36 replies to this topic

[christopherBAMBAM]

have you tried lemon juice for blackheads? I rmember reading a while back that people were having good success with that...

[Polka]

yah i have it quite severe and i sometimes wanna stab myself, but i hope a good product will come soon. but i have n omoney so it is difficult to even try to cure it

[sadgeorgy]

have you tried lemon juice for blackheads? I rmember reading a while back that people were having good success with that...

I have, actually. Pure lemon juice (self squeezed) btw. Stung like hell. It was actually very effective, but only for the first couple of weeks. Then my skin seem to have gotten accustomized to the acid, and it became less and less effective.

[Cthulugrrl]

Hey Jake,

I am so sorry about the way you are feeling. First of all I definitely agree with the people who said the nose in that pic is not NEARLY as bad as you may think. It's better than what mine looks like, I swear on my life. Also, it sounds like you should definitely get microdermabrasion or whatever expensive spa treatment can help you. I have a feeling that you don't look nearly as bad as you think you do, but if it upsets you *SO* much that you are about to lose your job, then it is worth spending the money on. Also, If your skin is as oily as you say, maybe you should talk to your derm about Accutane. I think that medicine would DEFINITELY treat the problem as opposed to the symptoms. Just buckle down, make the spa and/or derm appointments and DON'T CANCEL THEM. You can feel better than this!!!

I was also interested, as I was reading the posts, that so many people said Paula's Choice BHA only made them worse. I am currently going thru literally the worst breakout of my life. I am 26, too, and I've only ever had really bad clogged pores and oily skin; which, while INSANELY annoying, is at least fixable with a little makeup. Now all of a sudden in the last week I've had 7, count 'em 7, huge nodules pop up on my face!!!! Maybe stress brought them on, but I've been stressed before and this never happened. The only thing I can think of is that I've been using Paula's Choice BHA for almost 2 months now... Have any of you experienced something like this and actually continued using the BHA? I am trying to find out if this is just a really really really bad purge, or if the product is actually making my skin worse. I know Dan says it takes 3 months for the regimen to truly work and for your skin to look better. Maybe this is the case with BHA too?

Finally, Jake, if you find that a combination of AHA and BHA work, but leave your face shiny, I would definitely recommend using makeup to cover the shine. Just powder. I've found a pressed powder with salycilic acid in it and I like it a lot. It's called FaceAid and I forget who makes it, but it's green and helps to cover redness. It costs about $10 at the drug store. No one is going to be able to notice if you're wearing just powder on your face, so you don't have to worry about getting made fun of. That way you can use the products you like and don't have to worry about being shiny. I also use blotting papers to control oil throughout the day.

Also, as a layer in between the medicine and the powder, I would definitely recommend this new Paula's Choice matte lotion with spf 15. I know we're skeptical about paula's choice here, but it's just a sunscreen/lotion that dries in a matte texture which dries out your shine. I put that on after my AHA/BHA and then put the FaceAid powder on. Takes about 15 minutes, but after that, I look like I have a normal face.

Almost...haha.

Good luck kid!

Veronica

[JakeD]

Here are some pics of my face. I didn't bother washing just before the pics so you'd have an idea of what my skin looks like 95% of the time. Most of the treatments I'm using now makes my skin red and irritated.


Click here:
http://home.comcast.net/~md6040/Jake-Acne-00000000007.jpg
View the image at 1:1



Current regimen for am/pm for the last few months:

Paula's cleanser
Comment: Eh....

Paula's 8% AHA on rough areas
Comment: I saw some improvement in the first two weeks, but that's about it.

Paula's 2% BHA on nose
Comment: On a scale of 1-10, I give this product a 2. Most products would irritate my face and do nothing to help. This one didn't do anything, but it didn't make me red. If anything I would say it made my clogged pores a little worse.

Paula's skin recovery moisturizer on extremely dry areas (forehead, under eyes, etc)
Comments: SHINE CENTRAL. If you want to be seem from miles away like a mirror reflecting the sun on someone, use this product and hang on tight. WOW!

Paula's skin balancing super antioxidant mattifying concentrate
Comment: It might make my blackheads a little bit less noticeable when applied on top of BHA, but it doesn't even come close to taking away my shine. If my shine was at a 7 before applying this product, it would be at a 5 after. A 5 still looks bad. A 10 would be like the high-gloss scalp polish and 0 would be normal.

