46 replies to this topic

[Sweetsleep]

Hi all,

I am 28, female, and have had acne breakouts for about 5 or 6 years now. I actually didn't have acne in college or even as a teenager. I started birth control pills when I was 21 and I think they messed up my hormones. I was on birth control for about 3.5 years and when I stopped taking them, my acne became bad.

Let me define "bad" just in case other people relate. The breakouts form nodules deep under my skin almost overnight and just get bigger and bigger over the course of a week. Rarely will they go away, most times they get huge (sometimes up to 5 mm in diameter) and just last for a whole month. I may have anywhere from 1-5 of these at any one time and they occur all over my face, no area is safe. I always get new breakouts the week before my period but they can happen at any time, too. Often the breakouts will distort my skin so that when they do pop and start healing, I will be left with a dark scar for another month to come. My acne didn't use to be this bad, actually it's gotten worse no matter what I have tried and I think most of the things I have tried are not strong enough and only succeed in irritating my skin rather than fixing the problem. Below is a list of things I have tried:

Getting back on birth control- got even more nodules, horrible!
cutting out caffeine - helped a tiny bit, but still not before my period
tea tree oil topical- helped heal popped breakouts
drinking green tea and using it as an astringent on my face after cleansing (worked a bit but not strong enough)
Proactive- I only used it a few days and stopped because my skin felt so dry and painfully irritated and i had more breakouts. I think their system is too harsh.
cutting out dairy- might have worked, I might try this again but I dont think it's enough
scrubbing with microdermabrasion cream- pretty harsh and after a week of clear skin I got 5 brand new big nodules.

I started The Regimen just yesterday so I am hoping if I follow it exactly and stick with it for a few months that it will help me. I will keep you all posted!

Edited by Sweetsleep, 03 January 2010 - 08:42 AM.

[Sweetsleep]

January 1st night-
washed with Origins cream cleanser very gently for about 10-12 seconds (i need to work on reducing this)
waited 5 minutes*
applied Neutrogena On the Spot treatment 2.5% BP all over a little at a time (1/2 finger length)
waited 5 minutes
applied Origins white tea moisturizer with a few drops of jojoba oil

*I didn't want to wait 15 minutes because it's the first day I am doing The Regimen and I knew my skin would crack and get really dry if I waited that long. I will try to increase the time later, but for the first month I just want to get used to the BP.

After this night routine, my skin itched a little bit but nothing severe.

I also ordered DKR Treatment tube so I will switch to that when I get it. Does anyone know how long the 16oz tube lasts when using the full amount twice a day?


January 2nd morning-
Woke up this morning with a couple of tiny irritated spots that look like little comedons. I assume this is irritation from BP. My face doesn't feel too dry or tight and I think this is because jojoba oil is awesome. I am trying really hard not to touch my face... even though I have a few painfully large nodules from before starting this treatment.

I know things may get worse before they get better and I am really scared that I'm going to look ugly. But I know I am not the only person suffering through this so I will just try not to think about my skin and be happy and healthy. After all, it's the inner beauty that counts!! <--- mantra. Repeat.

Edited by Sweetsleep, 03 January 2010 - 08:42 AM.

[Sweetsleep]

January 3rd

So I am now on Day3 of The Regimen. I woke up this morning with less comedons than yesterday which is surprising. I didn't think they would go away so quickly once they showed up and without me doing anything except what DK recommends. I still have the large painful cysts on my face that developed before I started this routine. The one on my chin actually seems a bit smaller and one on my cheek has gone away nearly completely. However, the one on my temple and one between my eyes are still painful. But these only go away with time so I will have to be patient.

I posted a [blurry] picture of the nodules/cysts that I get deep under my skin. These can get so bad that they last a month and leave a scar that will also last months.


My skin is flaking a bit and it makes me self conscious. Especially when I went bowling yesterday with friends! Argh... oh well, I had fun anyway!
I have stopped using coverup on my scars and big red pimples which doesn't help how I feel out in public still. Either way, I'm going to stick it out because I have suffered with acne for several years anyway. People I see on a day-to-day basis already know I get breakouts.

