23 replies to this topic

[nos86]

I've been to 4 different dermatologist and they all have said different things about oily skin. You would think that as a derm, they would have had this issue come up and maybe could have found a way to cure it. This is what I've found.

The first derm said there was nothing she could do. Just to wash you face more often. Wow great advice right.

The second derm wanted me to wash with Panoxyl Bar 5% and put me on a retin a treatment for one month and see what happens.

The third derm said that we could try tazorac or retin a and see if that helps with the oilyness.

The fourth derm said that we can try accutane.


Okay so here is what I think, from my research the oily skin is cause by androgens. an excess of a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This metabolite of testosterone, DHT is responsible for triggering sebaceous glands to produce sebum. Higher than normal levels of this androgenic hormone, or an increased sensitivity of the glands to normal levels of DHT can result in oily skin
The overstimualtion causes the oil glands to produce more oil than needed, hence the oily skin tone.

For girls there is spirinolactone (oral medication), spironolactone is a diuretic, a medication which prevents testosterone from binding to receptors on the hair follicles, thus blocking the effect of testosterone and helping to limit abnormal hair growth. It is usually given in dosages of 50 to 200mg each day, and may take up to six months before the maximal effect is seen.

There have been a lot of reports from women who use spiro (short for spironolactone) that it helps out with their oily skin.

So as far as guys go which includes me, we are not left with many options. I've talked to people who use retin a or differin or tazorac and many of them do not report less oily skin. Al lot of them claim that either their skin got more oily or the meds dried out their skin and made it both oily and dry at the same time. Let me explain this. Dry meaning their skin started to flake and peel and oily meaning that their skin continued to produce an abnormal amount of oil resulting in both dry peeling skin and pools of oil sitting on the skin surface.

So where does this leave us. 6 month treatment of Accutane with horrible side effects?

I've been on accutane twice. The first time it worked wonders for my acne and oily skin. The second time it just made me break out and then eventually cleared me up. My skin was less oily while I was on the medication but shortly after the oil returned to levels pre treatment. The differences between the two treatments were the first time it was actually Accutane, second course was Clarivis. Also first treatment was during winter, second was during summer.

Okay I am not here to argue or compare dick sizes with anyone, I really don't give a damn about theories that were debunked years ago and crap like that. All I know is that OILY SKIN sucks ass and if we all can somehow work together and combine our knowledge and experiences, rather than argue against one another, maybe just maybe we can find a solution to this problem.

Any feedback and input is encouraged and greatly appreciated but if you don't have anything positive to contribute then DON"T

If you have oily skin, please post what has worked or has helped with your ordeal. Also let us know what has not worked in the past. Any insight may help to shed some light on this issue which seems to be something dermatologist cannot figure out.

[Blahaa]

Didn't read but I'm on accutane 4mg a day right now and there's no oil on my face to be seen. It's actually quite dry.

[lara6]

green smoothies (every morning) have reduced my oily skin. Niacin also helps.

Also - avoid fatty and sugary foods.

[Dan B]

Washing my face with just water and no cleanser seems to help me

[MackabeeNutz]

I'm not oily anymore after changing my diet.
What i eat: raw veggies, veggie juice especially cucumber and pineapple, carrot and beets, avoid refined, processed foods.

Also, its true what they say, overwashing your face will drive your skin to overcompensate for lost oil. there fore dont use a drying facial wash, although using a good natural ingrediant moisturizer afterwards might be okay...
I find that moisturizing ( as counter intuitive as that sounds to an acne sufferer ) after washing, reduces oil throughout the day..of course, i wouldnt moisturize during a really bad breakout. not because of risking breaking out more, although im sure it would, but the feeling is so nasty.

[bryan]

Also, its true what they say, overwashing your face will drive your skin to overcompensate for lost oil. there fore dont use a drying facial wash...

No, it's NOT true what they say! That's just an old wives' tale that's been thoroughly debunked up one side, and down the other. Oil on the surface of your skin has no effect at all on the amount of sebum your sebaceous glands produce.

[mbbento]

The only thing that worked for me was accutane, and I have tried everything!!! I'm currently on B5 which has helped a lot, but of course I want perfection!

