I am continuing to use Cetaphil and Epiduo. I use Epiduo all over at night and just a little bit in problem areas in the AM. Honestly, it works great, is so easy and convenient, but you have to stick with it, I have extremely oily skin and leave in MIAMI, so i don't have the dry skin problem. However if I was to use too frequent I do get dry. Thats when I use every night only or skip one day. but let me tell you, for me it works. HOwever I do get some pimples on my upper mustache and outside cornes of the eye, I know its ridiculous, I don't know what it is, but I suspect that this is bc of the washer, I am looking into another washer like Eucalyptus but am not sure, I am pretty busy so I don't bother and the acne is not bad at all, but embarrassing... any body got suggestions for a Cleanser with EPiduo...?????? thanks..

i am starting to get a tiny bit of redness from retin a...pinkness, more like haha. as lon as i five my skin a break, will it calm down? this stuff cant make you permanently red can it?

hi guys! i actually been using differin cream 0.1% for 6 weeks already (9 weeks if you count the irregular uses for the first 3 weeks).

i've been dealing with mild / moderate acne for 2-3 years already. it didn't get too bad until last year when i started putting makeupforever concealer all over my face (it evened out my skintone and covered pores). then i realized that i could no longer go outside without makeup because of increased whiteheads and red marks. pimples usually take 2-3 days to go away on my skin but they leave behind marks that last months.

I've noticed a huge increase of whiteheads on my face after using differin, especially on my cheeks. they been around for more than a month already and i'm just afraid it won't go away. in addition to that, i have a lot of red marks around my cheeks. some of the more recent ones are from picking at my blackheads. i'm thinking maybe because my skin is thinner, it is more prone to damage if i pick at it? but it is so discouraging to touch my skin - it feels so bumpy with all those nasty comedones underneath.

my acne is at the worst it has ever been and i cannot go out if i don't apply makeup (i'm using clinique clarifying foundation with salicylic acid). I'm hoping the foundation is not clogging my pores and giving me more whiteheads.

so right now, in the mornings i'm using cetaphil oily skin cleanser, gm collin gel with salicylic acid (i'm running out so i won't be using this anymore), clindamycin, neutrogena oil-free lotion spf 15 and clinique clarifying foundation.

at night, i use cetaphil oily skin cleanser, st.ives pore scrub from time to time, differin .1% cream, and the jojoba moisturizer from this site. i read somewhere that you should wait 30 minutes before applying moisturizer because it might decrease the effects of differin?

i'm wondering if i should add an aha or bha toner to my regimen. i'm thinking about paula's choices. but i'm scared my skin can't handle it because it is getting a bit flaky in the mornings after i apply foundation.

is anyone else using differin cream having good results?

I am a 30 yr old F whose acne seems to have gotten way more problemmatic in the last few months. Since I've been a teenager, I've always had a few zits every month, often hormonal, but I've never felt like I needed to do anything about it until now. Somehow in the last four months I've gotten a number of cysts that take forever to come and go. Maybe 2 at a time or so, but since they stick around for so long, my face hasn't really been clear in this time period -- mostly in my T-zone, also by my ears. I also have generally large pores and blackheads on my nose, and light scarring from old acne. Not too much though. I'm also starting to get some wrinkles.

I asked my doctor about what could be done, and she prescribed clyndamycin swabs, which did help make my good skin look smoother, but I was still getting cysts. I saw another doctor (for something else, but I mentioned the acne), and, since I had two cysts developing on my forehead, she prescribed Retin-A micro 0.04%, and told me to start at once every three nights.

I used it the first night I had it, and then read a million RAM horror stories on the web, and hesitated for a week or so. In fact, I even started with the DK Regimen and my face looks pretty decent. But I am getting greedy and would love for some marks to go away and for my face to look great, including maybe even wrinkles going away a bit.

