62 replies to this topic

[surfnyc]

UGH.. I got another cystic breakout. GRRRRR I am sooo mad. A cluster of like four by my mouth way under the skin. I'm thinking though it might be because I was bad and went out drinking two nights last weekend because a friend was in town and I just wanted to be normal. She is always a bad influence and encourages excessive drinking, which I try to avoid but sometimes I succumb. Well, definitely no more drinking for me for a while!

But today is my 2 month mark on spiro (yay!), so hopefully I'll start to see improvement!

Edited by surfnyc, 22 March 2012 - 06:51 AM.

[ls52]

Hey you guys!! its been awhile and Ive got some news..

Im sadly off of spiro since March 12^th cuz my testosterone levels were escalating pretty high up and weirdly because of spiro (for which my derma said it shouldn’t be happening) also my hair started to shed like really really bad and my periods stopped..

Also my acne was in fact getting worse at my jawline, and I was sick of all the clogged pores on my forehead! All these things were symptoms of hyperandrogenism which eventually showed in the blood report and were not easing up one bit! I suggested derm for flutamide, another antiandrogen, which is often compared to spiro and in some studies its found to better than spiro. After lots of bargains we agreed on the lowest dose (125mg a day) plus I have to have liver tests every month.

Since I was on spiro not only for my acne (which was never severe), but also for my hair thinning problem. So accutane made no sense and im really really sensitive to bcp’s. And since starting flutamide, within 4 days my acne went poof! I mean all I have now is scars, scabs of dead cysts on my jaw which are going down thanks to aha’s and my cheeks are smooth! Tho I was a less oily while on spiro but right now im NOT OILY AT ALL!! I still need to know more about flutamide tho.. cuz it’s been a fuckin miracle and ive been on it for only 11 days! Im still taking zinc, selenium, chromium, vitamin A, E, B-complex and 1000mgs of fish oil every night.

Im hoping that spiro really works for you guys, but please don’t go through what ive been. Its rare for spiro to backfire! Hell knows why it happened to me..

I’ll keep updating about my newfound regimen and see if it keeps on workin (hope it does!) xx

[cl1234]

Forgot to mention that I have encorporated some face masks into my routine a couple days a week. I've been using the Montagne Jeunesse ones that come in a single use pack. You can get them at stores like Walgreens, Target, or Walmart for like $1.50 a piece. I sounds super cheap, but after you think about how it's a once use packet it's kind of expensive since you can get a container for a better deal usually. But I must say that I LOVE them. I've experimented with a variety of them. I've stuck to the mud masks and peel off masks though. I'd say my least favorite one was the peel off one, but it was the passion peel off one. I want to try some of the other peel offs that are more directed to clearing the pores and removing dead skin. I've tried the deep sea mud mask and it's one of my favorites. They were out of the blemish mud mask last time I went, but I got a couple yesterday when there were more and tried it this morning. I liked it so far, but I literally just tried it. I have a date tomorrow so I hope my skin at least stays clear until then!

It seems like you're doing really well! I can't believe you only have one pimple and a few clogged pores! So jealous

As far as my skin is, I have noticed a reduction in the painful "undergrounders". What I do have now is a few small pimples on the surface and ALOT of flesh colored lil bumps/ overall uneven texture/ hyper pigmentation. Boo! Trying to remember to take it one day at a time but I'm soo impatient! Grr...

How did your date go? Did you feel confident?

I didn't go.... literally that morning I woke up to a breakout which totally took any self-confidence I had. I know how you feel... I'm getting so impatient too. I'm trying to keep busy to take my mind off of it, but it is so hard! I just went back and read some reviews again to make me feel better. How are you doing this week?

