7 replies to this topic

[tigersqurrl]

Hi, my name is Kristen. I am 21 years old and have had acne for about 10 years.

I can't honestly claim that my acne is severe, but I do get blemishes ranging from whiteheads and blackheads to painful cysts on my face and on my body. They never seem to go away. I experience a lot of discoloration, inflammation and some scarring, too. Furthermore, my face often flushes an embarassingly bright red and I have horribly oily skin.

I've used many topical acne treatments over the course of many years now; Mary Kay, ZenMed, AcneFree (which was called ProAcne at the time, I believe), ProActiv - you name it.
When I first started using benzoyl peroxide, it made my face so red and inflamed that I could no longer even see my blemishes. It was painful and I couldn't take it. So began the fruitless attempts at using Clean & Clear, Neutrogena and other, more gentle skin care products.

I eventually found myself visiting the doctor's office time and again and, inevitably, with prescriptions for different antibiotics, birth control pills and Retin-A cream. None of these treatments showed much promise and I did what I often do now in this battle with acne - I gave up.
There was a time about three or four years ago when I decided that I might be better off just leaving my skin alone to take care of itself. I don't think it had ever looked worse than it did during that experiment.

Back to benzoyl peroxide. What other choice did I have? I ordered ProActiv for a second try and, as before, it brought the burning, itching and swelling, but I kept using the products until those symptoms slowly subsided. Still, I didn't feel that the benzoyl peroxide was healing any more than it was causing damage.

So, about a year ago, I stumbled upon Acne.org. I read about the regimen and began by choosing a more gentle facial cleanser followed by a treatment of benzoyl peroxide. This helped to keep my acne under control, but didn't seem to stop new breakouts from forming and I still wasn't very keen on the BP. It bleaches my clothes, my sheets and my eyebrows which is kind of a bummer. But this little bit of improvement was better than nothing.

Another doctor visit brought another prescription for birth control pills, although this time I began taking them for their intended purpose. The condition of my hair, skin and nails quickly took a turn for the worse. My acne started to flare up worse than it had since I discovered Acne.org, my hair was already dull and damaged but was now falling out and my nails started to peel and would not grow. Actually, I should use present tense as I describe these things, because this is the condition that my hair, skin and nails are currently in. I returned to the doctor to discuss the side effects I was experiencing, but she told me that they weren't caused by the pill. A blood test was done to check for thyroid issues, but the results showed no problems. I am still taking those same birth control pills now, though I'd rather not.

I stopped using the benzoyl peroxide and replaced it with tea tree and other such essential oils and started taking a multivitamin for hair, skin and nails, desperate for a solution that didn't involve such harsh chemicals. I now wash my skin with yet another of those salicylic acid cleansers that are found in any drugstore. The kind I used so fruitlessly years ago. And, of course, my skin is looking worse than it has in quite some time.

I have had such bad luck with topical treatments that I have begun to think that maybe my acne and hair and nails concerns are diet related...? I would appreciate any advice that those of you here may have to offer!

[asburypark101]

I am so sorry that you have gone through this ordeal for 10 years (I am currently on 14 years with acne as well). I totally understand your frustration with trying so many medicines without much success, it can really take a toll emotionally. I am not sure about the diet related part as most research is quite inconsistent with this, but I often read that drinking a lot of water (8-12 glasses a day) can be good for your skin, but this may only be anecdotal. But with all the medications you have gone through, you may be a candidate for accutane if you wanted to discuss that with your derm. Other than that, I know that minocycline and bactrim as considered the best antibiotics for acne and retin-a micro is a topical medication that is supposed to be gentle on the skin and effective against acne, so it hopefully wont irritate skin and cause more problems. These are just some ideas

[Pink 01]

Welcome to the org.. As what asburypark101 said try to discuss accutane to ur derm, i think it is the last option.. Im on my 1month of using accutane, and i already see more than 50%improvement, the fact that i have a severe acne..

[tigersqurrl]

Hi. Thanks to both of you for the advice.

