34 replies to this topic

[heitea]

Hey there!

Before I get into what I'm doing for my skin/health, I want to start off by saying my skin feels GREAT. I'm really excited about it.

Here's what I'm doing:
Morning:
Rinse face with warm water.
Add Honey to fingertips, then "wash" face with honey, gently.
Rinse Honey off face with warm water (making sure to get it all off...it's really sticky, usually runs down my arms).
Add tea tree oil (TTO) to a q-tip; dot on active pimples.
Put on makeup-- I use CoverGirl Naturelux with SPF.
Take Flax Seed Oil + DHA capsule with breakfast.

During the day:
Stick to a vegetarian diet.
Workout (wash my face in the same way I do in the morning after workout).
Sit in the sun for at least 15 minutes.

At night/Before Bed:
Use facecloth with warm water to remove makeup.
Wash face in the same way I do in the morning.
If face seems dry, i'll add the TTO to some aloe then spread it on my face.

*In just 3 days, my skin has improved significantly (mostly in texture). The raised spots have flattened. Last night, I went to bed with 3 raised spots, and woke up with NONE...

*Check out my blog and my gallery on my personal profile to learn more about me/check my progress! I really think this is going to work! Yay for being healthy!*

Edited by heitea, 21 August 2011 - 09:05 AM.

[heitea]

I want to add that the flax seed supplement makes me a tiny bit nauseous for about two hours. Nothing to worry about.

Edited by heitea, 21 August 2011 - 10:53 AM.

[heitea]

That's okay if no one is reading this-- it's helping me figure out what's wrong with my own skin. haha.

I just thought of something, and this only applies to women, really, but I have an IUD in. I forgot about it because I don't even think about it! haha. Best. Birth. Control. Ever. All the other ones I've tried (pill, Depo Provera), have made me want to punch everyone in the face. The Mirena IUD does not. It makes me myself (in other words, it doesn't do ANYTHING-- including affect my acne-- except for prevent birth).

Okay, now that that side note is over...

Here's a little history of my skin issues:

My acne started at around 12, which is when puberty hit (got my first period, my hips grew...ow...). That's when I started wearing makeup. I used to wear dark makeup that looked AWFUL. I'm better at it now, thankfully.
When I was a freshman in high school, I used to get lots of the sort of zit that was under the skin but you can't pop it NO MATTER WHAT. This wasn't good for me considering I cannot leave a zit unpopped. Or at least I couldn't back then... So I'd just pick at it, and pick at it, and pick at it, until there was a very large scab. Every time....ugh. Awful. And for some reason, I thought picking the scab off would help, too. No. It doesn't.

So...I went through high school like that. But I was always able to cover most of my spots and no one really ever thought I had bad acne. This was mostly because on the days that I DID have bad acne, I wouldn't go to school. I met my boyfriend during my Junior year of high school. He's the love of my life.

When I got into college, I was so afraid to have a roommate. I would take THE LONGEST SHOWERS EVER because I would actually be doing my makeup in the little stall. I was SO embarrassed of my acne that I wouldn't let anyone see me EVER without makeup. I still have never let anyone see me without it. I had lots of awful breakouts in college. It killed me and my self esteem when they would get bad.

I transferred to the same University as my boyfriend after Freshman year. Even though I was doing great academically in my first college, I was so stressed out. I think this was a HUGE cause of my breakouts, because I was healthy otherwise. I worked out every day, ate healthy, didn't drink/do drugs (despite going to hippie school USA).

Before my sophomore year, when my acne got really bad, I started Dan's Regimen. So, I've been on BP for two years. Which is unbelievable to me. Wow. I finally have been off for 2 weeks now. I feel a lot better. My skin feels like it can breathe finally.

I'm 21 now, about to start my senior year of college. Been a vegetarian for 1 year, my skin is better than it's ever been. I work out a lot, I eat (mostly) well, I take flax seed oil, I get sunshine, and I don't use stupid washes or creams on my face anymore. I try to not let things bother me, but sometimes that's hard. My boyfriend is long-distance at the moment. He lives in New England, I live in the South now. He has no idea that my acne was ever as bad as it was....and I'll probably never show it to him. He's never seen me without makeup.

