4 replies to this topic

[jokerj]

anyone else wondering for how long they'll have to keep this crap up?
and, more importantly, for how long they'll have to worry that something will pop up and ruin their day/plans/look/etc?

[Lola Burns]

Could you be more specific about which crap you are you referring to?

I'm going to guess about 90% of us wonder how long it will be before we can breathe easy. Even once you are clear, it can take a long time to stop anticipating the other shoe to drop. Therapy has helped some people get past that. It can be much harder when other psychological issues come into play, like OCD or dysmorphia, especially when those go untreated.

I refer to the "what to expect" page all the time to see if my skin is doing what it's expected to do and monitor my progress like a crazy person. I KNOW my skin can be perfect (or close to it) if I stick to the regimen, eat well, sleep well, and keep stress to a minimum. But even then, there is a part of me that doubts my ability to maintain this lifestyle.

[PaulH85]

Depends what it is you're working on I suppose. Where acne is concerned, it's all about how long it takes to find what helps your skin the most.
When it comes to turning things around and getting through the effects of it, such as confidence and so on. I guess that takes as long as it takes too.
Time and patience...

[MJRI94]

If you are asking about the acne itself, I'm hoping that it will go away in a few months. My acne started when I was 13 the same as my father and his cleared up when he hit 18, now I'm a couple of months away from being 18 I am hoping it will clear up for the first time in 5 years!

Maybe I'm being too hopeful and by saying this I've probably jinxed myself but thats how I see it at the moment. I'm not too sure what I'm going to do if it doesn't clear up...

[AceEpidermis]

We each seem to have our own interpretation of what jokerj was intending to say with their topic. What I took it to mean was just how stringent do we need to be with these regimens, diets, and so on. I've often pondered that very question myself. Hypothetically, we may all be able to effectively treat our acne, clearing it up totally or hopefully, at least, the vast majority of our breakouts. The question then becomes, does that ever end?

We've all heard that there is no true cure for acne, but if you can effectively eliminate the root issue (for example the wrong dietary habits), then treat and heal the skin from any remnant acne infections... At that point, is it a requirement that you continue to cleanse, moisturize, and use products like benzoyl peroxide for the rest of your existence? It's a query that has concerned me for some time.

In my case, I feel like if I could treat my acne I'd be done with it in most respects. However the possibility exists that we may be fighting a constant battle. A neverending struggle to keep our skin issues at bay. Perhaps that is what jokerj is inquiring; if the 'battle', as it were, will ever end in her case, effective treatment or no.