The only real problem I am having is keeping my hands away from my face, but this is nothing new. <--- needs improvement

Also: If you are thinking of starting the DKR, USE JOJOBA OIL!!! I can't stress this enough. Even before all this jojoba oil has been a life saver. Especially in winters when our houses have forced air heating and our skin shrivels up. Jojoba oil will make it all better. Add a few drops to your moisturizer before putting it on.

[williteverend???]

Hey Im new to the regimen as well but before I started it my dermotologist put me on Spirolactone or something like that...its a little white pill that is supposed to reduce the level of testosterone because apparently what causes female adult acne. It really helped with that weird nodule acne that for some reason a started getting really bad just below my jawline on my neck...really embarassing. I stopped taking all the other pills he put me on when I started the regimen except that one because I think it is actually helping. Just something u might want to try. Sounds like we have pretty similar issues...Im 25 and started breaking out when I was 21. At first I just had regular little zits but then it turned into those hard bumps that stay for weeks! and it is mostly on my cheeks and neck. Hope this helps you!

[Sweetsleep]

Hey Im new to the regimen as well but before I started it my dermotologist put me on Spirolactone or something like that...its a little white pill that is supposed to reduce the level of testosterone because apparently what causes female adult acne. It really helped with that weird nodule acne that for some reason a started getting really bad just below my jawline on my neck...really embarassing. I stopped taking all the other pills he put me on when I started the regimen except that one because I think it is actually helping. Just something u might want to try. Sounds like we have pretty similar issues...Im 25 and started breaking out when I was 21. At first I just had regular little zits but then it turned into those hard bumps that stay for weeks! and it is mostly on my cheeks and neck. Hope this helps you!

Hey, thanks for letting me know about this! I have never tried it before but if the regimen doesn't work well (or doesn't work at all or works and then stops working) I will ask my doctor about this. It's been a long battle but this year my resolution is to get completely clear skin. The main thing I am concerned about is developing an allergy to BP after using it as much as the Regimen says to use it...

How long have you been taking those pills? Has your skin completely cleared up or do you still get nodules? Thanks again for your message, it gives me more hope I might ask my doctor about it anyway, maybe if I take those pills, I can use less BP!

[williteverend???]

I take the pills along with the BP because I think the pills got rid of the nodules before I ever started the BP thing so I dont want to quit those because Im afraid the nodules will come back like they were before. They are gone completely now with the exception of one stubborn one on my neck however that one is really small and you cant even see it I just know it is there:(

[Sweetsleep]

January 4th, 2010

I wasn't going to write an update today but my skin is driving me crazy. I can tell it needs exfoliation because it's so packed with dead skin it feels like it's moving. I don't want to deviate from the Regimen and even gently exfoliate but I feel like picking and rubbing at my skin constantly. Also I got a new nodule zit on my chin - super. The nodule on my temple (see pic above) is EVEN bigger and the one right between my eye and nose is quite painful still.

I also read that acne like this can be caused by eating high glycemic index (GI) foods. I am going to cut back on those- my entire family has a history of diabates anyway, so it would be beneficial on both fronts for me to eat low GI food. Heh, I say this after devouring 6 cookies when I came back from work ... But seriously, I need to be careful.

Still keeping my fingers crossed ....

Edited by Sweetsleep, 04 January 2010 - 07:08 PM.

[williteverend???]

try the jojoba oil rub and mask that is descibed on this site... somewhere. basically you wash your face with jojoba to get rid of the dead skin. you pour some in your hand like a face wash amount and start rubbing it in like a face massage. not too hard but firm. then after like three or four minutes all the dead skin starts sloughing off just keep going dont rinse the dead stuff off right away because yes although it is gross it helps exfoliate the rest off. Dont over rub it tho you will know when u have had enough. then just rinse and pat dry...works for me and several other people on here. It wont get rid of alllllllll the flakes but it will help alot

[c'est la vigne]

try the jojoba oil rub and mask that is descibed on this site... somewhere. basically you wash your face with jojoba to get rid of the dead skin. you pour some in your hand like a face wash amount and start rubbing it in like a face massage. not too hard but firm. then after like three or four minutes all the dead skin starts sloughing off just keep going dont rinse the dead stuff off right away because yes although it is gross it helps exfoliate the rest off. Dont over rub it tho you will know when u have had enough. then just rinse and pat dry...works for me and several other people on here. It wont get rid of alllllllll the flakes but it will help alot

Exfoliating with jojoba oil. ; )

[Sweetsleep]

That's a great idea!! You guys are awesome. I will try the jojoba oil exfoliation tonight and let you know how it goes THANKS!

