52 replies to this topic

[wishing2Bclear]

hey everyone! I'm new to the board and so if i make some mistakes, forgive me!

All right, so about my skin, I'm 12 years old, moderate acne (more mild, but moderate on my back), and I'm turning 13 in exactly 2 weeks. I've been on tazorac 0.5 cream and minocyclin (sp?) for 29 days now, and I could use some support. My skin has improved (sorta), but i need help making it get better! I want to be able to stop using foundation, and feel like a normal middle schooler. Anyways, I'm going to try to make this my log, so stay tuned!

I've been using manuka honey umf 16 and cinnamon on my skin, and it seems to be helping. I've also been using hemp oil to moisturize . Luckily, my family already owned all of those things, because I think they're too expensive to buy just for use on my acne. Although honestly, I think my parents pity me so much they'd be willing to buy it for me, lol. I'm pretty sure it's just genetic, as everyone in my family suffered from acne, and it all cleared up for them at around age 17. But i don't want to deal with 4 more years of acne!!!! Any ideas on how to make my skin clear up faster?

Edited by wishing2Bclear, 30 June 2011 - 09:34 PM.

[tim12]

Wow, you're doing a lot for your skin at 12 years old! Make sure document your progress, so you'll know how much progress you make. Definitely give your regimen time. Do things like get plenty of sleep, don't stress out either. I'm hesitant to really recommend anything because you are so young! I'd say follow the doctors orders. Good luck!

[wishing2Bclear]

Thanks Tim! oh yeah i forgot to mention, my skin is REALLY tough. Like i didn't follow the doctors orders to apply taz once every 3 nights at first (applied it every night), and i didn't buffer it with moisturizer either (mostly because i use an oil, and i didn't know how to mix it together, lol), and I haven't really had any irritation because of that. I think it's 'cause I sorta blasted my skin with benzo peroxide, and it's used to harsh medicine. but don't quote m on that, because i'm just guessing, haha.

[wishing2Bclear]

Day 31
Ugh, my skin is being sooo annoying. The town pool opens this Sunday, and all my foundation is going to wash off, and I'm going to look horrendous! You see, with my foundation (and i mean layers, and layers of foundation) I look some-what normal. But now everyone is going to see the real me, why can't my skin be clear by now! I should be getting better by now, gosh darn it! I think I'm going to go to Sephora and spend my birthday money on a water-proof foundation.

Anyways, I was wondering if anyone likes using coconut oil? Because I over did my clay masks, and now it looks like I'm molting, LOL.

OH, I just realized I should probs state the condition of my skin, 1 healing pimple on right cheek, scars and clogged pores on right cheek, 1 healing pimple on chin, with clogged pores, nose just has a few blackheads, and my forehead is frigging crazy! I have this crazy pimple right under my eyebrow, next to my nose, it's like rock-hard, and it hurts soooooo bad. I've never had anything like this. Lots of clogged pores, and healing pimple-scabs on forehead. I can't help it, I'm a picker. You know what's sad? this isn't even as bad as my skin has been. *sigh*

Anywho, if anyone is reading this, thanks.

[lilahv26]

Hang in there wishing2bclear! I'm reading You say you look "some-what normal with make up" but you're about to turn 13. Acne IS pretty normal in your teens. Also, with retinoids a lot of people don't get their initial breakout until week 3 or so, and it lasts into week 12. So don't give up hope. I only started breaking out in week 3. But so many of the little clogged pores that just sat under the surface for months are now coming up, and as awful as it looks, I know that it needed to happen! Your skin will be beautiful and glowing once the acne goes away, and since you're starting a retinoid so young, your skin will be gorgeous for life!!! Your friends will be so jealous once you're my age (mid 20s) Also since you're going to the pool and you're on a retinoid don't forget sunscreen! You can burn badly in the sun on retinoids. Think positive and good luck!

[wishing2Bclear]

day 32.
Today was very emotional. I went into sephora to buy a waterproof makeup, so i didn't wear any makeup so I could get a good color match. I almost started to cry in the store when i had to look t myself in the mirror. The pity on all of the sales assistance's faces was so painfully visible. My mom swore it wasn't because my skin was so bad, it was that I just looked so sad. I bought the only waterproof makeup they had (which I tested, and is pretty waterproof), and i ran out of the store before anyone I knew saw me. No foundation ever matches my skin-tone! UGH!

So at the moment my cheeks are clear of active acne (but sooo many red marks it looks like I have moderate acne on my cheeks), and I have MASSIVE peeling at the corners of my mouth and chin. I swear I peeled like 8 layers of skin off now, and I new dry layer keeps growing back. My forehead also has no active acne, just scabs and red marks, but it looks soooooo bad. Also some of the red marks are slightly raised, like they are going to reform into a pimple. I have tons of clogged pores on my forehead also. The one active pimple I have right now is under my eyebrow, and it HURTS. I look like sh*t without makeup on, like sooo bad I cry when I look in the mirror. Please let me clear up soon.

