for a while but now it's all just blackheads luckily with a few occasional pimples... I've found that I have less acne problems in the summer when I'm working at camp where it is really dusty and dry, rolling around in the dirt actually kinda helped... and I went on vacation once with my family and a week of swimming everyday cleared it all up pretty good too...

[The.Mars.Volta]

i know a kid who sits in class and pics his acne, then eats it. Hes gross

edit: sorry, i really have no advice, im just blessed to not have acne i guess, i would help if i could.
so you've never had a pimple at all?

just one pimple is ance. n00b.

[Chrashing]

No one in our family went to dermatologist when growing up, so it seemed unnecessary, lived with the acne... When older, went to one and really improved things. I'd suggest going sooner than later to a derm., to reduce the scaring and getting proper education and treatment. Sure it's common to have acne, but why not improve the situation with a visit to a doctor specialist.

[maestro8]

There's all kinds of talk here about cleansers and such but nothing about moisturizers... from what little I understand, some people's skin reacts to dry conditions by self-moisturizing (producing oil). Washing, especially with bar soap, tends to remove oils and leave the face dry.

How many people here use a moisturizer after washing and/or medicating their skin? Personally, I've found it helps keep my face from getting oily, and reduces acne at the same time.

A non-comedogenic moisturizer is designed not to clog pores, so it won't cause or aggravate acne. Look for this phrase somewhere on the package before you buy. I've been using Oil of Olay 'cause it isn't greasy at all, my g/f likes it, and it also contains a sunblock.

[Jerrick]

There's all kinds of talk here about cleansers and such but nothing about moisturizers... from what little I understand, some people's skin reacts to dry conditions by self-moisturizing (producing oil). Washing, especially with bar soap, tends to remove oils and leave the face dry.

How many people here use a moisturizer after washing and/or medicating their skin? Personally, I've found it helps keep my face from getting oily, and reduces acne at the same time.

A non-comedogenic moisturizer is designed not to clog pores, so it won't cause or aggravate acne. Look for this phrase somewhere on the package before you buy. I've been using Oil of Olay 'cause it isn't greasy at all, my g/f likes it, and it also contains a sunblock.

I do that too. I forgot to mention it though when I was talking about the sunblock. lol

[unibikeling]

ugh. about a year to the day from my unhelpfull post i get bad acne/have bad acne.


not that terrible, and i have stuff, but i havent been able to control it that much right now.

damn kharma.

[milly]

Acne is God's way of saying "I hate you".

[MuniAddict]

Try a tretinoin cream. That's what I use, but it's better known as Retin-A (http://http://dermatology.about.com/cs/topicals/a/tretinoin.htm), which is only available through prescription. It's also very well know for other reasons (http://www.antiaging-systems.com/a2z/retina.htm) than acne.

[Jerrick]

Yep, and if you just get the stuff packages just as Tretinoin cream, not some beauty product that mentions retin-a as a part of it, you can get a nize tube of it for pretty cheap, and it lasts a long time. I still have mine actually and there's about a 3rd of it left.

[dudewithasock]

My back is still as bad as ever, only now it occasionally bleeds after I shower. Fun. I'm not even worried about the actual acne so much at this point, if it ever goes away there's gonna be ghastly scars. At least I can just always keep a shirt on, can't do anything similar for my face...but luckily my face isn't too bad if I keep shaved.

[Biggestbtc]

Also, what is your diet? A lot of what you eat can make your acne worse, and there's also a lot of what you can eat tat will help take it away.

That's how it is with me. My chiropractor/kinesiologist told me that I am lactose intolerant and I should also avoid sugar and oils. I find that 1 or 2 days after I eat some dairy or sugar(not a tiny amount), my face will break out. That's why I disagree with this propaganda:
I read somewhere ( a proactiv brochure I think...propaganda? maybe) that the food you eat doesn't matter... unless you rub it on your face prior to consumption.

It really helps to know what foods your body does not like. You may be allergic to some things, but the only way the allergy manifests itself is in acne. Some people will almost drop over dead if they eat cheese, but I don't feel very bad at all if I do. But I find out later that my body did not appreciate it.

My chiropractor/kinesiolgist really has helped me. He's a really great caring guy, and he knows the human body like you wouldn't believe. Kinesiology (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinesiologist) is a fascinating subject. Many people think kinesiolgists are quacks, but as far as I'm concerned, the proof is in the pudding.

[MuniAddict]

Yep, and if you just get the stuff packages just as Tretinoin cream, not some beauty product that mentions retin-a as a part of it, you can get a nize tube of it for pretty cheap, and it lasts a long time. I still have mine actually and there's about a 3rd of it left.I have the generic (tretinoin) in the weakest strength, but I've never heard it referred to as "beauty cream", lol! :p It's actually the acid form of vitamin A. It's been in my medicine cabinet for about two years and I haven't used it much. I wonder if it loses effectiveness after a certain amount of time.