So, tonight I'm starting again with RAM. I of course am fearing the dreaded initial breakout, especially as I have professional activities in the fall during which I really cannot have horrible cysts on my face. (Note: the past four months of bad skin, I have really only gotten cysts -- no other kinds of zits.) But we'll see. I can always stop, right? Though I know that you have to keep going to see results.

ok so i'm not gonna go into how i started to get acne cause its a weird long story bottom line isssss i went from pretty much perfect skin to mild/moderate acne and odd skin texture within about 3 months . it sucked .

i tried sodium sulfacetimide (ovace) wash, and it didnt work . allergic to benzoyl peroxide, and otc products did nothing ... several dermatologists gave me different diagnoses, but i ultimately decided to stick with one who gave me retin-a micro .04% ..

i'm on my 17th day of retin-a . i was prescribed monodox which im still on but it didnt/doesnt do anything really .. about 2 weeks into monodox i started retin-a which is when i started to notice a difference .

status now: skin is smoother, less comedones, peeling, skin looks just better in general ... red marks clearing but i think my IB has started on my forehead =/ i must resist the urge to pick !! hopefully this purging period will be tolerable .

Hi. I'm DancingCactus. My acne is restricted to a few occasional pimples. However, I have nose blackheads and forehead uneven texture and bumpy red marks, leftovers from previous acne I'd like to fix. As you can see from the picture below. And the sooner one starts to combat aging, the better, isn't it? Hence this blog.
[attachment=18458:Image022.jpg]

My skin is not sensitive at all, but rather hardy and oily in T zone. The routine below is instrumental in maintaining my current satisfactory skin condition:

Morning:

1. Wash with Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser:
With just 0.5% of SLS, it's quite mild. First and foremost I want to minimize irritation. Wet face with lukewarm water, then gently massage skin with it. After which rinse off and splash face with cold water. It's actually kind of fun. )

2. Moisturize with Cerave Cream:
Dab a few dots on forehead, cheeks and chin. Then I gently even it out with back of my hand. Softly, I stress. Because I used to wonder why my face get so red and flushed after putting on the moisturzer, it turned out I dragged my hand across face like a tractor. Now I konw better.

3. Protect with Sunscreen
I wear sunscreen daily, rain or shine, indoors or out. Force of habit I suppose. Most importantly, and I put on lots of it. (Don't be scared now folks) Again, I gently even out the sunscreen, and leave it be to sink in on its own.

Evening:

1. Wash with Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser For Normal to Oil Skin:
Gentle Skin cleanser doesn't cut it now. Instead, Daily Cleanser dissolves away all the sunscreen I slathered on effortlessly. No greasy residue either. That's all I expect from a face wash: cleans well, rinses off well. No fuss, no muss.

2. Moisturize with Cerave Cream:
It's a rather bland moisturizer, no irritation, no visible benefits either. Just very... bleh. Am I committing cardinal sin by expecting too much out of a simple moisturizer?

3. Moisturize with Paula's Choice Exfoliating 2% BHA Lotion:
It received good reviews for ridding black heads, though frankly, I haven't noticed any difference.

By the way, I also have Daniel Kern's BP gel, but I get so little pimples, besides, it doesn't correct red marks, so I rarely use it. But it's effective against occasional zits.

Topicals I'd like to try:

1. Retin-A:
Acne reducing, red mark lightening, real anti-aging, (Not just the "appearance" of aging) what can be better? I received a bunch of Retin-A gel from AllDayChemist.com, and can't wait to start reaping the benefits. This what the tube looks like:
[attachment=18461:image001.jpg]

By the way, I used Retin-A 0.025% generic cream some months back, but discontinued using it after a while. Didn't experience any negative side effects at all when I started though, weird.

2. Tazorac:
Retinoid with the similar effects as Retin A, except more effective with shrinking pore size reportedly.

2. Avene Diacneal.
Mixture of 0.01% Retinaldehyde and 6% exfoliating Glycolic acid. Reportedly just as effective as 0.05% Retin-A, but a lot less irritating. Avene also incorporates their patented active ingredient Retinaldehyde in their Eluage, Ystheal and Retrinal (available in USA) lines. But Diacneal is the most potent and promising.

