6 replies to this topic

[steigler]

Okay so I am 21 years old, never really had acne until about 3 years ago (very mild) then got a bit worse, now I have moderate acne only around my mouth leading to chin area (some cystic I think, and usually always a whitehead.... started to see a dermatologist about 2 yrs ago.. and here is my history of my acne.

I typed my life story but scratched it because it was way confusing.. I'm gonna break down in instead what I've tried..

Adoxa with clindamycin lotion (couple months)
Amoxicillin with clindamycin wipes and tazorac (Moved to amox because I worked in the sun. used this for about a year, maybe a little more)
Amoxicillin with clindamycin wipes, tazorac, and duac (prob 6 months, and switched nightly taz and duac)
Doxycycline with tazorac and duac
Amoxicillin again with metrogel, differin, and mild steroidal cream (I guess for redness?) (used 4 weeks to barely any improvement)
Now from 2nd dermatologist - Amoxicillin(twice daily) with finacea and mymix/atopiclair (sp?) been on for 2 weeks now
All with 2 cleansers: a Gly Sal wash and Benz Perox wash
Now I use Cetaphil daily cleanser because my 2nd derm said the others were unnecessary


That is where I am at now
I don't know exactly where to go because my acne in the last 2 months hasn't improved very much at all. A mild improvement with the finacea and for the past week I have been doing that dip method in a sink of warm water for 60-100 seconds. That feels amazing and feels like it helps by drying my skin.. I was thinking about that whole pH of your skin and read a post about using baking soda and water and then ACV, then a eggwhite + lemon mask at night... what do you all think of that??

Oh that note I am also curious as to if dry skin is bad?... Do your glands overproduce oil if your skin is too dry? ... Also how do you know if you have dry, normal, oily, or very oily skin??

My weekly routine goes like this.. I workout often (I am in fact a personal trainer) usually 4 days a week. I take 100% whey protein, flaxseed and fishoil capsules, multi vitamin.. I eat mostly eggs, whole wheat bread, pasta, rice, chicken breast, lean ground turkey, steak, potatoes, oatmeal, veggies, fruits, lots of healthy food. and I mean LOTS probably just about 2700-3000 cals/day

My mom keeps telling me its the protein and I tried ridding the protein but I have not heard any valid evidence about protein (or diet for that matter) effecting acne.. every derm says no and every website and so forth.. but I did cut out milk and Cottage cheese because of added hormones they give the cows because hormones are what cause acne right? so I thought and read some stuff, and cut that out.. I might bring it back but go all organic with milk.

That is pretty much all of it, here is a picture of what my acne looks like presently..


I appreciate ANY comments and suggestions as to what might help!!

[SexyInSeattle]

I'm also 21 and your story is very similar to myn.
I feel as if I have tryed everything under the moon.
I wish you the best of luck with your new regimen

[steigler]

Thanks! I hope all the acne stops soon for acne-prone people! I know it will, gotta have high hopes! hehe

[thomas84]

your skin in general looks very good, as you say its mainly around your mouth and chin area which would lead me to ask , whats ypur shaving method? If your not already using one i would definately suggest an electric razor, far less irritation

[Monni]

Your skin looks pretty good to me. I think that staying away the BP cleanser is best because it's too harsh to use all over your face, but you could still use BP as spot-treatment when you feel pimple coming on.

I think that drying out your skin can cause a lot of damage. I use the dip method too, but try to only dip my problem area (my chin). I think that drying out your skin with chemicals and harsh cleansers is much worse than just hot water.

[Lorrie]

Hi Steigler! I have a couple things to share with you but I am by no means a pro at this. I started using a CSR with BP recently and I am having great results. I understand that your skin doesnt react to BP though. I recently read about BHA's which alot of people are having success with that didnt see results with the BP. It comes in 1% and 2% liquid, gel and lotion. Which form you use is a matter of preference. The thread about this is pinned at the top of the Adult ACNE BOARD and it was posted by LionQueen. I learned that BP only works to kill the bacteria in the inflamed infected type acne. BHA's get down in the pores and clean them out before bacteria can set in and cause those kinds of pimples. You might have success with that.

The other thing that I learned and I made this mistake too is that you have to take Lecithin with oils such as Borage Oil, EPO, or fish oil in order for your body to absorb it. So you might want to take that into consideration.

Lastly, DO NOT put baking soda on your face. I fell into this trap after being on the regimen for a week (and seeing good results) and I had a horrible breakout because of it. This stuff is used as a household cleaner. I use it to dissolve gunk/food build up in my sink pipes. This is too harsh for anyones skin. It will cause irritation and irritation means breakouts. I know the thread you read because I read it too. There was no way I was putting egg whites and lemon juice on my face after what happened with the BS.

I looked at your pic and I would rate your acne as mild. That's good news. Now you just have to find the key ingredient that works for you. Maybe the BHA will be it. I wish you luck. Lorrie

Oh by the way, as someone else suggested, since your breakouts seem to be primarily around your beard line where you shave, maybe the problem lies in what shaver you are using or even what shaving cream/gel you are using. Might be worth looking in to.

[Lorrie]

Opps I made a mistake. That thread I was telling you about is not in the Adult Acne Board. It's here: Acne.org Message Boards > Acne Types > Mild to moderate acne - whiteheads, papules and pustules and its titled: Pinned: Clearing pores, getting rid of tiny bumps/ a guide to smoother, clearer skin. Sorry! Lorrie