61 replies to this topic

[Monica123]

INTRO/HISTORY

I'm 18 now and have been getting acne since i was 12. It was always worse on my arms than my face. On my arms i would have tiny bumps all over, but on my face i would just get a couple of large cysts. the acne on my arms has almost gone away but i have many scars now. but over the past 6 months the acne on my face has gotten worse. along with the large pimples i now have small bumps all over, which has completely transformed the texture of my skin. Makeup won't even disguise it now and it's very noticeable. It's also alarming to my family because the rest of them all have skin that's in great condition. I don't know what happened in the gene pool with me.
The last time i went to the derm was almost 3 years ago. My main reason for going (besides the acne) was because i was getting these bumps on my chin that were deep below the surface. the doc wasn't much help. she couldn't really give me an answer and had a very un-hopeful view on the situation. she put me on some pills and topical stuff (all expensive).i stayed on those for about a year but not once through the entire process did i see improvements. my skin just remained as it always had.
After that phase, i just accepted the acne. my face wasn't too embarrassing, it was just the arms. always had to wear long sleeve but just today i went to a (different) derm because the acne on my face has gotten really bad! and right before senior year too fml!
so the appointment was today and i feel very skeptical. after paying 100 bucks the doctor only stayed to chat for about 10 min until shooing us out the door. he was sarcastic but sounded confident. he took a flashlight to my face for 5 seconds and then just started listing different medications i needed to take. BUT he PROMISED me i would get clear skin. i'm gonna hold him to that, but i'm just wondering - at what cost to me? i've already been put on stuff like this and nothing has worked but he assured me he'd solve my problem. then he gave me an analogy. he said "have you ever had braces?when you had them it took more than just a few weeks, right? but now you have a beautfiul smile! if you give me time i will give you beautiful skin". but all analogies have flaws. i then said to him: "i had braces on for 4 years, are you saying it's going to take years to get results?"
so anyhoo, the appointment was short, and i didnt get all my questions answered because he was curt with the whole thing. i'm still skeptical but i'm going with it just because i'm so desperate at this point. my mom has the list of things the doc prescribed so i will post them along with pictures (the "before" pics - before i start the treatment) later today. please stay tuned! hopefully it all works.

Edited by Monica123, 19 August 2011 - 12:49 PM.

[rockets]

you got this, Good Luck!

[Monica123]

Okay so here was what the doctor gave me:

• Glytone (mild cream wash)
• Acanya gel (clindamycin phosphate & Benzoyl Peroxide)

and there was actually one other medication that i was prescribed but there was some issues going on with my insurance regarding that one, so i don't have it as of now. but hopefully i'll get that one soon to complete the trio.
and i've attached pictures that i took today. guess i didn't realize how bad it was getting until i saw these closeups no foundation, just some moisturizer on

right cheek:
forehead:
left cheek:

anyhoo, adding to my derm appt today, the doctor also said that one of the products i was using was making my skin worse. when i told him i have been using bio oil he shook his head and said it caused breakouts. but i didn't tell him that i have been using the product for almost two years and that i just started noticing changes in my skin in the past 6 months. I don't want to believe it was this product because i know i've had problems with acne long before i've been using the oil. also i've used the oil on my arms longer than i have on my face and the oil has greatly reduced the scarring on my arms and they are much smoother than they used to be. i told you previously that i used to get lots of acne on my arms but now there are hardly any. so i dont know why it would be a cause of acne for just my face, but hey doctor knows best! so while i'm on this new treatment i'll stay off the bio oil (although the doctor said i can continue using it on my arms )

[Monica123]

you got this, Good Luck!

thanks buddy!

[Reeja]

is the acne on your arms not just keratosis pilarsis? It's extremely common- I think approx. 20% of people have it. Did the derm say anything about that.

Good luck!

[Monica123]

is the acne on your arms not just keratosis pilarsis? It's extremely common- I think approx. 20% of people have it. Did the derm say anything about that.

Good luck!

When i went to the derm a few years back the doctor did give it a name. i can't remember what she said exactly, but i remember her saying it's includes small red pimple-like bumps around the hair follicles. I just google image searched keratosis pilarsis and that looks just like what i had. i don't get the bumps anymore but i still have some scars (they're almost not noticeable now )

[Monica123]

Day 1

I used the Glytone and acanya last night and the glytone this morning. I'm getting ready to do another dose of the glytone and acanya tonight before i go to bed. The glytone is a facewash (smells very good!) that i have to use twice a day and the acanya gel has to be used once a day (it's drying and sticky so it's hard to spread and i'm only supposed to use a little). I still haven't gotten that third product because of insurance complications, but hopefully i'll get it tomorrow.

