Okay so, as bad as I may be at keeping these things up, I tried keeping ajournal of this stuff and I think this might be easier for me. Also looking for some support and ideas here.

So far on:
Benzaclin topical spot treatment
Benzoyl peroxide wash 10% EDIT: once every few days
doxycycline (100 mg) twice a day
Eucerin + Spf 30/Aveeno Sensitive skin + Spf 15 redness calming moisturizer

Just added:
Hibiclens wash EDIT: once every few days
Retin-A Micro .4% EDIT: twice every three days
Nature MAde Garlic Supplement EDIT: once every other day or so
EDIT: probiotics (acidophillus) as often as i can, up to twice a day, plus yogurts with live cultures

May soon add:
EDIT: bcp
head n shoulders (as a body wash)
more supplementation


first of all, some background info-
i first got acne in the 5th/6th grade: nothing too bad, jsut the normal pre-teenage spots and blackheads
by 7th grade: my acne was getting worse, with some strange bumps on my neck, chest, and back
by 8th grade: full blown-bacne, but my face stayed pretty much the same. the bacne compeltely destoryed my confidence at this crucial time in my life. i refused to wear anything that showed any part of my upper body, and gained weight due to depression. i wouldnt even go for boys becuase i was afraid of what they might say about my condition. i also started seeing a dermatologist.
by 9th grade: did a course of doxy, also tried tazorac and nicotinamide. the tazorac ruined my skin and made me embarassed to show my face even to my closest friends. it also made my back flare up all red and itchy for weeks at a time. the nicotinamide also did nothing.
10th grade: back and chest acne even worse, it had gotten ridiculous. kept up with the tazorac even though it sucked in hopes that it would someday produce the desired results. it didn't. my skin was super sensitive all the time. Also-red bumps appeared down the hairline on my stomach, breast, and all voer my legs. I'd spend weekend covered in cream to get rid of them, and still do. wondering if they migth be folliculitis?
11th grade: my current situation- switched dermatologists (this ones way better) tried sea salt baths, to no avail. switched from tazorac to retin-a, which is way better. back on the doxy for like 2+ months now, and using benzaclin, which seems to work really well for not-too-bad zits

right now: chest has cleared quite a bit, some nodules on back, face, comedomes on neck. plenty of bumps that just won't go away on my legs and stomach.

DAY TWO

so right now
huge papules and nodules on the cheeks
whiteheads and postules on the chin
bumps on nose and forehead
dont even wanna talk about my back
and though my chest was clear before, its going awry

took 2 garlic pills yesterday, though i forgot one doxy 2 days ago which sometimes breaks me out, but have been otherwise very committed to the doxy (though id like to get off very soon)

doing some retin-a tonight for everywhere except active its, where i will be applying bp, (because if i apply both ont hsoe they will cancel each toher out, right?)

dunno if ill apply the topicals to my body yet, my derm says theyre less effective there


night and bless you all

DAY THREE

gosh its so weird i never get zits on my nose and theyre cropping up all over is lately!
i dunno what it is, but im thinking it might be the baby oil ive had to apply to my face for a few hours each day due to a show im in
but i only started that yesterday, so that cant be it

luckily, the baby oil, while it does seem to be clogging me up a bit, really helps with the dryness and flakiness form starting the retin-a

ive had chronic head aches the past few days, though, wondering if this could possibly be caused the garlic supp.'s at all? ive heard when you kill of fungus you can get terrible headaches, but that's gotta mean when you do a full cleanse, right? and can anyone let me know wha tthe right mg. for garlic supp.'s would be?

doing some more benzaclin on my cheeks and retin-a everywhere else except my nose, which im keeping a close eye on) tonight
+doxy,. garlic pills, moisturizer, and hibiclens (every night)
out of the bp cleanser, gotta get some more

current status:
chin and neck seem to be doing nicely, cheeks nto so much, bumps on forehead, new inflamed bumps on nose chest is pretty good but keeps showing signs of a potential break out, comedomes => papules and nodules on back


peace and love

Hey Jokerjess. Just wanted to wish you luck with the regimen. I am on tretinoin .025 and doxy 100mg. I am on my 2nd week as of now with slow, but steady progress. These things just take time I guess.

Also, don't apply BP at the same time you use Retin A. I am sure you know this, but they cancel each other out. Did your derm tell you to use the Retin A every other night? Just wondering because I use mine every night. It says that in the instructions too.

