just for curiosity sake, let's see where everyone is.
I'm 36.

I saw a thread in the Research forum recently about naproxen sodium (Aleve) ... said it was supposed to be very effective against premenstrual acne. link here

I tried it out this month, and it worked very well for me. I took two Aleve tablets each day, one with breakfast and one right after dinner -- and I only got two tiny, tiny pimples the whole week.

Normally during PMS week I would get a number of these little ones popping up on my nose and chin each day.

I stopped taking a regular dose of the Aleve as soon my period started, although I have taken one at night a couple of times since. From what I understand, you really have to be careful not to take too much ... it can cause stomach bleeding and other unpleasant side effects.

Has anyone else tried this?

Hello everyone,

I used to have moderate to severe acne on my face (boils and carbuncles on the chin and nose, sometimes on the cheek, along with regular pimples wherever). I had my first boil when I was in grade 7 right on my nose. After that it started getting worse, and it came and went in severity throughout the years.

When I was about 19 I started getting severe bacne. Large cystic acne that never came to the surface and left some mean looking scars (which are healing up now, after several years).

I am 23 now and my facial acne is completely gone, and my bacne is almost completely gone now too (no more boils or cysts, just a few blackheads).

I've started this thread to share all the stuff I've learned on the way and all the things I've done which I feel have had significant role in curing my acne. I couldn't find a general area to post stuff so I'm posting it here since I technically had the acne still after I was 21. I'll put it in list form but it's not really in any order, just the order I think of it in.

#1. I stopped using special soap or cleanser on my face and started using only water and a microfiber cloth (commonly called a microdermabrasion cloth, though they are nothing but simple automotive microfiber cloths) to wash my face. Please see my thread here about microfiber cloths which includes a link to the type I used:
www.acne.org/messageboard/ebay-microdermabrasion-cloths-are-a-scam-t207986.html

The key with the microfiber cloths is that they exfoliate the hell out of your skin. I have combination skin, oily and dry, so these cloths were a Godsend. I noticed a difference immediately. It cleared up the small pimples and blackheads on my forehead almost right away.

#2. When I was 19 I became a vegetarian and I also severely limited my intake of dairy products. I believe that dairy products were a major contributing factor to my acne. Check out this page: notmilk.com/z.html — milk is LOADED with hormones that can contribute to acne. Not to mention loaded with anti-biotics that the cows are given and some other nasty stuff.

I started eating way healthier. I never eat or drink artificial flavors or colors if I can help it. No junk food ever. Just beautiful, delicious, healthy food from the Earth. I don't ever drink soda, just water or pure fruit juice. You will immediately feel like a new person.

#3. This is related to #1 but I want to make it its own point: I stopped washing my face with anti-bacterial soap. Before I found the microfiber cloths I was washing my face with tersaseptic anti-bacterial facial wash as recommended by my doctor. Anti-bacterial facial wash can be useful up to a point (I'll get to that in a minute) but here's the thing. Our bodies are host to a lot of beneficial bacteria, and a lot of it lives on our skin. This bacteria has a sort of symbiotic relationship with our bodies, it helps us out and in turn it can live on/in us. The beneficial bacteria on our skin acts as a defense mechanism in that it gobbles up and eats other hostile bacteria that our skin may come in contact with throughout the day.

Anti-bacterial facial wash kills off the good bacteria along with the bad, wiping out one of our lines of defense.

Now I want to say that anti-bacterial facial wash can be useful up to a point, but overdoing it can wipe out all the good bacteria and also eventually the bad bacteria becomes resistant to it, so it's not effective at all anymore. After I started using just water and microfiber cloths I still used the tersaseptic anti-bacterial soap to disinfect the area around a zit after it was popped. This was to prevent the spread of all the bacteria that came out of the clogged pore. However I never again used it all over my face.

#4. This ties into number #3: I was on tetracycline antibiotics for several years and I feel that they actually made my acne WORSE in the long run. So #4 is that I stopped taking oral antibiotics.

Oral antibiotics can definitely be useful, I'm not saying they're evil, but in my experience they don't really help, in the long run, with acne. The reason is similar to the above; oral antibiotics wipe out a ton of the beneficial bacteria in our body, especially in our gut. If you have been taking oral antibiotics you should definitely look into taking some probiotics to rebuild your gut flora. This stuff helps us digest our food and also keeps the bad bacteria in there in check.

Initially when I went off the tetracycline my acne got way worse. This was because my body was very dependent upon it. Before I went off it, it was taking much larger doses (I was following the doctor's instructions here) for it to be effective because the bacteria had become so resistant to it. But in the end if I had not gone off the tetracycline I would still need to be taking it now. Long term antibiotic treatment for acne is not a good road to take in my experience.

