1 reply to this topic

[Piroshky]

Okay, so at the moment, I'm 21 weeks in, but I'll start from the beginning as best I can and hopefully give a good picture of my progression and the way I've shifted my regimen around.

So square one. It's March, 2008, and I go to dermatologist. I've always had mild acne - large white heads on left cheek, small whiteheads on chin and forehead, and almost never anything on my right cheek - and I was getting really sick of BP, because I've been using it for so long I was just piling the stuff on, which was really drying me out.

The next development, before seeing the derm, was I got a skin infection on my left cheek. It's like patchy/scaly/crusty, and the problem was that my pores would leak this yellow liquid, really slowly, which would gel and harden, and then could be peeled off exposing slightly raw skin. Fucked up, I know, and I'm not sure how I got it.

So I go to the derm to get that specifically figured out, although she thought I was going just for acne (and though the scaly stuff was acne too, idk why...). Got prescribed Differin (for obvious reasons) and Clindamycin (used to control the breakouts). For a long time, here is my regimen:

1. Wash with .org cleanser.
2. Wait 5 minutes.
3. Apply Clindamycin all over.
4. Wait 5 minutes.
5. Apply Differin all over.
6. Wait 5 minutes.
7. Apply Cetaphil (really thick, not recommended for summers)

This worked well, however because Differin causes you to shed skin (by indirectly ramping up oil production) and in addition to the thick moisturizer I was using, I was like a bucket of oil. It was disgusting, I got awful comments, yah. But, I was pretty clear. The occasional obnoxious zit, but for the most part I was clear. I DO NOT pop.

So in July I go back. She sees the oil problem, immediately prescribes me the ZoDerm cleanser and gives me a bottle of what's supposed to be CeraVe moisturizer (instead I get the cleanser, lol, and realize it but don't think twice) and I use that for a while. Well that wasn't helping, but I liked CeraVe and figured I just should get the moisturizer, so I buy the moisturizer. MUCH MUCH better! Still oily and shiny, but nowhere near as bad.

The only downsides for me with Differin/Clindamycin is it seems that with the heat, and the oil, and all that, I seem to sweat A LOT more on my face. Especially the pores right under my eyes and next to my nose. But whatever.

So, after getting the moisturizer, I made some regimen changes, because a) I was sick and tired of applying Diff/Clin to my right cheek, which was just causing it to have acne, and b) I was not seeing results on my nose, and I don't think I ever will.

Here's the first update on my regimen:

1. Wash face with .org cleanser (morning)/zoderm cleanser (night)
2. Wait 6 minutes
3. Apply Clin to chin, upper lip, left cheek, and forehead.
4. Wait 6 minutes
5. Apply Diff to chin, upper lip, left cheek, and forehead.
6. Wait 6 minutes.
7. Apply CeraVe moisturizer.

Well that was OK, but it was leaving my left cheek and nose dry, and it didn't seem to be as effective with the new cleanser. So, after thinking about some techniques people used on the board, I changed it to this:

1. [Same as above]
2. Apply CeraVe moisturizer all over lightly.
3. Wait 6 min.
4. [Same as 3 above]
5. Wait 6 min.
6. [Same as 5 above]
7. Wait 6 min.
8. Apply CeraVe moisturizer to chin, upper lip, left cheek, and forehead.

Well that's what I've been doing. As of now, I only have blackheads on my nose (not there when I used diff/clin on it, but when I did that it was more red and had hard white heads), and fading tiny whiteheads on my forehead. But back to the infection, I almost know it's under there. See, some background on that, before going to see the derm, I had the issue for about 5 months. And I used Neosporin on it each day (like diff). And it subdued it, but once I went off it for a week or two, it'd come back. I really, really worry that it's going to do the same thing.

Well I'll update this sometime. I'm leaving for a week long kayak trip so no face washing for 6 days, and then college, so I'd be surprised if I could actually consistently wash my face, but I've got hope.

(Ignore my sig, that's not my regimen)

[ashaaley]

Well that's what I've been doing. As of now, I only have blackheads on my nose (not there when I used diff/clin on it, but when I did that it was more red and had hard white heads), and fading tiny whiteheads on my forehead.

so wait when you were on clindamycin and differing it got rid of your blackheads!! that is the best news ive heard if sooo long... ive been on clindamycin for every and it cleared my skin but not my blackheads so now im on differin as well bc my derm said it would get rid of the blackheads but everyone on this board said differin wouldnt help for that... but it helped you! i have hope!!