8 replies to this topic

[countdown2failure]

When I first came to this site I began by experimenting with blue light therapy, some may have read my "420nm Blue Light Treatment Log". Since then my "regimen" as they call it around here, has become much more involved. And so the time has come to start a new treatment log which better describes how I'm getting clear.

***EDIT*** I've crossed out things that I'm no longer doing/using.

Goals: Consistently clear skin + Erasing evidence of acne.

Terms: Affordable treatments in privacy of own home, with NO prescriptions.

Current Status:
-(2/15/08) No breakouts for 9 days, red marks fading slowly.
-(2/26/08) Got a single pimple 3 days ago, good sized one at that. Otherwise clear.
-(3/4/08) No breakouts since 2/26, red marks fading, need to even out skin tone.
-(3/23/08) Big god damn breakouts, and I don't own a gun.
-(3/31/08) So fucking pissed at my skin I'm thinking about taking the cheese-grater to it.
-(4/1/08) Totally changed regimen, starting to feel a tiny bit better, skin showing slight improvement.
-(4/2/08) No new zits or BP for 48 hours, healing has increased, feeling better about life.
-(5/14/08) Very nearly total clear skin, 1 blemish (not active), not used BP since 3/31 and may never again, skin tone looks good.


Very brief background (because most don't want to read it):
Several rounds of Accutane=periods of remission but acne always returned, nearly every topical retinoid and antibiotic=unsatisfactory results, various OTC products=mixed results.
I've had acne since age 13, the worst of which was during my teenage years when I suffered from horrible cystic/nodular acne all over my face, chest, back, and even upper arms. Now into my adulthood suffering from somewhat mild but very stubborn adult onset acne. But by some wondrous grace given to me by the powers that be: despite the severity of my teenage acne, I have no facial scarring (3 very small superficial scars). However I do have small, superficial scars on my chest, back, and even arms, but even they are very minor.


Okay, on to what products I use on my face. (Note: I have stopped using cleansers on my face entirely) Started using Aveeno Sensitive Skin face bar soap.

Morning:
In shower:

• Wash hands thoroughly with Dial antibacterial soap.
• Exfoliate dead skin off face using only fingertips and water.
• Gently wash with Aveeno Sensitive Bar

Out of shower:

• Wait for face to air dry
  
• Apply generous amount of DKR 2.5% BP all over face, rub into skin for 1 minute
• Wait about 5 minutes
• Apply Aveeno Ultra-Calming Night Cream all over face
• Apply small amount of Paula's Choice BHA Gel
  
• (Only if necessary) Apply Aveeno Ultra-Calming day lotion SPF15 as a sunscreen
  Hide from sunlight as much as possible.

Evening:

• Thoroughly wash hands with Dial antibacterial soap
• Gently wash face in sink, with tepid water and Aveeno Sensitive Bar.
  
• Wait for face to air dry
• Generously apply DKR 2.5% BP all over face, rubbing in for 1 minute
• Wait about 10 minutes
• Apply Alpha Hydrox Enhanced Lotion (10% glycolic acid) all over face
• Apply Aveeno Ultra-Calming Night Cream all over face
• Apply small amount of Paula's Choice BHA Gel

On to the supplements: (Oh yes, there are plenty although I have downsized)

Morning
As soon as I get up I take:

• 500mg Vitamin C tablet
• 500mg Pantothenic acid (B5) capsule
• 8,000 I.U. Vitamin A (retinol) softgel

Noon:
With a meal containing saturated fat:

• 8,000 I.U. Vitamin A (retinol) softgel
  
• B50 Complex

Late afternoon/early evening:

• 500mg Vitamin C tablet
• 500mg Pantothenic acid (B5) capsule
• 8,000 I.U. Vitamin A (retinol) softgel

Night: (about an hour before bed):

• 8,000 I.U. Vitmain A (retinol) softgel
• 1000mg Fish Oil softgel
• 400 I.U. Vitamin E softgel

***EDIT: I started taking Acidophilus capsules 3x a day as well.

Miscellaneous stuff I do:

• Once every six days lay under the 420nm blue light for about 10 minutes.
• Drink lots of water
  
• Workout every other day
• Don't let anything or anyone touch face
• Sleep without letting pillow, blankets or anything touch face
• Try to keep a decent sleep schedule
  
• Occasionally take a 50mg Zinc supplement
• *Try* to eat healthier... never did like sweets or dairy, so that much is easy
  
• Very rarely drink alcohol, observing moderation
• Spot-treat with Sudocrem before it comes to a head, and Neosporin afterwards (healing).

Disclaimer:
The above mentioned is what works for me, I am not a doctor, and I make no claims as to whether or not any of the above will work for you.


Well, that about covers it for now. I have a few new products coming which I will surely write about when the time comes. These include: MaMa lotion samples, Sudocrem, and Complex 15.

Feel free to ask any questions. I will update this log whenever I feel like it.


Best wishes to everyone.

[countdown2failure]

UPDATE:

The MaMa lotion and Sudocrem arrived a while back; the Complex 15 still hasn't come though. I got a single pimple like 3 days ago, first one in like 3 weeks. I decided to try the MaMa lotion (first time using it) as a spot treatment... BAD IDEA! I don't know if I had a reaction to it or what, but in less than an hour, it caused the pimple and the skin around it to swell to twice the size, becoming super inflamed/irritated. It felt kinda bad after I put it on, but I didn't think anything of it since I normally use 10% glycolic as a spot treatment. Well, needless to say, at this point I would not recommend MaMa lotion to anyone... not even someone I dislike.

