106 replies to this topic

[pilotgeorge747]

I think you should look into tryinf Sudocrem. When I was using the regimen I started to use it and it helped heal existing spots very quickly. I think it also made my face slightly less red as well. An added benefit was it made your face have a white tint to it. This helped my motivation because when I put it on and when I woke up in the morning after using it and looked in the mirror to see what popped up overnight, not only did I see healing taking place, but also the tint helped make my face look a lot less red. It did dry my skin out a little more I think when I started using it but it was hardly noticeable with a little extra moisturizer. I would still use it now even on Accutane but I have bene told to stop using all topicals except for gentle cleanser and moisturizer, so I don't think using it would be a good idea. My confidence for Accutane has kinda gone down a little seeing how you said you were on tane already and you are having to still turn to the regimen. I really hope I am one of the lucky few that the results acheived through Accutane remain even when I finish my course!

[thorn]

I think you should look into tryinf Sudocrem. When I was using the regimen I started to use it and it helped heal existing spots very quickly. I think it also made my face slightly less red as well. An added benefit was it made your face have a white tint to it. This helped my motivation because when I put it on and when I woke up in the morning after using it and looked in the mirror to see what popped up overnight, not only did I see healing taking place, but also the tint helped make my face look a lot less red. It did dry my skin out a little more I think when I started using it but it was hardly noticeable with a little extra moisturizer. I would still use it now even on Accutane but I have bene told to stop using all topicals except for gentle cleanser and moisturizer, so I don't think using it would be a good idea. My confidence for Accutane has kinda gone down a little seeing how you said you were on tane already and you are having to still turn to the regimen. I really hope I am one of the lucky few that the results acheived through Accutane remain even when I finish my course!

Thanks george! I have seriously been considering sudocrem for the last week or so, but I think I am going to hold off until I at least get to the 1 month mark being on the regimen. I don't want to try so many new things at once that I can't tell what IS and what ISNT working for me. As far as the accutane goes, I am sure you will do fine on it. Dont be discouraged that I had to take 2 courses and am still here today. If I could do it all over again I would still have taken both courses like I did. My acne now is nothing like it was before accutane. To this day, I swear that accutane saved my life. I just wish it was a drug we could stay on indefinitely. Good luck!

[geannie3]

Hi Thorn,

Thanks for posting on my log, it has been a dreary first month, and it was nice to have even a few words of encouragement. I think that acne must be one of the worst things that a person could be cursed with, and I wonder sometimes what I did wrong to deserve this!!

I think that you are right on, I would suggest setting yourself a time frame to stick simply on the reg, without alterations to the system, with a minimum of 8 weeks. I know that I have tended to give up on something perhaps too quickly in the past, because after a few weeks, there are no improvements. But I have to believe that this one will really work!!

One thing I can attest to, is that this system sucks! I mean, I have had some promising results thus far, which is why I'm sticking to it, but I hate this medication and how it dries and fries my skin!! But if it will help me be able to look people in the eye with confidence again, it is something worthwhile.

Keep it up!

[thorn]

Thanks for all the input the past few days guys, I really apprceiate it. Sometimes making your own decisions is so tough, especially when there are many different options and possibilities and you are not knowledgable about them all. Keep the tips coming!

Day 16
Woke up today with a red, painful bump on my left outer cheek. These are the ones that scare me. For some reason, I always get freaked out each morning I wake up because I think when I look in the mirror it is going to be an absolute disaster area. Well, it wasn't too bad today, just that pimple and thats about it. On my inner cheeks, however, I have noticed that I sometimes get little red bumps.... but not really bumps like zits. They are more like irritation bumps, it seems to me, either from dryness or a burning of some sort. I may be completely wrong, but when i get them (I have 2 right now), they never come to a head like a pimple does, they are never painful to the touch, etc. It may be a different type of zit, but I don't know.

Also, while doing the regimen last night, I couldnt help but be discouraged while applying the BP. I was sitting very close to mirror and I just sat there for a few minutes looking at my reflection. You would not believe how many red spots I have on my face. It is kind of ridiculous to be honest. Even in the areas where I would say I dont have active acne, I still have these red marks. They are like pimples under the skin, but very small or something. Its as if my skin knows nothing else than to have acne, so it is just normal for it. I dont know what to do. I am going to keep doing the regiment but we'll see..