#5. I changed my lifestyle. I used to occasionally drink alcohol when I was younger at parties and with friends. I stopped doing this (beer in particular I think aggravated my acne). I started caring about my body. I started exercising. I started doing yoga. I started eating healthy food, not junk. I did some cleansing of my body.

Your body is your temple, it's been given to you as your home for your stay on this planet. Your body is a very very complex and advanced biological machine, and you're the pilot. Start taking care of it in every way possible. Treat it with respect and Love and it will run well and look beautiful for years and years.

#6. I went to a homeopathic doctor and tried some homeopathic remedies. I was skeptical about this at first but I figured it wasn't very expensive so why not try it. At the time I was have some bad boils forming on the back of my neck. I took one of the remedies that was prescribed and the next day the boils on my neck got much worse. They got really bad for about a week then they just disappeared and never came back.

If you go this route find a good homeopathic doctor. Don't try to prescribe the remedies yourself with the help of websites. Take the dosage recommendations seriously as taking too much could really bungle things up for your health. I know a lot of people will probably respond with negative comments about this one, but please don't bother. I'm not here to argue about it. It seemed to help for me so here it is. Can't hurt. The thing to remember about these remedies is that it will get worse before it gets better, as your body cleanses itself.

#7. I started thinking positive about it all instead of constantly despairing about the situation. I honestly think that this was the number one most important change I made. You know that feeling you get when you realize you're getting ANOTHER boil or zit? That sinking feeling of despair? That energetic feeling you are releasing in your body is only making things worse, it's perpetuating a cycle. I know this part is hard, but you have to stop doing/feeling that.

Start Loving yourself! Just for who you are, how you are. Love energy is the most powerful healing force in this universe. Next time you get a zit don't spiral into the despair mode of negativity and self-pity or hatred. That energy vibration is very damaging to your body in a lot of ways, and will only serve to manifest more acne.

Look at yourself in the mirror, deep into your own eyes and smile. Love the person you see there, the spirit of your Self dancing in your eyes. You are a beautiful beautiful being having a human experience on this planet. You are not your body, it is but a vehicle for your greater Self. A window through which you interact in the physical realm. Fuel and heal that beautiful body of yours with Love, the essence of who you are.

So next time you're on the brink of plunging into that despair feeling, smile and wink at yourself in the mirror. Don't dwell on it and go and do something that makes you happy. Find joy in life. Nothing is stopping you from feeling joy and happiness but yourself. This joy and Love will heal your body in a million ways.

I hope this post helps someone out there.

Lots of Love ~
giantcat

Hi. Does anyone here use Carley's Clear and Smooth Acne Treatment?

I started using it three days ago. Carley's treatment requires you to scrub your face once a day--does doing this have a bad effect on your skin because I heard that using a scrub on your face daily can damage your skin from too much abrasive action and that it can make acne worse by irritating the skin. Today after using their treatment to scrub my face, I've noticed that a few areas on my face looks a tiny bit scraped--it's not a big deal but it's slightly noticeable if I look really close in my small mirror. Also, when I used warm water to wash their natural soap off my face today, my face started to hurt a little ; I'm wondering if it's from the scrub and if it will get better as the days progress. I'm worried that if I keep scrubbing everyday it will do a lot of damage to my skin in the long run. Helppppp!

I had moderately bad acne in my 20s (I'm now in my late 40s).

Between a short stint of Tetracycline in my 20s, and birth control pills in my 20s, 30s, and 40s, my acne got under control and now it's gone.

But I'm left with pitting on my cheeks. My family lovingly tells me that it's not really noticeable, but c'mon, it's there. I can see it. It may not be as deep as some people's but I don't have smooth skin anymore.

Is there anything that can be done for the pitting that is left over after the acne disappears? I tried injections a few years ago (I think it was Restyline or something like that) but the effects were only temporary.

Just wondering.... I can live with my face looking the way it does. It's not terrible. But it would be so nice if it could somehow be made smooth again. Or is that just not possible?

Hi all! I'm very new to this and still not sure how this works but I did want to introduce myself and try to get the word out there on what I have to offer!! I represent a brand new dermatological co. that just launched in March '08...the co. was created by the same derms that created ProActiv! We have a brand new line called Unblemish and it's done wonders for me!! I'm very passionate about these products and the results that can be achieved...I know from personal experience what it's like to have acne and I would love to share info. with anyone who wants to hear more! So shoot me a message if you'd like more info...thanks..Jamie

I had finally found the perfect regimen that cleared up my skin. I was using Pan Oxyl 5% bar, with an oil free moisturizer. By my 21st birthday my face was completely clear. For about two years I would sometimes get one or two tiny black heads on the same areas of my face (under my cheek bones) , but it was nothing to cry about, I was happy.

