Yaz, Adoxa, Duac, Tetrin-X

Hi, I am a 25-year old female. For the past 7 years I've tried a variety of antibiotics, topical creams/gels/washes, and birth control to treat acne. I want share my acne history with other girls/women, so you can decide what to take or not take to treat acne.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

1) age 16-19, had mild acne, no medications to treat it at this time. Used a variety of cleansers, wore makeup to cover blemishes.

2) age 19-23, started using Duac Topical Gel twice a day, and 100 mg of Adoxa (doxycycline) once a day (both prescribed by my dermatologist), and Cetaphil face wash. Within a month or two my face was completely clear.

3) age 23, my family physician told me to stop taking the Adoxa medication. She came to this conclusion after reviewing by blood tests. I had a low white blood cell count, and she said the doxycycline could have been the cause, also because this medication was not supposed to be used over a long period of time. I still continued using the duac topical gel.

4) age 23, a month or two after stopping the Adoxa, some acne returned. Skin wasn't pimple free, but still mild.

5) age 24, I started getting some cystic acne along my jawline. I sought advice from a different dermatologist, and at first she had me try various washes (Clenia, Brevoxyl, Benziq) and creams/gels (Klaron, Differin, Tretin-X, Duac). Her intention was to try fighting acne topically, before prescribing antibiotics.

6) age 24, my dermatologist saw that my skin was not clearing, so decided to have me try taking Adoxa again. She prescribed a higher dosage (150mg), that Adoxa had recently come out with. After a couple of months on Adoxa, Duac Topical gel, and Tretin-X, the acne did not dissipate.

7)age 24, She said that doxycycline tends to work better on teenagers, but now that I was in my mid-20's it was very likely my acne was hormone-related. She then recommended I try Yaz birth control. She preferred Yaz, because it was a BC especially known for clearing acne, and less water retention (weight gain).

8) age 25, I stopped taking the Adoxa, and started taking Yaz birth control, Benziq cleanser and duac topical gel. My skin was flawless 6 weeks later. I also got facials twice a month which dramatically improved the texture of my skin and had a healthy glow. I was able to use an organic oil blend to hydrate my face with no problems whatsoever. However, I did gain about 7 or 8 lbs., felt more anxious, and was always hungry because of the BC.

9) age 25, A little over three months after starting Yaz, breakouts starting coming back. Not a lot, the worst was a cluster of five blemishes on the side of my face. The little bit of acne I had on my back was clear. I wasn't sure if it was stress causing the breakouts, or that my body had adjusted to the Yaz, and it wasn't working as powerfully anymore.

10) age 25, Started seeing a lot of health warnings on television regarding Yaz. This concerned me, because the main reason I started taking birth control was for the acne only, not to prevent pregnancy. Since Yaz is advised to ONLY be taken to prevent pregnancy, and because of the weight gain, anxiety and feelings of constant hunger, I decided to stop taking the birth control.

11) age 25, two weeks after stopping birth control, my acne broke out worse than ever before (only on my face). I was totally shocked and embarrassed to be seen in public. Literally every pore on my face was covered with acne: whiteheads, red bumps and blackheads. Each day it was getting worse and worse. I was mad at myself for not reading more about the adverse effects after stopping birth control. Acne is a very common adverse effect, when women stop taking BC (9 out of 10 cases), and comes back worse than it was before taking it. Also, I have not had my period since stopping the pill. I talked with a nurse over the phone affiliated with Yaz, and he told me it takes some women 3-6 months to get their period back after stopping BC.

12) age 25, current: It has been 3 1/2 months since being off of Yaz. I contemplated going back on the BC to clear my skin, but I figured I was only prolonging the inevitable--that if I ever wanted to have a baby, I'd have to stop taking the pill and my acne would come back, and I was concerned the longer I take the BC, the more difficult it would be to re-balance my hormones.

I still have not gotten my period back, but my acne is getting A LOT better. I started doing the Regimen on Oct. 2, 2009. I am now at the beginning of week 4. I am so relieved that it is working. My results have followed the "what to expect" sheet exactly so far. I just started taking 80 mg of zinc, and fish oil daily.

13) age 25, I finally got my period! I am so relieved. This indicates my body is becoming more balanced again. I was almost at 4 months of not having a menstrual cycle.

...to be continued!

Anti-social, Anxiety, Depression caused by Acne

I've had minor acne since I was 16, but it was never severe enough to cause me to feel anti-social, depressed or anxious. Now, I know EXACTLY how that feels.

I didn't get severe acne until after coming off of Yaz birth control (July 2009). About a week after I stopped taking it, my face was covered (forehead, cheeks, chin, upper lip) with papules and postules. I was horrified.

At first, I told myself I wasn't going to let it get to me. My hormones just needed time to balance back, I just had to "stick it out". I thought that the only way I would draw attention to my acne problem is if I acted like it bothered me.

