AbyBar

Im so glad you have not given up . I remember I was on month 3 when you started, now I'm on month 6. Face is relatively clear with a couple ice picks and blemishes but make up can conceal. Let me remind you I had severe acne when I started so by the time you get to month 6 your blemishes will be so light and your face will actually look healthy.

Glad you're one of the success stories on the boards here... Continue to post so that you inspire others to give the regimen a try...

Thank you Beautiful
It's posts like these that motivate and keep others going

I still have acne here and there but school and work really keep my mind at peace . They both coexist In harmony for me
Trying to focus more on what's important . For example, like living in the moment. I realized that my acne will take years to subside and my face will take some years as well to heal from the cystic acne damage, but that doesn't mean I will hibernate, seclude myself an isolate myself. I have to explore the platitudes, the sorrow and the warmth of the sun . I laugh at the face of acne because it hasn't defeated me . NEVER WILL.

Day 127
I still have two pimples on my chin. Two that I severely picked at haha. Every time I popped them they got filled with pus again but this time I know I got all the gunk out . Now the healing process begins . Hoping they scab and peel off soon .

 Really impressed with youre results and postive attitude. Keep going you deserve to be clear youre beautiful as you are but I know its how we feel about ourselves that counts:)

Thank you so much for your kind words . They encourage me to never give up. It's been a tough journey but looking back I'm glad I never threw in the towel. Thank you

The flakiness does go away. As long as you don't decrease or increase the dose eventually it will.
Don't let it be a sad laugh sometimes thinking back about our acne moments can make us laugh when we aren't at our best . Ive had plenty embarrassing but funny moments with my acne. My bf was caressing my hair and accidentally pop a pimple on my cheek. It was a cyst embarrassing but I laugh looking back at it now haha.

Witch hazel is like a toner . All you need is cotton balls and apply it on  
The good thing about all natural it doesn't have alcohol . 
You can purchase at your local Walgreens .

 
Ahh i see! Do you think I should get alcohol anyway to kill any bacteria on the face while also using the potential of the witch hazel?
 
BTW, thank you again for taking the time to reply
 
I had another question regarding my regimen:
 
I use Cetaphil gentle cleanser, then erythromycin 2% pads, and after that dries on my face, I use clindamycin phosphate lotion. It has been working very well. Now, heres where I need your input: I am out of the erythromycin pads, and I can get them refilled anytime, however.. my question is: should I get it refilled OR stay with the cetaphil + clindamycin ONLY (which has been working well also, no active acne) OR go to proactive (which I have a brand new box ready to use for)
 
I personally would love to just not have to do ANYTHING and the acne subsides, but of course, thats not happening !

You can try eliminating the erythromycin an substituting the witch hazel . The thing  with alcohol is it dries your skin out and can cause Premature aging .
I wouldn't go the proactive route because it has Benzoyl Peroxide which is good for acne but once you stop using the BP your acne comes back and can come back with a vengeance . The beads on the cleanser also aggravate your skin. The exfoliation is only good once a week or twice but not for everyday use, too much efoliation strips the epidermis and leaves it unprotected . Perfect for bacteria growth.

It all gets better after the first 4 weeks
I'm 3 months in DKR as well and my acne has cleared up dramatically . Started with severe cystic acne about 20 actives to just 1or 2 occasionally .
Keep on trucking and in 6 months or less you'll have flawless skin
Much love !!!!!!

ABY!!! Your progress is wonderful!!! I am so happy to be your friend. You are the strongest women I know, and you help me to be a better, more strainer person each day…I really appreciate it

Awe chucks, your making me blush . Thanks beautiful.
When life gets tough you have to keep trucking. My philosophy is that only you are responsible for your life, but putting the best right this moment will help place you for the next moment

