20 replies to this topic

[justsomeguy44]

Haha so I dont mean to sound discouraging to anyone thinking about starting. I'm 7 weeks in and still experiencing break outs. But I have faith that I'm on the verge of clearing, so why not start this log late so I can log about my success shortly after!!

I've researched a whole bunch and understand that the Regimen is a long process. I've cleared off of BP before, and before I started the Regimen I was using Clindamycin along with Clean and Clear Dual Action moisturizer (Salicylic Acid)..

I kept having breakouts of deeper pimples (nodules) up until the Regimen. Before the Regimen, my acne wasn't horrible, I just had a bunch, and I mean a BUNCH of tiny little non inflamed clogged pores that you could only notice from perfect dim lighting. after 7 Weeks, a great deal of them are gone. Right now I'm still in the purging stage, as I have about maybe 3 or 4 active pimples on my face (cheeks, chin area).. Sure I feel a little discouraged because I'm not clear yet, but for some reason I honestly do believe this will pull through by the third month. I feel like I'm getting close!! (Plus I dont wanna quit now and wonder what could've been)

So heres a break down of what went down prior

Week 1 (started the Regimen, nothing really big happened here, probably had some larger pimples)
Week 2 (saw my girlfriend, what horrible timing. Although the acne wasn't bad, dryness and redness set in)
Week 3 (improvement in inflamed acne, but dryness and flakiness happened
Week 4 (Had a clear day, I was happy, thought it was the turning point...)
Week 5 (This is where flaking hell basically started for me, and I started to get those symmetrical zit clusters that happen to so many people!)
Week 6 (Started using a dab of aquaphor along with my moisturizer.. Ive done my research and it does NOT clog pores)
Week 7 (just finished this week, and right now my left side is mostly clear, forehead and nose clear, my main problems are with the right of my face.)

I get really dry out of the shower, but when I moisturize with a dab of Aquaphor, it's an easy fix...

I feel like with persistance, and a few more weeks, this could be well on its way to being resolved.

This is the end of week 7.

[justsomeguy44]

Day 50 [beginning of 8th week]

Okay not much to note since yesterday. I have one on my jaw/chin area, and pretty much other than that, just marks from old pimples. I'd like to emphasize how the bunches (and I seriously mean maybe a hundred? haha) of tiny, tiny under the skin non inflamed bumps are almost gone that this point. The areas of my skin that are clear are genuinely clear now. I suspect these lingering breakouts is just some of the final purging stage.

Dryness is still present, along with some redness. But it's kept under decent control with my Cetaphil moisturizer along with a dab of Aquaphor. I was thinking about getting jojoba oil but I'm really not sure. I feel like I'm doing fine so far.

[justsomeguy44]

Day 51

today is a better skin day. still experiencing redness, but dryness and flaking is under control. I did get a couple of new pimples (cheek/jaw area), but they're smaller than what I got in the previous weeks. And I'm going to be diligent about treating them, rather than trying to pop or pick right now. I feel like this is getting a little more under control.

A funny story happened the other day though,
I was at work a while ago, and I had just finished the Regimen an hour earlier. I was hanging out and my manager asked what was on my eyebrow! It was a flake! hahaha. and I was dealing with customers with that flake for a little bit too. Luckily that was the only dry/flake issue of the shift.

[justsomeguy44]

Day 52

So I'm looking a little spottier than usual today, but I figure its the last of my purging because there is a little more irritation that I'm getting. I've just recently started using a GENEROUS full fingers worth of BP. It's still not so bad though. I consider today a bad skin day, but I definitely do see a good one ahead of me.

[justsomeguy44]

Just to update on the same day^

I Kind of squeezed at an imaginary spot.. stupid meee... luckiily it was really light and I stopped myself before it got bad. Now its just a tiny bit swollen. I'm applying ice and taking an ibuprofen. Updates tomorrow!

[justsomeguy44]

Day 54/55

So this is weird.. the spot I was broken out at this past week has cleared up, but spots that were really clear also are now broken out.. I'm suspecting something funny. I'm still pretty sure this is a purging stage. I remember getting clear with BP before and it took a while..