[pilotgeorge747]

Hey sorry about your lack of results. I hope you start to see them soon. I won't promise you anything though because I know after trying the regimen thats why I am here on Accutane. If you really have problems have you thought about possibly going on a 3rd course of tane? I think I am going to like having clear skin even if its only for a few months after tane but then again I don't want it to be like false hope thinking "yay its all gone so theres no way it can come back". Man acne is a bitch! By the way, do you remember how long you were on tane until you started to get nosebleeds? I haven't gotten any yet *crosses fingers* but I do notice my nose feeling kinda dry and stuffed up, almost like I am sick but im not. Well thanks for your help though!

[thorn]

George, it took a few months for the nosebleeds and they mostly came while I was asleep.... Kinda ironic

Thanks for the encouragement. And yes, I have thought over and over again about trying it a 3rd time.. I am just scared of what the long term effects are. Taking years off my life or even depleting bone mass to put me in a wheelchair is not worth getting rid of my acne, at least for me.

[Lorrie]

Hang in there Thorn! I am cheering for ya! The redmarks will fade but it will take time. Be patient. Be diligent. I know you can do this! Make sure you keep your skin moisturized. Lorrie

[femme25]

Hello my dear -- about your red marks...hang in there. Once your skin adjusts to the BP you can experiment a little with Aloe Vera and AHA for the red marks. Theres light at the end of the tunnel

[thorn]

Thanks guys... I will update again tonight.

[acnemade]

thorn I went through only half the medication you listed.

Do you have scars from the past, I started my DKR 2 weeks ago after I ran out of Tretinoin. The scars kinda piss me off because i know it will be at least 2-3 months before they go away.
I should start my own log soon.

[thorn]

thorn I went through only half the medication you listed.

Do you have scars from the past, I started my DKR 2 weeks ago after I ran out of Tretinoin. The scars kinda piss me off because i know it will be at least 2-3 months before they go away.
I should start my own log soon.

Acnemade.. Oh yeah, I have scarring. They aren't "pitted" just yet, but they are leaving a hell of a lot of red marks. I too started the regimen almost 3 weeks ago after being on Retin-A Micro for like 3-4 months. I wasn't getting clear like I hope to get, so I tried the DKR.


Day 18
Word of the Day: DRY

I cannot believe how flaky I was tonight. I went in the bathroom after washing to apply the BP and my entire mouth area was flaking soooo bad. I mean mega flakes. Really strange, as I am almost 3 weeks in to the regimen. Even stranger that I have not upped the dosage of BP drastically, if at all over the past few days. I have not even gone to twice a day yet! I am hoping to start that next week.

Other than that, my big pimple is still on my left cheek. A real pain in the ass and I know it will take some time to go away. I hate those deep ones.. ugghhh!

Besides that, my biggest complaint right now is that I am getting a lot of clogged pores all over. First it started on my forehead area, which made me stop using my hair gel and start using Aloe Vera cream (3 days ago). Now, these clogged proes are on the sides of my nose and under my eyes as well. I cannot figure out wtf is going on. Maybe that Retin-A was doing something afterall? I never got these before the DKR... really strange. I will admit, however, I would rather have these than painful, deep cysts all over. I am just hoping this is a temporary thing due to the onset of the regimen and not doing 2 day applications yet. Although, it does scare me that people have been saying BP does nothing for clogged pores, only for inflamed acne. It is not the best news for me to hear at the moment.

Wish me luck guys and if you have any suggestions about these clogged pores let me know! Is it too soon for some sort of BHA or AHA?

[acnemade]

Acnemade.. Oh yeah, I have scarring. They aren't "pitted" just yet, but they are leaving a hell of a lot of red marks. I too started the regimen almost 3 weeks ago after being on Retin-A Micro for like 3-4 months. I wasn't getting clear like I hope to get, so I tried the DKR.

I have lots of brownish reddish, or red and brown spots.

When I was on the tretionion I had flakes galore. It looks like my face had been sun burned even though I hardly got any direct sun, I mean really it's just that foggy in the summertime here. Oddly, my face isn't really that dry/flakey with some light jojoba oil and the DKR regimine.