[peewee26]

hello there i have read ur post and i sympathize with u. i have also been on birth control (diane 35) for 4 years.started when i was 23 years old. i have just the occasional zit when i started and i basically had clear skin but each time i stop birth control..the acne comes back with cysts so i take the pills again. October of last year..due to taking clear skin for granted.i dont take my pills on the same time and i would 4get taking them for 5 days...and this did havoc 2 my skin. i get cystic breakouts. i dont get small pimples. i would have 2 cysts that will take a month to heal. i started the bcp again but i more nodular cysts came.

so last december, i took my last BCP pill on the 2nd week, prior to that i took accutane (on a low dose 20mg) by dec 4. its been 1 month taking accutane and i am maybe on my inital breakout. i have 3 huge cysts on my face right now.plus my face has some marks from past breakouts. i am hoping accutane will be my cure. but this is only hoping.

il post if it will be effective for me though.=) just wanna say that im done with the bcp and im not planning to take it again. i hate the "fake" hormones and all the horrible acne that comes with it. i wish u luck!! =)

[Sweetsleep]

hello there i have read ur post and i sympathize with u. i have also been on birth control (diane 35) for 4 years.started when i was 23 years old. i have just the occasional zit when i started and i basically had clear skin but each time i stop birth control..the acne comes back with cysts so i take the pills again. October of last year..due to taking clear skin for granted.i dont take my pills on the same time and i would 4get taking them for 5 days...and this did havoc 2 my skin. i get cystic breakouts. i dont get small pimples. i would have 2 cysts that will take a month to heal. i started the bcp again but i more nodular cysts came.

so last december, i took my last BCP pill on the 2nd week, prior to that i took accutane (on a low dose 20mg) by dec 4. its been 1 month taking accutane and i am maybe on my inital breakout. i have 3 huge cysts on my face right now.plus my face has some marks from past breakouts. i am hoping accutane will be my cure. but this is only hoping.

il post if it will be effective for me though.=) just wanna say that im done with the bcp and im not planning to take it again. i hate the "fake" hormones and all the horrible acne that comes with it. i wish u luck!! =)

Yeah, I never want to take hormones again if I can help it It's terrible, they have all kinds of side effects. And even if you don't have immediate side effects, there is evidence that taking birth control your whole life may lead to a menopause with more severe symptoms. But there is hormone replacement therapy for that too, so essentially, once you start, you take hormones your whole life! Best not to start at all...

[Sweetsleep]

January 6th 2010

Well I tried the jojoba oil exfoliation last night and it really didn't work. I started to do it gently and after a minute my cheeks started to sting a bit so I stopped. Luckily no damage happened! I just think the BP regimen is making my skin very sensitive so I will wait a while before doing anything else outside of the Regimen. What I did do is take a washcloth and gently wipe my nose in the shower. It was feeling like a porcupine with all the pores purging their gunk. My nose usually doesn't get breakouts and is pretty tough so it was OK to do this. My nose looks and feels much better now.

Actually my skin in general is looking good. The BP I am using is the Neutrogena one (I am waiting for Regimen BP to arrive) so my skin is a bit white and flaky, but I think Dan's BP will be better. Sure I have a few breakouts, but only two that anybody can see. The others are within my skin and I know there are there cause they hurt to touch, but nobody else knows. Plus I think they are shrinking ... which is amazing.

With Dan's BP I am still going to use the half pump to let my face accustomize to it, though I will have been on the Regimen a week. Don't want to dive into it too fast since it's a more deeply penetrating solution. At the end of the week, I shall take a picture

Also yesterday I went to the gym, which was awesome!

Edited by Sweetsleep, 06 January 2010 - 09:08 AM.

[Sweetsleep]

January 8th 2010

Small update: Still on the Regimen- Neutrogena 2.5% BP cream, half a finger's length day and night.
My skin is doing fine with this. No new breakouts (except the tiny whitehead on my forehead) and any breakouts I got after starting the Regimen are getting smaller, albeit slowly. The one next to my eye is still big and painful under the skin but less noticeable. Not sure why they are taking so long to heal. Scars from past breakouts are fading. Pretty sure I will get my Regimen BP tomorrow but it may come Monday, too.