Day 69 (9 Weeks and 6 Days)

Tomorrow will be 2 1/2 months. I'm sorry for the delayed update. I have been trying to keep busy so I don't think about my face as much. Last time I was on here my face was looking great! I knew it wouldn't last though, the day after I posted I broke out. That cleared up and then I had a pretty clear week last week. The clearer skin turned me into a social butterfly! Come Saturday though I got another breakout. I wish my first instinct wasn't to pick as soon as I get a breakout! I just get so frustrated after having clearer skin! I made a couple zits look a lot worse than they probably would have. I have a couple clearing up on the left side of my jawline. I have two on my right cheek that I'm making sure I leave alone. I tend to get little bumps under my nose and above my lip when I get a breakout as well. I have two small bumps there. I also have a mark that I picked that is healing by my mouth. I wish I had better news. I am feeling very discouraged. I'm still on the Lo Loestrin Fe as well. Im about 2 1/2 WEEKS into my first pack. I hope my results so far aren't discouraging anyone! I wish I had better news... I'm just going to continue to TRY to be patient.

[surfnyc]

I know exactly how you feel cl1234- I think you and I are on the same page right now. A couple weeks ago things were really looking up for me and now I almost feel back to square one! (ok, I'm being dramatic, but come on! haven't we suffered enough?!)

As soon as I get a break out now I pick the shit out of it because I am just so impatient at this point. I wish I had better news as well, but keep hangin' in there girls!

[cl1234]

surfnyc- I'm sorry you have been miserable like I have. In a way it is comforting though because since we're on the same page maybe this is supposed to happen?

Day 74/75

So after my last breakout I decided (on my own) to up my spiro to 150mg.... I do not intend on going any higher without dermatologist consent. I wanted to let everyone know that I DIDN'T get the chemical peel. I chickened out haha. I think it is something I want to do someday though, acne or not, I've heard great things about them. Last time I posted talking about how clear my face had gotten I basically jinxed myself. I say this with little optimism for continued success, but as of right now my face looks pretty good. Even though the last couple weeks I have had discouraging breakouts they weren't as bad as they were the first month. I also have had more frequent days of clearer skin than I had in the first month or two. I'm just awaiting the next outbreak that is sure to come, but I can say that overall things are going better than the first two months.

[cl1234]

Day 78

Yesterday I hit the 11 week mark on spiro and tomorrow I will be done with my first pack of birth control. I had two white heads on the right of my chin that I popped this morning. The right side of my face is otherwise clear. I still have a small healing scab under my nose that I dug at a few days ago that definitely would have gone away by now had I not done that. The left side of my face isn't so pretty... When I was getting bad breakouts in the first two months on spiro the left side of my face seemed to get the worst of it. I would get a new breakout before the other had time to heal, which has left me with red marks on the left side of my face. It's clearing up pretty well, except the left side of my chin had a mini breakout pretty recently. My back chest and forehead are clear as usual. I can honestly say I'm not breaking out as bad as I was the first two months, but it is far from perfect. I really need to stop picking. I think things would heal a lot quicker if I stopped doing that. I am ESPECIALLY anxious about my skin this week because a friend of mine is getting married on Saturday. Usually I can plan my social life around how clear my skin is, but this is something I HAVE to go to. I just hope my skin looks pretty decent that day! At least enough to cover up with makeup! Hope everyone is doing well! Can't wait to hear updates!

[hopefulgirl123]

What makeup do you use to cover up??

[cl1234]

What makeup do you use to cover up??

I made the switch to BareMinerals and have been very happy with the results! I got the starter kit and use the foundation as my concealer. I have heard that there are other makeups that work better for covering, but I must say that it gives me very good coverage and looks natural! I can't believe I ever used liquid foundation! Granted, I only wear makeup when I know I'm going to be seen by a bunch a people, so it's not an everyday thing. You use BareMinerals as well correct?

[hopefulgirl123]

What makeup do you use to cover up??

I made the switch to BareMinerals and have been very happy with the results! I got the starter kit and use the foundation as my concealer. I have heard that there are other makeups that work better for covering, but I must say that it gives me very good coverage and looks natural! I can't believe I ever used liquid foundation! Granted, I only wear makeup when I know I'm going to be seen by a bunch a people, so it's not an everyday thing. You use BareMinerals as well correct?