DAY 60:
  I always take a while to begin my posts because i want to open up with a banging sentence lol . Alright, as for my skin and the regimen.....i currently have 2 active pimples which are located on my jawline. One on the right and the other on the left. Which is not so good but in comparison to my breakouts from before, it's much better. I've incorporated AHA ( P.M only) and i always get a stinging sensation after i apply it, so what i've managed to do is combine both AHA and Dan's moisturizer to lessen the stinging. Dan's regimen is truly a godsend for me. It has helped diminished my breakouts in 2 short months. Something that retinoids failed to accomplish, in fact, retinoids severely damaged my skin. Not to mention the irritation that accompanies those damn topicals. Feel free to pm and i'll gladly share my most genuine and sincere knowledge. All you skeptic acne sufferers skimming through the forums for a descent regimen, look no further, DKR is it. But, i must say that it is not a cure(like dan states) might not work for all skin types, however, it is still worth a shot.  # Be Blessed or Die Trying    

2 MONTHS:

Today marks 2 months on DKR !
Quick update : R/T Cheek - 1 pimple, L/T Cheek 1 pimple, Forehead and temples crystal clear and chin has 1 pimple ( i picked at).
OVERALL PROGRESS: Far better. 75% clearness since starting the regimen. However, there are still many persistent red marks lingering on my face which can emphasize on the severeness of my skin.

• AM & PM - 1 pump of cleanser, 1 1/2 pump of BP and 2 pumps of moisturizer with 6 drops of jojoba oil. [ i decreased the bp due to the tightness of my skin and the climate change here in Cali. I feel that 2 pumps only aggravated my acne more.]
• Lastly, a day ago i started a weight gainer work out. It consists of a Weight Gainer(purchased at wholefoods) 1spoon mixed with 1 cup of  organic 25 vitamins juice and 1 cup of water prior to cardio workout and another after workout.[Weight gainer consist of Letchin, so praying that i dont breakout severely.]

Fall semester is over, so i have 1 month to get clearer skin !!!! The first two months were a roller coaster but I am thankful for continuing. Failure is not an option. Lets keep trucking . #Be Blessed or Die Trying !

Wow, Well. I officially hate acne.
Does your acne ever cross your mind during inappropriate times like.. during sex? during a conversation, or maybe during your class presentation?
Well, It happened to me. I was in Sociology presenting my presentation about the Self Looking Glass Self theory and BDD when all of a sudden the thought of my acne instantly zoomed into my mind. Before I could swat it out and continue with my speech, the thought stopped me mid sentance when I was speaking. I completley forgot what I was talking about, I totally zoned out, and I began studdering. SOOO AWKWARD. I had to pause for like 15 seconds and then stupidly move to the next slide!
It didn't help that I cried immediatley after my presentation and the whole class was staring at me..
Stupid acne..

Definitely i can relate to you 100 % .
I find myself thinking about my darn acne during class, while talking to my peers and during presentations as well. It deliberately drives my focus away from whatever subject the instructor is talking about to acne, to my skin, if i have a new pimple etc. It's insane. Also, i find that i am constantly picking at my face without being aware of it. I probably look like fool carving into my skin with my nails haha !!! So you are not the only one girl, i am positive that many of the .org users can relate.
Sociology class what a wonderful class !! I enjoy all the functionalist and conflict theorists input. && the self-looking glass theory by Cooley i believe. I think your presentation would have been interesting and i wouldn't have noticed your acne. I find myself always befriending people with skin problems not that i exclude people with flawless skin. Its just I like to make people with skin disorders feel comfortable about themselves so that their level of self worth increases. Despite of my own insecurities i like to make others and myself imagine that someone sees our appearance as neat and attractive as opposed to disheveled and ugly. I totally went off topic hahaaaa

Hey there...Glad to hear you're not breaking out anymore... I understand the eczema can be annoying... I get that in the winter... Try moisturizing more... Once you can consistently keep your breakouts under control, try cutting back on your BP use, it will help with the eczema... Keep up with the updates and positive attitude... Good luck!!

Thanks Love and yes eczema is not the business but these past few days i have been able to keep it under control with hydrocortisone good riddance.
I sure hope that all is well with your skin and with your overall life as well .