I Just turned 23 this summer and about one month after my birthday I started getting a lot of black heads on the same problem areas of my face. The black heads turned into full-blown pimples, five on the left side of my face and two on my right. They throb and are really red and large. Why am I breaking out after being clear for two years? Did my face grow accustom to the benzoyl peroxied? Can that happen?

hi guys. just got finacea and ive been using duac for about 4 months, duac has helped but still get some blackheads. finacea is supposed to help that but also scarring. but just wanted some ppl who use this to let me know how often you use it.

to give yo uan idea of how "sensitive" my skin is... proactiv irritates and dries my skin out, weird that duac doesn't do that at 5% bp instead 2.5%. i also use a 10% glycolic based toner (twice daily), and use oil of olay facials scrubs. they're rough enough to get scrub all the oil off (im really, by noon, ick) but not abrasive or harsh. i use duac only at night, i would wear it during the day but (despite spf40 sunscreen) i get a bit of a sunburn from walking my dog so i skip it.

ive read some ppl use it a few times a week, others everyday...if some of you could post your experience with it and skin type, it'd be most appreciated.

I was wondering if anyone had tried or is currently using Jan Marini products? I am
using the biogylcolic cleanser, it's too early to comment on the progress so far!
Her products get rave reviews on makeup alley, they seem to combat acne and
aging which at my age is much needed! They are expensive but if they work I
don't mind. I was thinking of purchasing the bioclear lotion/cream and factor A lotion, anyone else tried these? Any info much appreciated. Tks

Ok so I have been reading these boards for months now trying to figure out what to do. Went to dermatologist numerous times but I felt that she wasnt really getting at the "cause" of my problem. I have hormonal acne and sometimes break out all over my chin [well not anymore]... I have finally stop breaking out... not because of any product or magic cure but because I figured out what was triggering my breakouts... MILK!!! I was drinking a lot of milk, eating a lot of yogurt, eating cheese, etc.. Well i went on a 2 week vacation and didnt really eat dairy during the vacation... i noticed that my face stopped breaking out and that all i had left were the old breakouts that were clearing up...


so no new breakouts for me now for over a month now... now i was just wondering if i could get some advice on dealing with what acne has left behind....

Mostly red spots/marks, a few small indents, uneven skin tone, large pores, and a few little left over blackheads and a pesky pimple or 2 that is lingering around

any suggestions on how to improve my situation?? my derm i prescribed me ziana but i never really used it... might this be effective for my current situation???

Hi Guys and Gals

I am posting from the uk. I am 34 years of age and have suffered with Acne since I was 14.

It is very very mild now and I get the occasional spot which I can live with BUT what is driving me crazy is my extremely greasy forehead! It is particularly bad on my left temple for some reason and it looks like I am sweating. No matter how clean I keep it within half an hour I am back to square one. It gets red at times and tiny little whiteheads form. The heads are hardly visible being like a pin prick but the redness around them is.

I am receeding too and I have read links on this to do with hairloss and hormones. I have had Accutane in the past about ten years ago which dried my skin up majorly at the time but now its back to how it was (without the spots most of the time)

I notice people look at my forehead and quite a few think I am sweating. I am at a loss what to do, I am sure I wouldnt be prescribed more accutane as its a grease problem as opposed to a spot one.

I am thinking of trying chinese medicine as I believe this can help with hormone imbalances etc...I am wondering if it is Seborreic Dermatitis. I do not use Hair Gels and wash my hair regularly.

Anyone any advice please???

I became a member to this site over 2 years ago (can't remember my last account info so I had to open up a new account) well I've used a lot of the stuff that was recommended on this site (aspirin mask, huge dosages of vitamin B, lots of home made remedies, etc, etc, etc) some worked briefly, some didn't, some even made my cystic acne even worse.

When I tell you I've tired it all, pills, creams, antibiotics, doctor visit after doctor visit, microdermabrasion, light therapy, tanning, ZENO, Proactive, Murad Solution, Accutane, chemical peels, etc, etc, etc....again some worked briefly, and some just never worked and some actually made my acne even worse.

I've spent clear over $30,000 in the last 21 years for treatments and nothing seemed to help, well that was until 2 months ago..........

