14 replies to this topic

[premier4]

Hi im a 20 year old male and am new here and i would just like to share and update you guys on my journey to have clear skin using a prescription that i got called epiduo. hopefully this will be able to help me to get the motivation i need to go through this treatment and in the process motivate others as well.

first off i would like to tell you some background about myself. I started getting acne when i was in junior high at around the age of 14. during than i didn't really much care about my acne problems but after a lot of comments from my friends and even my family i became aware and conscious about my face. i started using face washes and over the counter products to control my acne problem which did help keep the acne in control. i was using the oxy products back than, things such as oxy 10, oxy cover oxy oil control moisturizer and the oxy oil toner. in addition to that i was using the t3 apple face wash every night and day. my face got from moderate acne to controllable mild acne from using this products and it got me pretty much through high school.

the real problem starts was when i entered university. i started getting more and more acne and the OCT products that i have been using did not seem to be working as well anymore. i than started to wash my face every three hours with the t3 apple face wash thinking i was getting pimples because of my "dirtiness". naively i thought that i was not as "clean" as i would be at home while i was in college. this just aggrevates it more and cause my acne to get really out of control. i went to a clinic than and i got prescribed tretinoin without being taught the proper way to use it. so without knowing what i was doing i applied a huge amount on my face everyday causing my face to burn and look really read and sore. i immediately stopped using tretinoin and started using proactive which worked for two weeks. i got an initial breakout at first but my acne started to clear slowly. but all of a sudden my acne came back again in full force.

i was at my wits end because by this time i literally had moderately severe acne and i couldn't take it anymore i went to see a derm. she than prescribed me accutane which i took for 8 months. 10mg for the first two months, than 20mg for the next tow months and 40mg for the remaining 4. my face totally cleared and so did my scars! i had so much confidence again and i started making so many good friends due to my confidence. during post accutane i was given tretinoin again to use to maintain my clear skin and it worked. i would get a small zit now and than but i would sleep and the next day it would just dry and i would scratch it off. i was enjoying my college life and my studies to the fullest.

but recently i started to break out again. it started with small pimples at first but it started to get bigger and bigger. im getting it around my cheeks and at the sides of my face and a little on my forehead. i was not sure if its due to the late night sleeps or the excessive partying so i controlled my drinking again, my diet and my lifestyle. but evrytime i would clear up it would just get bad again. i even tried natural solutions like neem tablets, fish oil and vit c, drinking apple cider vinegar and even swimming often in sea water. it seemed to help for a while but than it gets worse again. i went to a diff derm and he stopped me from using tretinoin and gave me epiduo to use instead.

so currently i am using epiduo and the oxy oil moisturizer to keep my face from flaking. im so sick of always not going out till late night to enjoy and controlling what i eat, and not even being excited to go to classes due to my acne problem. i hope this epiduo treatment will work. i just started the treatment last night and so far no results yet of cos.. well wish me luck and i will keep you guys updated as my progress goes.

[Meli55a]

Good luck with your new treatment! I'm currently using Epiduo alongside antibiotics and it's working wonders for me. I was advised by my dermatologist to build tolerance first to avoid irritation. I did this by applying it every second night during the first week for 2-3 hours only before washing off. Then the second week I left it on overnight using it every second night only. Then third week onwards every night left on overnight. The burning/itchy sensation soon passes within a week. My skin didn't get irritated doing it this way. You may break out a little though at first, that's normal and again, it soon passes as the Epiduo works fast.
Take a look at my progress pictures in my gallery and you will see 8 weeks ago I had severe cystic acne...now it's mostly cleared and even got rid of the blackheads I had! I still have red marks but these are fading week by week.

I hope it works as well for you! Take care.

[premier4]

thanksss! i will try putting it on every night to see if it irritates me and if it does ill do like what u say and go down to once in two days.

you look great in your pictures btw! i am hoping it will work this well for me as well. keep holding on to the treatment and continue being strong as well. can't wait to see how it looks for you when all your red marks are gone as well

take care too.

[Meli55a]

Thanks I'm gonna stick it out to the 6 month mark, I'm optimistic my skin will be much clearer by then. And keep us posted on your progress ok?