3. Azelaic acid
The active ingredient in Skinoren cream and Finacea gel. It has anti-bacterial and lightening properties to improve red marks leftover from acne. And it speeds up skin turnover. Just what I need. Can be used during the day. This may provide more bang for the buck than any moisturizer.

4. SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic serum
An antioxidant serum that improves complexion and combats sun damage? I'm sold. Though I probably won't try it until I got the more important stuff like sunscreen and retinoid out of the way.

Diet to be incorporated into the routine:

1. Green Tea
I like how tea's fresh clean taste lingers, and it has antioxidant properties. Woo hoo! Let's see if I can keep it up.

2. Fruits and veggies
I'm pretty bad in this regard, my grandma once said I'm a carnivore. )

This is about it, my goal is to have a smooth, even, acne-free complexion with minimum efforts. Too ambitious? We will see.

Ever since adding differin back into my regimen, I've slowly gotten back to where I was before I has stopped using Differin. There was the intial breakout (again) and it lasted for quite some time (more than 4 weeks). But now I'm slowly starting to heal, well sort of. Anyone else get areas that are brokeout cleared, and then areas where you were clear brokeout? That explains my forhead and cheek areas.
My forhead was pretty clear, and just oily, but now i had bad cystic breakout at the ends of my eyebrows, and one near my forhead. It leaves me saying to myself, wtf? However I'm thinking this is due to not washing out hair products that I use for my hair (wax, hairspray, pomade, etc.). So that could contribute to that...but anyways, my cheeks are getting clear (I mean on my face...lol). My left side barely has one or two pimples while my right side has a few...but then below my face/neck area on my right side I had a nasty breakout there too (perhaps from shaving?).
Anyways, I thought I'd let other people know about my differin usage. Now I only have three breakout areas to heal up and I should be pretty much clear! (hopefully soon so I can do something about my unveven skintone...)

I thought i'd write a log now since I'm clearer than i've ever been.

First I'm 23, I started dealing with acne when I was 17. It showed up out of no where. Instead of listing all the things I've tried that didn't work I'm gonna list the things that did

Bactrum & Retin A & Clindamycin & AHA

I took 3 months worth of Bactrum with Retin-A every night and was completely clear back in October of '07. I slacked on my regimen and my acne came. Being that Bactrum is so potent my derm. declined when I asked for another 3 months prescription.

So, right now my regimen is:

A.M.
NATURE'S PLUS NATURAL BEAUTY CLEANSING BAR(main ingredient Olive Oil which helps with old acne marks)
3+ drops of Jojoba Oil
Dan's 10% AHA
Clinque Super-Defense Moist. w/ 25spf

Makeup:
Estee Lauder Double-Wear foundation
COASTAL CLASSIC CREATIONS 'SAND DUNES' BLUSH (PEACH) 100% organic
Physician's formula loose power

P.M.
Clinque Wash Away Gel (makeup remover)
NATURE'S PLUS NATURAL BEAUTY CLEANSING BAR
Retin A .1%
Wait 30 mins to an hour then apply 3+ drops of jojoba oil.

Using Retin-A and clindamycin constantly has cleared my skin up significantly, added 10% AHA has just pushed it to the next level. I'm still looking to find an all natural make-up remover and sunscreen. Hopefully replacing those two products will get my skin from mostly clear to perfect!

Hey all,

Im doing this for you guys, as well as myself so I can timeline my progress. So heres all about me.. Im 20 years old, Male, with taned taned skin. I've had like a pimple a week all through highschool which didn't bother me at all unitll university when I saw the same people everyday with a pimple everyday. It was out of control. I tried basically everything (benzoyl peroxide, tea tree oil, ACV, EVOO, salyic acid, caveman.. everything with little relief)

So I decided to go and see a derm, he perscribed to me retinsol A 0.01%, doxycycline, and clindoxyl gel (clindamycin + BP)

Im only taking 1 pill 100mg of doxy a day
retin a at night
and clindoxyl in the morning

So Im at day 5 with no improvement, Ive been alternating nights between retin a and clindoxyl to ease things in.. so lets say this is day 1


wish me luck and a big change... I hate this curse!!!

