39 replies to this topic

[djtoodles]

I have tried every OTC product I can think of and gone to the dermatologist and tried some different creams and cleansers etc etc. Using tazorac seems to have made my skin better in some ways it always has made the skin uneven and more aged. Also i have red blotches and my skin looks irritated all the time and around my chin and jaw its dry flakey skin a few hours into the day.

I went to my family doctor and they ran blood test and he put me on minocycline (which i ended up having a allergic reaction which caused serious breathing issues for a while) the test came back normal.

I hate always having my face feel tight after a shower unless i am putting some prescription on it, or middle of the day having flakey skin around my jaw and chin while around my nose is all oily and pressing my tongue against my cheek and having a burning feeling.

I grew up acne free and would get 1-2 pimples every few months and i only washed my face with normal irish spring or whatever brand soap was in the house until i was 24. then i brokeout with acne. My family doctor just said i was a late bloomer when it came to acne but neither of my brothers or parents had acne issues.

I am really ready to throw in the towel once my tube of tazorac and clindamycin phosphate run out. i am 28 almost 29 and have let almost 5 years pass by of trying every product and having acne consume my life where i am not even the same person i used to be before it.

I asked the different dermatologist i have been to about accutane but they say my acne is not bad enough to prescribe it but i dont know a single adult guy who has acne so i would say i qualify.

I have been on tazorac for the better part of 9 months (took 1 month off for a go at ziana and minocycline) and i just feel if it were going to clear me for good it would have happened by now.

the last steps i think i am going to try to take is a colon cleanse and hope that i can detoxify something that has been stuck in there and going to an allergist and getting tested. I cant think of any other options.

I have tried changing my diet it made no difference.

[Siava]

I'm sorry you're having a hard time, djtoodles. I wish there was something I could recommend, but you've tried so much already.

[Sima]

edited. sorry. i cannot post in the adult forum since i am not over 25. my bad.

Edited by Sima, 01 February 2011 - 10:31 PM.

[independent660]

Something That Worked For Me

Hi. I am a 26 - year- old mama and full- time student. Last semester was my first year back to college and during my first semester, I became severely stressed. I started noticing that my minor blemishes became more frequent, and the cleanser that I was using was no longer working.
Since then, I’ve tried benzyl peroxide and salicylic acid products, both over-the- counter and pharicutical grade. Nothing worked!! The only thing I noticed was drier skin and my blemishes became cystic. They also became infected.
I even went through a couple laser therapy sessions and 3 IPL chemical peels. My acne was starting to subside, but the side effects were almost as bad as the acne itself. This is a more evasive option, and it does not treat the acne scars. Plus, it’s ridiculously expensive.
I battled the pain for almost 6 months until I started looking up holistic remedies. I found a couple that may help you, and it’s completely natural, so you don’t have to worry about nasty side effects.

Depending on your skin type, (if you have oily skin)you may want to opt for fresh herbs and diffusing them by boiling them in water, then draining the water into a jar for your mask and astringent. For normal to dry skin, you can purchase the essential oils from Camdengrey.com. If you decide to go this route, make sure you purchase essential oils, not fragrance oils.

Oatmeal mask
1) microwave some oatmeal, water, 2.5 ml. Rosemary and 2.5 ml. Lavender in a bowl for 2 minutes.
2)Wait 1 to 2 minutes for oatmeal to cool, then apply the mask on your face.
3) Let mask dry and gently wipe with a washcloth to rinse
4) pat face dry with a towel.

Rosemary and lavender astringent
1)Take the diffused water or essential oils you used for the mask to make your astringent..
All you need is a few drops of each. Massage both herbs into your skin until dry. You may feel a tingle, and that means the herbs are working J…

Purchase the clinique cleansing line. They will help you decide what type of product you will need.( Avoid the acne line… It has a tendency of over-drying the face)

Hopefully, after two to three weeks, you will notice your acne diminish. Once this occurs, it is ok to start exfoliating daily. Exfoliation helps with dimishing acne scars. Try to find cloth exfoliatiors with fibers instead of a normal loofa. They are easier to disinfect and do not carry as much bacteria.