[premier4]

so its been two days using epiduo and i "think" its working. the acne on my cheeks seems to be drying up and my scars are less visible. also one of the scars became a scab and i scratched it off and it was clear new skin underneath which made me feel pretty great at that moment because that scar has been there for quite sometimes. hahaha. my face is drying up i can tell and little flakes are starting to form around my mouth but nothing to bad. however im still breaking out particularly near my jawline which is unusual. not sure if this is normal because i have relatively clear skin around that area. oh well its just been two days well see how it continues.

i have also made up my mind to try to not let acne consume me. it can seriously take an emotional toll on anyone to know that you cant be the best that you can be because of having a problem that you cant control. but im slowly making myself learn that acne is only skin deep and its no reason to stop enjoying life as it is. im slowly believing that a person with a beautiful attitude is more attractive than a person with perfect skin. IM HOPING TO KEEP THIS POSITIVE ATTITUDE UP!

take care everyone!

[Meli55a]

That's great! I think that's normal, I got 2 zits where I never ever get them before as soon as I started using Epiduo but they did vanish pretty quickly.

I love your way of thinking! It's so much easier to deal with acne when you have a positive attitude towards it. Keep it up and stay strong!!

[premier4]

thanks melissa for your motivation. it means alot! how is your progress going btw?

so it has been a week now since i started epiduo and it has really dried up my skin. the plus side is existing acne is reducing in size and drying alot but my face is peeling and looking a little sore. so i'm thinking of reducing it to using it all over my face only once every two nights. i am kind of worried though that it wont work as well if i do this. i realised as well that my face looks extra red and sore after a shower.

i am still getting new acne though. around the sides and my forehead and chin mostly. i'm also developing bumps which are not visible unless you look really closely which are dry and can be easily scratched off. i would say so far the first week its been working fairly well. its drying up my acne and my scars but i'm still getting new acne so there is still a long way to go.

another thing is its the weekend! woo hooo.. so im gonna be drinking and smoking tonight and im hoping that i wont wake up tommorow with more acne. do any of you guys have an increase in breakout as well if you smoke and drink? let me know yea.

take care.

[Meli55a]

I'm on week 9 now...I had a bit of a set back last week/earlier this week because I thought it'd be ok to start wearing makeup again and I changed cleanser but these changes made me breakout a little - nothing TOO major, just some small zits around my chin, a small pusy zit on my cheek that's now cleared and one on my neck that's still not shifting. Also, I started getting sore raised lumps where I had scarring from some cysts that cleared on each side of my temples but they too have cleared now. I really do think it was the makeup though that didn't agree with me. My skin is clearing again now thankfully.

A lot of people say Epiduo dries their skin out, but mine is still very oily and shiny and it isn't peeling or flaky. I have no idea why! I only use Cetaphil gentle cleanser, no moisturiser. I tried Clean & Clear Truly Gentle Cleanser last week but I prefer Cetaphil. You might be better reducing it to every second night, even if just for one week and it shouldn't really reduce the effect. I think you have to start off slowly and build tolerance so it isn't as harsh on your skin and doesn't get sore. Also less is more - I try to make a large pea sized blob spread all over my face. Applying more than this will cause more irritation and redness.

I'm glad you think it's working well for you, don't be put off by the new acne you're getting that's just the epiduo doing it's job bringing everything to the surface. Have you noticed your pores getting larger though? That's one thing I don't like about it, I notice my pores more now.

Have a great weekend! I drink at the weekends and I don't really notice any significant difference in my skin...depends how much you drink though i guess lol!!

Have fun and take care

[premier4]

hello my apologies for the lack of update. i have been really busy with school and stuff.

so its been 18 days since i started using epiduo and i don't really have much to say about it apparently. i was using it every night and it got me really red and flaky but i didn't cut down on it till i got to a point where my face started to burn and got really tight especially after a shower in the morning. sorry melissa should have listen to your advice. i am using it once every two nights now though and it is definitely less sore now even though it is still a little flaky and red on my cheeks especially.