I will not post my entire history here as i've done so on numerous other threads.
First time ever using topical tretinoinds.
My Regime:

-Night Time: Apply a thin layer of RAM 0.04% over entire face.
Wait for it to dry. Then Apply Complex 15 moisturizer

Question: Will the complex 15 be enough? I've used it before and maybe its not as moisturizing as i'd like.... anyone recommend anything else?

-Morning Time: Was face with Dan's cleanser.

That's it.... My face is already dry and irritable from stupid overdoses on B5 and Vitamin A.......

My skin Type: (used to be HELLA OILY) now... I dont even know how to describe it, but I get a couple whiteheads a day and they are usually small and not inflamed.

Reason for my acne that I have realized after years: Stress/Anxiety.

I've gone from face full of acne to completely clear.... one week were I literally said Everything causes acne, do what you want, and I had no stress for that week.... didn't last too long because its very hard to be so strong like that.

Question: I have these rosacea like marks on the bridges of my nose under my eyes.... and Complex 15 doesn't do squat..... but vaseline usually helps.... should I apply RAM there... or will it make it x10 worse? its really red and raw... and i've had it on and off for months now...


Wish me Luck.... Im not sure how often im going to update, but tonight will be my first night!!! WISH ME LUCK!!!!

If you're American and you're uninsured, or if, like me, you have an insurance company which won't cover Retin-A Micro, this message is for you.

I went to a couple of pharmacies in my town (in North Carolina) when I was looking to have my prescription filled. The first one offered to sell me a 20 gram tube of 0.1% for $98, and the second sold me the same for $92 (or $4.60 a gram).

When I began to run low on Retin-A Micro, I started to look for pharmacies online which could fill my prescription legally* and for a lower price, and I found one in Ontario which looked promising. I printed out the form for my dermatologist to fill out and fax, and I went to his office to ask him to send my prescription to Canada (I must admit that I was a bit nervous because I thought he might not believe that it was legal, or that, even if he didn't doubt its legality, he would still be suspicious enough of the Canadian pharmacy to refuse my request).

Fortunately for me, though, my dermatologist's office contacted me later to let me know that they were going to fax the prescription. The 20 gram tube of 0.1% goes for $28.79 ($1.43 a gram) at the Canadian pharmacy, and the 45 gram tube goes for $45.94 ($1.02 a gram). My dermatologist wrote a new prescription for me so that I could order the larger tube. The shipping and handling charge is about $17 per order (not per item). 6 days after placing my order (I was told that the first order would take 10-15 days to arrive), I received my Retin-A Micro gel from Ontario! For the 45 gram tube of gel, I paid $63.07 (and that's including the shipping and handling charge). Plus, the customer service was wonderful.

So remember that it's possible to save some money by ordering meds from a good pharmacy in Canada. Obviously, though, if you want to order a prescription medication from any other country, you should exercise caution and do some research beforehand to make sure that it's legal and that the pharmacy is reputable.

Best of luck to you all.



*Yes, you can obtain some prescription medications from another country legally. You can't order certain drugs, like Valium, but you can order Retin-A!

[attachment=22581:ram1.JPG] [attachment=22582:ram2.JPG]

Ok so my dermatologist gave me tazorac like about a half a year ago. I tried doing it for every other day at first. Then every day. Then every week.

I would get a lot of white heads and A LOT of flaking / peeling. She also said to use SFC Lotion whenever I went to wash my face.

So any information to help me that has to do with tazorac would be great. Also are you supposed to keep it on overnight or wash it off ..

Oh and assuming I use tazorac every day how long is it supposed to be before I start seeing SOME improvement? I havent seen any so far.

Thanks guys

Hey Everyone!