RoC undereye retinol creme
Comment: Works pretty well over several months, but tends to make the skin dry. It's hard for me to use moisturizer because all of them make my skin shiny until I wash them off.


The only thing I'm worried about tackling at this point is the blocked pores.

[JakeD]

fhvf

[neutrogena]

There's one solution that might help...it helped me when I had the time to do it. Here it is:

Coffee Grinds

A quick fix for blackheads that never failed me!

1. Get a hold of some freshly brewed coffee grinds, even if you have to brew the coffee yourself!

2. Moisten your affected area with water.

3. Rub the coffee grinds into your skin in a circular motion, making good contact and really getting in there. Don't be afraid to scrub the blackheads. Don't scrub acne, however, it may irritate the zits.

4. After scrubbing well, rinse over a bowl. Don't let the coffee go down the sink. I know it's a drag, but it works, amazingly enough.

5. Pat your face dry, then go look in the mirror. Go ahead and gasp. Most of your blackheads will be gone.

Don't hesitate to do this every day, even if you see no results. You will see results within a week, and what have you got to loose? (Especially if you already drink coffee!)

Hope this helps people!

[Cthulugrrl]

Hey! Yeah I definitely think seeing a new derm is the answer. From what I have read, it seems that Accutane is the best thing you can do for chronic, life-ruining skin problems. But I also know that Accutane is a last-resort-type-medication. So it's possible that your derms don't think your skin is bad enough to warrant it, and I can't say I disagree, based on the pix you posted! I do completely understand how debilitating it can be to feel like everyone is looking at your pores. And I definitely understand the frustration of trying to unclog pores that seem to be perpetually clogged year after year after year. But be careful that you don't develop acne dysmorphia or anything like that, hon!

Good luck w/ the new derm, keep us updated

[Wynne]

JakeD:

Have you tried exfoliating with a baby's hair brush? I wash my face with the brush, scrubbing gently in a circular motion over my entire face with my cleanser. Then I apply either Green Cream level 6 or Avon's Anew Retexturizing Peel. The pores on my nose are almost empty! After I exfoliate and before I apply anything, I look in the mirror and see NO clogged pores at all on my nose and my nose was considerably worse than yours. I mean 100% worse. That might be the final key you need to clearing up.

Once a week I exfoliate my whole body with the baby's hair brush, even my feet. I also use the St. Ives Apricot Scrub on my feet with the baby's hair brush. I have fewer breakouts on my arms and chest now. I take that back. I just looked at the chest area. NO inflamed breakouts whatsoever. None!!! One on the right upper arm, none on the left upper arm. Wow.

I don't mind an oily shiny face so long as my pores don't clog up and lead to acne anymore. I am very happy with the results I've had with my regimen. If the shininess happens to bug me, I just apply a powder. I like Everyday Minerals quite well. There are also compacts out there that you could match exactly to your skin color and no one would know that you've powdered your face.

[JakeD]

Hey! Yeah I definitely think seeing a new derm is the answer. From what I have read, it seems that Accutane is the best thing you can do for chronic, life-ruining skin problems. But I also know that Accutane is a last-resort-type-medication. So it's possible that your derms don't think your skin is bad enough to warrant it, and I can't say I disagree, based on the pix you posted! I do completely understand how debilitating it can be to feel like everyone is looking at your pores. And I definitely understand the frustration of trying to unclog pores that seem to be perpetually clogged year after year after year. But be careful that you don't develop acne dysmorphia or anything like that, hon!

Good luck w/ the new derm, keep us updated

Thanks ms. hottness.

Yeah, it's safe to say that I've already developed acne dysmorphia. I wouldn't be such an issue if I didn't mind spending most of my time alone. I'm the type of person who MUST be close to people, like 6 inches or less, pretty much all the time.

I think the difference between me and many other people is that I know enough secrets to get my pores empty anytime I want. The problem is that once I get them there, oil literally flows out like a damn lake and I have hundreds of puddles covering my nose. Lotion works to slow the production of oil, but somehow the clog still comes back only days later.

I purchased the the in-home microdemabrasion system, but I've been reluctant to use it because it says you can't use Retinol and many other treatments with it.