[monocyclism]

I've been plagued by bad skin pretty much since I started puberty, and my face shows it. Apart from my inability to tan naturally and my supernatural ability to burn horribly, I have a pretty bad acne problem that I can't seem to get rid of. I've tried a lot of stuff, from those single-use Stridex facial cleanser pads to a variety of creams. I've heard that a common acne-cream ingredient, Benzoyl Peroxide, actually wreaks havoc on the skin, and shouldn't be used. Is this true?

Has anyone else had bad acne and now has a triumphant story to tell? Any general advice as far as this goes? It's starting to get really annoying.

May I respectfully mention the word, diet. I had poor skin when I was younger and for me it was eliminating all diary products that seemed to solve it.

Clearly there is an inner balance to this issue that is perhaps hormonal and sure, applied creams and remedies are worth a try - but experimenting with diet was the breakthrough for me.

I dont eat any diary products and my skin is no longer a problem - but I feel my general good health is attributable to a non-diary diet. I guess its a case of finding out for yourself.

[dudewithasock]

I don't eat that much dairy anyways, and I'm not sure if a diet is the solution cause like I said, my face doesn't get that bad any more, maybe just a few small ones scattered around on my cheeks. It's the back of my neck and allllll down my back that it's really bad, with the scars and eruptions and stuff. My diet didn't really change much when the acne got less bad on my face, so it's tough to say that that's the issue.

[habbywall]

Eating less dairy products helped me a bit. I recently stopped using the stuff(clean and clear acne control) for my face and it has made it a tad worse, but I can still seem to control it just as fine without that.
I am going to try something natural recommended in this thread starting this week though.

[siafirede]

You are 19, you are prone to acne, you are going to have acne.

It sucks, but it will go away in time. I went to a dermatologist and was taking some low-dose acne pill (not as aggressive as some of the others) and I guess it helped a little bit...but after a few months I ended up stopping taking it. It gave me joint pain, severely in the wrists, and when I told my doctor this, they ignored me and said that it shouldn't do that and tried to prescribe something else. I figured taking medication for a problem as small as acne really wasn't worth it, and just stopped.

What worked for me:

1) Cetaphil at night, or Clean & Clear.
2) 10% benzoidal peroxide stuff, I forget the name, either get generic or the branded stuff.
3) Time

Your acne will start to calm down in a few years.

[dudewithasock]

Maybe you just didn't have what I have. It seriously hurts sometimes to wear a backpack because of the acne on my shoulders (wickedbob can relate with me on this), and I've stained some of my lighter colored shirts because my back just decided to start bleeding. Sunburns also hurt way more than normal, but it's not like I'd ever take my shirt off in public anyway because of how bad it looks.

Maybe that whole thing is normal for everyone at my age, but I doubt it.

[habbywall]

I've had some pains when wearing a backpack, but not often. I know how it hurts.

[Biggestbtc]

Eat aloe vera or something...
Vitamin C will help your immune system against infection.
You're probably not the type, but if you ever feel like it, you may want to go on a detox diet. I've never, but we probably all could use one. :)

[siafirede]

Maybe you just didn't have what I have. It seriously hurts sometimes to wear a backpack because of the acne on my shoulders (wickedbob can relate with me on this), and I've stained some of my lighter colored shirts because my back just decided to start bleeding. Sunburns also hurt way more than normal, but it's not like I'd ever take my shirt off in public anyway because of how bad it looks.

Maybe that whole thing is normal for everyone at my age, but I doubt it.

I mean't that you are one of the unlucky who is prone to acne, not that it is normal to have bad breakouts. You probably have cystic acne, which is what I was taking a low dose pill for. I am not a doctor who specializes in skin, so my word is not as valuable, but you can stop by the dermatologist and see what is up.

They will try to push some kind of medication, probably ones specific to cystic acne, and it may work, or you may get side effects like I experienced with joint pain.

[MuniAddict]

It seriously hurts sometimes to wear a backpack because of the acne on my shoulders
Maybe that whole thing is normal for everyone at my age, but I doubt it.I recently had a acne pimple on my back and yes, it hurt to wear a backpack which would rub on it, irritating it even more. I just used clearasil for a few days and it went away. I still get them on my face from time. :o

[wickedbob]

Me and Matt got problems.

I have done my diet, I've tried all the shit. It I've taken aloe vera, I've washed everyday, took out chemicals and tried to much. Tried anything.

