11 replies to this topic

[katiesmom]

Hi all,

I'm new to this website. I've struggled with acne since I was 15 years old - my main memories of high school are strategically styling my hair so I could cover up my face so no-one would see.

Pimples have become a part of my life and I've learned to manage having a few pimples at a time but recently I've started experiencing full-blown acne attach and it won't go away. Cysts, whiteheads, blackheads, scarring, scabs - I stare in the mirror and count the spots - there is no way to cover them up, make up just seems to make it more noticeable. I'm embarressed to go to work, I don't want my husband to look at me. I'm just so upset - I mean, I'm 30 years old...can't I catch a break...

I've been on acutane twice, the last time about 5 years ago. I will say that it did work and kept the breakouts at bay for a few years (after an inital 2 month period of horrible painful breakouts) but the side effects are tough - bleeding gums, dry eyes, the meds just suck all the liquid out of your body. I've used creams, over the counter and prescription, I've taken antibiodics, I feel like if it is out there I've tried it. I'm going to head back to the dermotologist...I know he's going to say actuane though - that may be my only option

Anyways, really just wanting to vent to people who understand where I am coming from. It is depressing and difficult to be a grown woman who looks like she is going through puberty. I look so unprofessional at work. I feel unattractive at home.

It's my achillies heal - always has been and looks like it always will be

[wishfulthinkin]

Hi all,

I'm new to this website. I've struggled with acne since I was 15 years old - my main memories of high school are strategically styling my hair so I could cover up my face so no-one would see.

Pimples have become a part of my life and I've learned to manage having a few pimples at a time but recently I've started experiencing full-blown acne attach and it won't go away. Cysts, whiteheads, blackheads, scarring, scabs - I stare in the mirror and count the spots - there is no way to cover them up, make up just seems to make it more noticeable. I'm embarressed to go to work, I don't want my husband to look at me. I'm just so upset - I mean, I'm 30 years old...can't I catch a break...

I've been on acutane twice, the last time about 5 years ago. I will say that it did work and kept the breakouts at bay for a few years (after an inital 2 month period of horrible painful breakouts) but the side effects are tough - bleeding gums, dry eyes, the meds just suck all the liquid out of your body. I've used creams, over the counter and prescription, I've taken antibiodics, I feel like if it is out there I've tried it. I'm going to head back to the dermotologist...I know he's going to say actuane though - that may be my only option

Anyways, really just wanting to vent to people who understand where I am coming from. It is depressing and difficult to be a grown woman who looks like she is going through puberty. I look so unprofessional at work. I feel unattractive at home.

It's my achillies heal - always has been and looks like it always will be

Wow...your post sounds like it could have been written by me! I am also 30 years old and have had acne since age 15. I've been on accutane a few times and am currently doing low dose to keep my breakouts at bay. Everytime I stop taking the Accutane, my acne comes right back (within a month) with a vengence. It's so depressing...I don't want my husband to look at me or come near me. I pretty much plan my entire life around my breakouts. I have even given up opportunities over this! I honestly feel like I would be in a much better place in life if I had never had acne holding me back the whole time. I feel like it will never go away and I will be dealing with this for the rest of my life. Thank god for accutane though...it has been my saviour! I'm lucky enough not to have experienced the side effects though...but I think the lose dose therapy contributes to this. Anyhow, just know that you are not alone. I know just how you feel. And I also know that it doesn't matter what anyone says to you...the only thing that will make it better is the remission of your acne. Good luck and take care

[holiday09]

It sounds just like me, too!!

I just turned 30 this past Friday the 23rd )

I've been battling acne since I was 12 years old, though. It was absolutely terrible.. so were my menstral periods ( My acne was mostly on my forehead when I was young.. when I became 17 yrs old I pretty much got it all over (chin, cheeks, forehead.. and sometimes on my neck). When I was in my early 20s I began using Proactive and the pimples came less and less. It actually did the trick for me up until I was 27 yrs old. After that I stopped Proactive and began using other products over the counter (Chanel wash/exfoliator, L'Occitane washes/toners/moisturizers, Dior moisturizers/toners). I realized the older I got that I would soon have to force myself sooner or later to stop Proactive because it was beginning to irritate and be harsh for my skin. I've tried Differin, antibiotics, clendamycin and it doesnt work for me either ( In fact, the Differin made my skin much much much much worse ( I went back on Proactive in early October, but after 2 weeks of it my skin was getting too irritated again. So now i'm using Oil of Olay products. Have you gone to their website? You can create your own beauty regimin. If it doesnt work out for you after 8 weeks you can return it.. Its guaranteed to work. So far, my skin is very luminus and I notice the acne scars begin to fade. I'm still on my week 1 but I am hopeful it will work out for me. Just go to http://olayforyou.com/ ! ) Hope this helps!!

[toomuchaccutane]

Hi all,

I'm new to this website. I've struggled with acne since I was 15 years old - my main memories of high school are strategically styling my hair so I could cover up my face so no-one would see.

