28 replies to this topic

[m1n1]

COULD A MODERATOR MOVE MY TOPIC? I DON'T USE RETONOIDS ANYMORE

Updates

May 5, 2007

• Decided to go back on minocycline to clear up my pimples a little faster for prom.
• Stopped taking flaxseed oil.

Note: As of now, the pimples that I've had are pretty much flattened!! Just need to fix my other skin problems.

May 7, 2007

• Taking four fish oil capsules each day instead of three flaxseed oil capsules.
• Taking Vitamin E - 400 IU each day.
• Using tea tree oil at night without using any of the Neutrogena products.
• Using aloe vera two to three times a week at night.

May 25, 2007

• Stopped using Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Blemish products.
• Started using Cetaphil products.
• Ran out of tea tree oil.

Nov. 16, 2008

• Still using Dan Kern's acne regime.
• Started using Darn Kern's AHA+.
• Rotate Dan Kern's cleanser with olive oil, honey, and aspirin home-made wash.

Brief History

Well, my name is Mini. I'm 19 years old and I've been battling acne for almost five years now. Like many of you, my acne started at very beginning of high school. Throughout freshmen and most of my sophomore year, I had a problem with a few blackheads on my nose and the occasional white head near my upper lips and forehead. Looking back, I was simply paranoid about my skin even though my acne wasn't that bad at all. I simply used Neutrogena and Clearisil to treat those icky pimples. It wasn't that bad until tenth grade when I started having breakouts after breakouts.

Huge cysts started and what not, and my parents decided to make an appointment with the dermatologist. He prescribed me donocycline, and after five good months, I was pretty cleared up. I only had a few scars left behind and absolutely no pimples during the summer of 2005.

However, shortly after junior year began, my pimples started coming back because I was stupid enough to stop taking the pills. Instead of going back to my skin regime, my obsession grew and I started to try all different things (sometimes all at once) to make my acne disappear again: Proactiv, apple cider vinegar and baking soda regime, over-the-counter products (again), vitamins and fish oil pills, etc. Most of the things that I thought would solve my problem only made it worse.

It was only a year ago that I decided to stop everything and started Dan Kern's acne regime. In addition to Dan's skin-care routine, I also had my pimples professionally extracted by an experienced skin expert, which did wonders to my skin. Currently, my skin is 90% clear. I still have a lot of ice-pick scars and a few deeper scars, but overall, I'm so much happier than I was before in my high school years. Just remember, don't lose hope and keep fighting. I'm not giving up and neither should you.

Main problems:

• Severe body acne
• Brown spots; hyperpigmentation
• Extreme oiliness
• Visible scarring

Recent Pictures

Oct. 22, 2008

Attached Thumbnails

• 
• 

[m1n1]

Cleansing Routine

Day

Jason Tea Tree Gentle Cleanser

• Very gentle
• Use 2-3 times a week, switch with DRK's cleanser
• Contains tea tree oil, organic olive oil, aloe, lavender
• Controls oil very well

DRK's Treatment

• 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide
• Use 1 bump on my whole face

DRK's Moisturizer

• Non-comedogenic
• Use half a bump on my whole face
• Mix 2 drops of DRK's Jojoba Oil

Night

Home-made Olive Oil Scrub

• Olive oil helps with dry skin from BP
• Honey treats acne
• Sugar exfoliates the dead skin

DRK's Treatment

• 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide
• Use 1 bump on my whole face

DRK's AHA+

• Non-comedogenic
• Use it as a moisturizer/treatment

Supplements

• ⁽¹⁾ Zinc - 50 mg
• ⁽¹⁾ Vitamin E - 400 IU
• ⁽¹⁾ Caltrate (Vitamin D - 400 IU, Calcium - 600 mg)
• ⁽⁴⁾ Fish Oil (EPA - 180 mg, DHA -120 mg)
• ⁽¹⁾ Super B-Complex w/ Vitamin C^*

With Super B-Complex w/ Vitamin C, it has:

• Vitamin C - 150 mg
• Thiamin - 100 mg
• Riboflavin - 20 mg
• Niacin - 25 mg
• Vitamin B6 - 2 mg
• Folic Acid - 400 mcg
• Vitamin B12 - 15 mcg
• Biotin - 30 mcg
• Pantothenic Acid - 5.5 mg

Note: I decided to go back on tetracycline, and I've been taking it since October 2008.