Yeah I wear Bare Minerals, but it doesn't cover as well for me, sadly. I just bought Clinique Even Better Liquid Foundation to conceal better! It shouldn't be bad on my skin though... well, I hope! I use both the liquid and Bare Minerals now. I'm glad to hear it works well for you!

[surfnyc]

Just so you guys know, I love Makeup Forever's Matte Velvet foundation. It's non-comedogenic and covers really well! Their full cover concealer has also been my savior over these past couple months.

[cl1234]

Thanks for the tip surfnyc! I got samples of makeup forever when I went and got bareminerals! I haven't tried it out yet tho. I should!

Day 94

I am still not clear. I am still breaking out, just not as bad. LOTS of clogged pores. Actually, that is the majority of my acne right now. I still have an oily T-Zone still. I don't know why since I've been taking 150mg and even got the approval from my derm. I'm concerned about the oil. My hair isn't oily anymore, but my T-Zone is. I'm definitely not as oily as before, but from what everyone is saying I figured I shouldn't be oily at all anymore and I'm afraid that it will prevent me from getting clear! I continue to read reviews and here lots of good things about the 3-4 month mark so we'll see. I'm a little over 3 months. I'm getting impatient!!!! How is everyone else doing?

[hopefulgirl123]

I'm not clear either ):
I have 2 actives right now.
UGH clogged pores are SOOOO annoying because there's nothing you can do about them!! I've TRIED warming them up to "loosen the plug" and then drive them out. Didn't work. I can't do anything and so I just wait til they turn into whiteheads. I had one clogged pore for 3 weeks, and it's finally coming to a head!

Are you using topicals? Because my skin hasn't been completely clear since I started spiro, I've been sticking to using topicals. BP, AHA, salicylic acid.

[cl1234]

I know! It is so frustrating! I had been using Retin-A Micro up till about 3 weeks ago. I felt that Retin-A Micro was making my skin WAY to sensitive. It would bleed so easily and scab! I went back to Differin, which is what I used to use. The Differin is a lot easier on my skin. However, I don't remember having this many clogged pores on Retin-A Micro. I'm going to try doing Retin-A Micro once or twice a week now at night.

[cl1234]

Day 99

So I'm sorry I haven't been updating much, although I don't know if people even really read this haha. I still don't have clear skin although right now I have HEALING skin from my last breakout. I know I mentioned in my first post that I suffer from BDD, I also in turn suffer from a form of OCD. What it comes down to is that I have a skin picking problem which is common in BDD and OCD sufferers. I never thought I had a real problem because I KNEW it was bad to pick, but I looking back I can see that is was an issue. I know that most people on here or people that suffer from acne have a bit of an obsession with it because it really can effect someone's life, so Im sure you can relate, but I spend HOURS in front of the mirror obsessing over my skin... looking at it in different lights and at different angles and distances. I also used to chalk it up to "Well if there wasn't anything there then I wouldn't have anything to pick". This is true only to a point. I can look back at my clear moments that I had in the last few weeks and see how I basically sabotaged it for myself. The more clear my skin is the more I focus on the small imperfections (like tiny clogged pores) which I end up picking and scratching only to leave me with a bunch of unnecessary red marks on my face which is even worse since I've always had sensitive skin and am on topicals that make my face even more sensitive. On top of that, I am ALWAYS trying new skin products on my skin on top of the ones from the dermatologist (which I usually applied in generous amounts) most of the time this ends of leaving my skin RAW and over exfoliated, but it's only now that I realize how wrong that was. I thought I was making my face CLEAN, but I was just irritating it and causing raw self-induced breakouts.
Last night I was looking at pictures from a couple years ago and really noticed how good my face looked. There were a few VERY close ups of me in direct sunlight without makeup on and you could see like one little tiny red pimple on my chin. I remember thinking at that in my life that my skin was HORRIBLE. The picking and obsession began only within the las year or so. It also really hit me last night that if I continue this I could do permanent damage to my skin. Again, I've always KNOWN this, but at the time when you're doing it you don't THINK about it. So as of yesterday I am following pretty much EXACTLY what the dermatologist told me to. But mostly focusing on no more picking and being gentle. My first goal is one week. I'm not saying I'm only doing it for one week, but in a week I want to see if and how much it improved my skin. NO ONE has perfect skin, although some people seem to be more lucky then others, and that's something everyone needs to always remember.
I'm not saying this is the reason I have acne. Obviously I have some otherwise I would have no bumps to pick. However, I think I make the breakouts MUCH worse than they are. There's only one way to find out. Either way I need to be done picking because when I AM clear, I'm going to regret it.

