13 replies to this topic

[eve12]

I am a 22 year old female and I have struggled with acne since I was about 13 years old. I would describe my acne as mild to moderate. When I was about 18 my acne was at its worst. I went to the dermatologist and was first prescribed benzoyl peroxide then retin a micro. I didn't see consistent results from either.

I began using proactiv for about two years and that worked better than the prescriptions, but I would still break out during the day. I almost never broke out at night though, so I think that my makeup or moisturizer may have been making my acne worse. Still, I was too insecure to stop wearing makeup completely.

I started using Dan's regimen in September after some bad breakouts over the summer. It worked pretty well for the first few months until they stopped making Eucerin Renewal Moisturizer. Since then I haven't been able to find a moisturizer that will prevent flakes and I also seem to be breaking out more. Also, I'm not sure how my skin would react to having so much of a product on in the summer.

I have an appointment to go to the dermatologist next week, but I feel like I'm out of options. I remember having a very bad initial breakout the last time that I went to the dermatologist. Also, I haven't broken out on my forehead in a very long time and I'm afraid that it will get bad again if I stop using benzoyl peroxide completely.

It sounds weird, but I feel like I know my skin better than a dermatologist would. I'm really reluctant to go and have cancelled one appointment already. I guess I don't really have much to lose, but I really hate starting over.

Please leave some support or advice- thank you!!

[Ronin]

Another option that you have is blue light therapy. You can get a lamp for use at home. This has been working for me, and some others, although it does take time to work. It is not a quick fix.

For details look in the laser/light therapy forum.

[willow569]

I hope your derm appointment goes well. You can definitely ask to stay on the benzoyl peroxide, if you think it is helping. I would imagine you would get prescribed BP or one of the BP/antibiotic combs anyway, and then probably a retinoid.

I know what you mean about knowing your own skin better than your derm does. I think the problem with most derms is they don't have frequent enough followups to see how your skin is responding to treatment and to make adjustments if you are too dry, or if its not working. They usually make you wait 2-3 months before seeing you again to see if things are getting better. You know so much better what your skin responds well to and what doesn't work for you.

Good luck and keep us posted on what happens!

[RevolutionNow]

Aloette simply clear worked for me. Along with Spiro and doxy. Also change in diet and lifestyle. Yoga, meditation n stuff, its great

[A-Shizzle]

proactiv worked well for you for 2 years!? That's pretty amazing.

I don't have much in the way of advice, but please keep us posted..good luck with your appt. next week.

[eve12]

Thank you all so much for your responses! I can't tell you how nice it is to know that I'm not the only person going through this.

My dermatologist appointment is tomorrow morning. I definitely will keep you all posted. To be honest it might be nice to just follow someone else's instructions instead of trying to figure it out myself.

I don't know a whole lot about accutane. I've heard that the side effects can be risky but I'm pretty sure that I would try anything at this point. I'm not sure if my acne is severe enough, but the low dose idea sounds interesting.

I'm definitely going to ask my doctor to prescribe something that I can use with makeup. When I was younger I was prescribed some thick topicals that I only used at night because they made my face feel so pastey. I'm assuming that a gel would work better than a cream. Have any of you had experience with this?

Thanks again for all your help!

[eve12]

I survived my dermatologist visit! Still it was pretty awful leaving the house with absolutely no makeup and waiting in a room with people who obviously weren't there for acne.

So my doctor prescribed washing my face with zoderm 4.5% benzoyl peroxide pads twice a day and applying differin at night. She also gave me benzaclyn to spot treat. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I've never used Differin before and I've heard a lot of mixed reviews on here. I'm also not really comfortable using it just at night. What would be working on my face during the day?

I also asked her if the zoderm pads would be enough to take my makeup off at night. She said to use a regular cleanser for that but still use the pads and differin.

I'm going to at least try the Differin. Do you think that I should use it twice a day? Or maybe use the proactiv benzoyl peroxide during the day and the differin at night? I'm going to try and stick to my doctor's directions.

[willow569]

I survived my dermatologist visit! Still it was pretty awful leaving the house with absolutely no makeup and waiting in a room with people who obviously weren't there for acne.

So my doctor prescribed washing my face with zoderm 4.5% benzoyl peroxide pads twice a day and applying differin at night. She also gave me benzaclyn to spot treat. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I've never used Differin before and I've heard a lot of mixed reviews on here. I'm also not really comfortable using it just at night. What would be working on my face during the day?

I also asked her if the zoderm pads would be enough to take my makeup off at night. She said to use a regular cleanser for that but still use the pads and differin.

I'm going to at least try the Differin. Do you think that I should use it twice a day? Or maybe use the proactiv benzoyl peroxide during the day and the differin at night? I'm going to try and stick to my doctor's directions.

I would not use the Differin twice a day. It takes time for your skin to get used to retinoids, so using it twice a day could cause a lot of irritation. I hope the Differin works well for you - unfortunately, it did not work for me at all, but some others have had good results from it. Maybe start a log under the "retinoid log" section of the messageboard, so you can update us on your progress? I found that creating a log was really helpful. Good luck!!

[A-Shizzle]

yeah, stick with what your dr. said..Differin is drying and seemed quite strong to me when I was on it.

good luck with everything..I hope it works out for you.

[eve12]

Thanks for your responses ladies! After thinking about it, I definitely agree that using differin twice a day against the recommendation of my doctor would not be smart.

I have only used the differin once so far. I washed my face with purpose gentle cleanser and applied a pea size amount on my whole face. It spread pretty nicely and was about as drying as proactiv ( a little flaking around the corners of the mouth and a tight feeling). I'm also using the benzoyl peroxide pads during the day. No major changes so far, but it's only been a day

Also, for about one week now I've been using a new powder makeup. I had been using Sally Hansen cornsilk for years and it controls drying really well. I never thought that it made me break out because even though it has corn starch, it made my skin much less oily. I don't want to take any chances though, so now I'm using Maybelline shine control.

[brainsblown]

if all else fails consider vitamin B5, it has worked for many people but wouldn't do 10g a day unless i had too, currently im takin 2.5g a day, i barely started so i can't give u a conclusion as of yet...also i good moisterizer out there is COMPLEX 15..might want to look into it

[Lainey321]

I use make-up removal sheets from Wal-Mart. Many people on here recommend them. I even took mine with me to the derm so I could take my make-up off after getting in to the room. At home, I remove my make-up with the sheet and then use my Clelin wash.

They make-up help section of acne.org is very helpful

[eve12]

Brainsblown, I'm actually already an expert haha. I tried b5 about two years ago but I remember getting strange side effects like stomach aches or something. I have used complex 15 and it is one of my favorites. It goes on really nicely and feels as light as water. For me, it doesn't control flakes, but I know that a lot of people have had success with it. I am currently using Neutrogena Healthy Skin Face Lotion for sensitive skin which I love!

Lainey, thanks for the tip about the makeup removal sheets! I am also a big fan of oil removing sheets and usually use the cost effective brown napkins every four or five hours.

Thank you so much for all your comments! It is great to have everyone's support.