as expected i broke out quite a bit after the crazy night i had last two weekends ago but it got better throughout the week. my acne breakouts dried up but before i knew it it was the weekend again. i didnt really drink much or even smoke this weekend though just had a couple of beers with some friends but i woke up with so many new zits. i have 7 new medium size pimples on my left cheek and one huge one on my forehead. and im noticing little raise bumps as well that makes my face feels very sand-papery. does anyone know if its caused by the beer because last two weeks ago i was only drinking hard liquor and my breakout was not this bad and it heals much faster as well. my scars are slowly getting redder as well though which sucks so much!

to melissa i do notice my pores getting bigger as well! and the night where i do not put epiduo the next day the pores are relatively smaller. yea maybe you should try changing your makeup as well? because i've read somewhere that makeup does aggravate acne. update me on how things are with you yea. it feels great to have moral support on this acne shit and im here to offer some to!

so in conclusion its been 18 days and epiduo is definitely changing my skin. but my skin is not quite there yet cos i am still getting new acne and new scars regularly. if anyone else who is using epiduo or any other products lets update each other and give advices and help each other out.

i will be updating more i promise. take care!

[Meli55a]

Hey, thanks for the update Being busy is good, it helps to take your mind off skin troubles...well it helps me haha. Hopefully you're skin will calm down if you continue to use it how you are for a while.Hey no worries, I just took the advice from my dermatologist and I don't mind passing it on lol. Although I have the redness and occasional soreness from Epiduo, I definitely have no dry skin or tightness or flakiness - maybe the cetaphil gentle cleanser helps to keep my skin moist? Who knows!

You may have a point with regards to the beer vs liquor - maybe you are sensitive to one of the main ingredients involved in the process of making beer? and the fermentation produces sugar which obviously isn't great for skin. Did your acne leave red marks and scars before you started using epiduo? Although I did get red marks before, they seemed to fade quicker and I never got scarring whereas I now have red marks that take longer to fade and deep, ice-pick/pock mark type scars.

I haven't used epiduo the last 3 nights because I felt it wasn't having the same effect anymore, but already I have a couple of new tiny pimples on my neck near the jawline but again, I went back to makeup the last 3 days because I've had a busy weekend including a night out (drinking beer instead of wine or vodka mixers which I usually drink) and my daughter's birthday party. I'm going to use Epiduo again tonight though, I think it helps more than I realized! So I think we should stick with it, I'll try and keep you updated with my ups and downs whilst using it and I'd like to hear your updates too I'm at week 12 now, I still have 3 chin cysts and some small bumpy things on my chin but they are not as bad as when I last updated. I do find being busy and having fun with friends and family is the best thing to take my mind off my skin, I've hardly thought about it this weekend. I'll give my skin another break from makeup and I'll see how it reacts after wearing it this weekend.

I look forward to hearing your next update! Hopefully it will be good news and you're having less breakouts by then. Take care

[liliani]

Hey guyss! I'm new to posting here, but have been reading lots of posts whenever i hv any doubts regarding acne.
So heres a little story abt my face; during highschool i was the only one who have the clear face, but after that; right around after i finish highschool and into college, i started experiencing acne.
I actually forgot what i did to fight it back then, but all i can remember, a year after that as i moved to Melbourne for uni, I tried out Dan's regimen but it was to drying for me and I guess I should've sticked it out but i didnt, scared that the dryness was more of an adverse effect and less of killing these little creatures..
sooo, then I tried out Cetaphil with Dan's BP as a spot treatment; it miracle-y helped clear out my facee , even though it wasn't 100% but it was the best I've ever gotten. Then one awful trip to hometown - Indonesia happened recently this year that made me broke out. I havent seen that good 90% clear skin face ever since, even when I am now already in Melb and back with my old regimen.
So then, i went to a GP and he prescribed me epiduo - my face is quite oily with mild acne with just one cyst and 1/2 pustules and the rest are the many annoyinnggg little bumps all over the face .


I think it was 5 days ago since I was prescribed with epiduo and the doctor told me to just test it out on my forehead and see if i am sensitive to it or anything. so far i dont think i am experiencing any dryness or flakiness - its my 3rd day since i've been applying to my whole face and not just the forehead. Maybe i did feel some tingling sometime when i applied it at night, but nothing burning or any scary stuff. is it not working or is it too soon to tell?