My Aby! I enjoy reading you post! I am glad you have people that are here for you. Also #fadedjay is awesome, he is one of my favorites on acne.org haha

My Denizzz !! I also enjoy reading your posts because they are full of life and joy
We both agree that #fadedjay is AWESOME & AMAZING ! Thanks for the support my peeps !

hey

i followed thereisalwayshope in her early days and she has one of the best attitudes i have come across on the boards.

Looks like you are not far off either your attitude and determination is half of the battle won.

i wish you all the best and i like your saying 'be bless or die trying' its pretty darn awesome

i'll drop by from time to time to see how things are progressing

Haha thank you my friend and like thereisalwayshope mentioned she is one of my bestes friends so i guess now you can see a relation between our personalities. We are like two peas in a pod . Haha thank you so much for reading my posts.

Wow, this is my first post, and I just had to finally make a comment because what you are going through is so similar to what I'm going through.
So, I started the Regiment about 2 to 3 weeks ago. I'm not sure entirely when because I was so slack to record. I regret.... But nevertheless, I was seeing good results and then my skin broke out around the right side of my face, from half of my forehead to the temple to the side of my face, there are about 20 cysts. Slightly smaller cysts but some are painful and they are definitely not good looking. I'm starting to think its milk that's causing my acne, or is it because I changed my cleanser? I changed to cetaphil gentle cleanser becasue acne.org cleanser seem too dry for me, I was getting wrinkles around my eye and mouth and where there are no acne, its soooooo rough like a sand paper. Are you by any chance experiencing this????? I'm going to upload some pictures of what my acne looks like RIGHT NOW!! I think lots of them are scars now on the forehead but on the cheeks are very active and stubborn ones. Its awful, its gross and I've finally decided to go to school without makeup for the better of the future! Hope to hear more from you!

Hello there and welcome to the regimen
as for the dairy im not sure whether it contributes to acne or not because i been dairy free for about a year or more and my acne is still cystic. Im starting to think mine is hormonal and maybe yours is too because i have similar acne to yours, minus the forehead. My cheeks seriously were infected with cysts but the regimen has seemed to clear me up.
Also my skin is extremely dry on my cheeks because thats where the problem area is but thats no reason to give up. Maybe in a couple of months the dryness wil subside. Stick to the regimen, i think you've already passed the first 2 weeks which for me was the worst part of the regimen. I felt like giving up because of the symptoms. Im glad i didnt.
Through your pics i can't really see any active cysts on your cheek but like 3 pimples and the rest looks like scarring and redness too me. I can tell you that the regimen isn't a cure but it sure has controlled my breakouts from waking up to 5 new pimples a day to like 1 or 2 a day, far better if you ask me
Hang in there this bad set of cards cannot last forever and if you feel like talking you can PM me

WEEK 5:

Yay ! Thanksgiving Day today. Wohooo ! Im grateful for all the support i have receive here on the .org i love you all and hoping that you all spend a great day today
Here is a little update on my skin; well forehead clear as glass, temples some ice pick scarring with one dead cyst on r/t temple however that sucker has been there for over a week, it seriously needs to die and go flat now, R/T Cheek has about 1 pimple with some red blemishes that are fading away( a toast to that) and L/T Cheek has about 4 pimples with some scarring and blemishes ( im guessing because i sleep on that cheek). I have to admit that my skin is looking much better than a month ago but it still needs some much more improvement for me to be 100% satisfied. Im not sure if being make up free has contributed to some of the improvements but i've been loyal and i havent applied any for a long time. Make-up free is the way to be!  Today is the day i put all my problems aside(temporarily) and hmwk assig. as well and only focusing on the delicious foods i will be devouring in a few hours and yes i will be stuffing my face with desserts, lots of it. My skin might pay the consequences for my minor deviance but eehhh who cares right ? I will savor the taste yup yup !!
Well my fellow peeps have a blast today because we all deserve it, be blessed or die trying