Just got back from the derm and she agreed to put me on 25mg of spiro!! im so excited about this! my acne is moderate and hormonal, so i hope 25mg will do the trick. Also i am starting retin a...i am just curious about retin a and sun damage, i know it can make your skin more sensitive to the sun, but it is also good at repairing sun damage done to the skin ( seems ironic haha) I was just wondering if anyone knows if using retin a over the long term will stop sun damage from even showing up ( as it takes 10-20 years to appear on your skin as wrinkles, pigmentation etc...) i know its not really acne related but would love some info if anyone knows!!! i burned my face this summer and am worries about damage now : ( also i will post back incase there are any other girls curious about how my low dose spiro goes.....feeling hopeful!! good luck everyone!

[font=Garamond][size=4]
Morning
- Cetephil cleanser
-take 100mg of Doxycycline
-Cetephil mosturizer
- Aveda Moisture plus tint- SPF 15, oil-free (helps to prevent peeling during day,
and protect from sun damage.
-Peter Thomas Roth Max Anti-Shine Gel on forehead, instead of foundation.
-I.D. mineral Veil to control shine through out the day.

Night
- Cetephil Cleanser
- Wait 30 min. or more and put on Tazorac Cream .1%

No picking- it causes scars and red marks
No Popping- it spreads bacteria

Only use non-comodogenic , and oil-free producs from trusted companies.
Because of this Regimen my chin is acne free!

First pic was on august yes my skin got worse before it got better

Second pic (yesterday valentines day) my skin is soft!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Before anyone says this is photoshopped its not I just tanned a bit with picnik lol because I looked like casper lmao darn flash )

sorry

Ive already been on it for about four weeks and the only only thing that's changed is some red marks have healed but new formations on temples. So, Im going tot start logging today at week four, but Ill title it as day one. I have pics of my skin in one of my other posts, feel free to look..ill post more in maybe a week


Day one (week 4): Put differin3 on. My skin really sucks. Some parts of my cheeks are clear, but the rest of my skin is pimply..put aloe vera on in the morning after lightly rubbing face with a washcloth. Washed my face with acnefree for sensitive skin tonight in the shower. (I only wash at night or my skin dries out )

day two: didnt pick at my skin because it spreads bacteria. turned the spray on my shower harder so I could get more dead cells off. My skin feels oily/dry

day three: it looks a little less red actually but still pimply :/ I put on differin just around an hour ago, my skin feels stiff, a tad tingly, but thats supposed to happen.

day four: I stopped picking my skin, started taking hot showers with a hard spray since cold water therapy wasnt working for me, plus it's really freezing out. I put on benzaclin and in the morning washed off with a cold cloth.

day five: My skin looks better. Less red and the bumps on my forehead are reducing.

day six: wow drastic improvement. Dont get me wrong, im still far from all clear, but I look better. Broke down and pinched some things on my forehead.

day seven: yikes! I should not have picked! I look worse and the bacteria spread so my forehead looks worse again NO PICKING anymore:( it never helps

day one (week 5): I still look bad. Red, bumpy, and gross. I just want to cry

day two: I look HORRIBLE. EXTREMELY red and very bumpy. I pinched again since my skin looks like shit anyways, what do I have to lose? I think I will go off dairy and see if that helps at all. The thing that REALLY gets me is Im getting acne on my chin, temples, jaw, and lip now and Ive NEVER had it there. My cheeks and forehead are ugly. Im seriously crying

day 3: my skin looks like shit, what else is new? I'm going to stop benzaclin and just continue with differin. Maybe that will help me some. My acne is the same as it was last year before ANY treatment which is depressing, I cant even wear my hair up. I remember when people would comment on my clear skin. Infact, there was a time only a few months ago I found myself complaining about my hair, and could care less that my skin was perfect...what was my deal?! I will NEVER take clear skin for granted AGAIN.