Two months ago I finally decided to go get my bottom lip pierced (I have a thing for piercing, 7 total so far, I know, I know some of you dont like them, but I really love how they look). Upon leaving my piercing place, my regular piercer handed me a 4oz bottle of new soap that they started recently using and asked me to use this liquid soap around my new piercing to keep it clean during the healing process. Well the first night I got home opened up the bottle of "Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Pure-Castile Soap" and put a small amount on a cotton ball and some water and cleaned the area around my piercing (bottom lip above my chin) I loved how the soap made my skin tingled so I wiped the cotton ball all over my face and then washed it off with cool water, then I went to bed.

The next morning I work up and went straight to the bathroom to do my normal routine and noticed that my face wasn't as oily and my 3 cysts on my bottom jaw line were a little smaller. I thought to myself...."Uhm I wonder if this soap is really that good"........Well I ran and got on the Internet and did a search under "Dr. Bronner's Soap" and sure enough I find a line of these soaps.....they have all different kinds, for all different skin problems, not to mention all the soaps are organic. I think "Dam that's even better!" I do a search for what stores carry the line and sure enough "Whole Foods" did, so I called them up and asked for 2 specific kinds, the Peppermint one, and also the Tea Tree one, they told me they had them both.

I made a quick trip to Whole Foods and picked up a huge bottle of the Peppermint 32oz (I wanted to use it for showering purposes) it was about $14.00, and I also picked up a 8oz bottle of the Tea-tree (for washing my face with) it was about $8.00.

Well that was 2 months ago and wouldn't you know it, no more face acne, or body acne. I was dumb founded. I couldn't believe that this soap actually worked......I didn't change my eating, I hate water with a passion, I drink coke daily, and YES I eat chocolate like it's going out of style ( I have the worst sweet tooth ever)...and even with all that the soap has kept me clear........and this next tid-bit is for the ladies it's even kept me clear at that time of the month, yep NO MORE MONTHLY BREAK-OUTS!!!! Nothing na-da, not even a little one.

What I have noticed is less is more, and by that I mean using to many products on your face is not good and it was probably causing a lot of the problems I was having. I simplified my routine and now I'm clear........

Here's what I do every day...

1. Wash my face in the morning with hot water and clean it with Dr. Bronner's Tea-Tree Pure Castile Soap. I do this twice.

2. Next I turn off the hot water, and turn on the cold water and finish with a cool rinse all over my face.

3. I pat dry my face.

4. I place a small amount of On-the-Spot Acne Treatment Netrogena all over my face, nothing thick just enough to cover the whole face.

.....I'm done......

Then I do the same routine at night.....and that's it nothing else.

I've been clear now for 2 months and I'll make sure and keep everyone up-dated on my progress.

I hope this helps someone out there, cause trust me I know the pain you are going through and I dont wish acne on my worst enemy, well I lie, maybe that horrible girl in college that stole my first boyfriend....slut...LOL

Good luck everyone!!!!!

I have been on everything, my last two resorts.

My doctor wants to put me on accutane. It sounds kinda scary, but im willing to do anything right now for clear skin.

Has anyone ever been on both and got a better result from one more so than the other???

So I am on antibiotics, Ive been reading some pretty bad stuff about them, people saying that if you stop them you will break out 3 times worse than what you had before...

The reason I went on antibiotics is because I cant think of anything else to do... but I dont want to be on something for the rest of my life.

My whole family has had acne when they were younger and then grew out of it around the age of 22 or 25.

My questions are...

-did i screw up my skin, and possiblity of growing out of it by using antibiotics?
-has anyone ever successfully gone off antibiotics and not gotten back pimples they had before?
-should I try going off them even though my skin is the clearest it has been since I was about 12?

I really don't know what to do now... Im so scared that I wont grow out of it no because I took stuff, where as the rest of my family didnt take anything to aide their acne other than some random topicals here and there and in my sisters case she just is on BCP and shes so clear.

Im sure most people who grew out of their acne aren't on this site, but if you are please give me some hope. ha ha

What should I do?

Has anyone else heard about these horrid things re:accutane?????

I read on some kind of accutane survivors message board the accutane can cause:

1. Erectile Disfunction (males - obviously!)
2. Loss of orgasm intensity and ability to achieve orgasm (females more than males)

these two, coupled with the potential and quite realistic hariloss have meant that my accutane course is still in the box - untouched - and i am going to try and live with my clown like face for a bit longer to see how it goes...

...this time next week could be a different story though... see how i fair on the dancefloors of one of the many great british nightclubs!

yeeee ha!!!!