Oh btw, weirdly my doctor told me that it is unnecessary to apply moisturiser, but from my exp with BP it was really drying and flaky, so i still use moisturiser during the day anyway . Currently, I am using Neutrogena oil-free moisturiser, however from my prev exp this moisturiser isn't strong enough during dry and flaky face albeit my oily skin. Should I changed moisturiser?? I've tried Cetaphil moisturising lotion but was too greasy, but I may have applied it too much. Also I apply Nivea light sunscreen SPF 30 afterward, as summer is starting here!


I have read lots of story on epiduo and know about the 2 months worth of suffering untill ur face starts to clear on the 3rd month. I am now very determined to stick out for the whole 3 months till clear face! I am sick of looking at acne in the mirror while my frens and family have clear skin!!
Wish me luck and all the best to u guys undergoing the same thing!!

Cheers!

[tasya]

Hey guyss! I'm new to posting here, but have been reading lots of posts whenever i hv any doubts regarding acne.
forehead and see if i am sensitive to it or anything. so far i dont think i am experiencing any dryness or flakiness - its my 3rd day since i've been applying to my whole face and not just the forehead. Maybe i did feel some tingling sometime when i applied it at night, but nothing burning or any scary stuff. is it not working or is it too soon to tell?
at acne in the mirror while my frens and family have clear skin!!
Wish me luck and all the best to u guys undergoing the same thing!!

Cheers!

so you are from Indonesia? produk ini ada di aussie yaah? susah banget cari di Jakarta, pingin banget coba

Edited by tasya, 09 October 2012 - 11:20 AM.

[premier4]

hey guys its been long. so sorry for the lack of updates! i have no excuse i know haha

anyways its been 3 months now since i switched from retin-a to epiduo. and i would say its an up and down ride all the way. my face can get all clear and fair to a war zone in just over a night. like last 3 weeks ago i had friends who commented on how clear and smooth my skin was but a week later the same friends said my face was really red and damaged with spots. its really disheartening. i cleared up eventually from that as well and became clear till last saturday. i was at a bar talking with a few friends when an ass of a guy said i should go for a facial because i had a lot of red spots. i was fucking embarrassed and the next day i realized my clear cheeks were full of pimples. my face is like shit till now and i can say i am really tired of going through over and over.

i would like to tell you about my routine that ive started at the same time with epiduo.
i have been taking 1 1500mg of fish oil tablets, 1 500mg of vit c and 1 neem tablet a day. fish oil and vit c can help your skin but the one that really interested me was the neem tablets. i read that acne is not cause only by hormones but by toxins as well. this toxins are discharge from your body in various ways and one is through your skin. toxins have something to do with you liver and neem purifies your blood and cleans your liver from all these toxins. that is why sleeping early is good for your skin because it helps clears your liver. i realized does have alot of effect on my skin because when i first started taking it i get alot of red tiny pimples. my friend who is also taking this said its normal as the toxins are being removed from you body through your skin. so i reduced from 3 tablets to 1 a day. this helped alot as the red marks decreased.

so this are a few things i found out that really affects my skin. diet, exercise, sleeping pattern, stress, environment and medication. i came to know that all of this contributes to clear skin for me and if one is not proper i would breakout.

as for diet i stopped eating fried food, too much dairy or anything spicy at all. i would eat sandwhiches with no cheese instead of burgers, baked potatoes or mashed with no cream instead of fries. i would stay away from anything spicy or oily, chocolates and all nuts. this recent breakout i believe was due to my sudden urge to have fried chicken on butter sauce with fries on saturday itself. i would drink plenty of water as well especially after drinking alcohol.
i realized exercising has really helped my skin as well to some extend. it takes away my stress and sweating it out seems to be removing toxins from my skin. usually after a good jog my tiny pimples reduced in size and my red spots looks less red. sleeping pattern is one of the most important. if i slept before 1 and woke up i would feel really fresh and my skin would be glowing and no new spots for the day. but if i slept late or badly i would wake up with new pimples. sleeping well reduces stress and cleans your liver. stress is another huge contributing factor because when i have so many things going on i breakout as well. stress can affect both your hormones and liver and this of course can cause zits to pop out. environment plays a huge role too. i realized my face gets really sore and red when its too cold and dry and i do not moisturize. i even get scars reappearing and my face becomes really rough if i stay in the air conditioned room too long. i find this weird so does any one have this problem too?im using oxy oil control moisturizer just for your info. and lastly is having the proper medication. retin-a worked wonders for me but stopped and i feel that epiduo is working now. but ive learnt when it comes to retinoid a little is a lot. putting too much makes your face sore and worse. so i stick to applying just a little of epiduo before i sleep. i apply moisturizer evrytime i shower and before i sleep. i use qv wash for my face as well and wash my face twice when i wake up and when i sleep.