The good thing about Rosemary and Lavender is that they are both antiseptics, which means they have the same properties as peroxide or alcohol, without the drying effects. Continuing use of the two will bring blood flow to the surface of the skin, which promotes cell- growth and will reverse some of the scarring and discoloration. Be aware that when using natural herbs, make sure that you discontinue any over- the -counter treatments because it could lead to over drying.

Because Rosemary is used to bring blood- flow to the surface of the skin, it is important to make sure you do not have high- blood pressure or any other heart- related conditions. Lavender is much milder, and is so safe they use it on infants and elderly.

I’m writing to let you know that I feel your pain. Even though I haven’t endured this obstacle all of my life, it still made a huge impact on it. You’re a very strong individual. I hope this treatment works for you like it did me. No woman should feel less beautiful because of something so bothersome. Remember, at our age, it's usually stressed- related, so try to keep stress- free. It's honestly the only way to fix any ailment. Hope I was able to help. Please keep in touch.

[djtoodles]

one of my dermatologist made his own mask that he sold and i tried that it burned and made my skin really dry. And i have a combination of oily skin and dry skin (just another thing to add to the list) by chin and mouth area get really dry but my nose and around my nose is really oily.

I asked my dermatologist about laser and they said it was expensive and it probably wouldnt help with the acne but more with acne scars and the oil factor. But doing searches ive heard that it only works for about 6-8months before the oil will return.

At this point i think i am just going to give up and hope prayer works. And for what is worth i think i could be a dermatologist with the little they know. It seems they all just try to prescribe some acne meds and if they dont work try something else. I think i could do that job.

My family doctor seemed to have more to say but again neither of them could target the cause of this and no solution either. Hopefully my insurance will cover an allergy test and that will yield some results.

For anyone curious my current regime is

AM:
wash my face with green tea foam and glytone glycolic acid 4.7%
pat dry and wait for skin to dry then apply clindamycin phosphate 1%

PM:
wash my face with green tea foam and glytone glcolic acid 4.7%
pat dry and wait for skin to dry then apply tazorac .05% gel

in the few dry spots if its peeling too much i will use very little bit of cetaphyl restoraderm moisturizer.

also i have heard that clindamycin phosphate is most effective with BP i tried dans BP and benzefoam and both of them caused my face to feel as if it was on fire and going to fall off. I am guessing that is due to the tazorac. I used to use dans regime a few years ago with ok results.

Edited by djtoodles, 02 February 2011 - 08:36 PM.

[katie_muss]

Hi guys...
Im so sorry to read your stories, I can relate - I have been there in the past and am there again now! I understand the feeling of hopefullness and desperation where youve tried absolutely everything and paid for treatments to the point that youre in debt just to afford them! Thats where I am now...
I am on RegimA products and their ''Peel and Heel'' treatment. I know the products are good and I know they work as theyve worked for a friend of mine fantastically - but everyone and every skin is different!

A few years back when my skin was very bad, I used a product called Cellfood and cellfood moisture gel. I took a few drops in the morning and used the gel morning and night and I saw a magic difference in my skin! I forgot about the products when I moved to the UK - until now, and have just re-ordered some online and will try that and see if it helps! I will keep you posted - but if youve tried everything and are about to give up then try this as your last resort! It oxygenates your body and cells (drops) and the moisture gel moisturises, repairs and heals with natural products and has been proven to help with acne!

I am on agnus castus tincture to try and re-balance my hormones naturally without having to mess around with the pill again... as well as trying a diet with no sugar or refined/processed foods and will see if the combination helps!

I think these peroxide gels and creams are too strong for already sensitized skin and just end up making the face more red and angry! You need to look after your skin, keep it clean and moisturised to control the oil - by overdrying you are causing it to produce more oil which creates more acne. This is a 13 year battle for me with periods of good skin and terrible flare ups and now inflamed painful cystic acne on my neck

I am more convinced now than ever that messing around with hormones is doing more harm than good and will see how my all natural approach works from here on out..... I will keep you posted. Dont give up now...

[tracy521]

one of my dermatologist made his own mask that he sold and i tried that it burned and made my skin really dry. And i have a combination of oily skin and dry skin (just another thing to add to the list) by chin and mouth area get really dry but my nose and around my nose is really oily.

I asked my dermatologist about laser and they said it was expensive and it probably wouldnt help with the acne but more with acne scars and the oil factor. But doing searches ive heard that it only works for about 6-8months before the oil will return.