D

Hi,
I am so glad to find this forum. I am new here. I have had acne since age 12 and now I am 38. I am so tired of this. I know I won't have to say much about how I feel here.

As a teen I did not have health insurance but in my young 20's I did so went to derm - started tetracyline and was amazed at improvement. The problem was whenever I stopped taking it and just used topicals, the acne returned. The doctor prescribed accutane and back then all the side effects except birth defects were downplayed. I wasn't planning a family so no problem. I took it, had some dry skin and lips, but overall, my skin cleared about 85% - enough for me not to want a second course.

So over the years it was mostly better from about age 23 - 30 - not acne free, but just say, 2 - 5 "zits" here or there, maybe worse during menstrual times. Bearable, coverable.

At 31 I had a child and all manner of crazy things happened to my skin of course, and ever since then the acne has been back full force, worse than ever. I finally went back to derm in April 2007 and she put me on doryx. Just as before, it worked great. Just as before, if I try to go off it, acne comes back. In a twist, now, not onlly does it come back off systemic antibiotics, but it seems to come back 3 times worse. For example I have so many pimples on my chin right now I feel deformed, and it was not that bad when I started it.

Okay, so the doctor wants to put me on a second course of accutane. The dilemma for me is: we know a lot more about this drug now than before. there are so many side effects listed it makes my head spin. So many are relevant to me as an older person who doesn't feel invincible (eye stuff, bone stuff, etc.). Most important is I have bipolar disorder, well managed on medicine, and there is all this stuff about psychiatric problems on accutane.

So, basically, I was looking around for opinion/writing on accutane and found your website/forum.

I could stay on systemic anti biotics forever. If I do, what are the risks. Aren't there risks? The doctor seems to think there are none.

I could try accutane again. I didn't have those bad effects before, so would I now? But that was 15 years ago, a lot changes about your body.

I know I have to make this decision myself but if other people have made these choices and just wanted to share their process I would love to hear it.

Also, is ther ANY cover up make up that will not make it worse? I have to start teaching next week and I hate looking this way, but in my experience cover up makes even more of them come.

thanks if you read this long.
Donna

I'm currently 25. As a teenager, I had terrible acne and it stayed with me into adult life. I went on Accutane for a bit and it helped. My face was clear for years but it has now got pretty bad again.

I'm active duty military and just returned from a stint in Afghanistan. The weird thing was, over there, my skin was absolutely clear. I never had such acne-free, smooth skin in my life. Ironically, I would go weeks without showering, or with any kind of real hygiene. However, prior to returning to America, we returned to a bigger base. Before we left, I noticed my face breaking out ever so slowly. In the two months I've been back, it has got progressively worse. So I finally went ahead and bought Proactiv where I read about a possible connection with dairy products. Immediately, I realized that was the one difference in my diet while deployed. When we were forward, there was no way to bring any kind of pasteurized dairy products to our location. When I got back to the larger bases, however, I immediately started drinking milk again. As far as my situation is concerned, there seems to be an obvious correlation. I'm going to try to eliminate all dairy out of my diet and take calcium supplements. Just wanted to let others know. Hopefully this works for me...

Ok, I need to ask for some help. please excuse my long drawn out text. i guess i just wanted to share my experiences as well as getting advice.

I am 27 and I have only had acne since the start of this year. I cant begin to tell you how mentaly exhausted i am by this whole episode in my life. i have been to the edge of my sanity and back, i have questioned my very existence on a number of occaisions and i feel cheated beyond comprehension. i have no faith in anything or anyone, especially myself. because i realise this and i have whitnessed my own downward spiral I need to find some form of hope.

the other day i went to my doctor for a final checkup after being on tetralysal 300 antibiotics which help very mildly. he told me that he should have seen a better improvment, and that i was going to be refered to the hospital dermatologist... i knew that he only had one option left... accutane.

having completed a degree in pharmacology i know how drugs work, i know how to make them and i know how side affects work. having knowledge in this area makes it worse when faced with medical situations...sometimes i think that ignorance is bliss... in this case i couldnt let myself make this decision unliess i had all the information in front of me.