When your back is always covered, and you have scars that are going to last your life from the back of your calves to the back of your neck avoiding chocolate is not going to help. We aren't normal teens who cry over something small, like in the commercials. My entire back, hips, backs of my ears (wtf?) legs arms and chest are scared for good pretty much. It's painful to sit back in hard chairs a lot of the time, it's painful to carry a heavy pack, it's painful to wear jeans due to the ones I get in my hip bones.

For us it's not a usual problem that you can solve pretty simply or one that goes away when he grows up. That is what I was told, now my back has purple dots and pits like the moon, going to be there for ever.

I remember my brother calling me pizza face when I was in 5th grade. For some people it's a little more serious and having people like my brother who have nothing (well some, but not nearly as bad as mine) and kids in school talk as if it is my fault, as if there is anything I can do is damn annoying. People always suggests you should shower more, wash more, I shower twice a day in water as hot as I can stand, they'll make it so I can sit back occasionally.

Some peoples families like mine can't afford to go out and get some miracle in a pill, or cream. Some people have got serious problems which going to the drug store will not fix.

Me and Matt using over the counter acne medication, or something simple/ easy accessible without forking over and arm and leg, is like taking an aspirin when you break your leg.

[explosionsq]

I took the plunge and went for Acutane. Monthly blood tests, chance of liver failure, chance of developing tunnel vision, chance of developing blindness, pledging to not have unprotected sex(for fear of having a defective child), chance of suicidal depression, chance of hallucinations, and almost daily nosebleeds during the Winter months are some of the complications of Acutane.

It was a tough decision, but I'm fine now(knock on wood, there is still an incredibly small chance of me having a defective child when I'm older).

My acne was at the point where it was ruining shirts, it was uncomfortable to sit down in chairs at school because of my back-acne.

After a year of taking the pills, I am 99% acne-free. I get the occasional pimple that goes away in a day or two.

EDIT: I've still got scars. Acutane cant take those away.

Acutane works, but its definitely risky. I'm thankful I got through the treatment with just the nosebleeds I mentioned earlier.

[wickedbob]

Wish I could afford that to give it a go....

Not being able to wear white shits really sucks. Especially when it is hot as hell all summer and humid.

[siafirede]

Me and Matt got problems.

I have done my diet, I've tried all the shit. It I've taken aloe vera, I've washed everyday, took out chemicals and tried to much. Tried anything.



Yeah, acne like that has nothing to do with diet or products for your face. The first thing the dermatologist said was that it really has nothing to do with diet. People who don't have acne, or people who only have small breakouts will tend to ask you about your diet and stuff like that, but it doesn't correlate. Stress sometimes does, but not for the type of acne you describe.

I think what I was taking was Minocycline in a low dose, and it helped a bit. I would be afraid to go the route of accutane (see side affects listed above). It isn't that expensive to go to the minocycline route, check to see if your health care or your parent's health care covers dermatologist visits. For me, it did as long as I went to my primary care physician first. Give your policy a look.

My friend took minocycline and had great results, I took it for a few months and was paranoid about taking pills and the side effects, so I stopped. I try to stay away from medication if I don't "need" it.

It definitely sucks having acne, I didn't have it as bad as you describe, as I never really had a lot of back acne. I still get a few bad pimples every now and then, and they hurt and I would have thought by 24 I wouldn't have that problem anymore. For the most part, I don't have acne problems anymore, and I attribute that mostly to age.

[Jerrick]

I have the generic (tretinoin) in the weakest strength, but I've never heard it referred to as "beauty cream", lol! :p It's actually the acid form of vitamin A. It's been in my medicine cabinet for about two years and I haven't used it much. I wonder if it loses effectiveness after a certain amount of time.

Im not sure of its shelf life, but it seems to be a long time. Mine is on .025%, had it forever. Put some on yesterday and it looked like it was still working. Just being a bit tighter than usual.

Eat aloe vera or something...
Vitamin C will help your immune system against infection.
You're probably not the type, but if you ever feel like it, you may want to go on a detox diet. I've never, but we probably all could use one. :)

Depends on the detox. Most of them are basically "Drink this weird drink that has vitamins and thats it, then take this pill so your on the bathroom for 5 hours a day and randomly through the night, and also wash that pill down a with a cup of salt water." A lot of them, no matter how hyped up they are, end up with you just basically starving yourself of solids.


I took the plunge and went for Acutane.

I was about to mention this. I heard about it when I was getting some acne medicine. I dont have it that bad anywhere, but its nice to keep things as clean-slate as possible. But that stuff sounded way too hardcore for me. Very heavily regulated and very strict.

Just keep up the research and work. Some diet may work, some product may work, some money may have to be dished out, or just wait and see what happens.

[habbywall]

I don't see the point of a detox diet.
As far as I tell, it's just to get all the bad things out by getting all the good things out as well.
Being healthy is a lifelong process, no need to rush into things. You could just start eating only good things and eventually the bad stuff will all be out anyways.