Anyways, that's all for now! Any suggestions on anything acne-related would be awesome

[wishing2Bclear]

Day 33
My skin is freaking out! The skin around my corners of my mouth is peeling sooooo bad, and the skin underneath it is so red and blotchy, in the sunlight it literally looks like a chemical burn. ugh. Not to mention the pool opens tomorrow, and my waterproof makeup, (which does have pretty good staying power) is NOT waterproof, and the chlorinated water it will just melt off. I have to new pimples, one in my hairline, the other on the upper right part of my forehead. I still have the one freak pimple under my eyebrow. B-day is in 10 days, I hope my skin gets relatively clear by then.

By the way, my makeup is dior skin forever, or something like that. I've been getting a lot of sun, so I hope that helps. I've been using aztec healing clay, and I've been applying hemp oil in the shower to do my own version of the ocm.

I hope people are still reading this, good night!

[wishing2Bclear]

Day 34
Today, I went to the beach. I figured I wasn't ready for people to see me without my makeup (the pool) so i was like screw it, I'm not going. I think I have freaky skin beacause I was out in the sun soooooo much, with like no sunscreen on (i had spf 15 on my face in a moisterizer, but that was all) and I'm not even tan. WTH? And I'm taking minocylcin and tazorac, both which should makeup me more light sensative? what ever. Today was actually pretty good. With some makeup, my skin looked close to perfect. I try not to think about how my back looks, considering there's not much I can do about it *sigh*. I think some random lady at the beach may have called me beautiful, but i'm not sure, lol.

so the condition of my skin is like this- dry, very dry. Peeling, red, and burning around my mouth. My forehead has loads of redmarks, but very little active acne. As usually, lots of clogged pores. The freak pimple under my eyebrow i now healing, thank god! I look ok.

Tomorrow will be week 5 of minocyclin, taxorac, and pracxion (sp?) face wash. Lets hope I look better than i did on day 1, lol.

Just wondering, is anyone still reading this? Or am I just talking to myself? haha

[wishing2Bclear]

day 35 (WEEK 5)
today marks 5 weeks I've been using this regimen. So have I made any progress? I would say yes. There is no active acne on my back, just loads of scars (I pick, LOL), so that's an improvement. My chest is clear, aside from one bug-bite that looks like a zit, how annoying. My face on the other hand..... that's another story. So when I went to see the derm I had a few pimples around my mouth and on my chin, and a few pimples on my forehead, along with loads of clogged pores. And my skin was fairly normal, a bit oily in heat, but not dry. Right now i have no acne my forehead, but clogged pores, and discoloration, so it looks like I have acne. Same goes for around my mouth, except now I have dry skin everywhere. It's so bad that my face is cracking, and I know have marks that look like chemical burns form where I peeled off my dry skin. No fun. well that's my skin. But i think my improvement in acne may be due to manuka honey, the sun, and Aztec Indian healing clay.

Today was weird. I went to the pool, and guess what, my waterproof makeup stayed on! Mind you, I only had my face under water long enough to take the swim test, but still, I was surprised. So today was pretty good. Luckily, my hair is long enough to cover my bacne scars

Just a question, IS ANYONE READING THIS?!?! lol

[Gutterflower]

We're reading it!

You need to tackle your picking habit before it becomes almost involuntary. I'm ten years older than you, and once you pick for as long as I have, it becomes even harder to crack. You really don't want to peel off your dry skin, it's trying to heal itself and you'll end up with some gnarly scars if you keep doing that.

It sucks that you're so young and you're having to do so much for your skin. I got acne when I was 12, too. I didn't start wearing makeup 'til I was 14. Anyway, we're all here to support you, so keep posting your progress and if you need some kind words, just ask.

Edited by Gutterflower, 20 June 2011 - 09:58 PM.

[wishing2Bclear]

day 36.
I hate people in my grade. First, this girl asked me if it hurt to have acne, because shes never had 1! I was tempted to say "does it hurt to be fat?" since she is HUGE (and i don't mean a lil' big, I mean like obese), but i just said "i don't want to talk about it". Secondly, 2 guys commented it looked like I was wearing fake skin (although one later apologized and said it didn't, that he was just a douche), and another said "are you wearing 10 pounds of makeup?". UGH! AND I LOOKED IN A MIRROR AND MY MAKEUP LOOKED FINE! AND ALL MY FRIENDS SAID MY MAKEUP LOOKED FINE!