I'm looking for that last little thing to get me 100% clear. Anyone have any advice?
Should it be getting rid of wheat? I never eat white bread. Get rid of sugars altogether? I'm not sure...

[heitea]

I decided to give up on the blog and just update how I'm doing in my Personal Regimen Log.

It's technically Day 4 for me, from when I decided to do a Holistic Diet, but I think being a vegetarian for a while has helped a lot, still. I know I keep saying that, but it's true.

Today, when I woke up, I was so happy with my face. SO HAPPY. I actually couldn't help but smile at myself. Besides a zit that I was picking at near my mouth last night, every other spot was flat and smooth. I wish I didn't pick. I have to physically will myself to stop, and to think about the inflamed discomfort I'll experience if I continue.

I'm still doing the same regimen. I mean, it's only been a week, if I wasn't still doing the same thing, I'd be a quitter for real. I'm running everyday, getting my much needed sunlight, and I feel really great. I woke up early this morning. That's what I really want to work on.

This isn't only about acne. I know that's the main focus, but I also really enjoy knowing that I'm doing good for my body and my mind, as well. I want to live a long, healthy life. I don't want to be overweight, grey, and unhappy when I'm older. I want to be full of life still when I'm old. I know I'm only 21, and that maybe it's silly to think about these things. I still go out and have fun! That's part of my happiness as well! I'm not trying to be perfect, I just like knowing that at least I'm trying to feel as good as I possibly can.

So, just a recap:
-Still washing my face with honey, then treating with tea tree oil afterwards.
-Still taking Flax with DHA.
-Still working out daily.
-Still getting at least 15 minutes of sunshine a day.
-Still a vegetarian
-I forgot about this one, but I'm not drinking coffee anymore, either. WAAAH. I'll miss you, my pick-me-up.

Need to work on:
-Getting up earlier.
-Drinking more water (got some with me right now!)
-Not picking. AT ALL.

How's my skin doing?:
-NO NEW ZITS FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK. Well, actually, there was one. But that went down right away after putting tea tree oil on it.
-There are more blackheads, I think. This is because I'm trying my hardest not to pick at them. I used to extract them every time I got out of the shower.
-My skin is so soft!
-My nose seems greasy, but it always is. I'll have to put some tea tree oil on it. I've been avoiding putting it on my nose, for some reason.

Check out my gallery (link in my signature) to see my progress! I posted a new picture last night, but it won't show up 'till they approve it.

[PaulH85]

Just browsing the logs, thought I'd check in.

Good to see things are going well! I like this part of the Org because it's what first made me realise I needed to care care of my overall well-being as well as my skin, and indeed that the two might be connected and most likely help each other. Certainly, when our skin's good and we feel good about ourselves, we continue to feed off of that positivity.

Best of luck refraining from picking, that's a key thing. I wish I'd never started picking my skin and popping pimples, that's probably what's prolonged everything. I just read that back, there are plenty of 'P's in there! Much like the whole positivity thing, the less we pick, the better it heals. The better it heals, the less there is to pick. So things just get better and better.

I need to get back there, back to where I was a few months ago. I attempted something vaguely resembling a more holistic approach and thought things were going well. I was still taking antibiotics at the time and, now they're out of my system, my skin's worse than ever. Think I mistook the influence of the antibiotics as being the influence of the dietary changes I'd made. Back to the drawing board. It's either this or Accutane. Or both maybe. Either way, perhaps better to have a healthy body and a healthy mind, regardless of what my skin's like!

Looking good in your pictures by the way. Here's hoping you continue to be happy with the progress!

[heitea]

Just browsing the logs, thought I'd check in.

Good to see things are going well! I like this part of the Org because it's what first made me realise I needed to care care of my overall well-being as well as my skin, and indeed that the two might be connected and most likely help each other. Certainly, when our skin's good and we feel good about ourselves, we continue to feed off of that positivity.

Best of luck refraining from picking, that's a key thing. I wish I'd never started picking my skin and popping pimples, that's probably what's prolonged everything. I just read that back, there are plenty of 'P's in there! Much like the whole positivity thing, the less we pick, the better it heals. The better it heals, the less there is to pick. So things just get better and better.