As for the acne, i got a couple big honkers on my face today. some of the bumps are getting SLIGHTLY smoother, but honestly it's too soon to tell. I had asked the doc if i would get any initial breakouts on the treatment and he said no. BUT he said that the stuff i was using was going to bring all the acne to the surface (to get all the junk that's underneath OUT). so that makes me think that this is going to be one of those it-gets-worse-before-it-gets-better treatments. but we'll see!

One concern, though: the doctor didn't tell me what to use as a moisturizer. maybe that's what the third product was for, not sure. but i was using bio oil as a moisturizer and if i can't use that all i have left is your standard lotion.
and i am trying to limit the products i'm using. kicking out all those face washes and makeup and just letting it be.

Edited by Monica123, 14 July 2011 - 08:29 PM.

[Monica123]

Day 6

So I've been keeping this routine up - gytone wash twice a day & acanya gel once a day before bed. As far as skin improvements go....well of course, it's still too soon to tell. my skin feels SLIGHTLY smoother overall. I think some of the preexisting bumps are getting slightly less noticeable. but since i started the treatment i've been getting some new and larger pimples. 2 days after i started, 3 zits popped up on my jaw. The doc said there wouldn't be any initial breakouts...but he said the medicine would bring all the gunk to the surface (seems like you can't have both). so i think that's what's happening right now. For instande, the zits on my jaw were smaller pimples i had already had, but the medicine brought all the gunk to the surface. on other areas of my face the pimples are coming out. (those which had previously resisted any kind of popping are now popping on their own). So maybe after a couple more weeks, after more pimples have rose to the surface and then subsided, my face will begin to look more clear.

I've also been exfoliating in the shower, trying to remove some of the dead skin because the stuff is drying me out and i'm not using any moisturizer.

Another thing i've noticed...The acanya bleached my pillow! I have a purple pillowcase and now it is...pink and purple! So i can only wonder what this stuff is doing to my face.... I have noticed that I am looking paler!

But the pale thing shouldn't be a problem - because tomorrow I am leaving for sunny FLORIDA!
And the doc said it's okay for me to be in the sun while on the treatment - as long as i wear sunscreen! Maybe the warm weather will help my skin. But i do have oily skin, so that in combination with humidity is not the best thing

The big pimples that popped up since i started the treatment have left some scars soooo...no pictures for now xD i'll post some in a few days.

[Monica123]

Day 16

Sorry for the late replies, I am still traveling and going everywhere and seeing friends and family so it's hard for me to sit down and update. When I get back home I will post more frequently. I will be home in a few days and will post pictures then but I don't really want to take a picture of my acne while i'm sharing a room with everyone xD
Also, I don't know if anyone is still reading this, but I will keep posting because ONE DAY there might be a person out there in the same boat
Anyhoo, let me just summarize to you guys how the treatment's going. overall, I do not feel like/see much improvement from day 1. In fact, i think it may even be worse! The only place I think has gotten better is my forehead. The little bumps on my forehead have smoothed over and there are only a few noticeable ones. But I'm still getting big pimples on my forehead even though the small ones are gone (i am getting the big pimples more often than I would before I started the treatment). My cheeks have gotten really bad though. On top of the small ones (which look more obvious because they've begun to come closer to the surface due to the medicine), I am getting QUITE a few on both of my cheeks
one thing that i've noticed that the medicine does is that is speeds up the pimple process. For instance, (before I started) if I got a big pimple it would take almost a week to go away. now when i get a big pimple it appears out of nowhere and is gone withing half a day to a day and a half. the only thing is that i get many of them at once and then i get dry skin in that area once they go down.
Since I've been visiting so much family down here i've been wearing makeup. But i am still going without the moisturizer to avoid overloading on products. When i first gave up my moisturizer at the beginning of the treatment, my skin felt SO uncomfortable from the dryness. but now i'm used to it. and honestly, my skin gets so oily on it's own that you can't even tell i dry it out like that. the only place i peel is around the new acne the medicine is giving me.
Oh, another kind of funny thing in the past week is the bleaching. I stayed over at a friends house and when I woke up the acanya gel had bleached the sheets and towel that I used to take a shower with. This really confuses me because it doesn't bleach my hair, clothing, or other items! kind of embarrassing, but oh well. this happened like 5 days ago, since then i haven't noticed any new bleach victims.
Senior portaits are in 3 weeks. A day before my derm appointment (in August). I'm hoping the acne will calm down before then!!