I booked another appointment with my doctor so he can refer me to yet another derm (this is required anytime I see a new dermatologist.) At least I have insurance.

[neutrogena]

Hey! Yeah I definitely think seeing a new derm is the answer. From what I have read, it seems that Accutane is the best thing you can do for chronic, life-ruining skin problems. But I also know that Accutane is a last-resort-type-medication. So it's possible that your derms don't think your skin is bad enough to warrant it, and I can't say I disagree, based on the pix you posted! I do completely understand how debilitating it can be to feel like everyone is looking at your pores. And I definitely understand the frustration of trying to unclog pores that seem to be perpetually clogged year after year after year. But be careful that you don't develop acne dysmorphia or anything like that, hon!

Good luck w/ the new derm, keep us updated

Thanks ms. hottness.

Yeah, it's safe to say that I've already developed acne dysmorphia. I wouldn't be such an issue if I didn't mind spending most of my time alone. I'm the type of person who MUST be close to people, like 6 inches or less, pretty much all the time.

I think the difference between me and many other people is that I know enough secrets to get my pores empty anytime I want. The problem is that once I get them there, oil literally flows out like a damn lake and I have hundreds of puddles covering my nose. Lotion works to slow the production of oil, but somehow the clog still comes back only days later.

I purchased the the in-home microdemabrasion system, but I've been reluctant to use it because it says you can't use Retinol and many other treatments with it.

I booked another appointment with my doctor so he can refer me to yet another derm (this is required anytime I see a new dermatologist.) At least I have insurance.

So, you know how to remove the blackheads? What you're really looking to do it de-oil your skin?

[JakeD]

Hey Jake,

I am so sorry about the way you are feeling. First of all I definitely agree with the people who said the nose in that pic is not NEARLY as bad as you may think. It's better than what mine looks like, I swear on my life. Also, it sounds like you should definitely get microdermabrasion or whatever expensive spa treatment can help you. I have a feeling that you don't look nearly as bad as you think you do, but if it upsets you *SO* much that you are about to lose your job, then it is worth spending the money on. Also, If your skin is as oily as you say, maybe you should talk to your derm about Accutane. I think that medicine would DEFINITELY treat the problem as opposed to the symptoms. Just buckle down, make the spa and/or derm appointments and DON'T CANCEL THEM. You can feel better than this!!!

I was also interested, as I was reading the posts, that so many people said Paula's Choice BHA only made them worse. I am currently going thru literally the worst breakout of my life. I am 26, too, and I've only ever had really bad clogged pores and oily skin; which, while INSANELY annoying, is at least fixable with a little makeup. Now all of a sudden in the last week I've had 7, count 'em 7, huge nodules pop up on my face!!!! Maybe stress brought them on, but I've been stressed before and this never happened. The only thing I can think of is that I've been using Paula's Choice BHA for almost 2 months now... Have any of you experienced something like this and actually continued using the BHA? I am trying to find out if this is just a really really really bad purge, or if the product is actually making my skin worse. I know Dan says it takes 3 months for the regimen to truly work and for your skin to look better. Maybe this is the case with BHA too?

Finally, Jake, if you find that a combination of AHA and BHA work, but leave your face shiny, I would definitely recommend using makeup to cover the shine. Just powder. I've found a pressed powder with salycilic acid in it and I like it a lot. It's called FaceAid and I forget who makes it, but it's green and helps to cover redness. It costs about $10 at the drug store. No one is going to be able to notice if you're wearing just powder on your face, so you don't have to worry about getting made fun of. That way you can use the products you like and don't have to worry about being shiny. I also use blotting papers to control oil throughout the day.

Also, as a layer in between the medicine and the powder, I would definitely recommend this new Paula's Choice matte lotion with spf 15. I know we're skeptical about paula's choice here, but it's just a sunscreen/lotion that dries in a matte texture which dries out your shine. I put that on after my AHA/BHA and then put the FaceAid powder on. Takes about 15 minutes, but after that, I look like I have a normal face.

Almost...haha.

Good luck kid!