At this point i think i am just going to give up and hope prayer works. And for what is worth i think i could be a dermatologist with the little they know. It seems they all just try to prescribe some acne meds and if they dont work try something else. I think i could do that job.

My family doctor seemed to have more to say but again neither of them could target the cause of this and no solution either. Hopefully my insurance will cover an allergy test and that will yield some results.

For anyone curious my current regime is

AM:
wash my face with green tea foam and glytone glycolic acid 4.7%
pat dry and wait for skin to dry then apply clindamycin phosphate 1%

PM:
wash my face with green tea foam and glytone glcolic acid 4.7%
pat dry and wait for skin to dry then apply tazorac .05% gel

in the few dry spots if its peeling too much i will use very little bit of cetaphyl restoraderm moisturizer.

also i have heard that clindamycin phosphate is most effective with BP i tried dans BP and benzefoam and both of them caused my face to feel as if it was on fire and going to fall off. I am guessing that is due to the tazorac. I used to use dans regime a few years ago with ok results.

just a note about your face wash. i think that glytone glycolic acid wash is the same stuff that my derm prescribed to me years ago and all it did was make my face peel and it was really red. it got so bad that it caused me to have bad breakouts from it. once i stopped using that crap my face got alot better. i use olay regenerist cleanser now and its got those little beads in it which i love so much. i use benzaclin after i use my cleanser and that works pretty well. if you dont use the right moisturizer with it then it will make your face super red and dry. i use the olay regenerist deep hydration cream after i let my benzaclin dry. it really is the only thing that has worked for me with using the benzaclin. kinerase works ok too but this really helps to keep my face from peeling and not looking red. i have used cetaphil in the past with no luck. i think it breaks me out and it did nothing to really help hydrate my face. cerave did the same thing for me as well even though my derm swears by it. good luck and dont give up. i am sure there is something out there that will work for you
also what helped me a few years ago when i was going through major breakouts was a chemical peel. i would get 1 a month. they cost me $125 each time but it was worth it and whats nice is that the peel would help clear up my existing breakouts really fast.

Edited by Karen Howz, 03 February 2011 - 09:34 AM.

[djtoodles]

interesting on the glycolic acid... my skin does peel but i assume it was from the tazorac. I was using just cetaphil face wash for normal to oily skin but the dermatologist thought the glycolic would be better since most of my skin is oily and it would help with the exfoliation.

Also i dont know if males and females are the same but i am a male so i think the hormone balance may be different for us as we dont have the whole monthly cycle or hormone changes from pregnancy.

[tracy521]

interesting on the glycolic acid... my skin does peel but i assume it was from the tazorac. I was using just cetaphil face wash for normal to oily skin but the dermatologist thought the glycolic would be better since most of my skin is oily and it would help with the exfoliation.

Also i dont know if males and females are the same but i am a male so i think the hormone balance may be different for us as we dont have the whole monthly cycle or hormone changes from pregnancy.

yeah you could easily be peeling from the cleanser. i just know for myself that cleanser was awful! i had to use special cream from my derm after i stopped using that crap to get it back to normal. it was so expensive too which made me even angrier.
you should check into those chemical peels if you have the cash. your derm can do them or you can go to medical spa to get them done. sometimes the spa's charge less than the derm. they do really help clear up the existing acne.

Edited by Karen Howz, 03 February 2011 - 08:52 PM.

[sillylung]

I'm in the same boat is you I started having acne at 22. I'm now 29. I must spent at least 5k in the last 7yrs trying to find a way to at least reduce my acne I got cystic scarring acne. I went to a DERM who touched my skin on face,my body and said you need accutane. So I'm gonna see how it works. I would research going to a Derm who has experience not in just acne but all medical skin conditions as this guy right off the bat told me to get on it he really explained what was happening with my skin. It has to do with the genes. My mom still has acne at 52 =(.

[Luzifull22]

yess Ok Thankss!

[MelOuttaMegacity]

Is it possible that your acne isn't as bad as you make it out to be? Your derm told you that your acne isn't bad enough for Accutane, so ... I'm just thinking that maybe you're "making a mountain out of a molehill". I don't know what you look like, so I can't be sure. But acne is often stress-induced. All this worrying about it is probably making it worse.