day 4: used differin again last night and not the benzaclin, my jaw was really dry and my cheeks and jaw have been super itchy. My mom thinks I have rosacea, I agree. She thinks I should try to not eat yeast, or sugars and I will be returning to the derm on oct. 29. I want to have normal clear skin back why was I cursed with embarassing acne!

day 5: still dry, gross, red and pimply. Just using differin now and not benzaclin

day 6: same. My jaw is VERY itchy and dry

day 7: No changes whatsoever. I feel hopeless ((

day 1(week 6): I think I have come to a personal breakthrough...I need to stop eating yeast. Ive had a yeast infection for a while and I keep eating breads and grains,,this could definitely be causing some of my acne. Also, I have excessive skin flaking..that is very apparent. Ive had other problems with dead skin over the years.

day 2: My mom came up with the idea of peeling of my dead skin gently with the back of my thumbnail after I wash my face. You must make sure your skin is wet when you do this though and go gently over acne areas. So, Im going to dry this since I have problems with dead skin buildup all over my body. (but somehow only have acne on my face) I now wash in the morning as well as the night and use moisturizer!

day 3: HUGE improvement *knocks on wood* the skin peeling has really helped me.

day 4: my forehead which was previously covered in white heads and acne is really mostly clear now. Im still using benzaclin but went off differin

day 5: wow. I still have red marks from previous acne and I still have acne all over, but my chin, temples, and parts of my cheeks are clearing. My forehead is almost clear. wow..I can actually stand to look at myself in a mirror. not at school though...Im not at that point. . Seriously though, I cannot believe my dead skin was causing such a huge problem..I cant express my feelings fully.. :,D

day 6: good day

day 7.: pinched spotsare red, some scabbing. I look like crap. My skin is dry too

day 8: school tom. and I still look gross.

Hello,
I am currently on Yaz, but I don't like being on BC and want to go off it soon. The only problem is that I have a feeling that my skin will completely freak out if I do this. Along with Yaz, I already use Tazorac and Aczone. Does anyone think that those topicals will be enough to prevent major breakouts from going off the pill? Is a major breakout inevitable, or does it only happen to some? And does it subside, or will it last forever?
Thanks!

Okay, so i've been on Tazorac Cream 0.05 for ONE week now and my skin is OILYY and i have a lot of whiteheads. (More than i've ever had)
People are definitely starting to comment and i just tell them that i'm purging my skin.

So, big question...
is THIS the initial breakout?
or does it get worse?

on average how long is the initial breakout for Tazorac??
because i'm going to be going to Six Flags Fright Fest at the end of october and i want my face to have SOME improvement.

oh.. My complexion definitely looks a lot better .

Ok well i had talked to a very good friend of mine back at home about my acne problem. He told me to try RETIN A, which worked out for him after about 8to9 months, and he had bad acne all over in HS. I have been dieting for about 3 months now and i still break out. This diet is draining the life out of me and i have lost to much weight, i just got to have other foods plus buying organic only all the time is expensive as hell.

I miss eating out with my friends and i figure if i am still breaking out on diet then might as well try a topical too. I was prescribed RETIN A two months ago by my doctor but told him i was gonna try the diet instead.

I also just recieved my acne.org kit and been debating on which to use now RETIN A or this. I have attached better pictures that i took with an actually camera this time to show my condition that i always deal with. Help me decide what you think will work best. I want to start tonight so please let me know. Thanks! So difficult and nervous about this.

This is the acne i get all the time on chin on left and right side mainly, and its always the most inflammatory than it is middle. My skin is always red there from reoccuring acne over and over.

Im on Tazorac gel and i was wondering what are the best cleansers and moisturizers to use? i try some and they burn my face..... Aveeno ultra calming makes my face sting, Olay complete senstive skin is good but even with jojoba it doesnt take care of the flakes and when i sweat it comes off all white and flaky

any opinions?

been on it since the middle of july.
no improvement really.
just made my nose kinda red.
still pimples in t-zone
starting to really piss me off.
i definitely have had my IB
when does it start to improve?!?!
SHOULD I KEEP GOING....
OR QUIT????
and if you say quit, what should i use? (no topical prescriptions if i can avoid them!)
(oh, and i have mild acne, oily tzone, dry cheeks)
PLEASE HELP

is it safe to have a glycolic peel when you are using retin a??? i just switched....was using differin .3% for about a year and a half and has a glycolic peel done without a problem. Is retin a stronger than differin??