Today it snowed!

[Sweetsleep]

January 9th 2010 (over one full week of the Regimen)

Part of me is getting discouraged.
The nodules on my face I had before starting the Regimen are still there... I am sure they would dry up and heal if they ever surfaced, but they aren't even rearing their heads. Sometimes they seem smaller and other times they are painful and almost flare up. It might have to do with the temperature or stress or food I eat or sleep I get, but fact remains- they aren't going away.

I am only glad that the nodules are deep in my skin and not visible at least. My skin looks kinda flaky but I can pretend that's just due to the dry weather we are having. Dan's BP is taking forever to get here. Maybe because it has to come clear across from the West coast to the East but it seems other people on here got theirs faster. Also I didn't any sleep last night so I am rather irate.

Today I will increase to one full finger length of the Neutrogena BP.

[Sweetsleep]

January 9th 2010 After 1 finger-full Neutrogena BP

I promised pics so here they are. You can see the deep brown scars from older breakouts and some bumpy breakouts (one that I popped on my forehead). My skin looks whiteish after applying this much Neutrogena BP. It doesn't absorb very well and if I try to rub or spread it to get rid of the white-ness, it starts to peal off taking dead skin with it...





The flash actually makes the scars really stand out but in truth I don't wear makeup to bother covering them up because they aren't that prominent.

Comments?

[Sweetsleep]

January 10th 2010

YAY Dan's BP came! I got to use it last night and it's so smooooth. Went on very well and felt great. After a week of using Neutrogena's cream based one, it's such a relief to have BP that is NON-CLUMP-O-GENIC.

I'm going to be using about half the full amount (I got the 16oz tube so that is half a finger length) for the next week. I am going to order the AHA and maybe more tubes of the treatment at the end of the week.

Also I think this is a wonderful community. There was never anybody in real with whom I could discuss my acne concerns. If I did talk about it with people close to me, they would say things like:

"It'll go away soon"- uh no, it's only been getting worse over the years...
"Did you wash your face today?"- yes, twice already and it's not caused by dirt!!
"Quit drinking alcohol and eating spicy food"- .....*sigh*
"Go see a dermatologist"- sure, those expensive semi-hemi-demi-quasi-certified "Doctors" who will probably prescribe antibiotics and hormones to screw with my liver.

After coming on this website and reading the stories, I felt I could identify with so many of the painful emotions that go along with acne. I feel I could be a very attractive lady if I didn't have giant nodules on my face now and then and it always makes me frustrated when I think about it. But thanks to finding this community and the DKR, I feel hopeful that it will get better Thanks all!

I don't think anybody reads my blog so it's not worth posting everyday though But I will post pics and periodic updates when I see significant improvement. Ciao!

[leakt]

I think your skin is looking good! Haven't seen the before pics, but the one that you posted looks great! (seems like your skin is improving quickly with The Regimen!) By the way, you said 16oz tube? or was it 8oz tube hehe. (I would love to have the 16oz tube haha) - I prefer the tubes over the bottle. =P

[Sweetsleep]

I think your skin is looking good! Haven't seen the before pics, but the one that you posted looks great! (seems like your skin is improving quickly with The Regimen!) By the way, you said 16oz tube? or was it 8oz tube hehe. (I would love to have the 16oz tube haha) - I prefer the tubes over the bottle. =P

Oh sorry, I meant the 8oz tube I guess the 16oz bottle is a slightly better deal but a pain to dispense the last little bit of BP...
And thanks I definitely see an improvement after just a week on the Regimen. Too bad I still have nodules under my skin that are hard lumps I can feel, but people can't see them and I am hoping they will heal soon.

Edited by Sweetsleep, 10 January 2010 - 06:40 PM.

[Sweetsleep]

January 11th

Well I wasn't going to write another update for a while but my skin is looking awful today. I've only been using Dan's BP for 2 days and 5 new pimples have popped up since then. I guess this is the "purging" period and it's very gross. My skin is tingly, almost burning and I have several nasty looking whiteheads. I almost don't want to show my face in public! ARGH