Face the Facts

Over one year later, and I'm still excited about how well avoiding certain foods (for me, tomato, avocado, grapefruit, safflower oil, cola, pumpkin + nightshades) and taking birth control has improved my complexion. I feel comfortable enough about my skin's resiliency to actually wear make-up now... thus the picture with make-up (eye shadow, eye liner, and lip color). For the record, I wash my face only once a day now, and I have been doing so for the most since over a year ago. It's funny, because I washed my face twice a day when my acne was really bad. My point is this--for people who think people have acne because their skin is "dirty"... GET A CLUE! One more thing! I use Wal-Mart face cleanser now! SO MUCH CHEAPER. Before, I would spend quite a bit of money on fancy products claiming to rid my face of acne (e.g. Sheseido, Proactiv, Murad, Aveda, etc.) Now I can spend $7 on a cleanser and $8 on a good SPF face lotion and call it a day! The point here is this (and a lot of you probably already know this)--expensive products, for the most part, claim to fix things that they can't fix, because the root of the problem is more than skin-deep!

Taking birth control and avoiding foods that were flagged from my blood test have definitely done the trick! It's surprisingly easy to avoid tomatoes, grapefruit, avocados, string beans, potatoes, and all peppers. I thought it would suck, and it does sometimes, but having clear, smooth skin is totally worth it.  

Pretty much clear!

Just scars left for the most part.  

Argh!!! Stupid mistake! I was doing great, preparing my own foods from home, and, if eating out, being especially vigilant about getting dishes without any of the foods I react to. Then I decided I really wanted some damn sesame chicken last night and a stupid house salad (albeit, without tomatoes, but with a very flavorful, spicy sauce). Right after, I had explosive intestinal problems for hours. And then the next morning, I woke up with a new welt on my face, as pictured to the left. Keep in mind, my face has been super clear for over 10 days!

Now, I can't sit her and claim that I'm 100% sure the sesame chicken caused the welt. However, I know it caused the intestinal issues (I still have them into the next day). I believe there is a profound connection between my digestion of certain foods and my acne. The problem with sauces is that you don't know what the hell is in them. Funny thing is, I asked the waitor if the dish had any peppers in it (a nightshade, foods I have been actively avoiding). He asked the chef, and the verdict was no! I had a gut feeling that the sauce had some pepper, but I trusted their word. I am almost positive there was chili pepper sauce in it. I am outraged. Even as I write this now, my stomach is doing somersaults and making these God-awful sounds!

Nothing too new, but doing better for the front. Front usually stays pretty clear for the most part.

As you can see, my 3/25/2011 pictures show great improvement. So, I mentioned that I was sick, and my skin always always always clears when I'm sick! Without a doubt, it always does. As mentioned before, I think it has to do with my avoiding offending foods. This month I received results from a blood test, and I found out that I have...

high reactions to:

• grapefruit
• tomatoes
• avocados (I used to eat these things right out of the shell)
• pumpkin

So so so much better! Just scars to deal with now! Again... I was sick though. lol! Didn't wash my face at all during this time. Makes me want to burn down all those businesses that sell topical acne treatments; but then I remember those treatments do work for some people.

Huge improvement from 10 days ago! But, I was sick this week. And as usual, my skin clears up when I'm sick. Might not be because I'm sick, per se... maybe it's because I'm not eating anything. Or I sleep more. Or I'm drinking way more fluids than usual. Or maybe the meds I am taking have some kind of anti-inflammatory or other effect.

Personally, I think it is that I don't eat, so I am avoiding offending foods.

Besides those two new erruptions on my forehead and chin, everything else is pretty clear from the front.

Break-out on chin... nice and red. With the nice little whitehead to add a little decoration. That stupid pimple above my eyebrow is BACK. This is seriously the fifth time that exact same spot has errupted.

Huge stupid thing on my forehead... that I managed to squeeze out days later. And it healed great for once. I barely see it anymore, as you'll see in the pictures 10 days later. Small break-outs along that typical part of my cheek/jawline.

Front is usually the more optimistic view, and I guess it's okay.  

But here's some updates:

1) Still on BC... not sure if that is doing anything to tell you the truth, but I have been on BC for less than 2 months, so it's still a little early to tell.

2) I found out I am highly sensitive to tomatoes, avocados, grapefruit, and pumpkin. I am also moderately sensitive to egg whites, cola, green beans, kombu seaweed, and safflower oil.

3) I started taking a liquid probiotic yesterday and will continue to.

4) I will start taking a liquid Zn-Mg-Ca supplement sometime next week.

I am hoping that eliminating the foods I have strong and moderate reactions to will decrease inflammation and help repair my digestive system and my immune system. I have always had issues with digestion, which is the reason I have to take liquid vitamins, since the tablets get stuck in my throat and cause terrible acid reflux. In general, I do have frequent heartburn and nausea. Anyway, that is my update for the week.  Trying to stay optimistic in the process!

I have been getting breakouts in the same damn place over and over again, right above my right eyebrow!!! It is really annoying the hell out of me! It's been doing this for a few months now already. As soon as it heals, new ones appear in the EXACT SAME PLACE.

Started using scar gel a couple days ago, so I hope these will clear up soon. I am tired of having to put concealer on them... but I know it will probably be months or even years until these terrible things aren't so prominent. Looks like a disease.  

Was doing fine until I had multiple breakouts along my jawline and by my mouth, and also one big breakout on my cheek... I looked at the cheek breakout more closely and saw that it was one of those two-in-one deals. The more the merrier, I guess.  

Stupid forehead visitor.

Up close picture of the hormonal acne.

Here is the left side... I had that terrible thing appear all along the old scars while I was sick actually. I finally got fed up with it and popped it today. I probably shouldn't have done that... I am so sick of pimples popping up in that same place though!  

So today was the first day I washed my face since being sick all week. I used derma-e Fruit Smoothie cleanser and derma-e Tree Tea Moisturising Antiseptic creme. They were samples. As mentioned before, skin looked best while I was sick and mostly when I was taking meds for the sickness.

Was doing great until creature on forehead appeared... Also, along the chin, I have a cluster of hormonal acne. I don't mind that area as much, though. Forehead sucks.

Over all, though, face hasn't changed much. No horrible outbreaks, mostly just healing. Funny thing is that I have been terribly sick for a week and haven't washed my face the entire time. My skin actually looked the best when I was the sickest.  

To reiterate, that red creature on my forehead didn't show up until yesterday, which is when I started feeling better.

As I mentioned, one pimple each on my temple and cheek... scars are healing, slowly but surely. Right forehead is staying pretty clear and scars are healing well there.

Put pure tea tree oil on the pimples.

Crossing my fingers about the BC working... we'll see!

Skin was doing great until yesterday/today. I had four new break-outs within 24 hours. I have a sneaking suspicion it could be related to the cilantro I had today, as I haven't had it in weeks... and suddenly I break out terribly overnight after having it for dinner. Other potential culprits are Toll House chocolate chip cookies... and... eggs (since I have a mild allergy to eggs according to a blood test). But I highly suspect the cilantro.

I have two on each temple and each cheek... it's like a twisted pimple game the acne is playing.  

Scars are healing but look terrible.

I started BC (Caziant) ten days ago... since taking it, my skin was doing great, but like I said... that cilantro... I have a bad feeling about it.

Front view

Big painful cyst on its third day of life on the surface.

Closer look at the pimpleless side with fading scars.

Right side looking really good... just some scarring.