12 replies to this topic

[poordaughterhasacne]

I have been coming on this board for about a month now, maybe more. I came across this board when I was looking for some help for my daughter and her acne. I was given some good suggestions and some not so good. But lately I have just been trying to figure out what could possibly be causing my daughter to have her acne problems, and sometimes I think that maybe the journey of trying to control her acne is what has been causing it. A little family history: As far back as I can remember I never really had problems with acne. The only outbreaks I ever really had were the ones I gave myself by using products that my skin did not agree with. I haven't been able to decide whether I have sensitive skin or not. I can wear makeup all day and sleep in it and in the mornings when I get up I brush my teeth and splash my face with cold water and pat it dry. Then I apply FOTE aloe gel and some cetaphil lotion and then either put makeup on or not. And this regimen of mine happens everyday. Last week I used a cleansing product of my daughters just for the hell of it, and all day after using it I felt like I wanted to rip my face off. It itched soooo bad, and for like 2-3 days after I had these dry itchy patches. This is one of the reasons I just never use cleansers. I have broken out before from using self tanners on my face and certain makeup. So, I guess that is why I just never use products and yet I never break out not even during my time of the month. Well, I take that back. I did break out in a couple of pimples when I first started coming here lol. So, now onto my children. My son is 22 and he had maybe a few pimples when he was like 13 nothing real major never treated it or anything, just let them do their thing. But he has very very sensitive skin that cannot tolerate chemicals his face gets red and flakey just taking a shower and lord forbid him shave. He gets real irritated when he shaves and the only thing he can use on his face is vaseline. Vaseline makes his face smooth as a baby's butt and keeps the redness and irritation at bay and has never caused him to break out. Now onto my daughter. She had her first breakout when she was about 10 or 11 it was on her forehead and it was non-inflamed. Her doc gave BP 5% which healed it up pretty fast. I really don't remember if she stopped using it after it cleared or not. The summer of 7th grade she once again broke out but on her cheeks once again non-inflamed and she used the BP cause it had a refil on it. I think she just kind of used it off and on. When we went a little while without insurance I had to start buying her the OTC BP 10%. She cleared up and never had a real problem again. Then freshman year of HS she started breaking out around her mouth and that has been her problem area ever since. She would clear up for a while and break out again and so on and so on. All this time while using the BP and stridex pads. Now her acne has started to migrate to her cheeks which hasn't been a problem since she was in the 7th grade and it is usually non-inflamed. When I look back at all this now I wish I would have never had her start the BP that the doc gave her. I think it might have been the start of an addiction and the reason for all her skin problems. If I am so sensitive and my son is, I just wonder now if her skin is just being bombarded with too many chemicals. And the more she doesn't clear up the more we try some other product to clear her up and the more she just breaks out. It is too scarey to just drop all the stuff that at one time gave her the false hope that it was clearing her skin. But I can't help but wonder what would happen if she just dropped everything. I can't help but wonder what her compexion would be like now if she would have never used anything in the beginning when her forehead broke out. It might have cleared on it's own, cause when I look back I think her forehead broke out when we were having a change in the weather and it was getting hot. And it was my daughter's first summer in the climate we were living in. She had lived all her prior years on the cost. So, what do you all think about this? I think the use of the BP was the creation if a monster. I am hoping when my daughter goes to see the esthetician she can find something mild for her that will work and get her off of the BP and eventually get her off all products. Thanks for reading my long story lol.

[acne_battle]

Hmmm bp is supposed to help acne not make it worse. Maybe its the toothpaste she is using

[Docta]

I read it, please try the water / ACV / diet reg.

I know I might sound like a broken record, but it's worked wonders for me, and I used to have cheek acne problems as well. I can imagine how hard it is on her social life and therefore her self esteem, so I urge you to take the natural approach. The human body is not meant to be bombarded with man made chemicals to that extent. If you want I can PM you my exact regimen and what I'm doing diet wise, and you could adjust it to her skin and body features, since everyone's different.

I found that Dan's regimen helped a little but not in the long run, just because of the BP I believe, and I have very resilient and oily skin so I didn't think that would be a problem.

[outdoorgirl]

Sorry for your daughters acne struggles. It is nice that you are trying what you can to help her out and it is obviously stressful and painful for you too.

I kind of agree with you about the too many products thing. I didn't really breakout in high school at all, one or two here and there I guess. Never really did anything for cleansing my face or wore much makeup so didn't worry about it. I had my main breakout later on in college and into my late 20s, and now my early 30s My derm put me on antibiotics and azelex and I don't remember what else and that worked so I kind of stopped taking them and getting refills. I haven't been to the derm for 4 years probably and have just been dealing with it now or trying crappy otc products. I've also been on birth control for the last 8 or 9 years and that might have helped some, but my hormones must have changed again in the last few years because I started breaking out again. Much worse than ever before, not cystic but definitely inflammatory and obvious enough to make me seek out some kind of treatment.

