70 replies to this topic

[summerfalls]

4th month already. 2 more months till i stop. My skin is in great condition!!! the marks are generally fading away.. except for some on my cheek. yay!

I can gladly say i've seen a huge difference with differin and doxy!

[Tyga]

June is looking very good for clear skin! Wish you continued success.

[leesett]

Hey Summerfalls, Hows it going? I’m in the middle of week 3 of using Doxy + Epiduo(retinoid with BP a new product). So far my face looks like crap.

Before I started this regime I had tons of flesh colored bumps on my checks it was awful. In the middle of the second week my face started to clear up, the bumps were slowly disappearing but then I got 3 huge red bumps on my right cheek, those started to clear up within 4 days but now I have 2 new enormous bumps on my right cheek (they hurt so bad) and to top it off I started breaking out with these tiny little whiteheads on my chin, jaw line and chest (plus redness and lost of peeling going on) WTF.

I’m happy to see those hundreds of flesh colored bumps fading away but these red inflamed pimples are killing me. Any words of encouragement…please help.

[summerfalls]

My condition is currently the same, with lesser scars of course! However i realised that at the right side of my cheek, there are more blackheads and whiteheads, especially during this period.

Also, the surface of my skin is not perfectly even due to the scarring i had.

My derm will most probably be stopping my medication on April 15 when i see him again.

I'm really worried. I'm scared my acne will resurface.

Anyone who stopped doxy for about 6months to a year had/did not have acne resurfacing??

Right now, i am trying to cut down my dosage of medication. I'm suppose to take once every day but i'm only taking my medicine once every two days or twice every three days.

[wrocky]

Hey summerfalls, i was on lymecycline for 3months didnt do much, so i tried doxycycline for 1month and it worked well, but then i had SmartXide profactional laser for my scars and i had to stop doxycline. Unfortunately my acne came back now after 3weeks being of doxycycline, so now im gonna try another 2months and if it wont work perm this time i wont take antibiotics anymore.

[summerfalls]

Hi all,

About three weeks back, i completely stopped my doxy medication.

When i stopped i had two pimples, but they're gone now. I have a few blackheads at my nose, and a few small bumps here and there. No major outbreak yet so it's a good thing. I hope i wouldn't have any outbreak. I realised my skin has become somewhat more oily though (it turns really oily after 2 hours!)

Right now i'm still on differin (at night) and dalacin (in the morning).

I'm using estee lauder's cleasning oil for removal of make up and cetaphil oily skin cleanser for facial wash.


I hope my acne will never come back!

[angrychair]

I'm happy about your progress I'm on exactly the same regime, and I've been on it for just over 5 weeks now and my skin has cleared up significantly. I had severe cystic acne, and now just have moderate acne. I'm hoping in the coming weeks my skin will get clearer and clearer (I do still get pimples but they go away much faster and don't bother me as much). Red marks are a problem though - theres soooo much. Its like 2/3 of my face is just red marks
Anyway, I'm on 100mg a day (50mg morning 50mg night) do you think I should start taking more? I have the script for 100mg so I could get that and take it twice a day... I just think I should be on a higher dosage because of the severeness of my skin. The derm (he was sooo crap!) said that I was on a reasonably dosage though. Do you think anything would happen if I started having 200mg?

[summerfalls]

Wow, i haven't updated this space for the longest time ever! My skin's doing fine. The scars are almost gone! Just that my skin's a little uneven.

Hmm, i've been using estee lauder's double wear light foundation... However, certain days, my skin gets really dry before applying foundation. (usually it gets really dry and flaky at my cheek, jawline area)

I've tried putting mosturiser (from clinique) but it doesn't seem to be helping. It's still just as dry as everrr. =(

Any suggestions? (wonder if anyone faces this same problem as me..)

[summerfalls]

This is great! Now all i use is loose powder + concealer. I don't need foundation anymore!

Daily routine:

<b>morning</b>
-ettusis skin version up (ac oil)
- ettusais aqua shooter extra
- medicated acne whitening uv ex by ettusais
-ettusais pore concealer
-ettusais acne medicated concealer + loose powder in natural beige

<b>night</b>
-differin and dalacin on pimples.

This is doing my skin wonders! Love it!

[OKCUser]

hey summer,

I'm currently taking doxy. Has your acne resurfaced at all ever since you stopped taking it?