I went to the consultation and the derm was very nice to me. she put me at ease about the situation and immidiatley told me that accutane was the only long term solve to this problem. without hesitation she prescribed me a 4 month course of accutane. i was instantly terrified. i now had to make a decision. she told me that the only side effect i was lightly to see was dry skin and chapped lips and joint aches. she said depression was only really seen in teenage patients. she told me not to worry and to start immediatley

i left the room shaking. in complete shock. i was now faced with a life changing decision. i remember being stood in the corridor of the hospital with almost tunnel vision, dizzy and my hearing momentarily stopped. it was like something from a movie... i didnt want to take accutane, i didnt want to put myself through it but it is the only option i now have... so i went to the pharmacy to get tooled up.

if you have ever read a book or watched a tv show about a drug deal that went wrong or when a a group of criminals or gangsters get caught after being on survailence ...kind of like that scene on goodfellas near the end...the criminals always say the same thing... they always say "Looking back now i dont know how i didnt see the signs that i was being watched and that i was going to get caught out" on the way to the pharmacy i started to spot these signs... i started to see myself being caught out by this drug. it was about 4:30pm. the pharmacy closed at 5pm... i handed over my prescription... the guy looked at me with irritation, i didnt understand why. this was the first sign. There was about 10 people in the pharmacy. they all came and went within 5 minutes. then another 10 people came and went and so on... why was i waiting so long... another sign i spotted... i realised that the paperwork required to release this drug is so complex that it takes alot of time. i realised that this is becasue it is such a hardcore chemical.... this frankly terrified me. i left the pharmacy at 5:10pm

i then later that evening found out that a friend of mine had taken accutane... i asked him what the worst side effect was... he said hairloss... another sign.

i got back with the drugs and sat at my kitchen table staring at the carrier bag containing the drugs... they are in a carrier bag i kept on thinking in my head. over and over again... a fuking carrier bag... full of boxes of drugs... this is an insane amount of drugs.... another sign

the final sign is both good and bad and has really sent me off track with this... i asked a girl out on a date a week before i was prescribed accutane and i got a text message back from her accepting... the same day i was prescribed accutane... i find this incredible. I was to take her out that very evening for a drink as it was the only available time.... we had a great evening and she was attractive and funny and really cool. i asked her for a second date and she accepted.... thats going to be next week if i play my cards right... if i am truthfull the only reason why i am considering this drug is to make myself more attractive to women. i love women above and beyond anything. there is nothing more amazing, nothing more intoxicating...and acne has stopped me from being confident enough to approach them... but now i have a second date... is this a sign that it doesnt matter? a sign that i shouldnt start accutane....

i still have my accutane sealed in a bag on my bedroom floor... i dont know what to do

i am so afraid of taking this drug becasue i have read some insane accutane experiences that all result in average results with sick side effects

so after this massive long and probably pointless story my question is....

would you take accutane if you were me?

Im new to this site, and thought it would be a great help to join. I will basically tell my story and include a picture just to see if someone can help out.

Now Ive been dealing with acne since I was at least 14. I didnt have it as bad than, as I do now. I havent really tooken much attention to it, till around my 20th bday. Like every person, I have dreams. My dream is to become a actor, but Im afraid, if nothing changes, I'm going to look severely bad.

Ive tried chemical peels, microdermabrasions(which in all honestly, brought out the scars), and have tried many over-the-counter products. Now dont get me wrong, I have been using this Oxy thing with acid in it, and it has lowered down the redness quite alot(alot of redness too), but my complextion is very bad. I might be going for laser surgery but I still fear that it will make it worse.

I live with my sister, her bf, my bro, and his gf and they are pigs, but I honestly clean myself good, and am not dirty. Im just a normal guy who wants to look better. Heres a shot of how I look;

Now you can judge by the picture and see how bad it is. I know I have scar marks, but want them removed. Any ideas on how to smooth out my face without getting laser?

Btw, I just got ot of shower.

My daughter has been on her third round of accutane, and it seems to be not working as well as the last two times. She has some acne on her cheek that won't go away, and I'm starting to wonder if it is related to hormones. She's not overweight, but carries extra weight around her middle. Her derm. put her on Yaz to help with the accutane, but I'm not seeing anything change. She is ending her last month and getting ready to go back to college in a couple of weeks. Can anyone offer advice? She thinks I'm crazy, but I think something isn't quite right.

I was wondering is it normal to get acne for 30 years?I have been getting acne for that long and at the dermatologists office I was told im the only adult male that comes in that has acne.I wonder why that is? I have been getting acne for about 31 years and im gettting tired of it.I take pills and use retin a like a teen would.I was just wondering would there be something wrong with my skin since im getting acne for so many years?I just dont understand it..i even have scars from bad acne .I feel so ugly.

Hi,

I'm really pissed off with my acne at 27.

Can someone please advise what type of acne this is?

As you can probably see it's red, painful and quite clustered. I also often get whiteheads in the morning.

How would you rate its severity out of 10?