I tried Dan's regimen for over and year and finally stopped it around January of this year. It wasn't really working much anymore and my face was constantly red and irritated looking (several people asked me at Christmas if I had been out in the sun). I hated putting on all of the bp and so I stopped it. I changed my bcp and have been on yasmin for about 4 months now, and started using Paula's Choice BHA a couple months ago. I think the combination of these two is finally starting to work for me. I'm not sure how you and your daughter feel about her taking birth control pills, but that could be an option. My face is a lot smoother now without using the bp and dealing with the irritation that seemed to come from the 2 time daily use of bp.

I do think there is something to be said for putting the minimal amount of crap on our skin. I thought about trying the water only or whatever regimen too a couple of times. The only thing was that I was wearing makeup to hide my acne so I was going to be having to wash that off with something stronger than water. Maybe your daughter should give it a try? I definitely feel for her and I hope you guys find something that works soon!

[poordaughterhasacne]

Hmmm bp is supposed to help acne not make it worse. Maybe its the toothpaste she is using

I personally feel that BP can be irritating if used for too long. As far as toothpaste I thought that might be the problem so I bought her some tooth paste at GNC no flouride and SLS free. But she still has the acne around her mouth. When you look at her straight on you would think she has the most beautiful compexion other then the brown spots left over from her breakouts but from the side view and certain light she has lots of the non-inflamed flesh color bumps. When she does get one that inflames the bugger takes forever to go away.

[acne_battle]

Hmmm bp is supposed to help acne not make it worse. Maybe its the toothpaste she is using

I personally feel that BP can be irritating if used for too long. As far as toothpaste I thought that might be the problem so I bought her some tooth paste at GNC no flouride and SLS free. But she still has the acne around her mouth. When you look at her straight on you would think she has the most beautiful compexion other then the brown spots left over from her breakouts but from the side view and certain light she has lots of the non-inflamed flesh color bumps. When she does get one that inflames the bugger takes forever to go away.

What is currently her daily regimen?

[poordaughterhasacne]

Sorry for your daughters acne struggles. It is nice that you are trying what you can to help her out and it is obviously stressful and painful for you too.

I kind of agree with you about the too many products thing. I didn't really breakout in high school at all, one or two here and there I guess. Never really did anything for cleansing my face or wore much makeup so didn't worry about it. I had my main breakout later on in college and into my late 20s, and now my early 30s My derm put me on antibiotics and azelex and I don't remember what else and that worked so I kind of stopped taking them and getting refills. I haven't been to the derm for 4 years probably and have just been dealing with it now or trying crappy otc products. I've also been on birth control for the last 8 or 9 years and that might have helped some, but my hormones must have changed again in the last few years because I started breaking out again. Much worse than ever before, not cystic but definitely inflammatory and obvious enough to make me seek out some kind of treatment.

I tried Dan's regimen for over and year and finally stopped it around January of this year. It wasn't really working much anymore and my face was constantly red and irritated looking (several people asked me at Christmas if I had been out in the sun). I hated putting on all of the bp and so I stopped it. I changed my bcp and have been on yasmin for about 4 months now, and started using Paula's Choice BHA a couple months ago. I think the combination of these two is finally starting to work for me. I'm not sure how you and your daughter feel about her taking birth control pills, but that could be an option. My face is a lot smoother now without using the bp and dealing with the irritation that seemed to come from the 2 time daily use of bp.

I do think there is something to be said for putting the minimal amount of crap on our skin. I thought about trying the water only or whatever regimen too a couple of times. The only thing was that I was wearing makeup to hide my acne so I was going to be having to wash that off with something stronger than water. Maybe your daughter should give it a try? I definitely feel for her and I hope you guys find something that works soon!

My daughter constantly has people asking her if she has been out in the sun even in the winter time they ask her if she got sun burned. When you look at pics of her with friends her face is so much redder then her friends. I feel this is from the BP. She only uses it at night and like I said she has gone from a 10% to a 5% and maybe even should go to a 2.5 or off it completely.

[poordaughterhasacne]

Hmmm bp is supposed to help acne not make it worse. Maybe its the toothpaste she is using

I personally feel that BP can be irritating if used for too long. As far as toothpaste I thought that might be the problem so I bought her some tooth paste at GNC no flouride and SLS free. But she still has the acne around her mouth. When you look at her straight on you would think she has the most beautiful compexion other then the brown spots left over from her breakouts but from the side view and certain light she has lots of the non-inflamed flesh color bumps. When she does get one that inflames the bugger takes forever to go away.