AAAHHHHHHHHHHAHAHAHAAAAAHHH !!!!!
I am so happy that my heart is jumping,pumping 100x faster, doing the moon walk . Why? If my face is still infested with ACNE? Well i nailed my 7 min speech today. Claps and smiles were seen as i was scanning the audience and for the first time i felt STRONG in POWER.
I wish all of you guys who are down could feel this way. Its a beautiful feeling and to top it off I got a B+ on my Poly sci Exam. Heck YESSS !!! Made a new friend too her name is Trang she is wonderful. Today was full of blessings.
Be blessed everyone or die trying

I've been eating so unhealthy these past few days not good . Decided to go buy some healthy food at trader joe's today.
Have to get back on that healthy train
Overall, im feeling BLAHH about my skin. Its neither Neg. or Pos. like in between.
Be blessed people and embrace your beauty.

If you truly feel your acne is hormonal, you gotta go allllll the way with diet. It is very difficult- but if you truly want to clear your acne for good you've got to go 100% (people here can tell you this). Completely cut out caffeine, it messes with adrenals which control hormone production. Drink DECAF green tea once or twice daily. Completely cut out sugar.

Go for the paleo diet, which eliminates all common allergens and irritants (this is optimal for clearing, unless you are a vegetarian and don't want to give it up). This means: NO dairy, NO grains (not even stuff like rice), NO antibiotic or hormone meat, only grass fed, NO sugar to eliminate insulin sensitivity which screws with hormones.

Drink 8 glasses of water a day.

Exercise a few times a week.

Take fish oil and zinc.

The acne.org regimen did work for me- but it was a temporary fix. Benzoyl peroxide does more harm than help in the longrun and its just a bandaid covering up the actual problem. I'm on a mission to cure this the natural way. I recommend cutting out ALL facial care products. Rinse face twice a day with lukewarm water and honey and pat dry. This will balance skin PH and allow it to heal itself without completely going cold turkey and using nothing on your face.

Many, many people have cleared their hormonal acne like the way I listed above- I'm doing it, and I believe you can too...but you have to believe in yourself...

Keep your chin up you can do this!!!!!!!!

-Fellow acne sufferer.

I like how your giving her some advice on changing her diet and what works for you may not work for others. I've been on a rigorous diet for almost 2 years now with no grains, no sugar, no gluten, processed food, only organic chicken and fish. with berries and vegetables only. The only thing the diet did was made me lose like 20 lbs. and it did not clear my acne. However, im not saying that a strict diet wont help her, it might in fact help her but she has to address the internal cause and at the same time the external.

For example, commit to a strict diet like the poster above me mentioned and also use something like bp to kill the p.acnes. A combination of both is more likely to help at a more efficient pace.

The advice I'm giving can only help her (drastically)- not harm her. As you know, cutting out sugar, dairy and grain has internal benefits of its own, even if it doesn't work on acne. I'm recommending it because its worth millions to give it a shot- and of course I recognize that not everything works for everyone. But that's what this site is about- sharing helpful tokens of advice.

I agree with you, an outside regimen and inside regimen is the key. But lately I've been reading a lot about the caveman regimen (not washing face at all) and all the success people have had. It got me thinking: yeah, the skin is created to heal itself....and yeah...my acne did get a lot worse when I started introducing it to products. The PH balance theory is really intriguing so now I'm more of an advocate of a really simplistic PH balancing exterior regimen than anything harsh (like I said I tried the acne.org regimen and it 'worked' but did not 'cure.')

Right now I'm rinsing with honey twice a day......the antibacterial properties of honey kill bacteria....but balance the PH of the skin at the same time. No toner or moisturizer and I'm hoping my skin will balance out on its own.

Cheers to all of ya'll on this radical journey of finding what works best for each of us.

Awesome ! Thats really Brave and Admirable of you for going on the caveman approach. I on the other and could not do it because i have extremely oily skin and not cleansing would clog my pores.
I agree with the PH balance for our skin and disturbing its balance makes it prone for bacteria infections. So it is critical and indeed our skin depends on a balnced PH.
Hopefully we can all overcome acne some time soon.
DIET AND A STRONG REGIMEN IS BOUND TO KNOCK ACNE OUT THE PARK
*cheers everyone