81 replies to this topic

[merf]

Week 1, Day 7

Skin condition:

I have a couple of new, small spots on my right temple, and a small spot on the right side of my upper lip. Other than that, I feel like my skin is going very well. The big spots on my right cheek seem to be shrinking, and the cystic acne on my jawline seems very calm. I have a lot of beneath-the-skin acne on my jaw by both ears, and it seems to be surfacing as blackheads and pushing out. All in all, I feel like my skin is improving.

Nutrition:

9:00 AM - Wegmans instant oatmeal, half caf coffee with non-dairy creamer (which probably has sugar in it ). I had a HUGE craving for a scone this morning and overcame it. I am feeling proud right now.

1:00 PM - Lunch - Pei Wei Mongolian beef w/brown rice. I'm sure this had sugar in it. Doh.

8:00 PM - Dinner - pasta, one meatball, one piece Texas Toast, and a beer.

Snacks - Mandarin orange, banana

Regimen:

No changes.

[merf]

Week 2, Day 1

Skin condition:

I think my skin looks pretty good right now. The two papules/cysts on my cheeks don't feel as deep. The odd thing is, they have turned a very dark red, as if I picked at them, which I didn't! The areas by my ears, which always have so many deep cysts, seem to be clearing up. I have a lot of surface spots, whiteheads and clogged pores, but I so totally don't care about those right now. So, all in all, I am feeling very good. Then again, I have my period right now, and that is when my skin tends to look its best, so I am not sure if it has anything to do with my regimen.

Nutrition:

9:00 AM - Bacon, egg, & cheese croissant (not so good on the dairy, but I was having a sugar craving and needed to indulge). Half caf coffee (accidentally put 2% milk in it, but no sugar)
1:00 PM - Meatball sub on wheat, salt & vinegar chips, Diet Coke
6:00 PM - Country Fried Steak, mashed potatoes, iced tea
*** Holy crap did I eat like hell today.

[merf]

Week 2, Day 2

Skin condition:

My skin doesn't feel good at all b/c so much of the deep stuff is surfacing, so I feel like I have a lot of spots that need to be popped, and parts of my skin feel fragile. Other than that, I still feel like the deep stuff is clearing, so I'm happy. My two whiteheads popped in the shower and now they are very red. Hoping they don't get worse or spread.

Nutrition:

9:00 AM - Honey bagel w/ muenster cheese, small glass juice, coffee

12:00 PM - Lunch - Coconut shrimp at FF

8:00 PM - Dinner - sushi & water

Regimen:
No changes.

[merf]

End of week 1 - 3/28/08

Some of the deep stuff is going away. I think I look like I have more blemishes b/c things are surfacing. Two very big whiteheads this morning. The two cysts on my right cheek are shrinking, and also surfacing, and you can tell that a lot of the cystic activity by my right ear is going away. Woo hoo!!!

Left side:
http://shutter12.pictures.aol.com/data/pic...y98buQp0300.jpg

Right side:
http://shutter15.pictures.aol.com/data/pic...EHaFdU00300.jpg

[merf]

Week 2, Day 4

Skin condition: No new spots today, but I'm sure my face is going to break out horribly in the coming days. Why? Well... I just ate about 1/2 cup of M&Ms. Yesterday I drank 3 beers. Plus, I picked at my face for about 20 minutes the other night. I must love having acne.

Nutrition: awful.

9:00 AM - Two Eggo wheat waffles. Coffee w/sugar & FFHH.

12:00 PM - Lunch - Buffalo chicken strips, fries

8:00 PM - Dinner - Barilla pasta dinner (shrimp, cherry tomatoes)

Regimen:
No changes.

[junebug1991]

-cringes- From what you've eaten...I don't know if the future is bright. I've got my fingers crossed though...maybe your skin will change it's mind?

[merf]

Week 2, Day 6

My diet has been TEH SUCK lately, particularly the last few days. Don't look back, look forward, here we go...

Skin condition:

The same areas of activity are still there, some very red from my picking episode earlier this week. I have a deep spot on my right cheek. Also popped a huge zit on my top lip, left side, that left a WOUND. I'm interested to see if this spot comes back since I popped it.

Nutrition:

9:00 AM - honey nut cheerios, 2% milk (some sugar, some dairy, not great)

Regimen changes:
Put Neosporin on the lip spot. Also put Neosporin on the new, deep spot on my cheek on 3/31.

[merf]

End of week 2, 4/6/08 (took pics a couple days late):

My skin looks like absolute crap. Areas that were formerly clear now have blemishes. Areas that were clearing are awful again. I know it's my diet and yet I eat shitty food.