I tried to think of how much worse my situation could be...like having cancer and losing my hair, or being paralyzed from the waist down, unable to walk. Acne doesn't cause any physical limitations, so it shouldn't hinder me from doing anything that I normally do...unless I let it get to my head.

At the time, I was only working part-time because it was still summer. But once September hit, I was back teaching at an elementary school Monday through Friday. Everyday from September till the end of October kids asked me,



I was humiliated. Up to this point, I had been trying my best to NOT think and obsess about my acne, but now I realized, EVERYONE notices that I have acne, most adults know better not to say anything, but kids...they just call it like they see it.

I remember sobbing (not just tears, actual loud cries of desperation) a few times in my car on the way home from work. When I had to eat outside of the house, I would go through drive thrus to order food so no one would have to see me. I didn't go to my girlfriend's engagement party, another friend's wedding, a baby shower, and I stopped going to my Bible study group. My fiance called me "hermit" and his "little vampire" during this time. He and my family didn't force me to go anywhere because they saw how deeply this was affecting me. This was without a doubt, a dark time in my life.

No one can truly understand the social impact of acne unless they've experienced it themselves. It's a rough road to be on. When I think back to high school, a time where my acne was very minor, easily covered by makeup, I remember those that had severe acne. There were only a couple that I knew of. One guy was very introverted, kept to himself, didn't get involved in any sports/activities. I can't help but wonder if having acne is what caused him to be this way. On the other hand, there was my boyfriend who was on the football, wrestling team and in band. He was very popular, and won Homecoming King senior year. He had severe acne all over his face, neck and back since he was in the 7th grade, but it never stopped him from being his normal fun, outgoing self. And if it did, I wasn't aware of it.

So the way I see it, YOU are ultimately in control of how you let acne affect your life. For some, they can carry on just fine (or at least act like it), others need to "lay low". I chose to "lay low" when my acne was at it's worst. I chose to be gentle and not force myself to engage in social situations that were unnecessary. There were three places I went to during this time: work, yoga, church. Everywhere else was optional. If I felt up to going to the movies or the grocery store I would, if not, oh well.

Interestingly enough, the three places I did go to helped me tremendously get through this dark time. I love teaching, and being around other teachers and students brought me a lot of joy. Yoga allowed me to calm my mind, and relax my body without feeling judged by others. Going to church, and reading the Bible daily filled me spiritually.

My advice to anyone with acne when it comes to social situations is to be gentle with yourself. Only YOU know what you can and can't handle right now. Why force yourself?

It has been five weeks since I started using the Regimen. My acne is no longer severe. Needless to say I am so grateful and pleased with how things are going so far. Please read my other blog posts under Girls/Women with Acne to learn more.

Yaz, Adoxa, Duac, Tetrin-X...

Hi, I am a 25-year old female. For the past 7 years I've tried a variety of antibiotics, topical creams/gels/washes, and birth control to treat acne. I want share my acne history with other girls/women, so you can decide what prescriptions to take or not take to treat acne.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

1) age 16-19, had mild acne, no medications to treat it at this time. Used a variety of cleansers, wore makeup to cover blemishes.

2) age 19-23, started using Duac Topical Gel twice a day, and 100 mg of Adoxa (doxycycline) once a day (both prescribed by my dermatologist), and Cetaphil face wash. Within a month or two my face was completely clear.

3) age 23, my family physician told me to stop taking the Adoxa medication. She came to this conclusion after reviewing by blood tests. I had a low white blood cell count, and she said the doxycycline could have been the cause, also because this medication was not supposed to be used over a long period of time. I still continued using the duac topical gel.

4) age 23, a month or two after stopping the Adoxa, some acne returned. Skin wasn't pimple free, but still mild.

5) age 24, I started getting some cystic acne along my jawline. I sought advice from a different dermatologist, and at first she had me try various washes (Clenia, Brevoxyl, Benziq) and creams/gels (Klaron, Differin, Tretin-X, Duac). Her intention was to try fighting acne topically, before prescribing antibiotics.

6) age 24, my dermatologist saw that my skin was not clearing, so decided to have me try taking Adoxa again. She prescribed a higher dosage (150mg), that Adoxa had recently come out with. After a couple of months on Adoxa, Duac Topical gel, and Tretin-X, the acne did not dissipate.

7)age 24, She said that doxycycline tends to work better on teenagers, but now that I was in my mid-20's it was very likely my acne was hormone-related. She then recommended I try Yaz birth control. She preferred Yaz, because it was a BC especially known for clearing acne, and less water retention (weight gain).

8) age 25, I stopped taking the Adoxa, and started taking Yaz birth control, Benziq cleanser and duac topical gel. My skin was flawless 6 weeks later. I also got facials twice a month which dramatically improved the texture of my skin and had a healthy glow. I was able to use an organic oil blend to hydrate my face with no problems whatsoever. However, I did gain about 7 or 8 lbs., felt more anxious, and was always hungry because of the BC.

