18 replies to this topic

[HoustonD]

Hello All,

First time poster here, was lurking on this forum for a few months now. Like the title says this is the worst my acne has been in my entire 26yo life. Back through highschool/college the most acne i would get would be 3-5 per month and the acne/hyperpigmentation would be gone in about a week. But this is no longer the issue, as the hyperpimentation seems to take months to heal and acne take almost a week to heal.

Started getting these acnes(Papules/Pustules) April-May mostly on my jawline/cheeks. I notice I don't get too many acne on my chin or forehead, but get a few acne on my eyebrow/temple(not too many). Haven't taken any antibiotics for acne, and maybe I need to start?

During my high school/college years i would eat anything(dairy,sugar,carbs,alcohol etc.) and not break out. I just recently change my diet/exercise about 1.5-2 months ago(thinking this might be the case) but not seeing much difference. I read that jawline/cheeks were hormonal acne, but not 100% sure? Does it go away without medication? Heard a lot of horror stories that antibiotics made break outs worse.

My regime consists of(about 2 months in):

Mourning cleansing routine:
-Gentle foam cleanser
-BP( which worked fast during highschool/college) was using SA but didn't seem to help as much
-SPF 75 cream

Mourning supplement routine:
-1 probiotic pill(heard acne can be caused by leaky gut)(also, saw another poster get great results)
-Juicing (sweet potatoes, celery, broccili, apple, oranges, tomatoes,spinach,cucumber) 1 glass
-fiber powder mixed with water(heard digestive issues cause acne, also saw in another post)

Lunch:salads, meats, fish, rice, cabbages, greens(cut out fast food which i never broke out during my younger years)
-1 muti vitamin
-2(500mg) B5 vitamin (panthothenic Acid), Also read a website/thread that helps reduce oil and help regulate coenzyme-A)
-1(500mg) L-carnitine (helps absorb vitamins)
-2 Omega 3/6/9 pill

Dinner:same as lunch
-2 (500mg) B5 vitamin
-1(500mg) L-carnitine
-1(50mg) zinc glutane(started yesterday)

Night time cleanse:
gentle foam cleaner
Retin A 0.1%(got from a friend and not a dermatologist)

Never took vitamins/minerals earlier in my life when i had a lot less acne.

Here are some pics as i don't think the camera gave my red marks justice(as they seem alot more red in person)

Any ideas? Do you think I have acne rosacea? candida infection? Anything to add to the regime that would work?

Is it better to see a dermatologist ? or just goto a doctor and get some blood test done, maybe defecient in some vitamins/mineral?

HELP...

Also, I do not get body acne, If that help narrow things down. Ocassionaly get a pimple behind me ear.

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[vw02]

I hear ya man, I'm 25 and this past summer it just started to get worse and worse. Did a diet overhaul and have been doing almost exactly what you've been doing minus washing my face with anything the last 10-11 weeks. Still getting horrible acne only around my mouth/chin that is worse than any acne I've had before. I've read and heard from a "alternative" doctor that that area is from stomach/digestion issues and takes a long time to fix, talking about 3-6+ months long. Keep up with the diet. Only thing I can suggest is to start eating 2-3 tablespoons of coconut oil a day. Cook with it too. You'll notice a difference in your skin on your entire body. It may not help your acne, but its worth a shot.

Here's what I buy but in a smaller jar.
http://www.amazon.co...n/dp/B0009JRKDC

[HoustonD]

Anything happen during the summer that maybe triggered it? I know i was extremely stressed out this year(personal and work) that might have triggered it but as of lately haven't been really stressed about anything besides my acne. The past 2-3 months didn't really go out since it kept getting worse, which helps with cutting out alcohol, but that seems like the only benefit from this. I figure if it was stress related acne wouldn't the acne pop everywhere on my face like forehead, chin, etc. not just my jawline (worse area) and cheeks.

Seems like im losing this battle. Coconut oil, huh? Did you get any result from it?

Might just have to hang up the gloves and goto a dermatologist. I like to give each regimen at least a month to see if it helped out. Such as juicing, didn't really help with acne but i do feel more energized in the mournings. So i figure i just make a life habit out of it. The same with all the vitamins, except maybe the B5 and L-carnitine, after i finish the bottle and still get no result im going to quit it.