[Oiler]

Ok let me tell you why so many people think that overwashing your face causes your sebaceous glands to over compensate and produce more sebum, or conversely, why people think putting jojoba oil on your face make it feel like you produce less sebum.

Let me say I tried all of the above. I went washing my face with just warm water for about 6 months, to putting jojoba oil on my face. been there and done that.

From my experience, when I wash my face, it completely dries out the surface of my skin. Therefore, when oil oozes out of my pores in about 30 minutes, they tend to puddle up rather then spreading out evenly across the face. This makes it look like my oil production more out of control than it is.

Now, when I wash my face with just water, or I put on some jojoba oil on my face, the surface of the skin is moist with oil though not overly shiny. So when oil oozes out of the skin, it thins out and spreads itself out over the skin, resulting in a facade that your face is less oily than it is.

Does this make sense? basically, when your skin's surface is dry, oil tends to puddle up rather than spread out evenly. I hope this makes some sort of sense.

Edited by Oiler, 29 April 2010 - 09:50 AM.

[bryan]

That's an odd theory, Oiler. I don't think you're aware of just how many sebecaeous glands there are in active areas like the face, and how easy it is for sebum to "spread-out" over the skin as a result.

[Oiler]

That's an odd theory, Oiler. I don't think you're aware of just how many sebecaeous glands there are in active areas like the face, and how easy it is for sebum to "spread-out" over the skin as a result.

Yes I am aware of EVERY SINGLE sebaceous gland on my nose and the nearby area, assuming that there's one sebaceous gland per pore. How do I know? Cuz every one of my pores in that region is HUGE and even a blind man cannot miss it. The sebum doesn't spread out when I wash my skin and the surface of my skin is dry. It's kind of like when you put a drop of liquid on a non-absorbent surface. The cohesive properties keep the liquid together rather than it spread ut evenly. Same concept here; the sebum just puddles up at the entrance of the pores and when its too much, it spills over and merges with nearby puddles if I don't blot it or wash my face.

I know many of you guys like to make the claim that you are the oiliest here. One day we should get together and have a friendly competition. I probably won't win but i figure i'll be in top ten.

[nos86]

just curious those of you with oily skin how long can you go before your skin is just too unbearable and you have to wash your face?

[Oiler]

just curious those of you with oily skin how long can you go before your skin is just too unbearable and you have to wash your face?

We have decent restrooms at my work, so I usually wash my face every two hours during work. In between washings, I frequently blot my face with those blotting sheets or just napkins. God how I wish I was born with perfect skin

[nos86]

just curious those of you with oily skin how long can you go before your skin is just too unbearable and you have to wash your face?

We have decent restrooms at my work, so I usually wash my face every two hours during work. In between washings, I frequently blot my face with those blotting sheets or just napkins. God how I wish I was born with perfect skin

up does anyone know if there has been any success?

[Ryan C]

just curious those of you with oily skin how long can you go before your skin is just too unbearable and you have to wash your face?

We have decent restrooms at my work, so I usually wash my face every two hours during work. In between washings, I frequently blot my face with those blotting sheets or just napkins. God how I wish I was born with perfect skin

up does anyone know if there has been any success?

I have oily skin from my dad's side. He is in his 50s and still has oily skin, yet no acne. In the summer I have it pretttttty damn bad. I have personally found that just washing in the shower with water is the best way to handle it. Maybe washing with a gentle cleanser at night and applying an AHA lotion afterwards could help as well. I have larger pores on my nose with blackheads here and there, and that is my main oily place. I can second what oiler says about the oil spreading out when your face is moisturized. That is definitely true. When I dry my skin out the oil kind of puddles up right on top of the pore. I found that moisturizing if I'm dry is great because it reduces the oily look significantly. I think washing as LITTLE as possible is best, especially if your not breaking out anywhere. If your breaking out like crazy, that means the P. Acne bacteria is present on your skin, and it might not be a bad idea to treat it with benzoyl peroxide or something of that nature. A moisturizer with a light AHA can help oily skin issue as well. Not only will it remove the top layer of skin and cause your pore to repair itself, it will also moisturize your skin and even out your skin tone, reducing the oily appearance.

Hope this helps! Best of luck.