I need to get back there, back to where I was a few months ago. I attempted something vaguely resembling a more holistic approach and thought things were going well. I was still taking antibiotics at the time and, now they're out of my system, my skin's worse than ever. Think I mistook the influence of the antibiotics as being the influence of the dietary changes I'd made. Back to the drawing board. It's either this or Accutane. Or both maybe. Either way, perhaps better to have a healthy body and a healthy mind, regardless of what my skin's like!

Looking good in your pictures by the way. Here's hoping you continue to be happy with the progress!

I love this part too Actually, I love the Message Boards in general. It's so nice to know that other people are going through this crap too. haha

I actually noticed that that sentence had lots of words starting in P. lol. Good alliteration!! I agree with the positivity. It really pays off. Balances the body and clears the mind of any toxins (real or intangible). And having a healthy mind leads to a healthy body, which probably will lead to healthy skin!

Antibiotics are good, but it's better to be on a more consistent "antibiotic." One that you DON'T have to come off of. Like, for example, honey. It's nature's antibiotic. I've never tried Accutane, but it seems scary and full of side effects. I think I'd use it as a last LAST LAAAAAST resort.

Thank you for your compliments! I hope it only get better, and with encouragement from people like you, I'm sure it will. I hope you find what works for you soon! Good luck!

[heitea]

My Thoughts about Detox Diets!

The lovely guy Thanatos• asked me a question about detox diets, so I figured I'd give him my two cents.

So, I'll start of by saying I don't believe they help anything. Detox diets shoot for short term health fixes, and they usually cut out lots and lots of calories at the same times (due to fasting, or limiting a certain type of food). For most guys (especially young men), cutting calories is no good. I'm pretty sure there's hardly a young guy out there who WANTS to lose muscle and weight, in general.
In addition, on most occasions, they lead to ridding the body of much-needed water and can leave a person dehydrated. With that water goes important nutrients such as potassium in the blood which influences hormones like no other. Link between hormones and acne, anyone?
In my opinion, and the opinion of many professionals on sites like Livestrong.com and Men's Health/Women's Health, detox diets can do more harm than good. For example, if a person is quitting smoking (yay Thanatos! ), the chemical build-up in their body will not be washed away suddenly because of detox diet. There's much more than that. The quick "release" of harmful chemicals will most likely throw the body out of whack even worse. Now, I've read a lot into detox diets. I used to be OBSESSED with food...sadly. But I'm not anymore because it's not worth it.

Here's what I recommend:
"Detox" the long-term way by changing your diet so that you can realistically keep at it for your entire life. Holistically change yourself; be more in tune with yourself, physically and emotionally. All kidding aside, sex is a wonderful thing for your soul. Do it a lot. haha. Makes you happy- stimulates your feel good hormones. Same with working out and meditating. And laughing. Do them all. Being a vegetarian feels amazing. It's NOT hard to do. *despite what people think!* If you want more info on being a vegetarian, ask me! I'm not against letting people in on the "secrets of my waaaaaays." haha.

University of Wisconsin Integrative Medicine Department of Family Medicine recommends focusing your diet on fresh, organic fruits and vegetables and avoiding meat, dairy, wheat, eggs, refined foods, sugar, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, caffeine, tobacco and recreational drugs.

If you don't want to be vegetarian, at least cut out red meats and pork. Those aren't good for you. Heart attack waiting to happen.

Another tip: Please don't overthink your diet. I used to. It causes overstressing, which causes acne, blah blah blah. Seriously. Thinking about every little ingredient in everything will cause the mind to explode. So relax, drink some tea, and breeeeathe. Then go eat. The feeling of eating healthy and knowing you're making good choices (without going overboard) is fantastic! Trust me!

Good luck everyone! and Thanatos, I hope that came sort of close to what you were expecting...

-Heidi

Edited by heitea, 23 August 2011 - 06:48 AM.

[Thanatos•]

Wow. Thanks Heidi. That does help a lot! It answered my question perfectly. Everytime I search for some sort of "detox" or health diet im led to some crazy "eat nothing and drink lemon water for 2 weeks" kinda thing. Common sense tells me that this cannot be healthy haha. I always figured that it's better to just eat healthfully and over time the body will become healthier, and this appears to be what you are saying here. Thanks .