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.

Hi everyone,
I decided to start this log so that other females with hormonal acne can follow along my progress with spiro (and retin-A micro). There are numerous accutane journals but only a couple spiro logs.

To begin: a little about me and my acne.

I am a 24 year old female and have had mild skin problems since I was about 12. My face was never terrible, just not super consistently clear for the most part. I was never ashamed about my skin because it wasn't that bad (except for those odd big ones that come from underneath and hurt like hell!). I did have bacne throughout a bit of my teenage years though, which wasn't the prettiest, but all in all, it wsan't bad. I have also always had blackheads on my nose, which somewhat bothered me but I dealt with it.
When I started to enter my early twenties and was finishing up my undergrad, I noticed that I was getting sporadic pimples on my face (cheeks) that took a long time to go away. I went to my doctor two years ago and he prescribed some super strong topical cream and minocyclin. the mino did give nice results (though the cream was much too strong), but it turned my teeth green! yuck, i know. but it happens to some. So I went off of it. My doctor said he would give me accutane (I didn't think it was that bad!!!!), but since I was away at grad school, he couldn't monitor me on it so I was never prescribed it. I went to my doctor at the student health, and she put me on birth control pills (Diane 35) and thought they would help my skin and regulate my period. she also put me on differin, which was not bad.
I should mention here that my doctor and derm suspect I have PCOS- which is characterized by acne and irregular menstrual cycles. I actually broke out more with Diane because I got more periods on it and would always have that pre period breakout. Also, Diane wreaked havoc on my emotions. It was really a shitty time for me and I think Diane played a huge role in my mental state. I also gained a bunch of weight (about 15 pds)
I moved at the end of last summer to a new city and had to wait a while before I could get in with a derm at a clinic that is supposed to be good. So I went to some random nurse practioner about my skin, because it was not improving, and she gave me erythomycn and took me off the pill. Emotionally I felt much better and I lost 7 pounds in about 2 weeks. It was crazy. That Diane really didn't agree with me. In any event, the erythomycin was somewhat useful. After about two months, I saw some very moderate improvement, though nothing fantastic. My derm then said to continue using it to give it some time (we can't keep switching all the time, he said). He also told me to talk to my doctor about PCOS symptoms because acne can be caused by this. So I did, and she simply put me on Yasmin (bp with antiandrogens- spiro), without really doing any tests (I have an appointment, with the endocrinologist in July to get something official there). That was a bit frustrating for me- her lack of desire to diagnose me with something that might explain my acne.
I went back to the derm a couple months later and told him it wasn't working. He said since I wasn't responding to the antibiotics or topicals that sprio is my best bet. I asked about accutane (I just want this done with) but he said it wouldn't work for me given the kind of acne I have. You need blood tests before spiro and he said to go when I first got my period. But since I hadn't started the Yasmin yet, my period was quite irregular. so i waited for about a month before I could get my tests. in the interim, my erythomycin prescription finished and my acne all of a sudden came back full force- the dangers of going off antibiotics! I wasn't eating as well as I usually was, so maybe this had something to do with it, but my skin isn't that great now. It actually looks more like your stereotypical case of acne, rather than sporadic zits here and there which was manageable at least.
I started spiro about 2.5 weeks ago and I want to have this journal here for those who are also on this medication (or think they should be) so you can see my progress (fingers crossed) or give me feeback. I really enjoyed reading Shortee's log quite a bit- it was tremendously helpful.
I find that my oil production on my face has diminished noticeably. I used to be greasy come mid-day, but not at all anymore. My hair also is also not as oily. I would have to wash it every day, but earlier this week, I was in a bit of a rush and didn't wash it one day. By the following day, it still looked okay!! In terms of my acne, I feel like it is slowly improving. Ever so slowly becasue I am still getting a few zits here and there but most is just a remainder of what was there before- what developed a month ago. I am a bit thirstier than before, but that is the only real negative side effect. Oh, I might be a bit more tired.