My Regimen:

Morning: 150mg Spiro, 150mg Doryx, Lo Loestrin Fe, 50 mg Zinc
Wash with CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser (GENTLY and PAT DRY)
Aczone (A PEA SIZE AMOUNT)
CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion

Night:
Shower-
Wash with CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
Wash back and chest with CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser
Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday-
CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion (Let Dry)
Retin-A Micro 0.1% Cream (A PEA SIZE AMOUNT)
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday
Differin 0.3% Gel (A PEA SIZED AMOUNT)
CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion

[cl1234]

Day 100

I know I posted yesterday, but I felt the need to today since it's day 100. I have now reached triple digits haha. I have no pimples right now actually! I have some clogged pores and red marks, but no pimples. My skin has been peely because of all the irritation I caused it last week, but I've been VERY gentle with it the last two days and will continue to do so. I doubt this is the last of my breakouts. This is usually what happens, I start clearing then breakout again. Only time will tell.

[surfnyc]

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Cl1234, thanks for sharing your situation with OCD and picking. It must be tough but it's always comforting for me to hear that I'm not the only one still struggling with this. Just know that I feel for you and am right there with you girl! I think I mentioned before that I suffer from anxiety...

Anyway, I have to make this short because I have to leave the house soon, but I'm still breaking out. Last week was a great week, I has no more than one or two actives, and I really felt extatic, but I KNEW not to get used to it. Lo and behold, I was right. Over the weekend I developed a total of about at least 5 or 6 actives. So. Frustrated. But I do have to say this- they seem to be somewhat smaller and healing quicker(knock on wood!) I'm trying to stay optomistic but it gets really hard. Today I was driving to school thinking about how busy I am with work and school for the next month and just started crying and turned the car around. It sounded so tempting to go be miserable in bed, but I knew that wouldn't help how I was feeling. After school I went for a run and had a healthy lunch, just trying to avoid feeling depressed and anxious. It is just so crazy how acne puts a dark cloud over every aspect of your life, and when it's gone the mood difference is unbelievable. I do have a hard time talking to friends and family about it because I feel like it is the same sob story they have been hearing for so long now. I'm thinking about trying to cut out gluten... I don't eat meat and barely eat dairy, but I do eat a lot of soy so I'm thinking that's also maybe something I should cut out. And as hard as it is, I think I should cut out coffee until I get clear... That might be the hardest part! Anyway, I'll update again soon!

[surfnyc]

Forgot to add that I am just over 3 months in...

[surfnyc]

Hey guys! Don't know if anyone is still reading this but I wanted to do another update.
So I am exactly 4 months in on spiro. Definitely not out of the woods yet but I do have to say I'm starting to see improvements.
I haven't been getting any cystics really the past few weeks other than one on my cheek surrounded by a few smaller ones that I have right now from my period. Also I was picking at it which made it a hundred times worse. Basically all the tiny little clogs in my face that are so so deep are coming out now (I hope?) making it worse, but I do have much less of those deep clogs on my chin, where before I had dozens. I definitely notice I am clearer before and during my period and breakout right after which is weird and annoying. I didn't end up completely cutting out the foods I listed before, but I have cut down on them. Who knows if it actually helps, but I guess it makes me feel better mentally a bit. I've been thinking about getting a facial and having the esthetician squeeze some of the stuff out, but I think I'm still a little too embarassed and traumatized to have someone up close in my face like that (dramatic, I know, but true!). I still have alot of really deep clogs in my right cheek which drive me mad. Well, I still have little clogs everywhere but the worst in my cheek. How are you guys doing?

