Differin Log

I am currently on my 5th day of using Differin. I began suffering acne at 14 and did not treat it properly until I was 18. Then after using several treatments which did not work, I was prescribed accutane which cleared it up completely. Unfortunately it came back and I was again prescribed accutane. It cleared once more only to again return. For the past 2 and a half years or so I had been using Dan's Regimen. It worked brilliantly with regards to the amount of acne that I got, which usually numbered less than 2 active pimples at any given time.

However, the small amount of acne that I did get took an eternity to heal and often left me with scarring (mostly shallow icepick and boxscar). Prior to using Dan's Regimen, in the seven years I had suffered acne I had a minimal incidence of scarring. I believe that it is possible that for whatever reason benzoyl peroxide is not conducive to good healing of the skin for me (other people on this site have reported that they feel BP has caused them to scar). However, I must stress that this seems rare (tonnes of people on this site use Dan's Regimen with no ill effects) and it is difficult to determine exactly why somebody is scarring from acne as not a lot is known about why acne scarring occurs. Anyway at this stage it is just a theory, but it is why I have switched treatments to compare whether my skin heals better using something other than BP.

I stopped using BP about a week before I started using Differin and the condition of my skin has now become extremely oily without the BP drying it out. I was clear except for 1 or 2 pimples when I switched to Differin but have broken out a bit since. At the moment I have:
- 1 large pimple on my forehead, 4 small pimples in my right temple area
- 2 pimples below my right sideburn,1 pimple on my upper right jaw, 2 small pimples on my right cheek
- 1 pimple on my lower left jaw, 2 near my left sideburn, 1 further below
- Numerous little spots on my nose
- Some tiny whiteheads above my lip, on my cheeks and on my jawline (barely worth a mention).

I have also been using some naturopathic treatments for the past 2 months. As yet, I have not noticed any effects at all from using these.

Treating Scars Whilst "Being Clear"

It seems to be the general consencus that you need to be clear of active acne prior to commencing any sort of scar treatment. I assume this is because scar treatment could interfere with the healing process of active acne. If you are basically clear from an effective and ongoing acne treatment (such as Dan's regimen) but are still usually dealing with 1 or 2 pimples at any given time is it then okay to treat your scarring or not?

Skin Doctors Gamma Hydroxy Skin Resurfacing Cream

Has anybody heard of or tried this product for acne scarring? Here is a rundown from an advertisement I found (apologies for the length thereof):

Gamma Hydroxy - the next phase in hydroxy acids
Knowing that the major ingredients powerful enough to have the required resurfacing effect on the skin were hydroxy acids, the R & D team at Skin Doctors went to work on a formula that contained a mix of glycolic and lactic acid - and then added the powerful BHA salicylic acid. They knew they had the exact mix that would result in the most powerful of skin resurfacing formulas. But they also knew that a formula this powerful would be too aggressive on the skin.

Finally, they cracked the code. The secret was not in a single ingredient but in super-stacking them in the right combination to create a cosmeceutical strength resurfacing formula - it was the synergy of the ingredients that became important. Soon they were able to use relatively low doses of a poly hydroxy blend in a cream form that people could use daily in the privacy of their own homes - yet they could achieve results so dramatic they were being compared to chemical peels!

The next paragraph talks about the unforseen side effect of the cream in that it also reverses the effects of aging on the skin, particularly wrinkles - it is being marketed as a wrinkle cream as well as a resurfacing cream for acne scarring.

How can a cream deliver such spectacular skin rejuvination?
It's simple really. The continual skin renewing action of these powerful hydroxy acids are working on your skin 24 hours a day. So, rather than an intense dose of acid on your skin in a short time which leaves you with extreme redness, rawness and peeling - new Gamma Hydroxy works like a "time released" peel constantly resurfacing your skin, day after day. So you get all the benefits of these powerful resurfacing agents - but over a longer period of time. In fact, you should see similar results to a chemical peel in around 12 weeks. But of course, you don't have to wait the full 12 weeks to see real, visible results.

I am considering trying this product despite being highly skeptical of it - I was under the impression that chemical peels did not do much to reduce acne scarring. Does anybody have any opinions on whether it could be beneficial to acne scarring?

A Question For Any Aussies

I would like to try the Eucerin Alpha Hydroxy Lotion moisturiser that Dan recommends but have been unable to find it. Does anyone know if this product is available in Australia, and if so which retailers carry it? Failing this, could anyone recommend an alpha hydroxy moisturiser that they have used that is available in Oz?

Thanks.

'Acne Mixture'

Hey everyone,

A friend of my mum told her that she had very stubborn cystic acne which nothing seemed to clear up until she stumbled upon an 'acne mixture'. She says it completely cleared her in 3 months - she does not presently have any active acne but has some scarring left over. This is not a commercially manufactured product, rather it is made personally by a pharmacist and is available in her pharmacy (she is an Indian woman who has in part maintained the tradition of making your own medicines). The lady (pharmacist) told me that it tackles the problem of acne internally - something about alkilinising the body, make of that what you will. I like most of you probably thought/think it is a load of crap but seeing as I am always whinging about how life sucks with acne and my mum kept claiming this could work I decided to give it a try as I figured it can't hurt. I have been taking it for around a month now and frankly have noticed absolutely nothing, which is what I expected but will persist for at least 3 months as like I said it can't hurt (and isn't particularly expensive) and I have nothing to lose. The mixture is supposed to be taken in three 15 ml dosages mixed with water prior to meals with each 15 ml consisting of:
Zinc (amount not specified)
Calcium (97mg)
Magnesium (112mg)
Diphenhydramine (4mg)
Nettle (amount not specified)

Anyway will keep you posted if I notice any affect but I seriously doubt it will do anything. Also wondering if anyone has ever heard of anything similar to this as I know I certainly hadn't.