Either way, I'm somewhat discouraged at this point, but once I heal up, who knows what could happen next!

[justsomeguy44]

Day 56 - End of Week 8

So my breakouts are slowing down.. BUT I'm still recovering from the pimples that I've gotten this past week.. about 3 or 4 of them were really stubborn, and needed to be popped once they were in their prime. Which leaves me with uhmm... maybe 1 active spot that's dying? But like 3 small scabs!

I'm feeling pretty down. I know I need to give it more time, but it's almost been 2 months! What I do believe is that between now and another four weeks, I WILL see improvement, I have faith in it. Sounds stupid hahah.

I hate having to pop pimples... I have some sort of OCD! But I have been getting somewhat better at controlling myself.. Sometimes they are just really stubborn!

Edited by justsomeguy44, 21 June 2012 - 03:48 PM.

[jessielynn007]

Hey, it sounds like you just need some time... I have seen people on here who didn't clear up for a year.. everyone is different and it just takes time.. Also, being gentle, not picking and popping will help alot! Good luck and don't give up!

[justsomeguy44]

Thanks! So another minor update for today, my skin is starting to get used to the BP.. I'm no longer dealing with the redness! peeling and dryness is almost completely subsided too. So I'm now prepared to keep using the full dosages and holding it at that level.

[justsomeguy44]

Day 57 - Beginning of Week 9

Breakouts still remain to be kept at bay, but redmarks from old acne, and small scabs from popped pimples still remain, probably in the neighborhood of 6 to 7 markings from something on my face... like 3 on my left cheek, 4 on the right.

May I just add how discouraged I am at this point? I wouldn't say my condition is any worse than it was before, but I feel just like I was in week 5, minus the extreme dryness. I have a good amount of marks, and I realized I could've just gone to the derm and got antibiotics or epiduo or something...

Either way, i'm not worse off than I was, and the pimples I do get now are getting smaller and more minute (knock on wood).
Every success story with this Regimen has those moments where the user feels like they should('ve) tried other options... consider this my moment of that.

BUT I will keep going with the Clear Skin Regimen, just because the fact that it hasn't made my case severe or moderate.. still mild (even though I pick and pop mine like an IDIOT).

If anyone reading can relate, please drop a line.

Edited by justsomeguy44, 21 June 2012 - 03:49 PM.

[justsomeguy44]

Another update -- I'm going to try cutting out Whey protein from my diet. I consume maybe 4 or 5 of these shakes per week. I can't really recall if I was taking it during my clear days in my 4th week, but I changed brands of it anyways so it's not like it matters. Some of my friends were saying it's just a testosterone boost from lifting hard, but I'm going to experiment with it! Plus my shake has Iodine in it, which some say is bad for acne prone people.
So lets see what happens now!!

[justsomeguy44]

Day 59 - No major breakouts since the last update. I've actually been having a couple of good skin days. I really hope this could be a turning point. Also, my girlfriend is back in town so i've been having fun hanging out with her rather than thinking about my skin.

[justsomeguy44]

Day 60 - 2 Months in officially!

I've still been an Acne nerd these days whenever I get the chance to browse. I've been reading lots of reviews on the treatment from the website and everyone says it takes lots of time and patience to work, with most results coming between 2 and 3 months.

Well, today, i should note that progress has been made. This last week, compared to say, week 5 to 6, has been great.

I'm gonna keep this up!

[jessielynn007]

Yay! I am so happy for you! that is awesome and it is nice to hear that it is working for another person!

[justsomeguy44]

thanks for the response! DAY 62

Okay, so even though I've been doing the Regimen religiously, I'm still getting breakouts here and there, although not as frequently, I'm still pretty bummed. I just scheduled an appointment with the dermatologist, for August 1st.

Which means I will keep doing the Regimen for another month before I decide to stop and do something else.

[justsomeguy44]

Day 63

So I have a spot from the other day that I popped before it was ready. It's been a healing scab now and should shed off either tomorrow or the day after.