Man, this seems quite difficult tho eh-- especially for a student living alone! Everything seems to contain dairy, wheat, egg, sugar, etc. I guess I'll start slowly! lol.

[heitea]

Ah, you're welcome!

Yes, the dairy, sugar, wheat thing is difficult. I, myself, don't even follow it. Just don't eat white wheat or white grain (like white bread, white wheat tortillas, and white rice...ick). Go with whole wheat whenever you can.

For sugar, don't eat candy, but go with fruit. Like I said, don't go overboard, just choose the healthier option.

My best advice would be to just choose the healthiest option available to you until you get in that mindset. That's what I did. I didn't go vegetarian overnight. Heck no, I cut out red meats, then all meats, then I noticed my staple food was mac & cheese. haha. So, I fixed that and am now eating a better, more diverse diet. Not crazy. I still indulge once in a while. But I don't eat candy. Ever... Alright, that's a lie. But I think it makes me break out. lol

I agree with the whole being a student thing...AND my roommates take up most of the fridge so it's even more difficult. lol. Plus, it's hard not to drink on the weekends. ehhhh. I've been so good this summer, I'm nervous about going back and wasting all my hard work.

[Thanatos•]

haha^ I admire that - but we only live once right??? You shouldn't be afraid to indulge every once in a while. If you are eating healthy in general, then a chocolate bar here, or a drink there wont kill you .

My friend is the body building champion of NZ for his body weight, and when he's competing, he diets for about 6 months at a time. His diet is SO strict. He goes crazy after a while!!! And when he's off, he will indulge like a mad-man. So I probably wont ban myself from indulging but I'll just opt for a healthier diet in general. I think that's the key to leading a happier/healthier life, eh??

[heitea]

Another day!

This will be Day 5 all together.

So, I hardly had to wear makeup today. What a wonderful thing to be able to say. It literally took me 5 minutes to be ready for the day. Ah...I love it. Feels so good.

I was sitting outside in the sunshine today, reading, and my dad says: "Heidi, your skin looks all shiny and pretty. I've never seen it like that." Then he added, "By the way, your mascara is melting." And so it was. lol. All under my eyes. Cute.

But that was nice of him to notice the skin thing.

Tried to go running, but my iPod was dead (UGH. I HATE THAT.)...so I'll go later when it charges back up. The importance of music in my workouts is IMMENSE. Takes my mind off of what I'm doing, which is good for me. Anyway, it was too hot to have a comfortable run. And I didn't want a sunburn.

Still doing all the same stuff as in the first post. I haven't had any dairy lately, but I don't think that would affect anything big. I had feta cheese on my salad, I had frozen yogurt the other day. No big deal.

I have a spot on my neck under my chin. Just a little one, minor. So hopefully it'll go away. It's because I've been forgetting to wash there with honey and stuff, I think. I'll test it out to see.

Here's a typical day for me, eating-wise:

Morning:
-One or two pieces of whole wheat toast with natural peanut butter and a little honey on top.
-A piece of fruit (apples, orange, etc.)

Mid-morning:
-Snacky stuff: Another piece of fruit, some walnuts

Lunch:
-A salad with spinach leaves, feta cheese, walnuts, and dressing (or hummus) or;
-A tomato sandwich with spinach leaves on it and light mayo or;
-Something else with equal nutritional value

Dinner:
Something pretty normal like:
-Baked potato with lots of veggies on it
-Garbanzo beans and rice with curry seasonings and other spices (YEAH, RICE MAKERS ARE AWESOME!)
-Something else vegetarian that's good for me.

*I'll maybe add some random handfuls of walnuts and almonds in there. Or a Kashi bar or something if I'm extra hungry*

If you're a guy, or if you're a taller girl, you'll need more calories than this! Adjust accordingly (bigger portions of veggies and nuts and stuff!).

I swear this makes my skin feel better than it ever has. Try it out, guys! You've got nothing to lose!

[heitea]

Also, for the record (for this Regimen page...for myself, I guess), I'm not a vegetarian advocate ONLY. I'm just saying what I am...vegetarianism is a choice that people can make. I'm not here to force it on anyone.

