16 replies to this topic

[JFin]

Hello All,

Here’s a short introduction, I’m a 26 year old male and I have suffered from Acne since I was 14. From the ages of 14-18 I had severe acne that ruined high school for me. Once I hit my 20s my acne has been moderate to mild. I have done countless researches and have used many acne medications with no strong remedy to my acne. I came to this message board because these last few weeks I feel like my acne is slowly coming back from when I was in high school. This message board can be a bit overwhelming as there is endless information with conflicting results. I’m just asking for is a bit of advice or any type of knowledge that can help me with this problem. I’m sure my story is one of many, but I am extremely frustrated. My diet consists of a vegetarian lifestyle, I exercise regularly, and overall I would say I’m pretty healthy. I’m just another frustrated adult with acne that never seems to go away.

Thanks,
James

Edited by JFin, 04 October 2011 - 01:22 AM.

[AyeAye]

Hi James, I agree, there is a lot of information on here, and a lot of it is conflicting. I can only talk about my own experience. I'm 39 and have had mild (to sometimes moderate) acne since I was 16. 4 weeks ago I started Dan's regimen with amazing results. I am now able to not wear foundation without scaring anyone, thats the type of amazing result that i've had. I have a blog on here that you may be interested in reading about my experience (mind you I rabble on a bit so scan through to the parts that I talk about acne).

So anyway, my advice would be to give Dan's regimen a go.... but whatever you decide to do, I wish you all the best.

[JFin]

Thanks for the reply, I was just reading about his regimen and I will try that out. I just need to head to my local drug store now to find some products.

[jhonyguy04]

iam actually a 25 year old male that started getting acne at age 14 just like you!! it got severe at age 15, but i was able to quell it down with proactiv. yes proactiv. but it only worked for me for about 5 years, and then all of the sudden it stop working. so i went to teh derm, and the derm gave me plexion lotion, benzaclin, and minocyclin 100mg twice daily. this worked wonders for my skin, i had zero zits for most of the time!! i first dropped the pills after 9 months. and then i was able to be on just plexion for like 2 to three years, and i was still clear with an occasional pimple here and there. anyways, recently, after 5 years, it stopped working just like the proactiv!!! right now my face is moderate mildish, but i have like anywhere from 4 to 10 pimples on my face. 4 of them are a little big. and the only way i stay clear is my letting my boyfriend pop the ones that are popable. i know a lot of ppl and professionals say popping is bad, but i dont scar from it, and find that the pimples go away faster that way. that is why iam afraid to go on accutane, cause i feel it will impair my healing ability, and ill actually start scarring. dont get me wrong, i do have some light acne scars, but nothing considering the severity of the acne i had in the past....

as for dan's regimen, iam a little skeptical on it working on me, cause i did the proactiv thing, which is just bp just like dan's regimen, and it doesnt work for me anymore. have you tried bp before, because if you have, and you have failed, i wouldnt recommend it.

Also, let me add some things to my response.

so i have gottten back on minocyclin, but for some reason, my derm put me on 75mg twice daily. now if the mino is working at all, obviously 75mg a day is not enough for me. iam a big guy, 6ft tall, weigh 200 lbs. iam also back on benzaclin. i have used BOTH topicals for a month now, and the pills for 15 days but iam sitll not clear. i remember that when i started breaking out more than usual, i would implement all 3 and i would be clear like in a week or two, and it doesnt seem to be teh case this time.

have you tried any prescriptions btw, i would try rx first before dan's regimen if you do have a moderate case of acne.

Edited by jhonyguy04, 04 October 2011 - 01:48 PM.

[JFin]

Hi,

Thanks for your response. I do need to set up an appointment with a Dermatologist, but in this day and age it's almost impossible (costs, time, ect). So I'm looking for something quick that can help remedy the situation. I took Anti-Biotics when I was in high school and that's what helped my severe acne go away. Ever since then my acne has been mild to moderate. But lately I've been breaking out all over my forehead little pimples and on the side of my head. I have had some success with BP before, but I strayed away from it lately. I just purchased some products that Dan recommended. I will try that out for 30 days and see what type of success I get. I appreciate your input!