What is currently her daily regimen?

AM:
splashes face with water sometimes she will use the baby brush but only with water
moisturizes with walmart brand cetaphil
makeup

PM:
Uses eye makeup remover fro her eyes only
splashes face with water
stridex pad sensitive alcohol free 0.5 SA
BP 10% now 5%
every other night proactive sulfur mask

That's it....and face is always always red.....looks like she has a red mask on

[willow569]

For most people, the BP isn't the problem. There are some not-as-good BP products out there, some are better than others. The problem is usually in HOW people use the BP. Many people don't use it correctly, and therefore they end up irritating their skin or find it doesn't work for them. On Tuesday, Laura will tell you EXACTLY how to use the products she gives you so they don't irritate your daughter's skin. Learning how to use the products is really the key to making this work.

Try to stop stressing so much about this. You'll have help from an acne expert very soon!!!! Just try and relax the next couple days, and don't have your daughter try any new products - keep her regimen to a minimum to avoid her skin being irritated on Tuesday. Trust me - Laura CAN help her. You're almost there!

[acne_battle]

Good advice! Stress can lead to more acne

[poordaughterhasacne]

For most people, the BP isn't the problem. There are some not-as-good BP products out there, some are better than others. The problem is usually in HOW people use the BP. Many people don't use it correctly, and therefore they end up irritating their skin or find it doesn't work for them. On Tuesday, Laura will tell you EXACTLY how to use the products she gives you so they don't irritate your daughter's skin. Learning how to use the products is really the key to making this work.

Try to stop stressing so much about this. You'll have help from an acne expert very soon!!!! Just try and relax the next couple days, and don't have your daughter try any new products - keep her regimen to a minimum to avoid her skin being irritated on Tuesday. Trust me - Laura CAN help her. You're almost there!

well, I knew I was stressing too much lol...Tuesday cannot get here soon enough. If I make it

[maddy001]

Hmmm bp is supposed to help acne not make it worse. Maybe its the toothpaste she is using

I personally feel that BP can be irritating if used for too long. As far as toothpaste I thought that might be the problem so I bought her some tooth paste at GNC no flouride and SLS free. But she still has the acne around her mouth. When you look at her straight on you would think she has the most beautiful compexion other then the brown spots left over from her breakouts but from the side view and certain light she has lots of the non-inflamed flesh color bumps. When she does get one that inflames the bugger takes forever to go away.

What is currently her daily regimen?

AM:
splashes face with water sometimes she will use the baby brush but only with water
moisturizes with walmart brand cetaphil
makeup

PM:
Uses eye makeup remover fro her eyes only
splashes face with water
stridex pad sensitive alcohol free 0.5 SA
BP 10% now 5%
every other night proactive sulfur mask

That's it....and face is always always red.....looks like she has a red mask on

Maybe she should stop using Bp and see what happens? Bp tend to have a tendency to make skin look redder especially after getting rid of a pimple, it makes the acne mark redder then it should be. It's one of the reasons why my derm doesn't really like it as well. Another logical reason could be she has develop some sort of allergy to Bp. It's rare but it is not impossible. I am allergic to it by the way.

On the part about piling chemicals on your face and making it worse, I absolutely agree. Over the years of using acne products, my skin has shifted from being oily to oily and sensitive. Lots of products broke me out even the moisturizer I used to use broke me out too. I don't use moisturizers now, I use FOTE aloe vera gel. Since it works for your sensitive skin and mine, it should work on your daughter to double it as a moisturizer instead. Moisturizers I realised whatever kind can clogged pores, at least it did for me so when I stopped , everything just went back to normal for me.

[incubus4284]

Hey poordaughter seems like your daughter hadnt taken the advice to simplify things. She does seem to have sensitive skin and stuff like BP, sulfur, Salicylic acid will only do harm. These chemicals work by drying or irritating skin to peel layers of skin off and increase the turnover rate. Some ppl can tolerate these things but some ppl just need to stay off of it. My skin used to break out only on two spots mostly because i spot treated with BP, but every since i used BP all over it broke me out like crazy and consistently, i then stopped and things were going good until my parents suggested i get the red marks looked at. I was then prescribed Retin A this caused me to break out consistently but instead of those two isolated areas my whole face broke out. For over a month now i have stopped using anything at all except a moisturizer, skins returning to normal and marks are now fading away and ive broke out with one zit so far. Less definitely seems to work for me.