Pimples have become a part of my life and I've learned to manage having a few pimples at a time but recently I've started experiencing full-blown acne attach and it won't go away. Cysts, whiteheads, blackheads, scarring, scabs - I stare in the mirror and count the spots - there is no way to cover them up, make up just seems to make it more noticeable. I'm embarressed to go to work, I don't want my husband to look at me. I'm just so upset - I mean, I'm 30 years old...can't I catch a break...

I've been on acutane twice, the last time about 5 years ago. I will say that it did work and kept the breakouts at bay for a few years (after an inital 2 month period of horrible painful breakouts) but the side effects are tough - bleeding gums, dry eyes, the meds just suck all the liquid out of your body. I've used creams, over the counter and prescription, I've taken antibiodics, I feel like if it is out there I've tried it. I'm going to head back to the dermotologist...I know he's going to say actuane though - that may be my only option

Anyways, really just wanting to vent to people who understand where I am coming from. It is depressing and difficult to be a grown woman who looks like she is going through puberty. I look so unprofessional at work. I feel unattractive at home.

It's my achillies heal - always has been and looks like it always will be

Maybe your courses on accutane didn't reach a high enough cumulative dosage. Maybe you should try another course. From my own personal eperience, i had mild acne for years and took accutane for 6 months and it cleared it up for good. What were our dosafes when you were on accutane and how much did you weigh. Low dosages clear you up while you are on it but you begin to break out again shortly after you stop.

[Jaka]

I totally understand everything you said. I am almost 30, a few months away. Just got married last year, and I stopped BC pills in July. Ever since then, my skin went crazy. Like tons of huge, painful cysts popping up all over my chin, it was awful. I didn't want to look at my husband, kiss, nothing. It really affected our personal life together. I am still dealing with it to this day, it's improved through laser therapy and Retin-A. I also started taking Niacin, which I found out about in the adult acne thread. I didn't want to go to work either, I feel like everyone stares at me. I stopped working out too, it makes life awful

[vakrys]

You sound a lot like me. I can totally relate, although my acne started in the 4th grade and continues to now... I'm 42. I've noticed if I use Daniel's wash, cream & lotion, I can keep actual breakouts at bay, but I actually have a hard time using it diligently. I have a tendancy to fall alseep on the couch without doing my normal nightly routine, so that messes me up and I end up with breakouts. But that's my own fault. Nothing else really keeps the breakouts away, so now I'm interested in finding something to help with the scarring. Does anyone know anything about laser resurfacing or any other options? Well, I know how you feel about being tired of it. I guess that's why I sometimes let my regiment slide. I just get tired of dealing with it sometimes. I've tried everything too. I haven't been back to a dermotologist in quite a few years because the one I went to when I was a teen retired and I don't like the new guy. But it wouldn't hurt to go and see what a new doctor has to day. However, since I was younger I'd always been told I had a hormone imbalance, and you can't just call up an endocrinologist and get an appointment and tell him to FIX IT! That takes other doctors, referrals, etc. And I no longer have the insurance for that since I got laid off. It's just an endless cycle it seems. So I commisserate!

[scarlettm512]

You're not alone. I'm 39 and taking Accutane for the second time. The first time was when I was 29. I've had acne since I was a teen -- but I tried antibiotics and it was too hard on my stomach. Birth Control Pills helped keep it mostly in check, but I can no longer take them (they make me have episodes of losing vision in one eye) so it is back to Accutane for me.

I don't like my husband looking at me. Sometimes he'll put his hands on my face to kiss me and I can't help it -- it just makes me cringe. He's great about all of this -- I'm the one with the problem. I live my life as a hermit. I don't work out of the home anymore (due to other health issues) so I don't have that issue (I did the first time around, though). I even drive to the bus stop to pick up my daughter so I won't have to walk with any of the other mothers. How pathetic is that?

Oh well. I'm working on it. Hopefully I can find a doctor who will actually care enough to find out what is really causing my acne. I've got hormonal issues but since I'm older, it is just assumed that it is probably menopause and if you can't take HRT -- you just gotta suffer through it. I know there is something else wrong ... just hope I can find a doctor who believes me.

Good luck and hang in there! I can definitely relate to your pain because I know how much it sucks to have acne at any age -- but especially when you should be past that adolescent phase ...

[Max-]

I feel your pain. I was on accutane twice and twice the acne came back. And to make it worse, I now suffer from permanent side effects due to accutane. Antibiotics are a waste of time and bad for health as well, so don't ever touch that. Maybe you can try accupunture or even TCM (Traditional chinese medicine) to see if it helps you, plus at least it doesn't comes with side effects.