9) age 25, A little over three months after starting Yaz, breakouts starting coming back. Not a lot, the worst was a cluster of five blemishes on the side of my face. The little bit of acne I had on my back was clear. I wasn't sure if it was stress causing the breakouts, or that my body had adjusted to the Yaz, and it wasn't working as powerfully anymore.

10) age 25, Started seeing a lot of health warnings on television regarding Yaz. This concerned me, because the main reason I started taking birth control was for the acne only, not to prevent pregnancy. Since Yaz is advised to ONLY be taken to prevent pregnancy, and because of the weight gain, anxiety and feelings of constant hunger, I decided to stop taking the birth control.

11) age 25, two weeks after stopping birth control, my acne broke out worse than ever before (only on my face). I was totally shocked and embarrassed to be seen in public. Literally every pore on my face was covered with acne: whiteheads, red bumps and blackheads. Each day it was getting worse and worse. I was mad at myself for not reading more about the adverse effects after stopping birth control. Acne is a very common adverse effect, when women stop taking BC (9 out of 10 cases), and comes back worse than it was before taking it. Also, I have not had my period since stopping the pill. I talked with a nurse over the phone affiliated with Yaz, and he told me it takes some women 3-6 months to get their period back after stopping BC.

12) age 25, current: It has been 3 1/2 months since being off of Yaz. I contemplated going back on the BC to clear my skin, but I figured I was only prolonging the inevitable--that if I ever wanted to have a baby, I'd have to stop taking the pill and my acne would come back, and I was concerned the longer I take the BC, the more difficult it would be to re-balance my hormones.

I still have not gotten my period back, but my acne is getting A LOT better. I started doing the Regimen on Oct. 2, 2009. I am now at the beginning of week 4. I am so relieved that it is working. My results have followed the "what to expect" sheet exactly so far. I just started taking 80 mg of zinc, and fish oil daily.

13) age 25, I finally got my period! I am so relieved. This indicates my body is becoming more balanced again. I was almost at 4 months of not having a menstrual cycle.

...to be continued!

First Five Weeks

It's been exactly 5 weeks since I started using the Regimen. My skin is looking remarkably clearer. However, the first four weeks were a challenge for me. I dealt with severe dryness, swelling, redness and breakouts. I don't think I would have stuck with it, if it wasn't for the "What to Expect ", and "Biggest Mistakes" pages, where Dan lists what happens each week when starting the Regimen.

I want to echo Dan's advice, to follow the Regimen precisely and stick with it. Here are some details of what I experienced week-by-week this first month using the Regimen (note: I used only the products from Daniel Kern's line: Acne.org cleanser, treatment, moisturizer, AHA+, jojoba oil):

Week 1: breakouts worsened. I had a lot of whiteheads on my chin and around my mouth especially. I didn't pick at them because I did not want the breakouts to increase. The BP felt tingly, but did not burn. My face did feel itchy the first couple of days. There was one night I had a difficult time sleeping because it itched so bad.

Week 2 and 3: My face got really really red. It looked like I had a sunburn, except for the circles around my eyes where I didn't apply BP. Any kind of sun exposure even for a couple of minutes increased the redness. So I bought a couple of big hats. Sun is not my friend right now! My face also looked fatter because it was swollen from using the BP. This didn't alarm me because I've used two other topical creams prescribed by my dermatologists in the past that caused my face to swell the first couple of weeks using it. My face was also very very dry. I figured out that I needed to use more than two pumps of moisturizer and more jojoba oil. I doubled the dosage and spot-treated dry spots during the day. This has worked really well for me. Dryness is still present, but tolerable.

Week 4: Swelling and redness is gone! Thank God! Dark spots are present from old acne (even though I didn't pick at it...bummer) but breakouts are very light, if any. When pimples do arise, I spot treat it right away with the AHA+ on top of the BP. My biggest breakout this week was just five pimples that popped up two days before my period, but now they're gone. I am still using double the amount of moisturizer and jojoba oil on my face to control dryness. Since things are going as promised, I started taking a high quality fish oil (2 tablets) and chelated zinc (80 mg) daily.

Week 5: Swelling and redness is still gone. Dark spots are still visible (I read that it may take 8 months to 2 years but they will dissipate over time), and I have just a small blemish by my lip and that is it. A holistic pharmacist that I buy my supplements from told me it takes about a month for the zinc and fish oil to start kicking into effect. I will continue taking 80 mg zinc and high quality fish oil daily. Also, I do not use any dairy products. I stopped over a year ago. If you want to read more about how dairy is connected to acne, please go to Dave's blog and read under "Dairy".

Let me know if you have any questions.