[almost pretty]

hi,
i would advise you not to give up but try a simple regimen to include sulfur products instead. i personally found derms to be useless in treating my acne. a lot of the stuff they prescribed was too harsh,made me worse, and i too hated the side effects- dryness,peeling etc. i was able to get my acne under control on my own by using sulfur products and also following a low dairy diet. there are sulfur soaps, masks, and creams out there that are amazing! the brands i like are joesoef, Mario Badescu, and i like the pro-activ mask. good luck to you!

[djtoodles]

my acne isint horrible but i do have it and i should have perfect clear skin at my age imo. And with the new year i just filled my tazorac and cly prescriptions and it was an extra 10bux so im thinking once this stuff runs low if its not getting better then i will either give 1 more derm a shot or just give up and live with it.

i mean if i do nothing it will be worse probably but atleast i will not have to deal with all the harsh products on my skin it will only hurt where the acne is not everywhere.

and thinking in what you said about the stress its possible because i went through a horrible breakup and to this day that particular breakup effects me and it was about 2-3 months after that breakup my acne started so i suppose its possible but i doubt it would last almost 5 years.

Edited by djtoodles, 07 February 2011 - 08:30 PM.

[gng]

Hello, Read my post about the artritis diet and how this diet could clear your acne. Im not sure if I can post it in here, Im gona post it but if it was not ok to post it maybe they will edit it just look for it in the holistic forum.

Here the post:

I have several problems related to several types of food. Celiac Disease, Athritis, IBS, Acne, Candida. All of these are inflamation auto inmune diseases. Now I have a lot of information and Im sure that with the following diet any skin problems may be cleared.
Just follow it exactly for 3 weeks or 1 month to see results and you will now know about those food that can cause you acne. Maybe some food will be ok for you maybe some other not, you have to find those foods. Follow the arthritis diet then 3 weeks or 1 month later you can start eating some other food to see if it is ok, but first you have to start only with:

1) Breakfast: OK any fruit, for example 2 Bananas 1 Apples, Rice Flakes with No Milk just plain rice flakes. Or Watrmelon, Pineapple, Melon, Apple juice. Water, Gelatines are ok also.
2) Meal: White fish, Salmon, Olive oil, Rice, chicken is ok (not kentucky styles) just chicken boiled or stove. Brocolli, Gelatines.
3) Dinner: Tuna fish but if it is can tuna just take water tuna not oil tuna fish. You can take some green olives or black olkives 6 or 7. You can take a big quantity of tuna fish about 2 cans.
If it is hot try some sugar free (water not cream) ice cream or any cold sugar free ice with flavors.
Remember to drink a lot of water and if you are hungry between breakfast and meal or between meal and dinner, just eat rice flakes, no corn no wheat flakes, just Rice Flakes.


AVOID, NO CORN, NO FRITOS, NO WHEAT, NO BREAD, NO MILK, NO CHEESE, NO COFEE, NO CHOCOLATE, NO RED MEAT, NO OILY MEALS, NO SUGAR, NO SODAS, NO TOMATOES, NO POTATOES, NO BEANS, NO HAM, NO PEPPERONI, etc...JUST Follow the Arthritis Diet and you will be ok, as soon as you start eating crap food, you will notice imediatly your acne will get worst.

Im sure this will help you you just need discipline. Once you know the food that activate you acne you can ask your doctor for suplements in case wheat and corn are the problems and you could need calcium.

You can work sepcific diet with your doctor.

Good Luck!

[djtoodles]

I do not like fish. I am going to make an appointment with a allergist and get an allergy testing. That should let me know what foods and in general what i am allergic to. Changing your diet to clear acne is essentially your body being allergic to a food and causing the acne.

[gng]

I do not like fish. I am going to make an appointment with a allergist and get an allergy testing. That should let me know what foods and in general what i am allergic to. Changing your diet to clear acne is essentially your body being allergic to a food and causing the acne.

Yes, you are right fish is awful and Tuna stinks I never ever use to eat them in the past but it helps a lot. It is a good idea to go to have allergy tests just notice that you could get negative tests and be allergic, I am a cero negative to arthritis and I have severe athritis.
Try this fish receips, I use to hate fish, Im 40 and it was until my arthritis that I was out of options I have to eat fish to be free of pain.

