5 replies to this topic

[determinedgirl]

I am so extremely frustrated. Growing up, I had perfect skin. I ate terribly, didn't even drink water.. and my skin was fine. I also didn't cleanse my skin like I should have. I didn't wear that much makeup either. I have extremely, extremely sensitive skin.

One day, my cousin introduced me to the world of liquid makeup. From then on, I would start to get a few pimples here and there but thought it was due to my age and such. I started to use cleansers on my face that were a bit more harsh and started to make things worse.. At that point, I didn't know a thing about skin care. I thought if I scrubbed harder, I was becoming more clean. Yeah..

Well, I started researching and teaching myself everything I could. I then tried ProActiv and realized it was the biggest mistake I could have made. My acne spread like wild fire, I was peeling and am now scarred all over my neck and face. I stopped using it and tried to find something else.

Fast forward to now.. I use cetaphil, drink tons of water, keep up with a multivitamin daily, tons of vitamin E and fish oil.. and it's worse that ever.

I am currently on solodyn for 38 days now. I was also prescribed Ziana. It seems the solodyn has only made it worse. Instead of getting just a few small ones, I am not getting the huge, painful, under my skin, terrible scarring ones all the time. Not only does it seem like my scars are much more visible since starting this medication, but it also seems like the new ones leave even worse scars and take forever to heal.

I was born with severe Sepsis and I'm wondering if this may have an effect on my body still.. I am currently 22 years old. I am also ready to give up all medication and just go back to what I was doing when I was younger and had clear skin. That was around age 15-18. Although, I don't know if that would be a smart decision. I'm just so tired of looking like a pizza face. Is 38 days enough to decide whether or not solodyn has made a difference? I know my derm said to wait 2 months, but if it has only made things this worse, is it worth it to keep going?

Please let me know what you guys think. Thanks!

[JAG221]

I have a very similiar story to yours except i did not start breaking out until 21 and it wasn't due to makeup - i blame it on hormones, maybe a lifetime of poor eating habits, but in reality i have no idea.
I was on Solodyn for about 6 months, took about 2 months to clear me and then although i was never 100% it seemed to have a lasting effect on my skin (almost a year?). But then it came back with a vengeance and i would just get these terrible large cystic bumps around my mouth and on my cheeks. And a lot of the ones that you explain - painful, under the skin bumps.

People will get heated about this on this site (there is a lot of debate) but i dont believe in antibiotics - it is only a temporary solution using poisonous chemicals and for some people, like me, it only makes things worse in the end. If i were you i would go back to what you were doing when you had clear skin (makeup wise) but eat healthy (lots of veggies, fruit, water, whole grains) and use non-irritating cleansers. If makeup and cleansers were truly the trigger for you it doesnt make sense to treat it as much internally since it sounds like your problem is external.
There are lots of posts on here about good cleansers, homemade tonics, etc but i prefer Dr. Bronner's, its cheap and effective.
Best of luck to you!

[determinedgirl]

Thank you for your post!

I'm worried that I might be wrong about why my acne started and think it might be due to the eating habits and hormones as you mentioned as well. I simply don't know.. I just know that the only change in my life at that time was trying makeup out.

I really want to stay on Solodyn to see if there is a change after the 2 months as my derm noted to stay on it.. but I just don't know if it's worth it. I also dislike the idea of taking it for so long. I feel like it can only do damage in the long run. Although, if I've already made it 5 weeks, should I just stick it out to see if there is a change? I don't know..

I feel like there might be so much damage done to my skin now that even if I go off this medication and I were to stop getting acne, my scars would still be so awful.

And on the subject of scars.. how would I even go about healing and getting rid of them? I read up on microdermabrasion, but it said it isn't a good idea for sensitive skin and would only make things worse. Ugh. I have been slathering on vitamin E as well as taking it internally but who knows if that even is making an effect.

[determinedgirl]

Just an update.. I stopped taking Solodyn after my skin seemed to be getting even worse and spreading and I have seen an improvement in leaps and bounds. All I am doing at this point is washing it water alone. Then, if it feels dirty or I wear makeup, I use cetaphil. Either way, I break open some vitamin e capsules and spread it on my trouble areas afterward.

My skin still looks rough and I have gotten a few new spots, but it has greatly decreased. The only thing I am worried about now is the fact that I am going to have scarring. I am lucky as I don't have much pit scarring, but I have a bit of clear bumps and then my neck just looks like a warzone. I have an appointment coming up to which I'll ask about treatments for those but I am almost afraid to do anything drastic. Does anyone know if I will have to wait for the redness to subside first before getting a chemical peel or dermabrasion?

[JAG221]

Sorry to hear about your lack of success with the Solodyn. Everyone is different but i would say if you think you have sensitive skin do not get a chemical peel - i have a horror story where my face was literally on fire for 2 days, bright red, it was awful. Also, i have really not read to many positive stories about microdermabrasion doing much for the skin. I have actually had a lot of success with Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with Aloe Vera. I use 1:1 ratio. Again, everyone is different but just putting it out there.
Also, i have actually had great success with Acnescript. You can check the reviews on here but i used to be on this website 3x everyday pooring over posts trying to get rid of my cystic acne and this stuff did the trick.
Good Luck!

[determinedgirl]

Thanks for your reply! I tried apple cider vinegar for awhile back before Solodyn but it didn't seem to help. I tried drinking it as well as applying it topically.

At this point, I am simply washing my face 1-2 times a day with a sensitive skin cleanser from Cetaphil. The normal one was actually too harsh. The label for this one says you don't even need to use water. Simply apply and you can remove the excess with a towel.

The only other thing I use on my face is before I go to bed, I cover it, focusing on my scars, with liquid vitamin E oil. It definitely helps but feels a bit greasy until I cleanse in the morning.

I try to stay away from makeup completely. It seems that when I put on any at all, I break out with at least a few pimples.

The majority of my acne is gone. From time to time I will get a breakout but it isn't as widespread as it used to be. The worst parts now are the scars I have along my jaw line and down my neck. I have really dark scars and it's extremely bumpy.

I have attempted the baking soda scrub, but that made my skin break out really badly. So, I went for a softer approach by just applying it to my face with my hands and rinsing it off.. which definitely didn't give me the same immediate effect the scrub did, but also didn't break me out.

Right now, I'm just continuing the cetaphil and vitamin e, but I would really love something to improve the texture of my skin. Is there anything that someone could suggest for such extreme sensitive skin to get rid of these scars? Thanks!