I applied some Lavender oil to my skin the other night after my shower. The next morning, I woke up to find a dozen or more whiteheads especially around my mouth. That day after work, I went to a store and picked up some La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo cream and a cleanser by the same brand. It rapidly cleared my breakout, but did cause some redness and irritation and it's too soon to tell whether or not it will prevent future breakouts. I also had ordered a bottle of 20% salicylic acid peel online and just received it in the mail today along with a bottle of grapeseed oil to use as a moisturizer. I haven't used either of those products yet.

However, I am tired of buying all these skincare products and supplements and still feeling as though I need to cover my face with makeup. And I have yet to find a good solution for the acne that often appears on my body. So I am quite interested in trying Accutane despite all I've heard about its negative side effects.

Edited to add;
I was looking through the Negative Experiences on Accutane message thread - I might be rethinking my interest in trying Accutane. I am already struggling with some symptoms similar to the side effects of Accutane such as hair loss and facial flushing.

Edited by tigersqurrl, 27 December 2011 - 04:19 PM.

[ladyacne]

Kristen,
I am so sorry that you have encountered such agony with acne. I have suffered from acne and painful cysts most of my adult life. Couple of things that have helped manage and bring my face back with minimal scaring is colon / body cleansing. It's very helpful to rid your system of toxins and to take probiotics on a daily basis. I have recently found and have had great results from using exfoliating pads. I purchased them from http://www.amazon.co.../A39T96CWU5UTWY. My before and after photos are a world of a difference. Accutane is quite strong, especially because you are so young, I would do some serious research before making this decision it can have long term side effects on both men and women. Also consider the make up you are using, this could easily be an irritant to your face. Always look for oil-free, non cosmogenic products. I hope this helps.

[Casablancaa]

tigersqurrl, on 26 December 2011 - 12:44 AM, said:

Another doctor visit brought another prescription for birth control pills, although this time I began taking them for their intended purpose. The condition of my hair, skin and nails quickly took a turn for the worse. My acne started to flare up worse than it had since I discovered Acne.org, my hair was already dull and damaged but was now falling out and my nails started to peel and would not grow. Actually, I should use present tense as I describe these things, because this is the condition that my hair, skin and nails are currently in. I returned to the doctor to discuss the side effects I was experiencing, but she told me that they weren't caused by the pill. A blood test was done to check for thyroid issues, but the results showed no problems. I am still taking those same birth control pills now, though I'd rather not.

I find it funny doctors don't inform the majority of girls (including me when I was 18 first going on the pill) that hormones deplete sources of vitamins and minerals in our body including Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Zinc, Folic Acid, Magnesium among other things...it is basically comparable to pregnant women who need to take extra supplements to compensate for their changing levels of hormones. I was on a high dose pill which 1) created eczema on my hand, 2) thinned out my thick mane of hair, 3) caused ridges and bumps in my nails.. I would suggest you also take a B complex supplement along with Vitamin C and fish oil....I too am trying to restore the condition of my hair, skin and nails after all these years on the pill..

[FunkyMonkey]

Seriously go with accutane, i was freaked out as well because of all the side effects i read about but im on my 5th month now and am extatic that i decided to try it. I had a really red face and flushing before i started it as well but the accutane has calmed that down heaps; its sometime prescribed to people who suffer from rosacia. Now im in australia so our derms are a lot more cautious then the ones in the U.S, so im only on 40mg a day and wont go above that for the rest of my treatment, so if your really worried then just ask to keep at 40mg a day or under. The only side effects ive had are dry lips, slightly dry skin (but if i moisturize morning and night its completely fine) and i'm finding im more tired, but worth the side effects, my skin is 90% more improved, i went from having 10 new breakouts every morning to none, a nose and chin and forhead riddled in blackheads and whiteheads now completely clear. I too had ridiculously oily skin, like i would wipe my face with a tissue and it would come up damp, now it feels smooth and normal, like it should. Just try it and see how you go good luck

[MrAcneHimself]

Kristen,
I know your doctor probably talks about different topicals and pills to take for your acne. The most important thing is diet. Please ready my post for more details I have been through it all accutane is a hit or miss and can cause mental side effects. My post is in the introduce yourself