Notice I said my grade. People from other grades are super nice to me, so it just doesn't make sense. ugh, this sucks.

On the bright side. my skin is improving. No acne on my forehead (once again just redness, but less redness, and clogged pores) no acne on nose, chin, and right cheek, just clogged pores and peeling and discoloration on my cheek, and on my left cheek i have discoloration,and i think 3 new pimples, but i popped them. and now they're going down, lol.

oh btw, my back isnt clear from derm meds. it's clear from selson blue and Aztec Indian healing clay.

That's all for now!

[wishing2Bclear]

day 37
My skin IS improving. I don't know if it's from the derm meds, or all the other shiz I've been doing to m skin, but it is improving. Well, it's sort of improving. It seems for every problem I solve, I get a new problem. While my forehead is mostly clear, the overall redness is going down, and my redmarks are healing, I now have a pimple on my scalp. I mean, I guess that's better than on my face but still. And now that the overall redness and discoloration on my cheeks is healing, I now have those healing pimples on my left cheek also. grrrrrrrrrrr.

You know what I'm interested in but I don't have the guts to try? The water-only method. I feel like all my acne-free friends never wash their faces, so why wouldn't that work for me? But if i do massively break out I will feel so dumb, plus my forehead is the best it's been for soooooo long, and I don't want to mess it up.

My skin better start seriously clearing up now, because most reviewers of tazorac say that their skin had started improving in leaps and bounds by now.

I hate acne, but at least when my acne is gone I will fully appreciate, and love life.

Bye for now!

p.s. foundation is stupid! I look fine from far away, but close up my foundation looks like shit. WHY DOESN'T ANY FOUNDATION MATCH MY SKIN TONE!?

[wishing2Bclear]

Day 38.
My skin is looking pretty darn good! Well.... sort of. I have this one under-ground pimple (none of my pimples ever have heads, but idk think they're cysts because they don't seem to scar and disappear in a week or less, and I can pop them) on my forehead, and it needs to come to the surface so I can destroy it, LOL. My skin tone is seriously evening out, I actually almost didn't wear makeup to a party today (but I did, because I think everyone i know would be shocked to see my real skin). But my skin is improving. I noticed it was today when I washed my makeup off and it didn't look like I had washed my face off, like I had an actually face underneath my makeup, a face that wasn't THAT bad.

Here's the thing, I don't know what's improving my face. If it's my derm meds or all the face masks I've been using, or what.

I hate the way foundation looks up-close. It looks sooooo fake and nasty, I may stop wearing it and just embrace my natural face. But foundation looks really good from far away, so idk.

ITS SUMMER VACATION!

[wishing2Bclear]

day 39.
It seems whenever my skin is getting better, it suddenly gets worse. Here on things that have improves-discoloration (it no longer looks like I'm wearing a red mask), peeling, old redmarks, old acne. But now I'm getting 2 new pimples, and I have 3 new redmarks. Now this is still much better than my skin used to look, but it's still not good enough for no-makeup, and considering I'm going on a beach vacation tomorrow to celebrate my birthday, and there will be lots of pictures taken, I'm not going to look very good in those photos. GRRRRRRR.

I'm nervous for the trip because my friends don't really do anything fro their skin, and they may think I'm crazy because of all the shizz I do to my skin, so my skin may be a little ignored the next couple of days. I may just not wear my contacts while I'm down so I don't have to look at myself, so I won't think about my skin.

OOOOO, I have a semi-acne-related story! Today I was at the mall with a friend, and I had gotten coffee on my face earlier (don't ask ), I had w2iped off most (like 95%) of my makeup) and I wasn't feeling too good about the way I looked. But apparently I looked okay. because this guy, around 15, called out from across the mall asking me for my number. Now it may be that from a distance my skin looks okay, so he couldn't tell I had acne, or maybe the guy was joking, and I will never know, because my friend pulled me away, but it still felt nice that even with relatively no makeup ( I wasn't wearing eye makeup), random guys still thought I was attractive enough to ask for my number.

Oh btw, I may not be able to write on this for a couple of days, since I will be with my friends for my birthday, and I don't want to sneak away to write on this.

Wondering if any of y'all had any tazorac-related advice? or any acne-related advice? Bye Bye for now!

[wishing2Bclear]

Day 40
I'm updating a bit earlier in the day then when I normally would update, since I'm leaving with my friends until monday night in an hour, so I want to log this day. But keep in mind my acne may change through out the day, so this may not be accurate. w.e., it's better than nothing.

Ok, so those pimples I mention yesterday are still there, and they don't look like they're going anywhere. I have to bring them to the surface, but I'm not sure how too, lol. Besides that my skin is feeling a little congested, but my overall skin tone is pretty good, and I'm feeling ok about my skin right now.