[isabels04]

I'm 37 and have recently aquired some really bad chin/jawline acne. Not sure what happened, but I feel your pain too. I understand the embarrassment of having acne at our age and to then have to deal with it. I'm not dealing very well. I cry alot and wonder why me. Right now I'm on doxycline and bp wash. I'm back on birth control which sucks. Everything is a slow go and I'm quite depressed waiting for this to just go away. I have a feeling that it won't and that the antibiotics may later on be a bad idea. My husband tells me to be patient and that it doesn't look that bad. He says he loves me no matter what, but you think, how could you love this ugly face. I wonder if he looks at others and wishes I looked like them. He would tell me I'm crazy, maybe I am. The thing I did realize is that you are still needed, by your children,husbands families. Life still goes on and you are a part of it even if you don't want to be. I realized that mirrors are our enemies. Try not to look too often. It only hurts you. Remember that you are still a person underneath eveything and people tend to look beyond the surface if you let them in. I hope we find a cure for us and soon!!!

[badgrammer]

Hello! This is my first post on this particular site, so I hope I'm doing this correctly...

I'm also 30 years old and dealing with a pretty intense breakout at the moment --I'm wondering if anyone has some advice on some products/medicines/vitamins etc.

I had perfectly clear skin in high school. I started on birth control around 19 and continued to use it for three years without a break. When I was 22 I started to break out pretty heavily. Since then I've had spurts of clearing up and then subsequently breaking out again and again --progressively getting worse each time.

I tried Proactiv years ago, twice even! It was pretty harsh on my skin. I've tried Murad-- no luck. I've had Photo Dynamic Therapy done twice --the first time it kept me clear for nearly a year and half, the second time --it did NOTHING. I have taken quite a few skin anti-biotics, but I reacted very badly to them. I've been off and on the pill since my early 20's. I'd like to use an alternative method for skin control as I've had problems with depression and anxiety nearly my entire life and every new start to birth control makes me not a very happy camper. Because I do not have much money at the moment, I have gone back on birth control, seeing it as a cheap alternative to seeing a derm. Right now I am taking Ortho-Tri-Cyclen, a pill that has cleared up my skin in the past, but as of this moment, after being on it for nearly a month, my skin is TERRIBLE. I can't even cover my acne with makeup. I've been told that this is one of the best pills for skin --have any of you ever had problems with it breaking your face out even worse during the first month? I'm breaking out in places I generally never breakout, like my chin and forehead. My acne generally occurs on my cheeks normally. I have also been told that if you are a woman, your hormones "change" at around 30 and that my body's chemistry might be out of whack...any ideas?

I have been using the Clinque Acne Solutions system for awhile. It generally works for the most part, but it is quite harsh and the benzoyl peroxide has bleached out all of my pillow cases. I've been wanting to try something new for awhile, but I've been scared to.

The clinque products, however, do not clear up my cystic acne and have been told by many people that the only method of treatment to really fix this problem may be accutane. Again, since I have a history of anxiety and depression, I would really like to make that a last resort. I also suffer from a lot of hyper-pigmentation --lots of red spots that won't heal, on my face.

I have heard that vitamins can help the process...such as Niacin and MSM powder. Any suggestions? I would also like to eventually stop using the clinque products as well. I was thinking of Burt's Bees new line....I REALLY REALLY don't want to try Proactiv for a third time.

Please help if you have any suggestions! I don't go out or participate in social events much as of late because of this problem. I really feel terrible and gypped --I shouldn't be having this problem at age 30, right?

Thanks!

[Mrs. Lovely]

I'm 27 and have been dealing with my acne since I was 11. Who knew that I'd be plagued by this crap for so long! It is frustrating and I feel your pain. My acne clears up a bit, and then comes back with a vengence. Its like a never ending cycle! Right now my chin has decided that it hates me and I'm getting huge, inflamed bumps (almost like cystic acne) just on my chin. It is so frustrating!!!!

[Elektra177]

I'm there with you all. It's tough. I've posted this before.

I use to wear foundation every day and had no problems with acne in my teens or 20's. Don't know if it was hormonal but acne suddenly hit my face with no mercy. In that photo posted I am wearing no make-up except eye concealer. I was 6 month post accutane and had just broken out with a cyst and I was not happy to see it. I dabbed a bit of my eye concealer to cover it up that day. While I was on Accutane I found Mary Kay Medium Coverage Foundation. It was the only thing I found that didn't break me out and I felt covered. My Mary Kay rep had acne like me and showed me a photo of herself so I felt safe to use it since her skin looked great. I don't feel the need to wear foundation anymore especially trying the Acne.or regimen. I am seriously loving this regimen and I would recommend you try it especially since I find it economical and pretty easy to maintain.

Things that worked for me? Staying with a good product. Once you find something that works stick with it. I'm kind of neurotic about keeping my face clean. I change my pillow cases every other day and once I do the regimen I leave my face alone. I do no touch my face unnecessarily; under any circumstances (I learned this the hard way).

Most pics don't show what I like to call the damage or proof of what happened to me but I'm attaching two pics of what my face really looks like in not so flattering light. I can do this now simply b/c I'm happy to have such good results even though I have discoloration and some scars from when my acne started. Trust me it's far better than its ever has been and the regimen has a lot to do with it. Now if I could only get rid of those little black heads!

PS. I use less BP that recommended so my face is less irritated.

Good luck.

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Edited by Elektra177, 13 November 2009 - 09:51 AM.