Thanks for any feedback.

(and sorry for the horrible picture)

[attachment=13322:pic1.jpg]

ok I'll try and make this short and sweet....I having been having major breakouts huge cyst like pimples and other small pimples surrounding those. My skin had a reddish tint, and was blotchy and just looked very irriated (ms). Anyhow I tried everything you could buy on t.v or the internet.

*IQ Derma .... too greasy didn't clean well left a lot of dirt behind.
*Proactive ..... worked at first then.... forget about it waste of money.
*Murad....... this was the biggest mistake I ever made. My skin was the worst it had ever been. Regret even considering to buy this product. STAY AWAY!!


And then ALAS!!!! I found what has finally worked for me. It's soooo simple and my cyst like pimples have been gone for about 3 weeks now. It skin looks even it has hardly any redness at all....except for the few old red marks I have....... which by the way are fading and look better every day!!!!!

So here it is....

Morning: Wash: Lush Fresh Farmacy soap
Tone: Braggs Apple cider Vinegar 1:1
Moisturize: Aubrey Rosa Mosqueta for Dry Skin
Spot treat: Braggs ACV Straight with a q-tip and then Tea Tree straight with a q-tip.

Makeup: Bareminerals foundation and Neutrogena blush ( might get something diffrent though.)

My spot treatment almost always gets rid of any blemishes within a day or two. Which is great considering they use to last up to two weeks. I also take supplements.......PMS Forte by Futurebiotics and Acidolphilus by Futurebiotics. And I try and watch my sugar intake as much as possible. I also cut down ALOT on bread which sucks cause I love bread. But I have noticed a diffrence doing that. Oh... I forgot if you like to exfoliate which I do. I only use Baking soda and water. Not as harsh and much cheaper. And I maybe only do this once every two weeks.

Well that's it! I hope this might work for someone out there!!! I just feel so much better knowing what I need to do to keep pimples astray! YES !!!

I think acne on girls is HOT

And I'm not kidding. Seriously I think its sexy as hell. I'm shooting you people as straight as it gets.
If its like REAAALLLY overboard out of control then it simply needs to be controlled. But bottom line, acne on a girl...sorta gets my motor going.
And its not at all about some lust for insecurity. I personally put zits on the same level as dimples/freckles/moles. Ads character...a sexy sorta character...

I also am confident in saying that more women find me attractive than don't find me attractive.

And there are MANY who share my opinion...

MAN...

Im writing this post to discuss a problem I am having with my wife. She is 32 and has not had a real problem with acne but lately she has had a problem with a bunch a small skin colored bumps ALL OVER her face. Especially her forehead and cheeks. The problem seems to be worse when she is hot even after the gym. She says in the morning it looks alot better. This acne is not the big kind just small and very numerous. It almost looks like every skin cell is clogged. She has been watching her diet and has been using proactive and nothing seems to help. I cannot stand it. I know it seems shallow but it bugs the hell out of me she is having this problem. It really effects her convidence and I am not helping things. She went to a dermatoligist but she does not like to go. Is this a common problem? I really think it is her makeup or something. Has anyone dealt with this?

how do i find out if i have. if anyone has been diagnosed with it can you please share some information on how to deal with it.

i have acne obviously, facial hair, loss in sex drive, depression. these are all syptoms

Hi,

I am someone who suffers from a usual state of small mild pimples that last forever on my face. I normally use Clearasil Ultra Stay-Clear line, which is a salicylic acid cleanser, a toner, and salicylic acid lotion. I am overall pretty happy with this, although I have never been completely and totally clear.... but you'd have to get up pretty close to notice anything.

Anyway, as happens once every month or two, I break out in a really big cyst or nodule somewhere on my face. It starts deep, I always see it coming 3 days or so in advance and try like hell to control it. I try ice, warm compress, etc, but usually I just have to wait it out. It causes me a ton of anxiety when these breakouts occur, and I hole up in my house until I either learn to cope or it begins to recede.

Currently, I have one really large cyst/nodule on my chin. I hope it's finally gotten to the worst it's going to get, so now I just have to deal with it until it finally goes away. Hopefully. It's huge, like 8 mm, and red.

I was using a warm-compress on it yesterday, and a horrible thing happened! A small whitehead was also being covered by the washcloth, and somehow an infection spread beneath the smaller zit and a new cyst is forming! I know it was the warm compress's fault. Now I am doomed to having another huge cyst, it's going to be at least as big as the other.