Right side -- area by ear still inflamed, cheek getting worse. Chin/jaw area slightly improved.
http://shutter05.pictures.aol.com:80/data/...HsuxBBw0300.jpg
Closeup:
http://shutter15.pictures.aol.com:80/data/...JztOZcJ0300.jpg

My forehead, which has been crystal clear for ages, now has clogged pores and one big red breakout:
http://shutter14.pictures.aol.com:80/data/...eMj3E0U0300.jpg

And the left side of my face, which had been very clear, also got a big red spot but the photo won't seem to upload. Will try again later.


Week 3 Day 4:

In light of how shitty my face looks, I am going to try logging my food again. I'd been eating bad, therefore not writing it down for fear of people judging me, me feeling extreme guilt, etc. If I don't write down the bowl of ice cream, I never had it, right?

Breakfast: Salmon, grapes
Lunch: Broiled pork loin, salad (romaine, tomato, onion, avocado, lemon/olive oil dressing)
Snack: Baby carrots
Drink: Water water water

Regimen updates: Have been putting Polysporin on areas I picked/popped. Not sure if it's helping or hurting.

[ohsailor]

Its hard to adjust your diet because I try to convince myself that I can't be 100% sure that its affecting my skin.

And by the way? Totally love your sig. So apt for me too.

[merf]

Its hard to adjust your diet because I try to convince myself that I can't be 100% sure that its affecting my skin.

And by the way? Totally love your sig. So apt for me too.

Yeah, it's wild the conversations that happen in my head. I know that diet is affecting my skin, but when I pass an ice cream shop, I have this whole dialogue in my head where I convince myself that it won't hurt. Sucks.

[merf]

Week 3, Day 7

Diet:
've eaten pretty well the last couple of days. Eggs & bacon for bfast, sushi or soup/salad for lunch, chicken and pasta or tuna melt for dinner. I haven't had any ice cream or anything equally horrible. The bets thing is, I won the conversation in my head yesterday and did not get a scone at the cafeteria. I saw them, they looked amazing, and I started telling myself that surely I could have one and my acne is not caused by diet. Then I stood back and thought about my face, about the cysts that are physically painful, about how much it sucks to put on concealer every morning, and I just walked away. It felt great. I hope I can do it again next time. Oh, also yesterday there were big chocolate chip cookies in the conference room at work. Everyone was going for one, and eating them in front of me, and I declined. I'm not patting myself on the back too much b/c it wasn't that hard to turn them down, but still... every victory counts.

Skin condition:
The right side of my face is super red and blotchy, and I have some active spots on the left too. Good thing is, they cover up fairly well with concealer, so I don't look awful all day. I hate the active ones though b/c I know they will eventually pop and my face will look like shit for a couple of days.

Regimen Changes:
As for regimen, I have not used moisturizer the last two nights. I put the Differin on, then I fall asleep before 20 minutes has gone by. My skin is so far not dry. Unfortunately, I forgot moisturizer this morning, too, so that's probably not great.

[merf]

End of week 3, 4/12/08:

My skin looks TERRIBLE!!! I have cysts on both jawlines, breakouts all over my cheeks and chin. Yuck!!!!!!!!!! I have been extremely good about no sweets for the past week but have had some beer and wine. Perhaps I need to cut that out too?

Right side -- Jawline, cheek, and chin -- lots of cystic acne, gross and awful.
http://shutter14.pictures.aol.com:80/data/...vte3z850300.jpg
http://shutter14.pictures.aol.com:80/data/...gwB04uB0300.jpg

Left side -- a couple of cysts, nowhere near as awful as the right, but worse than it has been.
http://shutter12.pictures.aol.com:80/data/...7v6I4tM0300.jpg

*****

Week 4, Day 5

My husband and I were talking about my skin last night, and how it is not looking any better, perhaps looking worse, after 3.5 weeks on my regimen. He was asking me if I have followed the regimen closely, and I could honestly say that I have! I have used the NeoBenz every morning exactly as prescribed, used the Differin each night (alternating with before moisturizer, after moisturizer, or not using moisturizer b/c I can't figure out what works), and taken my antibiotics every day. I do feel that after 3.5 weeks I should be seeing improvement, but the doctor said to give it 8 weeks, so perhaps I am being hasty.

The good news is that I have been very good about sweets. The only dessert-type food I have had in the last week is a few bites of canolli on my birthday. Other than that, i have avoided scones, cookies, muffins, ice cream, etc. I also have not drunk any glasses of milk, though I have put milk in my coffee. Haven't had any cereal with milk either. But I have not cut out cheese at all. Also have not cut out things like white bread, white rice, etc. I don't eat much of that stuff anyway, mostly eat whole grains, but I have had some white grain in the last week.

I'm trying not to get frustrated.

On the positive side, I have been feeling much more confident despite my horrible skin. I have not worn makeup on the weekends or to the gym in the mornings. I do wear makeup to the office though. I don't feel right subjecting my coworkers to my bloody, scabby face.