[skin-matters]

I don't want perfect skin, just not oily skin, i am so sick of it, and showering each day is a drainer, i know the feeling too well. At highschool i used to go to the toilet, just so i could atleast wash off the oil each day during recess and lunch, i mean it was so horrible/ still is and it wasn't pimples that worried my just the agitated feel of oil around the top part of my body, it was gross/is a gross feeling.
( ive said this a thousand times on the forums possibly and may continue to say it, but it's what i have been doing in terms of trying to deal with it and get on with life, it's like a burden in more ways than you think.)

Im not able to go on accutane or anything similar due to personal reasons, but i wish there was a major alternative or something temporary that could be used for a long time and does not have side effects. Creams, lotions or soaps may be a life saver if i find the right one and am able to work with it.

Otherwise I hope you find something for your situation. Good luck nos86!
If you do, send us message i would be happy to hear from you or anyone!

[wibble]

I don't want perfect skin, just not oily skin, i am so sick of it, and showering each day is a drainer, i know the feeling too well. At highschool i used to go to the toilet, just so i could atleast wash off the oil each day during recess and lunch, i mean it was so horrible/ still is and it wasn't pimples that worried my just the agitated feel of oil around the top part of my body, it was gross/is a gross feeling.
( ive said this a thousand times on the forums possibly and may continue to say it, but it's what i have been doing in terms of trying to deal with it and get on with life, it's like a burden in more ways than you think.)

Im not able to go on accutane or anything similar due to personal reasons, but i wish there was a major alternative or something temporary that could be used for a long time and does not have side effects. Creams, lotions or soaps may be a life saver if i find the right one and am able to work with it.

Otherwise I hope you find something for your situation. Good luck nos86!
If you do, send us message i would be happy to hear from you or anyone!

Low GI/GL foods really imo is the long term solution that you can take with you for life. Make sure you eat things like sweet potatoes, carrots as well though, but make sure you eat a decent amount of green veg.

Vit A can help, so can B5, just be careful with them, and do research on these forums before taking them, so have an informed decision.

[chunkylard]

Try this: http://www.acne.org/messageboard/Oily-skin...ow-t283925.html

And use it as a mask daily after your morning shower.

Edited by chunkylard, 28 November 2010 - 10:44 AM.

[skin-matters]

ok, thanks guys, it will be something i put on my list to try.

I just don't get a break from it though, day in day out, it's the same, very unbearable and tiring.
I mean i may be over sensitive, but far out, i should be able to manage it somehow.

Thanks, i will continue to keep people posted on what works for me and doesn't on the forums.


Keep in touch.

[Jamjar]

Hiya, thouht I'd put my two cents in. I have had acne for five years (due to polycystic ovarian syndrome), and when it was at it's worse point was when I was contstantly washing my face, or putting harsh topical gels on which dry out the skin, not only was my oil production going crazy to over compensate for my actions, but the skin was drying out and making all this oil get trapped under the flakes of dry skin. My skin, although not perfect, is now a hell of a lot better since A) changing my diet and lifestlye and B) only washing my face once a day and exfoliating once or twice a week. I also put pure oils on my skin to norish and moisturise. Not only does oil break down oil while moisturising, it also provides the skin with vitamins and tricks the skin cells into thinking there is enough oil already. I think the worse thing you can do for acne is wash your skin too much (escpecially with soap) Good luck

Ps. I find a combination of Avacado Oil, Jojoba Oil and Aloe Vera Gel extremely good! Avacado actually destroys dead skin cells and penetrates the skin very deeply, plus has vitamins A, E, B12. Jojoba oil has a very similar structure to the skins own oil and is a great moisturiser. Aloe Vera calms inflammed and irritated skin.

Edited by Jamjar, 29 November 2010 - 06:59 AM.

[bryan]

I have had acne for five years (due to polycystic ovarian syndrome), and when it was at it's worse point was when I was contstantly washing my face, or putting harsh topical gels on which dry out the skin, not only was my oil production going crazy to over compensate for my actions....Not only does oil break down oil while moisturising, it also provides the skin with vitamins and tricks the skin cells into thinking there is enough oil already.

Just a word to the wise: washing has no effect on the amount of sebum the sebaceous glands produce, nor does oil applied topically to the skin "trick" the sebaceous glands into thinking they've produced enough sebum. Those are just Urban Myths which have been debunked numerous times on this forum.