So, now I have this big backpacking trip in the Southern Sierras coming in 5 days. I know for sure at this time I'll have at least one major cyst and possible one other, or a minor one, in addition to the usual state of small pimples all over my face.

There are no showers backpacking, it's a week long trip carrying 60 pounds for 12 miles at a peak of 12,000 feet. There will be lakes to swim in, but not bathe in - I am so worried that when I get back, I will have out-of-control acne! I will NOT pollute the lakes with medicinal washes, and the only source of water is lake water w/ water purifiers. We are bringing biodegradable soap, I'm not even sure what kind it is or whats in it.

Oh yeah, and it's gonna be HOT and SWEATY up there!

Is this a recipe for disaster?

Hey, I'm a 26 year old female and I've had acne since I was 11. I've been on almost any prescription there is: Clindamyacin, differin, retin-a, retin-a micro, minocyclin, doryx, glycolic acid 10%, benzoyl peroxide... the list goes on. About 2 years ago it started flaring up really badly and I freeaaked out. I was so depressed I never wanted to leave the house. If I hadn't had bills to pay I wouldn't have even gone to work. I ended up on accutane.

It worked great, my skin was clear and for the first time I wasn't waking up every morning and running to the mirror to check my face. After I was done with accutane I was so sure I would never need to worry again but a few months later I was getting minor breakouts. I went back to the derm and got 0.025% retin-a. Now it's been almost 8 months off accutane. Some days my skin is pretty good but some days it's not. I feel like I'm back on the roller-coaster. My acne is not nearly as bad as it was before but there's always SOMETHING and I can feel lot's of little things under my skin. I'm starting to get depressed and obsess about it. I'm even considering going back on accutane though I can't really afford it right now. Has anyone had better luck with a second course of accutane than with the first? Or any other ideas or advice? This was not the way I wanted to spend my summer.

I have suffered from acne since my late teens and I am now in my late 30s. After all of the heartache, pain both physical and mental, as well as time, energy and money dealing with acne, I recently found, by-chance, that I have an , which was causing most of my skin irritations or what I thought was acne.

One day I happened to finally try one of the countless samples that I had. These were a set of both a cleanser and moisturizer, which afterward I thought was ingenious because it made me not combine these products with any of my existing products. Well, when I went to wash my face for the night I noticed that my skin was not at all red like it usually was. The next day I saw even more amazing results.

Ever since then I have rid all of my health and beauty from any parabens and continue to see incredible results. I should note that parabens were in almost ever single personal care product I had from skincare to make up to hand wash and lotion. It was crazy. I basically had to replace everything I had. But it has been worth the it (time and money). Any acne I develop now disappears almost like magic compared to just months ago while parabens were prevalent in my my personal care products as long as I do not pick them. Picking is bad. Of course we all know that, but, I know, sometimes that seems to be the only way to relieve the pain.

I just had to mention this because acne can be irritated easily and you never know what could be irritating yours. It took me years, literally to figure this out for myself.

Hello i am a guy that is 30 years old and i am from Sweden.

I have discovered that i have a very strange reason for getting acne that also includes severe heartburn and stomach gases.

You see that when i have had sex i get acne pretty quickly. I also get problem with my stomach like heartburn and stomach gases that makes my life a nightmare. These problems with the stomach quickly appear we are talking about minutes after ejaculation and the acne usually appears one or two days after. I have had this problem for maybe 15 years and i am really tired of it. I can't meet any girls or have any sexual relationships at all because of my problem.

If i abstain from sex for 2-3 weeks the symptoms gradualy disappear the skin is not that oily anymore and my stomach does not get upset.

It seems that the stomach acid gets extremely acidic after sex for some reason and i get severe heartburn problems and i have to take medication for it.

This is truly horrible and i am wondering if i am maybe alone in the whole world with this problem.

I have been to the doctor but i have not said what is the main thing causing this problem because it feels extremely embarassing. I have gone through many kinds of examinations where they look in the stomach, esophagus and colon but they can't find any faults there.They talk about me having IBS maybe and i have taking insolulable fibers for that but it does not help much.

I wonder if it has anything to do with some kind of extreme hormonal discharge that makes my whole body extremely upset.

The Acne is mainly on the back of my body and on my shoulders and some on the front too. This has left me scarred for life i have huge ugly scars on my back. I can't imagine any girl ever wanting to be with me. You can't see my problems on my face because there is only very minor acne problem there.

I have tried various acne medications but they don't work very well because the body just produces enormous amounts of oil.

I have read about women on the internet having problems with their stomach after sexual intercourse but never that a man has this problem.

I am hoping someone has similiar problems or maybe know something about my problems.