[dwhaa]

Ok my dear, I have been following your log for a while. Your skin, though it does have spots is very pretty and clear and still very young looking and hope that one day it will be what you want it to be! I have suffered with the jawline stuff for a while too and saw definite improvement when I joined this site and tried a few different things.

I think you need to give all that you have started a little bit longer to see results (BCP's included) -no matter how much it is driving you crazy just to wait. But I do wonder if adding something more in the am other than or in addition to the bp would help you somehow. How did the Neosporin work for you? I used it this past week and it really helped clear up a spot that took forever to go away. It took about a day with it - dabbing it on pretty often though.

I know you have done the progesterone and other alternatives and you keep a close eye on your diet. Look into Evening Primrose Oil if you haven't. This has helped a bit for me I think as well as adding Zinc as a supplement and fish oil.

I am sorry that you are dealing with this! I hope that you will see improvement - but SOON!

[ohsailor]

I know that you suffer with acne, but apart from that, your skin looks in good condition. It doesn't appear dry and it apart from the actual pimple, your skin doesn't look discoloured or pigmented. Once you've sorted out what regimen works for you, you will have lovely skin!

I would also recommend Evening Primrose Oil and zinc - neither "cured" my acne but since I started taking zinc especially, my spots were definitely less inflamed.

[merf]

I know that you suffer with acne, but apart from that, your skin looks in good condition. It doesn't appear dry and it apart from the actual pimple, your skin doesn't look discoloured or pigmented. Once you've sorted out what regimen works for you, you will have lovely skin!

I would also recommend Evening Primrose Oil and zinc - neither "cured" my acne but since I started taking zinc especially, my spots were definitely less inflamed.

You're very sweet. I actually do have pigmentation issues -- my skin is very white, has no pigment at all, where I have had cysts -- but I couldn't give a shit about that. Makeup covers it up easily. Right now my zits cover it up, hahhah!!

I take 30mg of zinc a day but I've never tried EPO. I'll check that out, thanks for the advice.....

[merf]

Week 5, Day 1

Diet:
My diet has been pretty good, but I have cheated and had some sweets recently. Specifically, a scone yesterday and today. So, let's see how that affects my skin next week.

Skin condition:
My skin is actually feeling pretty good in the last day or so. There are not many cysts or deep spots. I still have a lot of marks, and some active spots, but it's the deep stuff that really bothers me. When I wash my face, my skin doesn't hurt and it actually feels pretty smooth. This is promising.

Regimen Changes:
I've been putting polysporin on 1-2 spots per night and covering with a bandaid. Particularly spots that I pick/pop or that are inflamed. Also, I started taking salmon oil, evening primrose oil, and a probiotic each day, in addition to my Clear Advantage supplement (zinc, B6, etc.)

[ohsailor]

I know what you mean about the "deep stuff" - little surface whiteheads or whatever, whilst being annoying, aren't as bad as The Big Ones.....

And on the subject of EPO, I found that I had to take over the recommended dosage! I take 3x 1050mg daily.

[merf]

8 weeks, 6 days on regimen:

I haven't updated in forever. Isn't that what happens when things are going well? ;-)

So here's the deal. My skin has been steadily getting better. I don't have any big cysts, and everything deep beneath the skin has cleared up. Still have surface breakouts and blackheads, and lots of scabs and red marks from where I continue to pick at my face. If I'd just stop picking, I think I'd be a lot better off.

I took pics last week which I will post tomorrow, along with my week 9 pics.

My plan is to stay on my current regimen for another 4 weeks at least, then start weaning off the Doryx.

[HolisticJane]

Hey Merf, Glad things are going better. My derm took me off Differin and put me on Just Tazorac cream .5% ad Minocycline. As of today I'm 100% with just redmarks and scars. I'd like to get off the mino but I'm afraid I will start breaking out. The good news is it's that time of the month and no zits. Remarkable accomplishment.

Stick with the differin. But think about Tazorac if you want to up the ante. I love the stuff and since I was on Differin for 6 weeks prior, I didn't even have an initial breakout.

Good Luck!

[merf]

Hey Merf, Glad things are going better. My derm took me off Differin and put me on Just Tazorac cream .5% ad Minocycline. As of today I'm 100% with just redmarks and scars. I'd like to get off the mino but I'm afraid I will start breaking out. The good news is it's that time of the month and no zits. Remarkable accomplishment.

Stick with the differin. But think about Tazorac if you want to up the ante. I love the stuff and since I was on Differin for 6 weeks prior, I didn't even have an initial breakout.

Good Luck!

Thanks for the advice, Jane. Is Tazorac pretty much the same as Differin, but with some antibiotic in it?