Anyway, good luck with that, and hopefully your acne is just teenager acne. I assume you are a teenager cause your in 11th grade. That is unless you failed 5 years of high school

thanks for the support mistertwo!
and yes, i am a teenager, no i did not fail 5 times hahaha

well im applying the bp at the same time, but not in the same places, because the retin-a jsut irritates the active zits anyways, which is where im putting the bp. is this ok?

my derm said either benzaclin at night and retin-a in the morning or every other morning, depending on how much it irritates me. it really does irritate me quite a bit, so i use it every other day (like just now)

im also on doxy 100mg, is yours twice a day?

good luck with your new regimen as well! btw, are you using bp at all, and have you noticed any signs of an ib yet? ihave some new zits in some strange places, but nothing that bad at all. then again, its only week one...

I am no doctor, but I wouldn't take the chance of putting BP and Retin A on at the same time. That is just me though, I figure the BP might seep into the surrounding areas, neutralizing the Retin A in some parts. I would give your derm a call about that. I've always known that following directions help though.

Hmm thats wierd that your derm said to use Retin A in the morning because it makes you light sensitive. That means you would have to put a good sunscreen, which you should have been doing prior to Retin A as well.

I take doxy twice a day, sometimes with meals, sometimes wait 2 hours before I eat. It is weird because I wasn't getting the upset stomach at first, but now it is more noticeable.

I used BP only twice in the daytime with Retin A every night. I stopped using BP because it was drying me out more than I wanted. Overall I have noticed a slight improvement in my existing acne, but that was because I started the regimen with a pretty bad breakout around my mouth. I believe I am in my IB stage now, if not starting it as I got a papule on my forehead and right temple, which were clear before. Also getting small red spots that don't look like they will form into much in other various places where they were clear. My skin does look a little thinner and some areas are pretty smooth. The fact is that you will continue to breakout where you started the regimen with a breakout. Other than that, nothing major yet.

Week one you probably won't notice much improvement. Some people take longer than others and you might be lucky and it might be shorter. Just be persistent and give it a good two to three months before deciding if it is for you.

ok, ill try not putting the bp on at the same time, thanks!
yes i use a 15-45 spf moisturizer/sunscreen (depending on which house im at that morning, my dad or mom's)
my derm said that if im using retin-a at all i have to bump it up to a 30 or 45 spf all the time, though, especially if im outside a lot at school (which i am)

im worried about the thinning of the skin, though
i know it is supposed to make my skin look brighter and plumper, but couldnt it also be bad to have thin skin? ive heard drinking coconut oil helps to toughen up thin skin, but im skeptical

yes i will be sure to use this product until the start of december (by that time the show im in will have been over for a week or two, so stress levels will have adjusted) and then see where i am
i also will probably add in a bcp around that time to help with bacne, and slowly wean myself off of the doxy

thanks for all of your uspport and advice mr.2! keep it coming!

DAY FOUR

btw everyone (or just mistertwo... who is th eonly one who seems to be reading this, haha, or at least replying, anyways)

today i'm sick so i stayed home and got plenty of rest and fluids

also took TWO garlic pills this morning and plan to take two more throughout the course of the day
also took a calcium + vitamin d pills because my endless time of being sick and on the computer led me to reading plenty of research on bone density loss in correlation with birth control pills, and, if im planning to start on those, i thought i might as well try to start building up bone strength now (i beleive osteoporosis runs in my family? then again, while my grandmother is hunched over and brittle [and tiny!], she's still one tough cookie and exercises everyday WAY more than the average person, in addition to being a huge part of the community, having a large variety of many close circles of friends, keeping up with a part time job, a mahjong club, a conversational spanish class at the local community college, and taking care of my grandfather. wow, i never realized how amazing my gran is til i just wrote that all down!)

also did some retin-a treating
a little excessively, i must admit...
hopefully that wont come back to bite me!

though, the baby oil i mentioned before seems to be keeping that under control, strangely enough that it might actually be a bit helpful...!!!


also, though i beleive this list will be growing as i remember more, because i cant seem to remember everything right now, here's a lis tof a few thigns ive tried in the past that have failed me (or made me worse!!!) :
nicomide
tanning beds
tazorac
acv
sea salt baths
noxema pads
neutrogena on the spot
sea salt spray
witch hazel
alchohol-based spray
sea salt deodorant roll-on
olive oil
my first course of doxy long ago- or at least it didnt clear it up completely and it returned full force
various multivitamins, but i'm looking into one-a-day women's formula as of now
blue light treatment
proactiv

i'll be adding some more later!