Also, have you went to a dermatologist or plan on too?

[ledzep]

Hey welcome to the forum!

Seeing as you've had acne throughout your youth and at 26 still getting breakouts, I would venture to say that your acne is probably related to genetics- adult acne can be influenced positively or negatively by diet but finding the key triggers unfortunately takes a huge amount of trial and error and there may be other factors involved that lead to your breakouts. I would definitely recommend going to a dermatologist and following their advice; they may recommend accutane because of your age and if they do then it would at least be something to consider. I'm 25 and for years I procrastinated about going to a derm because I thought in some way I would be admitting to myself that the situation had got out of 'control', when in reality I had for years been completely clueless about my skin and had little influence over the number of breakouts I got. So my derm got me on accutane because of the persistent nature of my acne which, incidentally, is similar to yours although I tend to break out higher up on my cheeks.

Whatever decision you make I would definitely recommend talking it over with a health care professional who will be able to advise you on the detail of the course you choose. Best of luck.

Edited by ledzep, 12 October 2012 - 02:13 PM.

[HoustonD]

Thanks for the advice ledzep, actually during my youth I would get very mild acne. We're talking maybe 2-5 acne per month which would heal up fast. Maybe one acne a week, if that, had pretty clear skin, it just so happen this year it just blew out of proportions. My diet never changed during my youth either. I just recently started to eat alot healthier since all these acne started to appear. Im going to try to set up an appt. with a derm. next week. Any good review sites that rate derms. Locally? I don't want to go to some random one that's doesn't know what there doing.

Updated on phone . Sry for errors

Edited by HoustonD, 12 October 2012 - 06:01 PM.

[tritonxiv]

Have you by any chance increased your sexual activity?

[HoustonD]

Forgot to ask ledzep. How long have u been taking accutane? Any bad symptoms since taking them? Did your acne respond good to the medication? Also did u get initial break outs?

No, been somewhat the same trinton.
My girl even asked me if I wanted to take some of her BC's . Lol had to decline on that one

Edited by HoustonD, 12 October 2012 - 05:59 PM.

[greatsite18]

Since its around your mouth area it could be your oral hygeine. Brush thoroughly after ever meal, mouthwash, and floss thoroughly once a day. I find when I get lazy with oral hygeine and get a little gum disease, where the gum disease is in my mouth directly correlates to breakouts on my face - and I never see poeple writing about that on this site. I figure the location of the acne is a strong indicator of the cause. Good luck.

ps my general advice is Eat well, keep good oral hygeine, exercise, sweat, get fresh air, sunshine, dont scratch/pick/sleep on your face, and finally keep your face clean.

Edit: Houston D I took accutane as a teen, and it cleared my skin perfectly, but I seriously think you should keep trying to improve your lifestyle naturally.

Edited by greatsite18, 12 October 2012 - 06:07 PM.

[loladiamonds]

Thanks for the advice ledzep, actually during my youth I would get very mild acne. We're talking maybe 2-5 acne per month which would heal up fast. Maybe one acne a week, if that, had pretty clear skin, it just so happen this year it just blew out of proportions. My diet never changed during my youth either. I just recently started to eat alot healthier since all these acne started to appear. Im going to try to set up an appt. with a derm. next week. Any good review sites that rate derms. Locally? I don't want to go to some random one that's doesn't know what there doing.

Updated on phone . Sry for errors

since you say it spiraled out of nowhere, it could definitely be hormonal. There have been men and women who are literally clear all their lives then all of a sudden at the age of like 35 their skin is worse than their teenage kid. Your hormones can go crazy at any given time. Not sure what causes it but its possible. Get your hormonal levels checked. You can enter 'dermatologists' into google and a website will pop up, you enter your zip code, then it finds the local guys. Good luck.

[HoustonD]

Haven't replied in awhile. Went to the doctor on 10/17, and got prescribed-Bp 5%, Clyndamycin top solution 1%, & Doxycycline 100mg(once a day). I still got some new acne but they are a lot smaller, but in general the inflammation has been better and the redness has cooled off(prob because of the Clyndamycin).