I do it like this, hope you like it.

1) White fish in olive oil and for about 6 minutes in the bowl and in the fire, some brocoli, and rice. The fish smell and taste is gone with this receip. I hate fish and this will taste like chicken.

2) You can combine fish a day and next day take Chicken any style just not kentucky style, just boiled.

3) For dinner, Take a can of tuna fish in water and remove all the water try to leave it dry very dry, then you can take 5-6 green or black olives. If the tuna fish is dry it smells and taste ok, the problems is the water it stinks.

Try to eat only tuna fish for dinner for 3 weeks and Im sure your acne will go.
It is very important to have light dinner and you will get in the morning with clear skin.

Good Luck!

[ThatOneGirluSaw]

I feel your pain. I have been suffering from acne for more than half my life. I developed acne early (probably around my early teens) and have been suffering from it ever since. It's gone from sever, or moderate, and back to severe again. I felt as though I would end up having to live with this nightmare forever--because I've tried everything. I've tried anything that anyone has suggested as being the cure for acne-I've done it. From prescription to OTC, to home remedies, and changing my diet. I didn't think that anything was going to work.

A couple of weeks before Christmas, I decided to try a new Dermatologist to see if she could maybe suggest something that I haven't tried before. I was skeptical, but willing to give anything a shot. She prescribed me Ziana Gel, antibiotic pills, and to wash my face with 10% Benzoyl Peroxide face wash. The first month, I was devastated. My skin was horrible. I felt as though it got 80% worse. My skin was so broken out, it hurt to touch it. I can't tell you how heart breaking it feels to have your face hurt when you touch it. I hit the point where you are right now. I wanted to just give up on my fight with acne. But, I was desperate for a limb, a floaty, anything that would save me. So, I went searching on the internet. I was desperate to find anything that would give me any hope that this was only a temporary lapse, and it would start getting better soon.

Later that night, I ran across a few boards from other people using Ziana stating the same thing. That your skin tends to get worse before it starts to get better because your skin is purging everything out. This period, according to everyone else, lasted about a month. So, with nothing else to lose, I decided to just stick with it....

I'm currently in week 8, and my skin is CLEAR! I can't believe it. I don't know if it's just the Ziana Gel, or the mix of the Ziana gel and the Benzoyl Peroxide face wash (I gave up on the pills since they were making me nauseous) but it's working!! My skin is clear, and apparently you shouldn't expect these kind of results until week 12. I read that you tried Ziana for about a month, and I was hoping to maybe convince you to maybe give it another shot. I definitely know what you're feeling right now. I was there just 6 weeks ago....but just don't give up.

[djtoodles]

ziana is similar very similar to tazorac except its not as strong. that purging was already done with tazorac so switching to ziana was more because its not as harsh lower % of retin-a in it at 025% instead of 050% in tazorac.

I am thinking my next step is to hopefully see an allergist within the next few weeks then if that yields nothing ive heard about 1 more derm to try and i am going to see if they have anything different to say. if they say the same thing then i will either ask about laser or just stop all together and hope it just goes away someday.

[cvd]

I'd say stay on the taz but stop the medicated face wash. Retinoids restructure skin cells and are really good for skin in the longterm. Keep a log of what you're doing so you can show your derm. I'd recommend Cetaphil antibacterial soap. It's foamy and gentle but helps stop oil without over-drying. Wait 20 minutes before applying taz - this should help cut down on inflammation.

Even good topicals can be too harsh and cause more acne. So it takes experimenting over and over to find the right things for your skin. And then skin changes over time so keeping a log is really great to help look back at what's worked and what hasn't.

Don't give up. When I was first put on retinoids they also had me use a glycolic wash and it was so harsh I got blisters. I thought it was the retinoid but now looking back I'm sure it was the glycolic wash + retinoid combo.

Seeing an allergist is a really good thing to do. I just did it this year and it has done wonders for me...wish I had done it at your age and saved myself alot of grief. Even if insurance won't cover it you can make payments. I think it is an excellent investment especially if you have chronic adult acne. My doc and endocronologist think that my allergies (which I didn't know I had) pushed the inflammation in my body to the point that it aggravated the acne.

Good luck and follow through on your instincts!