EDIT: forgot to mention that i have 3 new zits forming on the lower half of my face, on parts of my cheeks that don't normally get them. must be too early for an ib though, i figure.

ALSO-! i was just taking a bath, and a bump ive had for many months down there just CAME OFF IN THE BATH TUB!!! this was no ingrown hair either- its.... ahem... sorta............. more towards the inner part (there i said it! phew!), i thought it was a mole or something that had formed!!!

Hey jokerj,

I've been reading up on your log, and I have some pointers for you and your treatment...

About the Retin a and BP, I agree completely with MisterTwo. Although you think the retin a is just irritating your skin, and you want to heal it with the BP, this is actually the worst thing to do. Although retin a does not necessarily treat your current acne bumps by healing them directly, it is very important that you apply it to your current inflammations (and your entire face for that matter) as directed. What it does, over time, is to actually speed up the process of your skin cells. This means that if used correctly, current acne will go away quicker than ever! The reason why you use BP is to help speed the process of the current pimples while your face tries to get used to retin a and what it is doing to your skin. Therefore, it is very important that you do not use any other treatment on your face while the retin a is on it.

Also, retin a oxidizes in the sun (which means that it looses it's potency and kind of changes), so it is very strange that your dermatologist told you to put it on in the morning. I have heard of some people doing this (maybe with a high sunscreen it's ok), but since your dermatologist would have told you to wear a high sunscreen on your face even if you were to apply it at night, I would call, or have your parents call the doctor's office just to make sure you didn't misinterpret the directions. Whether you apply it at night or during the day, it is VERY important to wear sunscreen.

Also, it is important that you only use a pea-size amount. I know it's tempting to use more, thinking that it will heal faster, but don't do it. The retin-a will not work any faster if you apply more to an area that is having a current breakout. In fact, this will only irritate your skin, and take your face longer to heal. It is also important to make sure you apply the retin-a 20-30 minutes after you wash your face. If you apply it right away, it can also really irritate your face. I know this takes awhile and is a pain, but it's best to do things right if you want great results!

Lastly, I'm sure that you were told this, and I know you didn't have it listed as something you are doing now (but rather as something you have tried in the past) it is VERY important NOT to go tanning while on this medication. Also, it is also VERY important that you don't wax anything on your face like your eyebrows because of the thinning of your skin. Your skin will actually rip off, it happened to one of my friends. Just some tips for us girls to know .


Sorry if that was like, a novel, lol. It's just that I was on generic retin a during high school and my doctor didn't tell me anything about it. I pretty much did everything wrong that a person could do, and it took FOREVER for me to get the results I was hoping for. It did clear me up for two years though, YAY, but it took a loooong time and my face was cracking a bleeding for awhile! But then, again something due to the doctor being a doof, I thought my face was fixed and went off it, thinking i was cured. Now I'm on it again, and I'm doing everything right. I'm seeing results sooo much faster. Which is good b/c i turn 21 in 5 weeks!

Good luck and keep me posted! I really hope you read all that, that stuff's important!

thats so weird! i just replied to a post of yours! no i read it all and your post and its great advice! your last paragraph is what worries me tho- its not a cure! then again, what is? hahaha
thanks again for all your info, i guess i should try retin-a at night now!

DAY FIVE

Okay so, I have a new zit on my neck. Haven't had an active one there in a while. Retin-a'd last night (thanks soapy bubbles for the tip) and am benzoyl peroxiding tonight. also, forgot my doxy this morning- DAMNIT!


also have some slight peeling, and the inflamed bumps on my nose will not go away, also a break out on the lower half of my face. not many zits on my back as of late, but the ones that are there are either tiny, hard, stubborn bumps on my shoulders or a few large cyst-like nodules elswhere. a few small zits on my chest.