James

[TheMaleRN]

Hi James, I understand the frustration you're going through right now. I have had countless patients, friends, and relatives also experiencing the same situation as you do now. As a nurse, I can only tell you to be patient and not to hurry things because acne treatment obviously takes time and effort from you. Just be sure to follow the regimen as faithfully as possible because its a system built to match your needs. In the end, it all boils down to how you followed the treatment you chose (or your dermatologist prescribes). And if you follow all the directions to the specific detail, you will never get lost.


Good luck James and God bless...

[jhonyguy04]

well good luck with your regimen, and please let us know how it goes!! its 19 days till i see the dermatologist myself. i wonder what hes gonna say. is accutane the next step for me. or is it gonna be some antibiotic that i havent taken before. iam also scared on being put on retinols, cause i dont want a horrible IB.

[LuLu08]

Don't be afraid of the retinols. I started on retin a along with minocycline and benzaclin in the am. I have had no IB. In fact my face just keeps getting better. I have had 3 or 4 small pimples all month. Just one tiny one now. I just want the brown spots to fade! Before starting I was getting huge cystic acne on my chin that would last for weeks. I was to the point of tears. I just pray that this keeps working!

[jhonyguy04]

how long have you taken the retinol for??

[Meanwhile]

Hi James,
I have a history similar to yours - BAD acne years ago that seems to be coming back (I am a 28 year-old female). In my quest to rid myself of acne I have tried: dietary changes (vegan, vegetarian), lifestyle changes (exercise, no smoking, no drinking, no drugs; not even prescription), practically every OTC remedy you can think of (washes, scrubs, masks, toners, moisturizers, BP, salicylic acid, etc.), vitamins (multi, zinc, D, calcium, fish oil, vitamin E), drinking A LOT of water, getting plenty of sleep EVERY night, washing my bedding CONSTANTLY, several forms of birth control (as a male I understand this wouldn't be an option for you, anyway), and I am now into my 3rd month on Dan's regimen with little to no results.

Through many years of trial and error I have at least pin-pointed some things that made my acne WORSE: cleansers marketed specifically for acne-prone skin (seems odd, but true), over-use of products (obvious, but desperation drove me to try some crazy things), and especially oily hair products. I am sure that my wonderful argan oil curl cream, which works wonders on my dry hair, is the culprit of the acne near my ears toward the back of my jawline.

The only thing which seems to be a common trigger for my acne is stress. My skin looked great all summer, until about a week before fall semester (I am a full-time college student) when it just went crazy and hasn't subsided since.

Phew. Sorry for the long post, I just wanted to give my history before I made any recommendations. First; using a gentle cleanser no more than twice per day has proven quite effective. BP, whilst some others may swear by it, just tears up my already too-sensitive skin. Also, like Dan's regimen recommends, be incredibly gentle with your face. This is common sense, don't touch it, pick it, pop it, scrub it. Be gentle when you cleanse and dry your skin. For me it really seems that less is more when it comes to treating acne. The more I stress over my face (I am battling a HUGE whitehead at work as I write this), the worse it seems to get. I know you've heard it before from friends and family who insist that no one else notices those tiny pimples, but don't let acne defeat you. Focus your attention away from your acne, and it will stop controlling your life.

Thanks for reading,
Carol.

[JFin]

Hi Carol,

Sorry I haven't responded sooner, but like you I am extremely busy going to school full time and working full time. I have been on Dan's regimen for nearly a month now and the results have fluctuated. The first week it seemed to be working great, but these last few weeks all my acne seems to be coming back. As of now, I have 3-4 pretty large pimples on my face one on my cheek, forehead, chin, and the side of my head. I am quite beyond frustrated right now and I seriously don’t know what to do . What do you exactly use to wash your face? And what type of moisturizer do you use?

Edited by JFin, 28 October 2011 - 08:05 PM.

[cvd]

Hi JF

Sorry you're having such a flare-up right now. Dan's regime did not work for me...perhaps because I had already used Proactive for years and my skin was so irritated. Any BP at all, even in lower doses, causes it to get red and raw. So no more BP. What's working really well for me is the regime below. Extremely gentle cleansing (Cetaphil Antibacterial Bar Soap), Neutrogena Lotion for Combination Skin (A.M.) and generic Tretinoin Cream .1% (P.M.). The tretinoin cream takes a very long time to work but it restructures the pores to function correctly and that just takes time. I've also discovered that drinking 2 cups of really strong spearmint tea each day helps keep things clear. Studies have shown that spearmint tea lowers the effects from androgens (google it). I also avoid all dairy, sugary foods and alcohol and, of course, eat as healthy as I can. All this adds up and really helps the skin clear up. I think that getting a good anti-stress regime in place is good too...whatever helps you feel relaxed.