Edited by Monica123, 02 August 2011 - 12:33 PM.

[Monica123]

Day 20

Here are some pics! I took these this morning before I washed my face

Forehead:

i'm having trouble posting all the pictures at once, so i will post one picture per post

Here you can see that there has been some improvement on my forehead. There are fewer small bumps. However, there are more big pimples and some scarring from them

[Monica123]

Day 20

again, pictures from this morning before i washed my face:

right cheek:
i had to lower the quality so that i could upload it here...
I am getting more little bumps, and overall the texture of my skin is still horrible

Edited by Monica123, 02 August 2011 - 12:33 PM.

[Monica123]

Day 20

well...I'm having some trouble uploading the rest of the pictures, so if someone could help me with that it'd be greatly appreciated. For some reason it won't let me upload anything larger than 40 K and I can't render my photos to be that small.

Anyhoo, let me give everyone an update. My skin is worse than when I started. BUT, on the bright side I have that third medication now! (The one that I was previously having trouble getting my insurance to cover). Well now I got the insurance to cover it, so it only cost me 10 bucks. If they hadn't covered it, it would have cost 100! Anyways, I am done traveling (for now); I got home late last night and used the new medicine for the first time last night.

So here's the new rundown of my treatment:

1. Glytone (mild cream wash)
"Formulated with glycolic acid to help remove dead surface skin cells to reveal a healthy looking, revitalized complexion. Thoroughly yet gently cleanses the skin of dirt, oil, and makeup while balancing skin's natural pH. Rinses easily leaving skin soft, smooth and clean. Suitable for normal to dry skin."
I don't really know why this was prescribed - it seems more like a beauty cleanser than an acne fighter. I use this twice daily, once in the morning as a face wash and then again at night right after my shower.

2. Acanya (Clindamycin Phosphate and Benzoyl Peroxide Gel, 1.2%/2.5%)
" ACANYA Gel is a lincosamide antibiotic and bacteriocidal/keratolytic combination product indicated for the topical treatment of acne vulgaris"
I need to apply this once daily. I was using it once at night after my shower and before bed, but now that i got my third medication I am using the acanya in the morning. It says to apply daily (but my doc told me to use in morning) However, I dont like wearing it during the day because it's sticky and at first it makes my face feel really dry and then later makes my face even more oily. But I do think this stuff is working better than the cleanser.

3. Tretinoin Cream, USP -- 45 g, .05%
" Tretinoin gel and cream are indicated for topical application in the treatment of acne vulgaris. Tretinoin works deep inside your skin and this takes time. You cannot make tretinoin work any faster by applying more than one dose each day, but an excess amount of tretinoin may irritate your skin. Be patient. There may be some discomfort ofr peeling during the early days of treatment. Some patients also notice that their skin begins to take on a blush. These reactions do not happen o everyone. If they do, it is just your skin adjusting to tretinoin and this usually subsides within two to four weeks. These reactions can usually be minimized by following instructions carefully...BY THREE TO SIX WEEKS, some patients notice and appearance of new blemished. At this stage it is important to continue using tretinoin. If tretinoin is going to have a beneficial effect for you, you should notice a continued improvement in your appearance after 6 - 12 weeks of therapy. Don't be discouraged if you see no immediate improvement. Don't stop treatment at the first signs of improvement.Once your acne is under control you should continue regular application of tretinoin unticl your physician instructs otherwise."
The stuff sounds really heavy duty, so hopefully it'll do the trick! This morning my skin does not feel dry at all, and it didn't when I put the cream on last night. And I'm not worried about the blushing - my skin is tan and I never blush or get too much discoloration. The instructions are really annoying. I have to be extra careful with the stuff. First I have to wash my face, then wash my hands, then wait half an hour, then apply just the right amount to my face. The thing that really sucks is that school starts in exactly 3 WEEKS. and the instructions say that's when I start breaking out I wish I started using the cream when I started using the acanya and glytone because that was 3 weeks ago, which means my skin would be improving when school starts


I'm really nervous about school...My skin was good last year, and has gotten the worst it's ever been right over the summer. They're going to see me after 3 months and wonder what happened...

Edited by Monica123, 02 August 2011 - 12:35 PM.

[Callum.]

Don't worry about school, if people ask (they shouldn't) just tell them... It's not rare

[May853]

I can definitely tell a huge difference! That's really great. It looks like you are heading in the right direction.

