9 replies to this topic

[sunshinedaydream]

I am so annoyed! For the past several months my skin has been pretty clear- the occasional breakout of a few whiteheads, but nothing horrible. Now all of a sudden, I am breaking out all over the place- a cluster of BIG whiteheads on my jawline/side of my chin that will not go away, a big painful one on my lip, and then little groups of 2-3 of them on each side of my face by the hairline. And it seems to be ongoing- some finally go away, but more just crop up! I have tried ice and aleve for the inflammation, and neosporin, but nothing seems to be helping. Does anyone have any other spot treatments that have worked for them?

I just finishing up month 3 of birth control and had no issues with that at all up to this point, but am wondering if maybe after 3 months it is suddenly causing me to break out?
Plus I have been under a LOT of stress lately (both personal and work-related) and haven't slept well (or eaten well).........

anyone have any ideas/advice/encouragement?

ARGHHHH!!!!

[SarahRP]

It must be the stress... That can do it. Seems like you do not have severe and consistent acne, so I bet an Acne Facial with Extractions from a Spa or a Beta Peel from the Derm would help purge your pours and clear up your breakout. Used to always work for me, until my face started breaking out bad so Im on meds now.

[willow569]

Stress can definitely have an impact on skin, so that may be a factor in why you are breaking out again. And I would think that its not out of the question that the BCP is causing it, even after a few months of being on it.

It sounds like you have a good skin care regimen. What BP are you using? What %BP is it? I also agree that a facial with extractions (from an esthetician who has experience treating acne) can really help. I get them once a month and they really help keep my skin clear.

Also, have you changed anything in your diet lately? Added a multivitamin or anything like that?

[sunshinedaydream]

I use the regimen BP gel, so 2.5% strength. I used to exfoliate with baking soda in the morning and then use toner, but my skin was getting really dried out, so I cut the baking soda out of my routine. I kept using the toner though because it helped with the oily skin.

I think stress has a lot to do with it, especially because when I am this stressed/depressed I don't sleep much or eat much at all. I have been trying to go running to de-stress (and tire myself out so I sleep better) but my work schedule combined with the crappy weather has made that kind of tough.

[JBHK]

What birth control are you using and are you using it for acne. Whilst some birth control can help with acne, some can cause it, so you may just want to double check.

[~ Dee]

Seems that if you've been using that b-trol for three months it might be an unlikely culprit right now.
If you have allergies the season could possibly be kicking up some extra inflammation for some folks about this time of year. Add in some stress...

I used to exfoliate with baking soda in the morning and then use toner, but my skin was getting really dried out, so I cut the baking soda out of my routine.

Did you replace your former method of exfoliation with anything? Maybe now that you've cut out the baking soda you could try using the babybrush method or something else to get rid of the dead skin.
That's all I can think of.
I've been having good luck with mandelic acid in terms of helping to control bacteria and clean out pores. I wish you the best of luck!

[lawstud]

hi guys... I'm new.. yeah it's probably the stress. I developed adult acne when I moved back to my parents house after college... But then clindamycin and topical tretinoin do the trick. Althought sometimes I jest get huge cystic acne. It's prety sad. Sometimes I just want to get a knife ans stab it. well I haven't done that. Although now I have my own apartment and It's under control. But everytime I stay with my parents house for a few days to visit, i get acne.

[Lorrie]

I would suggest going back on the regimen and use just the basics (cleanser, BP, moisturizer). Is the toner alcohol based? That could be the culprit. The stress, poor diet and lack of sleep are probably all contributing also.

When we dont take care of ourselves our skin is usually the first place it shows up. Make an effort to take good care of yourself and do things to de-stress. Take time out for yourself! Relax in a hot bath with candles and soothing music. Take short naps if its possible during the day. Start taking a good quality multi-vitamin until you can start eating better. Try meditation. Do anything you can to give your mind and body a break from the stress even if its as short as 30 minutes a day. Make every effort to get 8 hours of sleep every night. Our bodies natural healing process occurs while we are sleeping. Less sleep means less healing time.

Hang in there! Dont get discouraged. Some small changes will probably make a big difference.

[sunshinedaydream]

Ha ha naps in the middle of the day would be awesome! If only that were possible......
I do give myself 8 hours to sleep every night, but I don't actually sleep- I wake up every couple of hours.
I feel like my current skin care routine is pretty simple and it has been working for quite awhile (until recently), so I am hesitant to change it. I am just hoping that some of this stress will subside a little bit (all I need for that to happen is for my boss to be fired in a public and humilating way, the bf to get his life together, and a huge raise!)

In the meantime, I highly recommend drinking your sorrows away! jk

[Lorrie]

I have terrible insomnia also. If you look at my posts, many of them are as late as 4am in the morning. I was taking Tylenol PM for a couple weeks but have stopped.

When my son was having anxiety attacks I did some research and gave him a B-complex, B-12 and Calcium w/Magnesium pills until I could get him on medication. It took 3 months to get him an appt and I needed something to help him immediately. The vitamins helped ease the intensity of the anxiety attacks and also helped him to sleep at night. He was going days at a time on only a couple hours sleep. Anyways I recently started taking the B-vitamins and Calcium/Magnesium. It's not making me tired enough to go to bed any earlier but once I do lay down, I am able to go to sleep and stay alseep. The best part is that I dont feel groggy in the morning.

Most people dont know that Calcium works like a naural relaxer and that B-Complex does wonders for the nervous system. Vitamin B-12 is a wonderful thing too. If taken in the morning with your B-complex, it will give you energy during the day but come night time it will also help you to sleep throughout the night. People who were treated with B-12 for sleep-wake disorder had amazing results. When the B-12 was discontinued the disorder returned.

Also eating a banana, medium sized tomato or a handful of walnuts will help you to sleep better. These foods contribute to the making of serotonin which is a brain neurotransmitter which produces a calming effect. Camomile tea is another excellent way to lure your body into sleep.

I hope you find some of this info useful. Lorrie

By the way, isnt that the ONLY way a boss should be terminated?