On the flip side though, the Sudocrem made quite a good spot treatment, it really helped to undo what the MaMa had done. I think the stuff is great, much better than Neosporin... too bad they don't have it here in the states; I ordered it from Canada rather than overseas, shipping cost less, and delivery wasn't *too* slow.

Anyway, other than that little mishap, my skin is almost totally clear. My "regimen" outlined above has really cleared me up, very happy with the way things are going. The BP does however cause some old red/dark marks to linger forever, I am going to order some HQ soon to take care of that.

[countdown2failure]

Well the Complex 15 arrived finally. Only been using it for about a day, but I must say I really like it... so far. Time will tell whether or not it finds a permanent place in my "regimen", but so far so good, it's a really great moisturizer.

I also got my Hydroquinone 2% that I ordered. Used it last night applied first, then the complex 15, then the glycolic lotion. Nothing much to report yet, takes a couple weeks to start seeing a difference with 2% HQ. Not going to risk applying it with BP. Assumed schedule with the HQ will be every other night, in place of the BP. I will update with progress.

[dwhaa]

Hi,
I am trying Complex 15 and found that it wasn't super moisturizing enough for me and my flakes, but I just read in a thread somewhere from Romeo, that he uses it and the best way to use it is to mix a bit with water - as it helps it bind to your skin better or something! I tried it yesterday that way and did see better results with it. Just a suggestion and Good Luck!

[countdown2failure]

Fucking shit I couldn't be more upset with how I look right now. Went from virtually clear to looking fucking terrible in like 2 fucking weeks. I think I developed a terrible allergy to AHA, wrote about it in this other thread. Now I'm just fucking trying to hide and hope that things get better. I think I'm going to try and strike a deal with whatever kind of diaties will listen. So if any demigods etc. happen to scout acne.org for desperate souls willing to make a deal... here I am. I'll trade half of my life (whatever remains of it) to live with perfectly clear skin for the rest of my life. if thats not enough then name your price, (a few thousand years of servitude after death strike your fancy?).

On a lesser note, I'm giving most products and supplements the boot. BP doesn't seem to be helping much if at all. If it is helping its not enough to make up for the fact that it makes my skin take way longer to heal, and encourages scars to form. So I think I'm going to stop using that as well. After I post this I'm going to go through and cross that shit out too, maybe I should just cross the whole fucking thing out. One thing that I am going to do is take more vitamin A retinol.

[countdown2failure]

Well its been 2 days with no benzoyl peroxide and no new zits. I may be jumping the gun here, but I am feeling really good about kicking the BP to the curb. That shit is so terrible for your skin, it just ravages it. I haven't tried SA for many years because I had (as a teenager) decided it didn't work, and that BP was the only over-the-counter topical that helped prevent breakouts. And actually I'm guessing that clearasil and other shit probably still wouldn't help. But After two days of using this Paula's Choice BHA gel I am really impressed, it feels great, soothes, and so far has stopped my breakout cycle. And my skin is really showing how quickly it can heal without that damn BP to ruin the process. I could change my mind later, but right now I am wishing I did this sooner. Also I'm certain the increased dose of vitamin A retinol helping, and I feel good about tossing all those other useless supplements as well. All in all I'm feeling somewhat liberated I suppose you could say, as my "regimen" has gotten a lot less involved/expensive. I've known all along just like so many talk about how terrible BP is for your skin, but after using it for a long time, you will be really surprised with your skin's natural healing abilities once you ditch that shit. I mean my skin has made more progress healing in the last 48 hours without BP than it had in the last week or two with that shit. For so long I thought it was the only thing preventing me from getting more breakouts, so it took a huge flair-up for me to get the courage to throw it away; along with all the rest of the rather useless parts of my supposed "regimen". Now it's basically just Aveeno soap and lotion, Paula's Choice BHA, and plenty of vitmain A retinol. And so far I am very pleased with the way things are going.

[whatarewethinking]

Might wanna research that vitamin a....i think about 20,000 iu is the safe limit per day? I might be wrong but thats stuffs not good for you in highhh doses.

[AceTheAceman]

Acute toxicity generally occurs at doses of 25,000 IU/kg, with chronic toxicity occurring at 4,000 IU/kg daily for 6-15 months.

This is the same reason they make you get blood tests with Accutane increasingly higher dosages will result in higher toxicity, resembling vitamin A toxicity.

Wikipedia is my friend, but seriously be carefull with that stuff.

[countdown2failure]

I really didn't want to get into this here; but yeah, Wiki says around 10,000-15,000 I.U. is the "upper limit" for vitamin A retinol taken orally. 10,000 IU is roughly equal to 1mg; which means I would have to take apx. 50 of these vitamins a day to equal one average dosage of Accutane (40mg); when in fact I am taking 4 (=apx. 3.2mg). Now, savvy dermatologists are prescribing a low "maintenance" dosage (usually around 2-5 mg) to Accutane patients whom have finished the normal (average 4 month) course of treatment. This maintenance dosage, in many cases is taken for years to assure acne does not return. Working as a phlebotomist in a medical laboratory, I have routine access to running all the same blood tests on myself as I had done when I was an Accutane patient. So far all my values are perfectly normal, and I will continue to monitor them. Thank you both for your concern, but I ask everyone to please refrain from this (tired) debate here in my personal log. If you wish to debate the effects of extended dosage oral vitamin A retinol please do it somewhere else. I am well aware of the assumed risks, and very diligent in monitoring my health. Again, thank you for your concern.