lastly and most importantly i try to stop looking at mirrors when i am breaking out. i realised looking at it makes me more stress and depressed and this can also trigger and make your break out worse. especially for someone like me who can confidently look in a mirror for a week and feel good and be annoyed, angry and depressed looking at the mirror the next day. its a constant battle really.

lastly i would like to ask is there anyone who has been using epiduo and became completely clear without having to worry about constant breakout? and is there anyone who uses epiduo and it works great but eventually stopped workIng? let me know guys. i hope my post helps.

till next time. take care )

[Meli55a]

Thanks for the update

It's been a while since I've been online here too!

It sucks when you get some ass make some comment on your skin, especially when you think it looks ok, it's very disheartening and I know how you must have felt in that moment.

Since I last posted on here, I stopped using Epiduo...and went back to bp...and I have to say, the redness, pigmentation marks from where my cysts and zits had once been and super shiny oiliness has improved so so much. Even my pores don't look TOO obvious although they are still there. My cysts have almost totally gone now! One good thing Epiduo did for me was clear all my blackheads but since I stopped using they are creeping back.

Like yourself, I noticed with Epiduo I could be clearing up great one day then suddenly the next I'd have a few zits, I think when I got a new cyst it was the last straw for me because I thought after 3 months it wasn't being as effective so I made the switch to Oxy On The Spot 2.5% bp which I used for a while and liked, then switched to Quinoderm 10% bp which I use once or twice a day, depending on how my skin is doing. I'm still taking one Lymecycline antibiotic every morning and I cleanse morning and evening with Quinoderm antibacterial face wash which I love. I've just introduced a few new products into my regime: If my skin is dry and flaky i'll use Simple Spotless Skin blackead clearing scrub (I've only used it twice in one week), the spotless skin moisturiser and spot zapper rollerball from the same range (I've not used the spot zapper for a few days, it seemed to dry out some little spots I had but I think bp is more effective). And I'm now taking one 1000mg vitamin c effervescent tablet once a day...thinking of trying a b-complex and Evening Primrose oil capsule but i'll introduce those gradually. I haven't changed my diet at all, in fact I've been really bad lately - the cold weather makes me want to comfort eat I guess, but I'm trying to eat healthier and exercise more as of yesterday.
Stress affects my skin too, and I have been a little stressed more than usual lately which might have contributed to a few pesky little spots I acquired recently.

You are spot on about the mirror thing: I have a mirror on my dresser which has a light and on one side it's 5x magnified...if I look in that side of the mirror with the light on I obsess and over-analyze and end up feeling so much worse, helpless, frustrated and depressed. Like you say it's a constant battle

I hate saying when my skin is getting better coz i'm sure to jinx myself haha but it is since I changed my routine. I haven't actually told my dermatologist that I stopped using Epiduo, I'll mention it at the next appointment in January!

If it's working for you though then stick with it, everybody's different. And thanks for the update

Take care and keep us posted x

[Meli55a]

Just a quick update, I saw my derm on 3 January and she prescribed me Retin A 0.01% gel which she said would fade my pigmentation scars. I've been using this every second night for 2 1/2 weeks and then started using it every night 3 nights ago - so far I haven't experienced any purging/breakout or dryness or peeling, just 2 tiny red bumpy zits and some minor flakiness around my chin and nostrils. My red acne scars are fading nicely and my skin feels soft and smooth. It's even cleared my blackheads on my nose so soon! So far so good. Also, I've gone back to cetaphil gentle cleanser and I do my cleanse an hour before I put on the Retin A. I much prefer Retin A to Epiduo.