[Neika1]

I'm 26, been on BC since I was 17. I tried to take a break from it 5 yrs ago but my body didn't like it. I broke out, pain in my abdominal area (found out I have endometriosis) then went back on the pill. Years down the line I decided to get back off BC then all hell went loose!! Discovered I have PCOS too! And my testerone level is a bit higher then it should be. I always had flawless skin until 2 yrs ago I went downhill BAD! I'm currently on beyaz and was on it for a yr, my derm wants me to start taking ortho tri today since its Sun. I'm currently taking Spiro 50mg twice a day. I was on it before like 3 months ago. I stopped because I felt as if it wasn't working because I was still breaking out ( I didn't know about the initial breakout then) when I got off it my face EXPLODED! Full in cysts. So when I had my derm apt he told me to get back on (9-11-12) and I use cetaphil gentle cleaner and retin-a micro at night. I been through deep depression, bad thoughts and full of anxiety. I can feel y'all pain but my skin looks BAD. I broke out badly on my cheeks and a lil on my chin. I have so many blemishes. I pray and talk to God daily. I have faith and hope I just wish my face will clear. I don't have a social life anymore! For someone who use to have PERFECT flawless skin and now BAD skin hurts me VERY MUCH. I'm praying the Spiro and ortho tri BC pill I'm starting today (leaving beyaz) will work.

[cl1234]

Wow, I can't believe it's been over 9 months since I started this thread and it's been over 7 months since I've been back on here. I'm not going to lie, I stopped getting on here, because I felt like my journey was not going to have the results I wanted and I felt like posting about it would only be more discouraging for others. Plus, to constantly see things working for people and nothing working for me was discouraging for myself. Although now my skin is clear and I came back here to share what worked for me so people can know there is hope! My skin has actually been consistently clear for about 1-2 months, I just wanted to wait to come back here and post until I felt I wouldn't jinx myself (although Im stilly slightly afraid of that haha).

I know everybody's skin is different and I know that not everything works for everyone! That being said, my current regimen is:
Morning:
-Wash face with CeraVe Foaming Facial Wash
-Apply CeraVe PM lotion
-Apply Acanya Gel
-Take Ortho-Tri-Cyclen
-Take 150mg Spironolactone
-Take 150mg Doryx
-Take a Multivitamin

Night:
-Wash face with CeraVe Facial Foaming Wash
-Apply CeraVe PM Facial Lotion
-Apply 0.3% Differin
-(In shower) Wash body with Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash (Grapefruit kind because I like the smell haha)

-Other little things I do: I use BareMinerals for makeup, I drink ~3 liters of water a day, and make sure to wash my pillowcases frequently.


It's hard for me to say exactly what it was that helped my skin the most. However, I would give most credit to the Acanya Gel and the Ortho-Tri-Cyclen because it was once I started those two things that my skin started to get better. I must say, I don't believe I was one of those people who's magical cure was spironolactone. The skin clearing was definitely a gradual process! I started to slowly get less acne, then even had some clear days but continued to have breakouts pretty consistently. I'm now to the point where I still will get a zit or two once in while, but the majority of days I'm clear. It's still something I'm getting used to, I mean I'm still always afraid I'm gonna wake up with acne all over my face, I definitely don't take it for granted! Less than a year ago acne was controlling my life, affecting my school life, affecting my job, affecting my relationships.... I would never wish that on anyone. I just got to tell my dermatologist thank you at our last visit. He has no clue how much he has changed my life. I told him, "About six months ago I would look in the mirror with make up and just TRY to picture what my skin would look like without any acne, and now I can get up really close in the mirror without makeup on and be perfectly content. I went to the MALL the other day without makeup on! I NEVER thought that day would come.

PLEASE don't give up! It IS possible! Try not to get discouraged! If you do, read about all the successful stories on here, they really inspired me when I was feeling discouraged. You WILL be a success story, some just take longer than others and remember, everything happens for a reason!

I started my story with pictures, so I thought I better end with them as well.

Don't lose hope!

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