I'm mostly here to say what an amazing power positive thinking has on health. Feeling good = good health. Emotions and mental stability are key, in my opinion. We'll see. This is all an experiment. This whole site is. No one has proved anything or else this site wouldn't exist, would it?

If you want to add lean meat, be my guest, and fish. But try to stay away from red meat. It's just not good for you.

Anyway, I'm sad because my iPod is broken, I didn't get to run today because of that, and I don't like it when people are mean or judgmental of my vegetarianism.


Well, anyway, off to at least do some crunches or something. First time I've been in a negative mood in a while.

-Heidi

[alexaaa]

Omg you are gorgeous!! I wish my skin looked like yours. I would go makeup free in a heartbeat. Please keep updating your log! You inspire me to be more healthy =)

[heitea]

Omg you are gorgeous!! I wish my skin looked like yours. I would go makeup free in a heartbeat. Please keep updating your log! You inspire me to be more healthy =)

Oh, wow. Thanks! I'm glad I inspire you

Thank you for the kind words. They push me forward.

My intent is to update every day so stay tuned!

[heitea]

Well, here we are on Day 6.

Every morning when I wake up, I'm excited to clean my face and look at the improvement.
I ordered some Manuka Honey to see if that would be a little more potent. Right now, I'm just using honey that I bought from Walgreens, the convenient store. lol

I love washing my face with it, though. It feels great to not have any chemicals or products on my face.

I'm continuing my workouts, my eating well, and everything else.

How my face is on Day 6:
-The zit on my neck is flat and doesn't hurt anymore!
-My red marks from old zits are fading!
-My skin is wonderfully soft!



If you're reading this, anyone, please let me know if you need any specifics about what I do, what I've experienced in the past, etc. I'm fully willing to answer any questions, so don't be afraid to ask!!

Edited by heitea, 24 August 2011 - 12:43 PM.

[PaulH85]

Really liking the positivity Heidi, seems it's doing you the world of good!

Quite happy to sit and read things like this. I don't know much about vegatarian diets or alternatives to the stuff I eat - which probably doesn't do my body or my skin any favours - so this is a good way to learn and consider what changes I could implement. It's nice to get the information this way because it's not turned into this big complicated thing. I think a lot of people end up over-thinking it, limiting themselves and putting pressure on themselves in the process.

Many here have recommended Manuka Honey so you may see even better results with that.

Edited by PaulH85, 25 August 2011 - 08:03 AM.

[heitea]

Really liking the positivity Heidi, seems it's doing you the world of good!

Quite happy to sit and read things like this. I don't know much about vegatarian diets or alternatives to the stuff I eat - which probably doesn't do my body or my skin any favours - so this is a good way to learn and consider what changes I could implement. It's nice to get the information this way because it's not turned into this big complicated thing. I think a lot of people end up over-thinking it, limiting themselves and putting pressure on themselves in the process.

Many here have recommended Manuka Honey so you may see even better results with that.

Hey Paul,

Yeah positivity is such a great thing. People tend to overlook it, which is understandable in this day and age. People think that only hard work and suffering means success, when really you need a balance to keep sane. No one should be suffering, though, but hard work is needed sometimes.

I also like that you brought up that people turn everything into a complicated puzzle that they have to work out. Really, if you eat well, do the right things for your body, use natural stuff instead of bombarding your skin with crap and chemicals, you'll feel good, look good, think better, etc. It's true. And it'll be more long-term. When you give your body the right stuff that it needs to run well, it will perform in a much more efficient way.

No need to limit yourself all the time. Your life is for living, not for feeling like you're in a prison cell constructed by your own rules. Be healthy 90% of the time. The other 10% should be indulging, trying new things, etc. But, the main point is to be happy and do everything you can to get that way.

The Manuka honey is cool, by the way. It's got little granules in it that exfoliate a little bit, which was something I was missing in my regimen. I'm glad I ordered it.

Thanks for the comment! Hope to hear from you again and wish you the best! Also, that quote in your signature is one of my favorites; I love it. I find it to be completely true and completely representative of what I'm trying to say in most of my posts. haha.

-Heidi

Edited by heitea, 25 August 2011 - 01:36 PM.

[heitea]

Okay everybody! Day 7 (one week, eh? yay for me!)


As you can see in my gallery (link in my signature), so many of the red spots that I started out with just a week ago are almost completely faded.