Exercise

I do an intense abdominal work-out routine coupled with a ten minute warm-up about every other day, for three days a week. Exercising helps with the blood carrying necessary nutrients and oxygen to the skin and also releases endorphins, which are good when you're all stressed out.


Diet

• No milk, cheese, or yogurt
• Whole grains instead of processed grains
• Lower the amount of really cooked and charred meat
• Add more fish, eggs, fruits, and vegetables
• Drink 2L of water ea. day

Note: I should try to sleep more and get to bed at midnight!

[ﻝ ©]

Good luck to u too.
Ur skin is so similar to mine.

I agreed with ur diet!

[A-Shizzle]

good luck with this.

[m1n1]

Good luck to u too.
Ur skin is so similar to mine.

I agreed with ur diet!

Oh man, it's kind of scary how our skin is so similar. Maybe we should exchange information and see what works for us so we can clear our stupid red marks faster.

Yeah, I'm trying to eat a lot healthier, eliminating all the junk food I normally or used to eat.

I hope it works!

good luck with this.

Thanks.


I really hope my skin starts improving before I go to college in 5 months. Oi, I don't want my pimples to affect my attitude and suppress my normally out-going personality.

[ﻝ ©]

Good luck to u too.
Ur skin is so similar to mine.

I agreed with ur diet!

Oh man, it's kind of scary how our skin is so similar. Maybe we should exchange information and see what works for us so we can clear our stupid red marks faster.

Yeah, I'm trying to eat a lot healthier, eliminating all the junk food I normally or used to eat.

I hope it works!

Do u still have pimples?

I see scars, sorry!

BTW, I don't recommend the salicylic acid. It is too harsh.

[m1n1]

Do u still have pimples?

I see scars, sorry!

BTW, I don't recommend the salicylic acid. It is too harsh.

Oh yeah, I have like four pimples, but they're starting to go away.

Argh, yeah, I have some indented scars. They bother the hell out of me.

Salicylic acid is too harsh? It doesn't dry up my skin at all like benzol peroxide.

I don't know what else to use.

[m1n1]

So I just noticed that my skin doesn't look as bad in regular light. Stupid lighting. It tricks me!

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

[ﻝ ©]

OK....

I remember how I got clear.
I used tea tree oil, an alternative for bp & salicylic acid.
It was good.

Then, I changed my diet...stopped drinking milk, and also stopped all the products for pimples (including the tea tree oil, cleanser & moisturiser). Guess what, I got clear since then...hehe!

So, diet cleared me up.

Good luck to u too.

What do u plan to do for ur indented scar?

[m1n1]

I used tea tree oil, an alternative for bp & salicylic acid.
It was good.

Then, I changed my diet...stopped drinking milk, and also stopped all the products for pimples (including the tea tree oil, cleanser & moisturiser). Guess what, I got clear since then...hehe!

So, diet cleared me up.

I've used tea tree oil before, but it smelled weird. I didn't really use it a lot at all because I was afraid it'll make me break out more.

I guess I should try it again and see what happens.

What do u plan to do for ur indented scar?

I have no idea. Right now, I just want to get my skin clear again and then work on my red marks.

I'll worry about scars later.

Any suggestions?

[answerme]

hey mini! lol at your thread title!

you mentioned you have 4-5 cysts. are most of your cysts on the area above the upper lip? coz if they are then you might want to look into the nature of perioral dermatitis.

your regimen seems great! good luck with it!

P.S. did you attach those pics or did you use the [ i m g ] tags? coz these tags dont work for me

[m1n1]

hey mini! lol at your thread title!

you mentioned you have 4-5 cysts. are most of your cysts on the area above the upper lip? coz if they are then you might want to look into the nature of perioral dermatitis.

your regimen seems great! good luck with it!

P.S. did you attach those pics or did you use the [ i m g ] tags? coz these tags dont work for me

Yeah, I totally got inspiration from your thread title and decided to jack it. Bahaha.