[Lorrie]

Hi Thorn! Thanks for stopping by my log and giving me some encouragement. I needed it today! I ordered some BHA lotion from Paula's Choice and I plan to start using it as soon as arrives for the comedones. I dont see why you cant start using a BHA or AHA now. From what I have read about the BHA, it exfoliates the pores and gets all that gunk out clearing up the clogged pores that causes the comedones. I dont know much about AHA. I posted a thread about BHA's and AHA's that got pinned but I am too out of it to go look and see what it says about AHA's. You might want to check it out. If you decide that AHA's or BHA's is the route you wanna take, Paula's Choice is getting the best ratings. All her products are properly PH balanced and dont have any bad fillers or perfumes or etc.

Thanks again! Lorrie

[thorn]

Thanks for the reply Lorrie! I am strongly thinking about trying an AHA or BHA, I am just hesitant because I want to see if the DKR will work on its own and I dont want a million variables out there at once or else I won't know what is and isnt working!

Day 19
Well... still VERY dry today. I am still dumbfounded as to what could be creating this sudden change in dryness. Oh well, all I can do is keep up with my moisturizing.

So, after almost 3 weeks I don't have many new, BIG breakouts. Instead, I have been getting soooo many small, closed pores that are like small red spots or dots. They usually don't come to a white head like a normal zit, instead they just become inflamed and you can tell it is just a blocked pore. This is where I need all you veterans' help. Will BP eventually take care of this problem? It has only been 3 weeks I know, but I am just unsure if this is even a problem treatable by using BP. If it is NOT, then I need to know if Paula's BHA cream stuff would be my best option. Maybe I need to take a few pics to show you guys what it is looking like. It might make it a bit easier on both of us. I hate explaining things!

Anyways, any input you can give would be wonderful. Thanks guys!

EDIT: Just went to Paula's site and ordered a sample of 1% BHA gel and the actual 2% BHA gel. Should be here in a few days... And hey, if I don't need it then oh well... Just more money wasted, right?

[Brandy]

Hi Thorn,
You may want to introduce one of the AHA moisturizers into your regimen. This usually takes care of the little bumps and should also help with your flaking situation.

[thorn]

Hi Thorn,
You may want to introduce one of the AHA moisturizers into your regimen. This usually takes care of the little bumps and should also help with your flaking situation.

Thanks for the suggestion Brandy. I am just soo confused right now I don't know where to go from here. This is what I am thinking about:

1- I am getting new red spots each and every day. Mostly around my lower eyes, sides of my nose, end of nose, mouth, and forehead. Some of them are definitely clogged pores / whiteheads, but the problem is I cannot tell if the other ones are or not. They almost look like irritation marks. Almost like irritation burns. They are just red and rough when you go over them. My face has been VERY dry lately, even with moisturizer, so I don't know if the BP is just killing my skin (even though I just started doing the 2 times a day application TODAY).

2- I don't know which would be better to use, an AHA or BHA. I have read on Paula's site that BHA is more for acne-prone skin, whereas AHA is more for sun-damage, wrinkles, etc. I just bought her 2% BHA gel last night, and a few weeks ago I was very close to buying Lac-Hydrin 5, but held off on it.

I am just so confused as to what I need right now. I am scared that everyone says the AHA burns / stings when you first start using it. That tells me that it is really harsh on the skin, and I honestly don't think my skin can handle that right now. It is red (like always) and blotchy where I have these "irritation marks" or whatever the hell they are. By adding in an AHA, I really think it might do more harm than good. To be frank, I dont even know if I will be able to go along with a twice daily BP application. Also, I have not heard much about the BHA gel, as to whether or not it stings or irritates the skin so I dont know if that will hurt it at all...

However, I feel like if I do nothing about it, the problem is just going to compound itself and it will become much worse. This is terrible and I do not know where to go from here.

[lychee35]

Hi Thorn,
You may want to introduce one of the AHA moisturizers into your regimen. This usually takes care of the little bumps and should also help with your flaking situation.