When I first started retinoid treatment, I noticed that during my IB the "pimple process" was definitely sped up, just as you describe it with the Acanya. It seems to have gone back to normal, but with fewer pimples.

Yes, the BP in the acanya will bleach mostly anything it touches, although it's weird that your clothes have managed to stay unbleached. Maybe it's just things that have a lot of contact with your face, like pillowcases, sheets, and towels. Although I didn't have such luck when I was using BP (not acanya, but DKRs stuff). If I put it on my face, then washed my hands, then dried my HANDS it would bleach out the hand towel. It was crazy. All my pillowcases that aren't white are all messed up. I think it did bleach out my eyebrows over time too. It took awhile though. And mine aren't as dark as yours.

Did he warn you of the possibility of an IB from the tretinoin? I don't mean to herald bad news, but it is a very real possibility. I don't know how it all goes down in conjunction with the Acanya. Maybe that will help prevent its being very bad.

Best wishes to you!

[Monica123]

Day 21

here are the rest of the photos that i took yesterday and had trouble uploading

right cheek (1) , right cheek (2)
chin
forehead (again)
left cheek


There has been some improvement from day 1, but what's really discouraging is to compare these photos with my skin from a year ago. here is a picture i took in June 2010. Back then, I would only get acne near my hairline and on my forehead and on occasion on my cheeks or a random area. (please excuse the giant black scribbles haha)

Anyhoo, I really like the tretinoin. It makes my skin feel very soft, and even though I've only used it a couple nights I think it's softening the look of the small bumps. However, today I broke out really bad with a lot of big pimples near my hairline and all over my right cheek (my acne is always worse on my right cheek for some reason...).
All these new breakouts are leaving a lot of scarring! It looks really bad, and I'm tempted to use some type of scar reducer on it, like my oils (which I'm not supposed to use ), vitamin e capsules, or neosporin. But I don't know how that would react with the medicines I'm using. Any advice?
Also, in the past week I've noticed those little bumps spreading to my nose and jawline/neckline. not the nose! That was the one area I could trust on to stay clear
My senior portraits are in 12 days! I'm dying for instant clear skin *sigh*

Edited by Monica123, 03 August 2011 - 10:39 PM.

[Monica123]

Don't worry about school, if people ask (they shouldn't) just tell them... It's not rare

Thanks, It's just that I go to a small school and I'm sure people will notice the change =/

[Monica123]

I can definitely tell a huge difference! That's really great. It looks like you are heading in the right direction.

When I first started retinoid treatment, I noticed that during my IB the "pimple process" was definitely sped up, just as you describe it with the Acanya. It seems to have gone back to normal, but with fewer pimples.

Yes, the BP in the acanya will bleach mostly anything it touches, although it's weird that your clothes have managed to stay unbleached. Maybe it's just things that have a lot of contact with your face, like pillowcases, sheets, and towels. Although I didn't have such luck when I was using BP (not acanya, but DKRs stuff). If I put it on my face, then washed my hands, then dried my HANDS it would bleach out the hand towel. It was crazy. All my pillowcases that aren't white are all messed up. I think it did bleach out my eyebrows over time too. It took awhile though. And mine aren't as dark as yours.

Did he warn you of the possibility of an IB from the tretinoin? I don't mean to herald bad news, but it is a very real possibility. I don't know how it all goes down in conjunction with the Acanya. Maybe that will help prevent its being very bad.

Best wishes to you!

Yeah the extra pimples are getting on my nerves. my skin hasn't returned to its normal cycle yet, I just keep getting more and more new ones each day.
The bleaching is annoying, but I've had less trouble with it. I've been more careful with not getting it in contact with other things and washing my hands after application.
No my doc said there wouldn't be any IB (lies!), but he was curt with all my questions, so he probably wasn't being accurate with his responses. Well thanks for the heads up, I have to be careful since I have my senior photos taken in less than 2 weeks! I'll keep you posted on the breakouts.
Thanks!

[Vanbelle]

We have really, really similar skin. I'm 19 and started getting acne around the same time as you, a little younger. Do you wear makeup by any chance? When I stopped makeup and exfoliated, I obliterated those small, skin-colored bumps that used to cover my face. I just deal with inflamed acne now.

All the best.

Edited by Sarah., 03 August 2011 - 11:01 PM.

[dollyjoon]

U LOOK BEAUTIFUL

[Reeja]

is the side of your face that has the acne the same side that you sleep on? Maybe try sleeping on your back.