Hope this helps. For me...my biggest challenge right now is not picking at my skin --- an old habit from when my skin was breaking out. I've started a 30 day challenge for myself (see post) because I really want to break this habit. My skin will then be doing really well

[JFin]

Hi CVD,

I am glad you are having successful results with the regime you are trying. I am actually going to try out your regime, I feel like you and I had the exact results from Dan’s Regime. I am curious where can you find Tretinoin Cream? Also, I’ve noticed since I’ve been growing out my hair I been breaking out as well. I make sure to wash it every single day but I am still wondering if that’s causing some of my breakouts.

[cvd]

Tretinoin Cream (generic) is something you have to get through your doctor. If you get the .1% then most insurance will cover it. If not, don't panic. It is expensive but a tube lasts for months since you only use a tiny pea-size amount each time. Yes, having long hair could be affecting your skin. Check your shampoo to make sure it doesn't have SLS (sodium laurel sulfate) in it. You can get SLS free shampoos at the health food store. SLS is very irritating to the skin. Also I find that it helps to make sure I wash my sheets and pillows in fragrance-free detergent that is designed for allergy prone people. Tide has one. This is because your face brushes up against your pillow and sheets and the chemicals normally found in detergents remain after washing and can aggrevate acne. Hope this helps!

[gtturbo2]

Get yourself to a derm mate. Get an expert opinion on the situation.

[thisisnothollywood]

Its sucky that so many of us adults in this world suffer from acne....when its always classed as a teenage thing...that frustrates the hell outta me.... I \wish there was some kind of miracle cure, to rid us all of this shitty disease.

[RedViolyn]

Meanwhile, on 21 October 2011 - 09:33 AM, said:

Hi James,
I have a history similar to yours - BAD acne years ago that seems to be coming back (I am a 28 year-old female). In my quest to rid myself of acne I have tried: dietary changes (vegan, vegetarian), lifestyle changes (exercise, no smoking, no drinking, no drugs; not even prescription), practically every OTC remedy you can think of (washes, scrubs, masks, toners, moisturizers, BP, salicylic acid, etc.), vitamins (multi, zinc, D, calcium, fish oil, vitamin E), drinking A LOT of water, getting plenty of sleep EVERY night, washing my bedding CONSTANTLY, several forms of birth control (as a male I understand this wouldn't be an option for you, anyway), and I am now into my 3rd month on Dan's regimen with little to no results.

Through many years of trial and error I have at least pin-pointed some things that made my acne WORSE: cleansers marketed specifically for acne-prone skin (seems odd, but true), over-use of products (obvious, but desperation drove me to try some crazy things), and especially oily hair products. I am sure that my wonderful argan oil curl cream, which works wonders on my dry hair, is the culprit of the acne near my ears toward the back of my jawline.

The only thing which seems to be a common trigger for my acne is stress. My skin looked great all summer, until about a week before fall semester (I am a full-time college student) when it just went crazy and hasn't subsided since.

Phew. Sorry for the long post, I just wanted to give my history before I made any recommendations. First; using a gentle cleanser no more than twice per day has proven quite effective. BP, whilst some others may swear by it, just tears up my already too-sensitive skin. Also, like Dan's regimen recommends, be incredibly gentle with your face. This is common sense, don't touch it, pick it, pop it, scrub it. Be gentle when you cleanse and dry your skin. For me it really seems that less is more when it comes to treating acne. The more I stress over my face (I am battling a HUGE whitehead at work as I write this), the worse it seems to get. I know you've heard it before from friends and family who insist that no one else notices those tiny pimples, but don't let acne defeat you. Focus your attention away from your acne, and it will stop controlling your life.

Thanks for reading,
Carol.

Carol,

Just wanted to thank you for this post. I am in a similar situation to you, and desperately trying to "mind over matter" my out of this situation- not dump on the products, scrub my face to death, or pick away. it's really hard. I appreciated your clarity and honesty!