[Doug]

I guess I can offer up a success story.

My dentist unintentionally solved my acne when I was 23. After pulling my wisdom teeth out, my dentist told me to take 2000mg of vitamin C per day for a month to ward off infection. Within just a few days my years of acne ended.

After that I experimented with different levels of vitamin C until finding just enough to keep the acne under control. I also read somewhere that vitamin C should be taken at a very steady rate: the same mg day after day after day. There's no need for my to post my daily intake level here (it's moderate) because everyone's going to be different. I still take it daily.

[mornish]

I didn't read anything but the first post :).

for acne i take 100mg of doxcicyclene (sp?) daily, which is by far the best single thing i've ever done. (it's prescription though...)

when my acne was really bad i also put benzyl peroxide on my face daily (2.5-10% depending), as well as one other cream and one other roll on type thing. I then put on moisturizer so my face wouldn't look dead.

the doxicyclene is by far the best thing though IMO, i stopped using all the other stuff do to laziness and my acne is under control.

I can get the names of the other stuff for you if you want.

just remembered, one of them was retynol or something along those lines.

[unouni]

I don't have a major acne prob but sometimes I get those ones that are really deep under the skin and very painful. I use regular antibacterial soap twice a day. It seems to keep them at bay and no blackheads!!

I also recommend a product called H2Ocean. You can find it at any descent piercing shop. It's a purified sea salt water spray that contains Lysozymes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysozyme

After washing your face with antibacterial soap just spray some on your face. Allow it to dry. Repeat every 4 hours if possible. Be sure to always touch your face with CLEAN hands. Sleep on clean pillowcases too.

I hope this helps, if you choose to use this method. I can't guarentee results, I just know what works for me.

[Biggestbtc]

If I may say so, the Neutrogena Facial Bar works well cutting grease.
http://www.acne.org/images/products/neutrogena-bar-acne-prone-large.jpg

[Rezinha]

When I was 15/16 I had some problems with acne too. I went to a dermatologist and he told me to use a soap and a lotion but that made my skin very very dry and thin and, during the winter, it became all red and it was peeling. So, I decided to stop with that. Then, I tried taking antibiotics, but after two months I was having nauseas everyday and the medicine was making me feel bad. Then I quit it all and gave up.
About 2 years ago, I became a vegetarian and stopped eating as much cheese as I used to eat before. I don't if that was because of the diet but I have almost no acne at all nowadays (and no migraines too, cause cheese and wine give me those kind of headaches). Only when I am nervous and I scratch myself (that includes my body and my face).
But, in normal days hehe, I'm fine and without acne. The only thing I do today is drink a lot of water and wash my face everyday with this (http://www.vichyusa.com/_us/_en/shop_products/facecare/normaderm_deep_cleansing_gel.htm?) and then use this (http://www.vichyusa.com/_us/_en/shop_products/facecare/new_normaderm_anti_imperfection_hydrating_care.htm?). And it seems to work pretty fine for me.

Edit: I scratch myself and then the 'places' where I have scratched infect and it turns in a thing that is like acne! Hehe

[fluxusmaximus]

Hey Rezinha, I've the same experience with nausea too. I figure it's an allergic reaction and I get it most distinctly if I were to drink milk before or after medication.

My complexion was horrid from the humid hot weather here (I'm assuming Brazil's like that too) and it cleared up substantially after I returned from a stretch of trips to Canada and Japan during the cooler seasons.

The medication helped too I'm sure but another thing which I changed was this - instead of moisturizing and toning my face, I've just stuck to using soap and water. For some reason it seemed to clear up my skin.

Now to figure out how to get rid of eyebags.

[Rezinha]

Hey Rezinha, I've the same experience with nausea too. I figure it's an allergic reaction and I get it most distinctly if I were to drink milk before or after medication.

My complexion was horrid from the humid hot weather here (I'm assuming Brazil's like that too) and it cleared up substantially after I returned from a stretch of trips to Canada and Japan during the cooler seasons.

The medication helped too I'm sure but another thing which I changed was this - instead of moisturizing and toning my face, I've just stuck to using soap and water. For some reason it seemed to clear up my skin.

Now to figure out how to get rid of eyebags.

Yes, Brazil is very humid and hot. But no my city. I live in the south, therefore, it's cold and dry here. In my city the temperature is between 13ºC to 25º/26º C in the summer and in the winter between -3ºC to 15ºC. So it's not hot like the rest of the country (unfortunately :( )

[Unitik908]

acutane.
It is an instensive treatment, but I've had 2 friends... both of which had as bad acne as I've ever seen, and now they have completely clear faces.

http://www.drugs.com/accutane.html

Chase