felt very greasy and oily all day today, which is uncommon for me, as i have predomantley dry skin. hair felt greasiest, leading me to beleive that this was due to me not having as proper a shower as i would have liked this morning

also, today i read the first article in a teen magazine that promises to clear your zits that ACTUALLY TALKS ABOUT PRESCRIPTION MEDS, it mentioned doryx, retin-a, tazorac, sacylic acid, bp (both not always prescription, i know), accutane, and even birth control pills (they specifically recommended yaz)!!!! i showed it to my dad, in a vain attempt to try to bring up the possibility of birth control pills for acne, and he asked if i wanted to try them (keep in mind, he thinks having acne is just a part of life that i have to live with... he had veeery minor acne in highschool, mind you)

my answer came out as "well, uh, maybe. i mean. if this stuff doesn't work. i guess, yeah. i dunno."
oooooh boy me

on a side note, have also been noticing some strange bumps on my arms lately, but maybe they were there before and i just didn't notice?


love love love

Wasn't your name jokerjess before, or am I tripping?

From what I read about in other logs of Retin A, I believe moisturizing right after a shower when your skin is still damp will help with the peeling and such. I had about 4-5 days where I was peeling, but it wasn't too bad... not how people mentioned it in their logs. I have been doing the moisturizer after the shower from the beginning though. It helps with keeping the moisture in your skin. I would think this could help with your dry skin.

On top of that, I believe the contribution of acne is how one lives their life. I am being a hypocrite here, but try eating healthier and following the food pyramid. Take a multivitamin to help fill in the gaps of nutrition that you don't get from eating. My doc said to try to get all your daily vitamin needs through food. Its hard though to cover everything so that is why I believe a multivitamin is necessary.

Don't worry about missing a dose of doxy, just continue as if you took it. I am quite uninformed on BCPs so I wouldn't know about that...

mistertwo- hahaha, yes, it was, i changed it.

you know, my peeling isn't too bad, i think due to me applying only every other night + the baby oil from my show
also, ive always moisturized my legs right after the shower based on that same principle, don't know why i never applied that knowledge for my face. thanks for the idea! ha

actually, as i sit here now i am scarfing down a probiotic yogurt. but it's hard to eat healthfully, don't you think? i do try, though ...most of the time... tehehe
im a vegetarian, which either complicates things or makes them easier, depending on your view on nutrition

as for the regular log-

DAY SIX

new zits seem to have cropped up everywqhere: a few new ones on the chest and back, some on my collar bone, some small ones on the forehead (not usually a problem area), a second whtiehead next to the other towards my mouth on my cheek (another unusual palce for me), and some new neck-papules
the ones on the side of my cheeks and nose seem to slowly but surely be going down though, so yay!

going to do some retin-aing tonight
plus a doxy and a garlic pill

thanks for your support everyone, keep it coming

nightnight

btw, just on a side note
tonight my bf felt a zitty portion of my shoulder
and said
"god, your skin is so soft"

i was in awe
but then i realized, hed said soft, not smooth
i felt my shoulder- it is pretty damn soft!
i think maybe we all need to appreciate the good qualities about our skin a little more

:]
and i thought i didnt have any!

so just had to write that i woke up this morning, and, although i have many zits right now, they seem to be dissapearing rather quickly (knock on wood!)
possibly due to the retin-a?

ugh, i was thinking and worrying last night about what my skin might do after i get off doxy, it actually kept me up for a good portion of the night


i don't think i mentioned that i also scrub with clean and clear sacylic acid scrub, which is meant for blackheads but works nicely otherwise
i'm worried it might be too irritating for my skin though and i just don't realize it? because i always feel like people so easily figure out what is causing them to breakout, but i never can, can you?!

i also was wondering about getting some tests done
like
allergy, food/chemical/drug intolerance, hormonal

but i feel like i'm always dragging my mom from one doctor to the next and racking up those healthcare bills enough already


also, i keep thinking about how after, if i get clear (PLEASE!) i'll probably still freak out about break outs more than most people
acne messes with your mind!

I dunno if the SA scrub is good to use in conjunction with the Retin A. You should be able to tell after a shower if it makes your skin too dry. If it does, it might be irritating your skin, causing more breakouts. I still can't figure out what makes me breakout more, but I try to stay away from overly greasy foods, fast foods, frozen goods, milk, etc. Also, from drinking a lot of alcohol, I really think that makes my skin worse. I used to drink a lot, but now it is more on occasion.

I definitely agree that acne messes with your mind. I feel that firsthand... its hard on self-esteem and being self-conscious especially. That's why I feel these boards are great for support. It is like a diary to vent what you have on your mind that could be destructive.