Veronica

Hey, I went to the dermatologist yesterday. He kinda went through the "there's nothing I can do" bit. I'm like "Do you think I took time off work just so you could look at me for 15 seconds and say that? Help me please!" He's just like "Here take some Tazorac.. Put in on your nose" as he gets up to leave. I'm like "Uh, I don't think so.. I'm not done. I'm interested in actually looking over my skin and determining what I can do for it. This is serious. I want help!" I literally yelled that at him. His eyes got big and he completely changed his attitude. He looked me over for about 15 minutes and talked about all of my concerns. After I explained, he acted like he understood.

After that he turned me over to his estitition. I'm thinking "why didn't he just refer me to her in the first place!" I met her and she seemed nice. Today I went in to see her and we talked for a while, went over my skin condition.. She took detailed pictures and I was amazed how much they can do with those things. She went over it with a computer and talked about all the skin conditions I have. I explained that I wasn't too worried about the other areas, just my nose and area under my eyes. She basically kept talking about my other skin conditions and how my skin is going to fall apart in the next 2-3 years. FUCK!

Long story short, she said I needed to use a 20-30% AHA and green tea antioxidants to improve collagen levels.. For my nose she said I needed extractions, but didn't really talk about any serious treatments. I asked very specifically until I felt like I was being rude and it didn't get me anywhere.

My appointment made me so uncomfortable I used their bathroom to throw up. It was horrible being cramped up in this tiny room looking at your acne under a microscope and being told what you're going to look like in 3 years. I began to have an anxiety attack while she was talking to me, which I never have problems with.

I went home with samples of the following:

-Replenix Green Tea Serum sample
-M.D. Forte 20% and 30% AHA with retinol
-Moisturizer with SPF 30

She said I should ditch Paula's choice products and the in-home microdermabrasion system. So far, nothing she gave me sounds like it's going to help with my concerns. She said under eye injections are an option, but they cost around $900 and only last about 9 months. I'm like "WHERE DO I SIGN UP?" She said I need to try the regimen she gave me first.

well, I still feel like puking.

Thank you so much for your support Veronica. You are a sweetheart.

[Bakesalee]

Why was it stated that your skin would "fall apart in 2-3 years?"

I can't see your photos because they're removed, but from everyone's reaction to you, you weren't a worse case scenario, so I'm wondering, why the hell is your skin supposedly going to fall apart?

[sarabjeet]

It's been a long time since you posted this although I just read it know for the first time. I'm 25 and felt exactly the same way you described during all of my adolesence. There is no acne condition worse than blackheads on the nose. I got rid of my blackheads on my nose by consistently getting facials once a month or once every other month for the past three years. My parents don't know how to take care of their skin and that caused bad blackheads all over my nose, cheeks, chin and forehead. One of the most important thing I learned around 21years old is not to dry out your skin. I thought I shouldn't put mosturizer because I didn't want more oil to clog the pores. I found out that the opposite is true. The better you moisturize your skin the less it will produce the oils that clog your pores. Consistently using a moisturizer almost stopped the blackheads and then the facials over the years has taken them away. The esthetician gets a little bit of whiteheads out of my nose, but it's so insignificant and I never worry about people noticing the pores on my nose anymore.

[Ronix]

Why was it stated that your skin would "fall apart in 2-3 years?"

I can't see your photos because they're removed, but from everyone's reaction to you, you weren't a worse case scenario, so I'm wondering, why the hell is your skin supposedly going to fall apart?

I have the exact same problem!!!!! Very oily skin and a blackhead filled nose. I hate it so much! Do derms recommend having facials that remove them on your face?

Also, what moisturizer do you use?

[mwdchenli]

I have had large and numerous blackheads on my nose for like 5 years. Clay masks and taking zinc and omega 3 supplements have helped tremendously. My nose has not looked this good in a long time.

[antoniog]

JakeD, have you tried green cream (or other similar product) over a long period? Green cream claims it can help shrink oil glands. Anyway some have reported reduced oiliness with that stuff.

Of course, maybe the best thing would be to go straight to accutane. I suggest high dose accutane. I was on low dose accutane several years ago and am still very oily. So... I wonder to this day whether high dose accutane actually could've made me less oily. Who knows, maybe in the future, I'll go the accutane route again, this time with more potency. Right now I'm using mandelic acid and recently added green cream. Have seen improvements so will stick with it and see how it goes.