2 days and it will be 6 weeks, hopefully I will be all clear by then, since my pimples don't normally hang around for long.

Oh, I just realized I should probs post my regimen, so here it is-
Morning-
. Treat face with manuka honey, or aztec indian healing clay, if I don't have anywhere to go.
. Wash face with Prascion (10% sodium sulfacetamide, 5% sulfur), and clarisonic, leave face wash on while I brush my teeth.
. Aveeno absolutely radiant moisturizer
. what ever face makeup I feel like, normally a lot.

When I get home from where ever I've been-
. Wash my face with 2% salacic (sp?) acid face wash to remove makeup.
Night-
. Treat face with manuka honey or aztec healing clay if I want to.
. Wash face with Prascion (10% sodium sulfacetamide, 5% sulfur), and clarisonic, leave face wash on while I brush my teeth.
. Apply tazorac.
. Spot treat with aztec indian healing clay.

Supplements-
. Minocylcin.

Oh, and when I shower I put hemp oil on my face in the shower.

So there it is, that's my complicated routine. Oh, I also realized that my skin flaking started when I started taking msm, and stopped when I stopped taking msm. Just a thought.

[lilahv26]

Happy Birthday!

I think you might be overtreating your face and making the situation worse. You shouldn't be using a medicated face wash with the Prascion (I use Pracsion too) as that is serious overkill, especially combined with the retinoid. I would drop the salycylic acid wash for a mild nonmedicated cleanser like CeraVe.

[wishing2Bclear]

day 42 (week 6)

thank you, lilahv26! I turn 13 tomorrow.

My skin is looking pretty good, but it depends on what you compare it to. Compared to how it used to look, good. Compared to my friends perfect baby skin, bad. I may stop wear foundation, because now that I'm tan (beach weekend!), my skin doesn't look that bad, and I hate having my foundation rub-off, and besides, I'm already mixing my foundation with my moisturizer to make it have less coverage. Also, I come to the realization, that if you have a pimple, it's not the end of the work, I don't get treated differently when I'm not wearing makeup.


So here's the condition of my skin- fading red marks and scars on my cheeks, all superficial, clogged pores on forehead, and two small healing pimples on my forehead. Mild sunburnt on my cheeks and nose. My skin looks pretty good in my bathroom mirror, but I have good lighting in there. My tan makes my skin look better, I'm actually pretty happy with my skin right now, but it looked worse earlier, in the sunlight

[wishing2Bclear]

Day 43.
Today was my birthday. I found out that a guy who previously called me "pimples" now likes me, and has liked me for a while. go figure, lol.

The condition of my skin is better in some ways, and worse in others. My skin looked pretty good until I picked at it (bad me, I know), but it's still looking better than it once did. A little discoloration on cheeks, and like 2 red marks, my nose is a bit red and blotchy looking, but I suspect it always was and I'm only noticing now since my acne is going down, and 1 tiny pimple on my forehead near my hairline that I probably would have previously not counted as a pimple, but I will now, but my main problem is the loads of flesh colored bumps on my forehead.

Oh by the way, I thouht i would mention how good the skin on my cheeks and chin is looking. I looked at my reflection in the screen of my phone today, which I normally wont do because it shows every lump and bump, but when I did it today, yes I could see the pores on my upper cheeks but everything just looked so smooooooth. It was amazing! And my cheeks feel amazing to the touch, soft and plump, but I think that's from all the lush fresh masks I've been using.

Once I get rid of any left over redness, then my face will look great! (aside from the bumps, but screw it I'll take bumps over what I had before!)

[wishing2Bclear]

Oh, I have a little beauty tid-bit that I learned from having acne; honey makes the perfect lip balm. i figured this out after weeks of putting honey on my face as a mask, and one day my lips were kinda dry, and I figured wth, since I already had honey on my face, why not put it on my lips. And guess what? My lips stayed moisturized for hours! A little sticky, but moisturized. Yes I know it sounds crazy, but I am crazy

[wishing2Bclear]

Day 44.
I'm going to see the derm 2moro morning. I'll tell you guys how it goes. As I've said before, it seems that every time my skin starts to improve, it gets worse. I now have a pimple developing right on the tip of my nose, and even though it's not raised yet, it's red, and it huuuurrrrrtttts. My chin and cheeks look great, and feel great, but my forehead...... not so much. It's sooooooo bumpy, and now a little inflamed, because I picked at the bumps. What's worse is that I have camp Monday, and all my makeup is going to melt off, and everyone is going to see crazy me, looking like Rudolf, because I have the feeling that the little pimple on my nose is going to have developed into a full-blown nodule. GRRRRRRRRR

My skin pisses me off.