Something that REALLY helped my healing process: I did not pick at my face after my first slip-up. I willed myself to stop (or not even start) every time I looked in the mirror. I'm proud of myself for that.

Lesson learned: Do stuff that you'll be personally proud of. I'm glad I did that for myself.

I'm also trying not to touch my face as often. I tend to rest my cheeks on my hands or the side of my face on my hands when I'm sitting. That's gotta stop.

I'm happy about my results so far. My skin today is softer than it's been in so long. It makes it touchable, like I WANT to touch it (haha, I know, I know, I just said I wouldn't be touching my face anymore). But that makes me feel great about myself.

Also, good news! Got a new music player so I can get back to running at the track. Ah, thank goodness. I was starting to get stir crazy.

Everybody, don't give up. You'll find a light at the end of the tunnel soon. I swear. Just keep at it, keep smiling, and don't let things get you down. If you think things are gonna look up, chances are, they will.

-Heidi

[PaulH85]

Also, that quote in your signature is one of my favorites; I love it. I find it to be completely true and completely representative of what I'm trying to say in most of my posts. haha.

That's nice to hear. I reckon you're well on your way. I'm always trying to get around to what I actually want to say in my posts too, but I end up taking the I-type-too-fast-for-my-own-good scenic route and they become epic!

I heard that quote in an episode of the TV show, Being Erica. If I recall correctly, the first four lines are the actual quote, I added the last line for myself.

The lines in the show were relating to something totally different of course, but it just stood out to me and I found I could apply it to myself and how I've approached my acne for the last 13 years.
The fact that I've had it for 13 years means I've been doing the wrong things.

Taking the quote from the third line onwards, I looked at it like this:
My actions 13 years ago when I started trying to stop my acne became my daily routines. On reflection, a lot of the routines I've kept have done my skin more harm than good. They became habits in a negative sense, and also in an addictive sense.
Those negative and addictive habits influenced and shaped my character and who I was becoming during essentially formative years, creating someone I did not, and still do not, want to be.
Being somebody I don't want to be discourages me from doing the things I want and achieving goals.
Unless things change, my destiny would be that I would continue being someone I do not want to be. I don't want that to happen, hence the last line.

I guess I just keep that there as I reminder that it's up to me and I'm the only one who can really change who I am.

Here ends todays surprisingly deep and meaningful lesson!

Something that REALLY helped my healing process: I did not pick at my face after my first slip-up. I willed myself to stop (or not even start) every time I looked in the mirror. I'm proud of myself for that.

Lesson learned: Do stuff that you'll be personally proud of. I'm glad I did that for myself.

Well done! Believe me when I say I know how hard it can be not to pick your face or pop pimples. I was on something of a mission a few months ago not to pop pimples. Lasted a couple of weeks, by the end of which, my skin was the clearest it's been. Of course, by that point there's not much to pick at or pop anyway, so it's like your skin helps you to help it. It's nice to get along like that, instead of feeling like you're at odds with your face.

I'm also trying not to touch my face as often. I tend to rest my cheeks on my hands or the side of my face on my hands when I'm sitting. That's gotta stop.

There I was, reading this, sat in front of my laptop and resting my hand on the left side of my face. I was really comfortable and now you've ruined it!
You're quite right though, I don't doubt that it's better to avoid it. Scary thing is, we don't realise that we're doing it.

Also, good news! Got a new music player so I can get back to running at the track. Ah, thank goodness. I was starting to get stir crazy.

Hurray for music! Can totally relate to how horrible it feels being without it - the days when I'd forgotten my iPod and had to take the bus into town for work used to be a nightmare!

Edited by PaulH85, 25 August 2011 - 03:28 PM.

[James Small]

Hello! I'm so glad your skin is improving!! I went on a strict diet a few months ago and saw a dramatic decrease with the spots I was getting - I was roughly 80% clear after a few weeks. My biggest problem was with cutting out sugary foods. Wheat and milk I was fine with cutting out, but because I was cutting out products I'd eaten my whole life I was so hungry all the time and of course that is where sugery cravings came in. I'll be following your blog, I hope it all goes ok

Edited by James Small, 27 August 2011 - 05:37 PM.