Thanks for the suggestion Brandy. I am just soo confused right now I don't know where to go from here. This is what I am thinking about:

1- I am getting new red spots each and every day. Mostly around my lower eyes, sides of my nose, end of nose, mouth, and forehead. Some of them are definitely clogged pores / whiteheads, but the problem is I cannot tell if the other ones are or not. They almost look like irritation marks. Almost like irritation burns. They are just red and rough when you go over them. My face has been VERY dry lately, even with moisturizer, so I don't know if the BP is just killing my skin (even though I just started doing the 2 times a day application TODAY).

2- I don't know which would be better to use, an AHA or BHA. I have read on Paula's site that BHA is more for acne-prone skin, whereas AHA is more for sun-damage, wrinkles, etc. I just bought her 2% BHA gel last night, and a few weeks ago I was very close to buying Lac-Hydrin 5, but held off on it.

I am just so confused as to what I need right now. I am scared that everyone says the AHA burns / stings when you first start using it. That tells me that it is really harsh on the skin, and I honestly don't think my skin can handle that right now. It is red (like always) and blotchy where I have these "irritation marks" or whatever the hell they are. By adding in an AHA, I really think it might do more harm than good. To be frank, I dont even know if I will be able to go along with a twice daily BP application. Also, I have not heard much about the BHA gel, as to whether or not it stings or irritates the skin so I dont know if that will hurt it at all...

However, I feel like if I do nothing about it, the problem is just going to compound itself and it will become much worse. This is terrible and I do not know where to go from here.

Hey thorn, I jus wanted to say don't lose hope! I've been on DKR for two months now, and while my skin has gotten a bit better, I'm still looking forward to more improvement. I'm using the Neutrogena Healthy Skin SPF with AHA and it definitely stung at first... and it still does sometimes. But it helps with red marks and flakes. I don't know if it'll help with those "irritation marks" though. I also have a terrible problem with drying. It's disgusting.... I can hardly even smile without my face feeling like it's cracking. Maybe it's the weather affecting your moisture level of your skin? I live in Toronto and the winter weather is horrible for my skin. Maybe you can try moisturizing a third time?? I do this sometimes. I'll just rinse my face mid-day and then moisturize again, but i still do the DKR morning and night. Anyway, don't feel too discouraged okay? Good luck!

[thorn]

Thanks for the encouragement Lyche! I appreciate it very much.

Well, shit... haha. I just re-read the description on teh BHA gel I bought from Paula's Choice, and I did not realize it contained salicylic acid. A few questions

1- Isnt combining BP and SA a big no no?

2- My irritation is going to get 10x worse won't it?

3- Should I go for the AHA (Lac-Hydrin 5) instead?

THANKS GUYS

[Brandy]

Hi Thorn,
Both BHA and AHA will sting at first. BHA is stronger, so a smaller percentage works. AHA's are weaker so it takes a higher percentage to get the job done. Hence BHA will be seen in 1% and 2% formulas, and AHA's will be seen in 5% on up to 15% otc formulations.
Your skin sounds sensitive, so that is why I suggested an AHA lotion. Lac-Hydrin Five is the mildest one, it has lactic acid which is a very mild AHA. Yea, it will sting at first, they all do, but it is milder than glycolic acid or salicylic acid. And yes, BHA=Salicylic Acid.

So, my advice is for you to consider trying the LHF once a day, alternate with Cetaphil. And see if that helps.
You might also consider jojoba oil if you haven't tried it already.

[thorn]

Thanks Brandy! I am always grateful to see replies from all of you here. ANy advice is appreciated.

I moisturized last night with LH5 and it went pretty well. It did sting a bit at first, but it was far above tolerable. Also, even though it stung, it did not make my face unusually red, which is also good. I will start off using it every other night as my moisturizer, and still use Cetaphil on the other nights. Also, I just started using Neutrogena Oil-Free spf15 moisturizer in the mornings, because I have now started to do BP twice daily. I was not using an spf moisturizer before because I was not applying the BP in the morning. Now that I have starting using the spf one the past few days, I think I am going to add a few drops of jojoba oil to it to make it more water-based. It takes a lot right now to rub it in, and it doesnt seem to be helping as much with my dryness as the Sensitive Skin moisture was. I will let you know how it works with the added Jojoba.