I also got some blood work done and the results came back as high Albumin levels and high albumin/globulin ratio. He says he doesn't see the acne and the high levels relating to each other. Might be a liver problem but he wants me to check back in about 3 months as it doesn't seem too serious. Going to call him on Monday about my hormone levels as i forgot to ask him.

I also asked why i'm experiencing so much acne as i never really had this problem since puberty-25. He basically said that stress can cause the pores to open up larger and cause acne. Probably just a general answer, as he can't pin point the problem. I know the medication he prescribed above is prob. a temporary fix but I'm running out of options and I want lower my hyperpigmentation marks. I will keep using the medication above and see how that goes, will keep updating.

P.S- You shouldn't take vitamins/minerals while taking doxy. but once im done with the prescription(15pills), I'm going to start back up.

[ledzep]

Hey Houston sorry for the late reply. I've been taking accutane for 6 weeks now, for the most part my skin has responded very well to the treatment. Side effects were: pretty bad IB (initial breakout) I only had a mild issue with cysts before tane and yet in the first week of my meds I broke out badly with cystic acne. It was very embarrassing and going to work was horrible. Other than that I've had dry skin on lips and inside of my nose. I've had a rash that spread right down my arms but I managed to get of that through moisturizing more. I've also developed sun sensitivity where it's quite hard to walk around in the winter sunlight without sunglasses. So yes I've had side effects but what I guess your asking is 'Are they manageable?' My answer is, yes, everything is manageable and you will get through the course if you decide to go on it. But be prepared mentally for it .I thought I had done enough research to be ready for anything that happened, but the actual experience is quite different to the theory. Currently, I have two actives on my forehead and thats it, so things could definitely be worse. I'm also willing to go through all the turbulence behind accutane in the knowledge that in 2 months I will have finished my course and may well be done with acne for life. I was willing to go through 4 difficult months for that and I guess that's something you should ask yourself if your considering taking it.

All the best.

[HoustonD]

Update:

I was using the regimen my doc gave me (BP 5%, Doxy 100mg(once a day)15 pills total, Clyndamycin top solution 1%) and didn't really see any results. I really felt that my acne was hormonal and that these chemicals would'nt have that much effect on them(male BTW). So half way through i decided to take Saw Palmetto(Solaray 160mg 85% Fatty acids, 2pcs-AM,2pcs-PM) as they help with hormonal imbalances. This made a huge difference! I currently only have one active small acne on my jawline. I just finished my last Doxy pill yesterday so I'm starting back up my vitamin/mineral regimen as well, still kept juicing. I want to quit BP and Clyndamycin top solution 1% as there are some threads that say BP makes the red marks/hyperpigmentation last longer and attract free radicals that slow the skin healing process(everyone preaches to wear Sun Block). I think i want to try the oil cleansing method, 20% castor oil and still deciding on coconut/olive oil for the other 80% mixture as the cleanser. Been hearing really good reviews about it. Will start off slowly maybe twice a week and see if it causing any break outs, will keep updating.

Anybody try the oil cleaning method?

[Sasch83]

Hi Houston. I caution you on making too many changes in such a short period of time as that will not be good for your body. You want to SLOWLY phase out your prescription products to get your skin back to baseline so that you can tell if the antibitoics were keeping you clear or the Saw Palmetto. Also OCM can be your best friend or worst enemy - it doesn't work for everyone so keep that in mind. I recommend you hold off on OCM until you see where your skin is at and what is really working for you. Also, since you were on antibiotics, i recommend you start taking probiotics to help repopulate the good bacteria in your gut

Good Luck

[chelslaw]

yeah im going to guess that its the doxy clearing you not the saw palmetto. saw p takes months and months to start to work, any hormonal balancing treatment does...keep taking it though for sure (i am too but only been 3 weeks) antibiotics do work on hormonal acne but seems to be short term.

[HoustonD]

-Sasch83- Was wondering if you tried the OCM method? Still trying to find a good recipe on which oils to use. Been hearing good things about tamanu oils/grape seed oil/castor oil. I will definately take your advice about starting it slowly, I'm still in the researching stage. I just hope to get off BP soon and start working on my hyperpigmentation.

-Cheslaw- That was my biggest drawback as doing too much too soon. I won't know exactly what helped out the most. I just wanted to get rid of these acne ASAP and decrease my chances on additional hyperpigmentation marks. How has Saw P been doing for you? What areas were the worse? Has it helped out any, if at all? and what dosage and brand have you been using?