[Sarah NZ]

Just stopped taking Doxy today, i am petrified that my acne will resurface and get worse =/ i did a 3 month course of it so hoping that was enough, 6 months before that i also did a 3 month course of doxy before switching to minotabs then went back to Doxy. i am 18 and my troubles began at age 17 out of nowhere. the same thing happened to my mum though, so i guess its hereditary i stopped using Differim after about 4 or 5 days, my skin was burnt and peeling. now wish i had persisted with it, i may start taking it again.

Summer, did your acne return at all after taking Doxy? i was only on 50mg, took one pill a day so not sure if that makes a difference. just wondering what to expect. eek.

[summerfalls]

My skin condition's going great now! I only have a a few pimples once in every two-three months, which is great! Now i have to maintain my skin condition and hopefully the acne scars will go away. They are going away; my skin is much better now (lesser scaring)

I've switched my skin care routine. I'm now using clinique's anti blemish solutions. It's really pricey though and i think i should stick to something less harsh. The toner is really really drying on my skin and it sort of burns... However, the moisturisers good. I love it! I'm not sure if i should continue with the toner. I think i should stop it.

Sigh, i should not have purchased the anti blemish solutions since i do not have acne anymore and the products really dry my skin =(

Any thoughts? Anyone tried this same skin care routine and found it to be good??

[summerfalls]

My acne grade was 4-5 according to my doctor.

My skin's doing great. However, i have a few pitted scars.. not too severe but i'll be checking out chemical peels with my doctor soon. Heard they're good for scarring. I can't wait!

Also, one important note is to religiously apply differin every night. I stopped for a few nights and my skin got so congested i have many tiny bumps all around. Just a word of advice for those on differin- stick to it!

[mboona]

so you didn't get any major breakouts post doxycycline?

[summerfalls]

urgh!!! i'm horrified!!!!!!!!

I went to see my derm about two week ago because of my really congested skin! He said i had a minor outbreak and he gave me two options:

1. Continue to stick with my topical creams: differin at night and dalacin in the morning

or

2. Start on doxycycline treatment all over again.

I decided that i'll stick to 1 first; however my condition did not improve at all. Today, i decided to take doxy after a break of 2 years from it. Better be safe than sorry. urgh, i'm really sad about this.

My condition is about grade 2 now. This outbreak isn't as bad as the first time though (grade 4-5), thankfully. I'm prescribed with doxy once a day, after dinner. (1oomg)

What i'm most afraid is that in the first 3 weeks, i'll have the most horrible breakout ever and i wouldnt feel like going out, yet i still have to persist with the treatment!!! ;(

But at least, i hope i'm not immune to doxycycline and that doxy will be able to clear my acne like it did before.

I'll be turning 18 in 3 months time, so hopefully my acne will be less of a problem. Will update this log again in a week's time on my progress.

Things i did which worsen my condition:

1. Took a break from differin
2. Slept at unearthly hours like 3am for 3 weeks
3 Did not hydrate myself well enough

everyone who's reading this, please do not make the same mistakes i did!

Based on my previous experience, it'll take 3 weeks minumum for me to start seeing the results and 2 months for clear skin. It's going to be a long wait...

[summerfalls]

btw, i have to be on doxy for 4-6 months. Need to complete the whole course of antibiotics once i start on it...

[spammy151]

Hi Summer,

Where you taking any supplements along with your routine? Zinc, multi vitamin, fish oil etc?? thanks for your progress, really gives us hope.

[summerfalls]

@spammy151 nope, i don't take any supplements. i just try to abstain from taking any calcium before taking doxy.

updates on my skin:

it's almost been a week now and i think the doxy is taking effect! During this whole week, i had 1 nodule and 1 cyst. It took quite a while for the nodule to go away. As for the cyst, i only had it for a day! (which is quite surprising) I think the dalacin really helped for my cyst.

My skin is clearing up slowly. There are some marks but it isn't as bad as the previous time. I have a few papules on both sides of my cheeks and my forehead. I have closed comedones under my jaw area and on my chin. (they're not too obvious though)

One week only and glad that the doxy treatment is working well! Perhaps it's because i've taken doxy before so it takes effect faster now? Not too sure about this! I think i should be able to get clear skin in a month. Hopefully!

In case anyone wants to know the skin products i use, here it is:

-Avene deep pore foaming cleanser for oily sensitive skin
- Avene mattifying moisturiser for oily sensitive skin
- Queen Helen Aloe Vera Scrub

On top of that, i use Dalacin in the morning and Differin at night. I apply them 30 mins after my moisturiser. I'm also taking 100 mg doxycycline at night.