Hurm, I rarely get pimples above my upper lip, but ever since I started using a lot of chapstick for my dry lips, they started popping up. I'll google "perioral dermatitis" right now. I have no idea what it is.


Oh, I attached those pictures. Yeah, the image tags are like not working at all for anyone; rather odd.

[m1n1]

Quick Update

I noticed my current pimples are like exploding randomly themselves, and there are icky scabs over them. Ugh, why?!

I hate pimples.

Picture 1

Overall, my skin doesn't look that badly on pictures except for those two cysts above my upper lip.

Picture 2

With closer inspection, you can notice the indented scars on my right (the left) cheek along with some red and brown marks. Argh!

Picture 3

My forehead is pretty much clear and smooth. Just a few scars again, especially that noticeable one between my eyebrows. Hopefully after I get cleared up, some peels will help reduce their visibility.

Picture 4

This is my right cheek. You can see that pimple near my eyebrow. It's relatively flat compared to how inflamed it was four days ago. This is the side with the most scars.

Picture 5

Here's my left cheek. It's pretty much my better side. A few red marks and brown marks and no really visible scars.

PS: I took these pictures during the middle of the day, so my face is extremely gross and oily. I can't survive without washing it three times, but Dan said that washing it more than twice a day irritates the skin. Is that true?

[answerme]

i can't avoid washing more than twice when my skin is extremely oily.

btw, have you tried doing the hot water dip? when my skin is oily, doing it helps make it dry. when my skin is dry, it makes my skin less dry.

[m1n1]

i can't avoid washing more than twice when my skin is extremely oily.

btw, have you tried doing the hot water dip? when my skin is oily, doing it helps make it dry. when my skin is dry, it makes my skin less dry.

So do you just wash your face with just water when it's oily or do you actually use cleansers?

Oh no, I haven't. I don't really have clean bowls to do the dip with.

PS: I just woke up today and my pimples are pretty much all gone. Yay!!

[answerme]

i can't avoid washing more than twice when my skin is extremely oily.

btw, have you tried doing the hot water dip? when my skin is oily, doing it helps make it dry. when my skin is dry, it makes my skin less dry.

So do you just wash your face with just water when it's oily or do you actually use cleansers?

Oh no, I haven't. I don't really have clean bowls to do the dip with.

PS: I just woke up today and my pimples are pretty much all gone. Yay!!

i think ive tried dipping with and without a cleanser. it's more drying when doing the dip after or before washng with a cleanser.

look for a bowl in the kitchen.

it's amazing sometimes when zits suddenly disappear the next morning.

[m1n1]

Argh! I have white heads popping up. This is not cool.

On a more positive note, I started to take fish oil capsules and Vitamin E. I also started to put aloe vera on my face when I'm not using the Refining Mask and using tea tree oil at night.

Question: Does anyone know if I should leave the aloe vera on or wash it off and then use the tea tree oil? Or should I use the tea tree oil first then the aloe vera and leave it on?

[ﻝ ©]

Argh! I have white heads popping up. This is not cool.

On a more positive note, I started to take fish oil capsules and Vitamin E. I also started to put aloe vera on my face when I'm not using the Refining Mask and using tea tree oil at night.

Question: Does anyone know if I should leave the aloe vera on or wash it off and then use the tea tree oil? Or should I use the tea tree oil first then the aloe vera and leave it on?

Looking at ur pics, I don't think u need TTO.

Anyway, I would choose option 2.

[m1n1]

Argh! I have white heads popping up. This is not cool.

On a more positive note, I started to take fish oil capsules and Vitamin E. I also started to put aloe vera on my face when I'm not using the Refining Mask and using tea tree oil at night.

Question: Does anyone know if I should leave the aloe vera on or wash it off and then use the tea tree oil? Or should I use the tea tree oil first then the aloe vera and leave it on?

Looking at ur pics, I don't think u need TTO.

Anyway, I would choose option 2.

Well, it's just a precaution measure until I'm 100% cleared. Stupid new white heads randomly appeared this morning.

And thanks for the advice!

[m1n1]

Hurm, this may be the lighting, but look at this picture:

Picture 1

This is the delicious skin I want to achieve, of course without that little pimple on the side.