Other than that I've had a breakout of a few pimples. All of them being tiny little zits, one disappeared on its own, the other became a tiny tiny tiny pustule that got popped, and two are still being fought, but are also small and somewhat incognito.

I notice that a couple of months deep into the Regimen still brings breakouts, but they are definitely minimized.

I'm going to start using Neutrogena Healthy Skin Face Lotion soon to start fading away at some scars/dark marks.

Luckily after all this popping, i'm only left with the hyperpigmented scars rather than the rolling or indented ones. VERY lucky.

I would like to make a note for others also, if you have a scab from a popped pimple (a sizeable scab, from squeezing hard! not like a little whitehead extraction) try to avoid putting Benzoyl Peroxide on the area!! especially using so much on the Regimen. I've read that excessive BP over open wounds can make scarring indented or worse than it could be since the BP cuts recovery time!!

All in all, I expected results a lot quicker!! But I'll stick to it, because it takes time.

[justsomeguy44]

Day 64

Still sailing along. Getting a few more small pimples. Disappointing, but at least they arent huge red and hurting.

I just picked up some Neutrogena Healthy Skin Face Lotion. It has some AHA in it (8% Glycolic acid) Hopefully this will help exfoliate my face and start to uhmm... do good stuff? I'll definitely be making updates. Hopefully I will get no irritation on my face from it! I did a test patch on my neck and it seems to be fine.

So I'll incorporate that into my Regimen tonight, and see how things turn out in the next couple of days.

[justsomeguy44]

Day 66

AHA = ouch!!! I got chemical burns (the darkened skin) around my mouth again. I'm convinced now that I have combo skin. Because the apples of my cheeks, my nose, and my forehead all get oilyish, but the area around my mouth and chin is soooo sensitive!!

Anyways, I used a small pea size amount and spread it around the other day and the next day my face was very discolored and irritated. Gradually, yesterday and this morning, It started peeling A LOT.

Now this irritation I experienced is very similar to what happened during my initial dry/flakey stage with BP around week 3 or 4.

What I understand is that it basically peels off and reveals newer skin? either way it seemed pretty intense to me, and I still have some to peel, so I'm going to lay off AHA for another few days, and maybe just spot treat some old dark spots from there.

Other than that, I have a small pimple under the darker skin under my lip! it feels a little deeper but there is a grip of dead skin over it from the AHA so it cant surface yet.

Blah, is all I can say. My skin looks alight from a distance. I feel like I'm just where I was earlier on. Let's see how this goes. I have an appointment with my regular doctor in 6 days, so maybe I will ask for some advice.

[justsomeguy44]

Day 67

I'm having a decent skin day today. The darker patches under my mouth are blending in, and the flakes are starting to come off.

My mom says my skin looks good today. Also, girls at my work keep telling me how I have such a pretty face, I just can't see it for myself, especially because my mild acne is totally trashing my look.

I have a few actives on my face, all of them being less wayyy less severe than the earlier purging stages.

My only hope is to stick this through for a few more weeks and look for more improvement.

I'm going to get a prescription from my doctor for a topical, and just hold onto the script until I decide whether or not the Reg is working for me or not.

[justsomeguy44]

Day 71 ~~~ No real setbacks noted, I did have a really good skin day the other day. The good skin days I get every now and then seem to get better and better.

Breakouts are still here though, although way less red, less severe, and definitely not painful whatsoever.

I currently have 3 pimples on my face.

I have my doctors appointment today. As crappy as it sounds, I'm going to talk to him about another topical or supplementing with antibiotics in my Regimen..

The BP is doing it's job, but there are other products out there that I could be using with the BP to make this clear up a little faster!! I think my acne is a step up from mild which means that BP itself will only keep it mild, but not cleared.

I will post an update later on today after my check up, and I will possibly be altering the Regimen (Which means I will no longer be using Dan's regimen, if instructed by my physician)

I've got school in the fall, a girlfriend to please, people to see at work and friends that I need to catch up with! So at this point, I have to take it to the next level. Especially because I have health insurance. It'd be a waste not to utilize it.