6 replies to this topic

[coatknee]

Hi.

My name is Courtney and I am a 21 year old female from Southern Ontario, Canada. I have battled with acne for the past year.

Prior to this, my skin was like porcelain. I am naturally very fair and had a flawless complexion, but February of last year I had my BCP switched and I stopped biting my nails. Hormonal hell followed (henceforth called my "horrormones") and to compensate for not biting, I started picking my face.

I am a habitual and horrible picker and am about to begin therapy for Body Dysmorphic Disorder (I'm just happy I know what's wrong with me know and I can work towards getting better). My skin consumes my every single thought and I often spend hours in front of mirrors picking, prodding, and honestly severely screwing up skin.

I have been on everything: Proactiv (which worked while my skin was flawless I could stop using it and it would be fine, I just liked the idea of skin care back-up), glycolic acid, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, Retin-A (which screwed me up beyond ALL repair so it seems), Differin, clindamycin, and tea tree oil. I also switched BCP from Alesse (high androgenic content) to Marvelon (low androgenic contect) and this has helped with oil. My doc decided today to put me on oral antibiotics instead of topical and here I am, about to embark on a new skin care adventure.

The Regimen

Morning

ginger-lemon tea
three omega 3-6-9 vitamin
BCP
Spectrojel for Sensitive Problem Prone Skin
Neutogena Alcohol Free Toner
Impruv cream
(Did I mention I have really really sensitive skin?)
Non-comedogenic foundation and concealer

Night

non-comedogenic make up remover
Spectrojel
toner
moisturizer
1 pill 100 mg Minocin

Most importantly: NO PICKING. I have been told by my doctors to write DON'T PICK on all the mirrors that I frequent for this around my house. I also have to learn to stop "feeling" my acne as this only makes things worse and makes me more anxious, worried, and depressed. I am also on a milk-free diet as it causes the worst of the breakouts.

Three months of this. I'm hoping this is it. My acne is moderate: few blackheads on my forehead, full nose of blackheads, cheeks have blackheads, white heads, papules and pustules, upper lip has occasional pustules (especially if my better half hasn't shaved in awhile), chin is by the far the worst though with microcomedones, blackheads, whiteheads, papules, pustules, and occasionally a big old cyst.

I haven't had a clear skin in over a year and I refuse to wear heavy make up in the summer. I'm going to make my skin whether it wants to be or not. Healing from the inside out.

Treatment begins tonight. I will try to update daily for myself.

Here goes nothing

[myresults_xnow]

good luck, i hope it works well for you.
it did a lot for me to keep things from forming. not so much to clear me up, but i hope you have great luck.

[coatknee]

Thanks for the good luck!

Okay Day One of Mino: I only picked three pimples this morning. That's it! It was still the first thing I did in the morning, but it's much better than the hour or more I spend normally. I felt totally loopy for most of the morning, halfway between really good loopy and really crappy loopy, I'm assuming from having so many meds in my body. Unfortunately, lots of active pimples, about 30 tiny ones mostly localized on my chin and forehead. It was a long day at school (9:30 to 8:00) and I'm assuming it's because I kept reapplying my concealer. I need to learn to stop and just let it be.

[kristenm09]

Thanks for the good luck!

Okay Day One of Mino: I only picked three pimples this morning. That's it! It was still the first thing I did in the morning, but it's much better than the hour or more I spend normally. I felt totally loopy for most of the morning, halfway between really good loopy and really crappy loopy, I'm assuming from having so many meds in my body. Unfortunately, lots of active pimples, about 30 tiny ones mostly localized on my chin and forehead. It was a long day at school (9:30 to 8:00) and I'm assuming it's because I kept reapplying my concealer. I need to learn to stop and just let it be.

Good luck with your Minocycline! I just got switched from Tetracycline to Mino about 2 or 3 months ago. My skin has cleared up nicely however when i do break out I get the big under the skin no head pimples, which are horrrrible. I'm hoping to find if theres anything that can help with it.

However, good luck to you! Hope it works well

[coatknee]

Thanks for the good luck!

Okay Day One of Mino: I only picked three pimples this morning. That's it! It was still the first thing I did in the morning, but it's much better than the hour or more I spend normally. I felt totally loopy for most of the morning, halfway between really good loopy and really crappy loopy, I'm assuming from having so many meds in my body. Unfortunately, lots of active pimples, about 30 tiny ones mostly localized on my chin and forehead. It was a long day at school (9:30 to 8:00) and I'm assuming it's because I kept reapplying my concealer. I need to learn to stop and just let it be.

Good luck with your Minocycline! I just got switched from Tetracycline to Mino about 2 or 3 months ago. My skin has cleared up nicely however when i do break out I get the big under the skin no head pimples, which are horrrrible. I'm hoping to find if theres anything that can help with it.

However, good luck to you! Hope it works well

Thanks so much! I hope you find something too

[sufferinginsandiego]

I'm in a very similar situation! My BCP was switched from Orthro-Tricyclen Lo to Levora earlier this year and slowly but surely, I started getting mad breakouts. What really opened the can of worms on me was when I tried Murad--instead of making my face better it made it MUCH WORSE. I went from mild to severe acne. I also tried Retin-A Micro and it seemed to have the same effect as the Murad, so perhaps we have the same type of skin.

I'm also a compulsive skin-picker and concealer-dabber.

[DeeVoo]

So is it common to finally get perfect skin and then pick at nothing? It's like I'm so use to it, now I don't know what to do with myself in front of the mirror. I don't want to screw my skin up again over nothing! Hmmm... I'm gonna go check out the picking message boards. I didn't think I was a picker, guess I was in denial.