11 replies to this topic

[valleygirl1]

Hey all, first post ever here. Seems many of you are very knowledgeable and I'm so desperate that if you help me, I'll be indebted forever! A little about me: 35 and clear skin ALWAYS until recently. I eat fairly healthy, drink lots of water, enjoy my 1-2 cups of coffee in the am. I am also a runner and used to always run in a cotton cap. I finally got a wicking one and noticed small tiny pimples starting on my forehead. So I switched to a wicking band (I sweat a lot and it runs into my eyes) but I keep it back off my forehead, right at the hairline. I also switched from Mary Kay to Physicians Formula mineral make up powder thinking I was doing a good thing. I did start drinking a bit more starbucks than usual also. The acne was at bay, noticeable but manageable and not bad at all during summer. But something has been happening recently and it's red, swollen, inflamed, painful ranging from deep cysts to papules to pimples concentrated on my forehead and esp worse at the temples. Not very many whiteheads.

What I've been doing: tried the oil cleansing method with EV coconut oil for almost 3 weeks, recently added castor oil. Wipe with witch hazel. Was also using tea tree oil nightly for about 2 weeks. Not sure if that's what made me get worse suddenly so I have stopped. I have a wash with sacilycic acid. Have done a baking soda mask for two nights now. Am now trying to go dairy and gluten free to see if that helps but I'm hoping that's not it with the holidays coming! I eat healthy but I have some vices that I'd rather not give up. I also switched from my shampoo to a more natural one hoping that might help.
An esthetician told me she would lance and extract some of the underlying build up. Which I'm scared of but if it helps.... I've considered staph infection but I'm not sure. I'm not big on over the counter meds and chemical treatments but since I'm getting more desperate....I just might have to!

Any other questions please ask....but I am hoping for someone who perhaps has been there done that a red flag has been raised and you can point me in the right direction.

[maria411]

Hey Valley Girl - I would recommend you see a Dermatologist versus a Facialist. Maybe you just need some Retin A or perscription topical. I have been dealing with Acne for at least 14 years and my Dermatologist has been my saviour. Good luck!

[valleygirl1]

That is on my list if this doesn't work. I really prefer to go without any kind of chemicals and meds if at all possible and I KNOW that is the route the derm. will take. So that is last resort for me.

[cvd]

I'm dealing with my own flare-up at present so am feeling less like an expert on anything...but you may want to make sure your shampoo doesn't have any sodium laurel sulfate in it. SLS has been implicated as an irritant to acne or can even cause acne. The health food store has shampoos without SLS. The usual advice when the skin is flaring is to cut out most everything and keep the cleansing and treatment regime very simple and gentle --- meaning do not try a new thing every day. Derms often recommend using Cetaphil Antibacterial bar soap --- it kills surface bacteria without drying the skin. Most derms say to avoid extractions by non-professionals - mainly because research is divided on if doing extractions helps or aggrevates inflamed acne. Extractions may be okay for non-inflamed blackheads on people with less sensitive skin but even then there are doubts about it. Salicylic acid is touted as being good for acne but many people get more inflamed when using it. Actually BP (dan's regime) might work really good for you. His BP is formulated for mildness.

Hope this helps and that your acne is just a transitory thing. For those of us who have battled acne since our teens and for decades as adults we wish we were in your shoes! I know that may not help you feel better but may keep things in perspective...

[valleygirl1]

Yes you are RIGHT about perspective. But then again this is so new to me that I've never realized all the emotions that go along with it!!! Ack! I get it now! And my shampoo is Nature's Gate, from the health food store, no sulfates. Prior to switching to that I used a shampoo bar which is just saponified oils for a month or so. I wish I could remember WHEN it started getting so bad. I really can't identify. But the wash with sacylic (I hate spelling that word) is fairly new....? Argh.

[cln]

I get acne mechanica from anything rubbing on my skin. I especially get a bad case of it on the winter. I'm a skier and i'm geared up in hats, goggles, gators, etc. It leads to alot of small inflammed pimples. If the acne is isolated to your hat area, you may need to run without the hat to see it that's the cause. I got the worse case of acne mechanica by using the olay rotating brush as well. Tea tree is tolerable to some, but not to me. I find it far to drying.

[gia1]

So many options, at your age might want to try birth control. Some people claim deodorant without aluminum in it cleared them up or natural toothpaste. Personally i went on the candida diet, took probiotics with other supplements and it cleared me 100 %. 2 months ago i had at least 15 cysts, papules etc on my face and my face is only left with some marks and not ONE PIMPLE.

[collegeboy84]

Hey and welcome! You mentioned your a runner, have you recently picked up any weights in the gym? Started any strength training? The reason I ask is...when I quit smoking and started to get on the healthy lifestyle, I began to run and hit the weights daily. The weight lifting caused my testosterone to boost as I added on muscle, which also caused me to break out. Also running uphill or on a treadmill at a incline will also naturally boost your testosterone if you do so on a regular basis. I would guess your acne situation is more internal then external.

[Luisa]

The oil cleansing method could be the reason, coconut oil virgin or non virgin broke me out bad, at first it felt great, my skin was looking awesome but after the first week I started getting more inflamed bumps. I use raw honey now instead, the odd times I use an oatmeal soap. Try keep it simple that's my rule now, may be just a gentle cleanser and spot treat with something like queen helena julep mask or may be even try a zinc oxide ointment, tea trea oil can irritate your skin, I have used it several times on some spots and sometimes I get some redness and itchy in the spot I used it so when that happens I just use the mask to spot treat and have used in the past diaper rash cream and worked pretty good on very inflamed spots.

[Carrie8793]

Hi Valley girl,

As I am also against any kind of medication (mostly because my body cannot take it), I was in search of a natural solution and found that amazing organic cleanser that was all I was looking for. It is all organic and green, works great on the skin, leaves it moisturized. After six weeks, my skin was clear and nice. Check it on Amazon, they also have tons of great reviews. Hope this helps!

[Roisin75]

Hi Valleygirl. I am 36 and had my first break out about 3 years ago, It has been a very upsetting time so I understand what it is like! My advice would be to go to a dermatologist as soon as possible - listen to their advice and follow it through. I think that I made the condition of my skin far worse than it should ever have been by attempting to self-diagnose. I worked my way through various 'miracle products' and ended up in a state of real confusion and despair. This site is fantastic for support and advice, but it can also be confusing trying to work out what will work for you through other peoples' experiences...

[kidego]

A patient came in the other day and told me his 70 year old grandmother developed an allergy to peanuts. Allergies can start at anytime as long as your still breathing.