[Ind1g0]

Go the hormonal route...but also be sure to go get tested for food sensitivity to allergens like dairy, grains, seafood, nuts, etc. Make sure youre fasting 12 hours a day (12 hours at night before next meal in morning). I recommend cutting out all dairy and grains anyways- even if you're not allergic. Definitely cut out soy products. Exercise. Drink lots of water. These steps will help balance hormones and cleanse the body. Good idea with the probiotic. Best of luck.

[chelslaw]

i am female and have hormonal acne on my chin/jawline

ive only been taking it a month, you need at least 90 days with any hormonal treatment

month 1 i have been taking 320mg total (1 pill twice a day) of 85-90% stabilized fatty acids

this month im upping it to 3 pills a day (so 480mg total) and will see

i also dont eat gluten. no luck yet but i will keep on keeping on.

[JWaltersRN]

Houston,
I LOVE OCM!! It has been a lifesaver protecting my "good" skin while the meds work on my "bad" skin.
I dont recommend using Grapeseed oil or Jojoba oil to start with. These tend to be more clogging for some people.
Castor Oil and Hemp seed oil are good choices, as Hemp seed has a comodegenic rating of 0/5 while castor oil has a 1/5. Many people have good success with jojoba, but I haven't seen much with cystic, hormonal acne sufferers.
I use the grape seed oil, because it doesn't clog me up, and I need the extra protection since I do frequent acid peels and use daily Differin gel. You MUST have the castor oil, you must steam open your pores, and you must follow the OCM with a non-soap, non-medicated fragrance free cleanser when you use the OCM at night. You will miss spots and the oil will get dirty and sit on your face all night. I don't wash off the oil in the morning with cleanser, just swipe with the warm towel, and my make up stays on all day. I do wash it off at night, and I don't have oily skin the morning.... fabulous stuff. You will know if an oil blend is right for you after the frist couple of times you use it. The pores will be clean and gorgeous!! The wrong oil will leave you too dry ( probably too much Castor in the mix) or will leave your pores looking "full" (wrong dilution oil for you).
This cleaning method, in combination with the prescriptions is certainly helping, although I still have a ways to go. Good luck to you!

[Buttsoup]

I've read and heard from a "alternative" doctor that that area is from stomach/digestion issues and takes a long time to fix, talking about 3-6+ months long.

This is very much true. I used to suffer from acne as a young teen, but anti-biotics did the trick and easily reduced half of my acne with a couple of months. Half a year later and I was pretty clear except for the occasional pimple. Then when I was about 19 I got an acne relapse. It wasn't quite as bad as it was when I was a teen, but it was very very persistent. I tried all kinds of products, treatments and many (MANY) trips to the derm. I was at my wits end, because whatever I would try it would help minimally if at all. Then I turned to alternative medicne and decided to go to an accupuncturist. I didn't really have any faith in it, but I thought to myself that it couldn't hurt trying. During the first visit I was told immediately that my stomach and digestion didn't work properly. It was in pretty bad shape. However, she also said that it wasn't difficult to solve! Just 7 to 8 treatments and most importantly, drink and eat everything warm. In Eastern medicine the digestion is considered the 'fire' and food must be 'burned' in it. Cold and raw foods must be 'heated up' more than cooked foods because they dampen and weaken the fire. The key is to never cool the fire.

The results are very subtle at first, but after the 4th visit it should be quite clear that it isn't only helping your digestion but also helping clear your face. You might still get a pimple or two, but it'll be fewer/less severe. After doing it for a couple of months I was as good as clear except for the blemishes left by the acne. I couldn't believe something so simple could have such a large impact! I would recommend anyone who has been suffering acne for a long period of time to go visit an accupuncturist. Make sure it's a reliable one though. Look for one that guarantees results. My accupuncturist even signed a contract, saying that if my issues started coming back they would treat me free of charge!

edit: I would also like to point out that having bad digestion doesn't necessarily mean that you aren't regular. I dropped a deuce every day, but that didn't mean that my digestion worked well.

Edited by Buttsoup, 20 December 2012 - 04:52 PM.