current acne:
On my left cheek, I have many individual zits of varying sizes and kinda red.
on my right cheek, I have a patch of acne (yes a patch- which I have never had before- like bumps). Some of these are whiteheads and some just red bumps. It was super painful when they developed last month.
On my temples, I have a few small zits and a couple bigger red ones, which are fading. My nose still has blackheads covering it (the usual for me though). My forehead is alright- kinda bumpy but not red or anything. My chin is alright as well. I have the remainder of a zit from a couple weeks ago under my nose- just red now.
on my chest- many small zits. they were never there for the last year at least, so don't know where that came from.
I think that sums it up.

my REGIMEN:

morning:
-wash face with neutrogena oil-free acne wash (2% SA)
(- i might add in Benzagel here in a few weeks, but in the past I didn't like the redness it caused)

supper time:
-spiro (100mg)
-Yasmin birth control

bedtime:
-wash face with neutrogena black head remover acne face wash (2% SA)
-retin-A micro gel 0.1%

I have heard doctors recommend not taking spiro at night because it is a dieuretic, but because it makes me kinda more fatigued I decided to take it with my dinner so I will be tired in the evening, rather than all day if i took it in the morning.

I just started retin-A last week. It has been causing some moderate dryness and seems to gradually be drying out that patch of zits on my right cheek because there are less white heads now. I will get a moisturizer though soon with SPF in it. That should help. I will apply that in the morning.

Anyways, that is it for now. If you have any questions please ask. I will try to update every few days!

Lolo

should i be applying a moisterizer on top of the retin a? right now i am just using it on its own for 2 hours a night then washing it off to help my skin get used to it, but i am definitely still peeling!!! is a moisterizer OK? has this cream worked well for other people? i dont mind a few pimples but am really trying to banish the cysts i get every month when mother nature comes a calling. would love some feedback/ to hear about other peoples experiences!

Hm...I decided to start a log so I can keep track of my progress. Maybe this will help destress too? Personal log/blog! Woo. So here's my story I started breaking out since I was 11 when I was under an immense amount of stress. Now I'm 19 and I think my acne has calmed down a lot. Currently in college doing the whole adult thing: new apartment, new car, best friend for a roomie, new diets, new situations. I've concluded that alcohol is bad for my liver therefore is bad for my skin. My only problem areas are my Tzone. I only break out in my Tzone.

I started breaking out when I was in the fifth grade and my acne progressively became worst as I got older. I've been on every type of prescription but accutane. I've been on Tazorac, Differin, Clindamycin, Retin-a (on and off three times), etc. etc. I find that the pills like Doxcycline, Minocycline, Tetracycline are virtually useless to me.

Here's what's in my medicine cabinet

Dermalogica Anti-bac Skin Wash
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub (big no-no don't use scrubs!!)
Neutrogena One Step Gentle Cleanser (Complete makeup remover)


Neutrogena Alcohol Free Toner
Clinique Take the Day off makeup Remover

GM Collin Acne Complex (liquid for spot treatment)
GM Collin Gel Puracne Gel oxygen (moisturizer)
GM Collin Gel Purifant (face wash)

Olay Sensitive
Olay sensitive SPF 15
Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream

Makeup
Clinique Perfectly Real Make up
Everyday Minerals

Diet
Lactose intolerant >>kicked in when I started college freshmen year =(
Don't drink soda


I am currently on Retin-a micro and I use the Clarisonic Skin Care Brush. I don't use all of those products just some of them depending on how my skin feels. =)

I JUST purchased my Clarisonic Skin Care Brush and received it 10-1-08 so we'll see how that goes.