alexisc

Can't quite say I agree with water fasting for so long myself - although I've never tried it.

But I can say I totally agree with what you said about positive affirmations! I read Eckhart Toille's books "A New Earth" and "the Power of Now" and I actually just finished "You Can Heal Your Life" by Louise Hay. Have watched a few of the Abraham Hicks videos as well - really insightful. I have been focusing on positive affirmations too and trying to retrain my thoughts and it really does make a difference in your entire life! The law of attractions is completely true. 

Everything in our lives begins in the mind. 

"The thoughts we choose to think are the tools we use to paint the canvas of our lives." 

I fully hear you on antibiotics not being a walk in the park... the thing is I tried everything natural first!

Things I tried internally: clove oil, peppermint oil, garlic, olive leaf extract, oil of oregano, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, oregon grape root tea, burdock root, goldenseal, turmeric, probiotics, l-glutamine, yogurt, an EXTREMELY low sugar diet with not even any fruit, no carbs, gluten free, dairy free and very nutrient dense... and I'm not talking one week, I tried natural methods for over 6 months. Natural methods cleared my actual acne previously in about a month. Once I found my intolerances to corn and wheat I stopped breaking out in pimples. I was perfectly clear. Then a year later this folliculitus started. 

Topically I tried: clove oil, oregano oil, thyme oil, witch hazel, yogurt masks, caveman, oil cleansing method.. etc. 

I have been on minocycline for over a week and my face is now 100% clear again. I only have one hyper pigmentation spot left on my face. I'm eating probiotic yogurt everyday while being on it and still eating very low sugar. I plan on doing apple cider vinegar daily as well to keep any yeast overgrowth in check. 

I have also been doing a lot of mental work. Going outside without any makeup on even though it is scary. I did that when my skin was at it's worst ever and it was really liberating/terrifying. Looking at myself in the mirror and telling myself that I love and accept myself exactly as I am right now. Being grateful for my life and focusing on positive affirmations. Acne isn't just physical - I think there is a strong mental component to every illness. 

Louise Hay's book - "You Can Heal Your Life" has really helped me figure some things out emotionally. I'm focusing on meditation too. 

Will the folliculitus come back after I stop the antibiotics? I sure hope not. But if it does it isn't the end of the world. I know my problem is with gut flora now, and that it is bacterial and not fungal. I think all the time of using the oil cleansing method I was actually giving myself even worse folliculitus topically. 

Hey chelslaw,

thank you for your continued support  

I'm so glad going gluten free had such great affects for you! I'm sure the one bump is just a warning sign to get back into your regular pattern and then it will vanish. I do get regular acne if I eat anything with wheat as well. I think it's your body's way of telling you not to eat what you are eating hehe. 

thanks for the support guys  

Forgot about apple cider vinegar, that's a great idea to balance things out. 

Staph is something you don't want to mess around with that's for sure... mine isn't staph but part of me wonders how many people think they are treating acne when in fact they have a form of folliculitis? bacterial or fungal for that matter... 

First day on the antibiotics and using benzoyl peroxide topically - already have had a 30 percent reduction in the size and redness of my marks. 

Closing this log down. I went to the doctor today and I don't have acne I have folliculitus!!! He says it is bacterial and I will need to go on minocycline. 

So obviously no amount of diet changes are going to fix that. I ate one cookie and my face flared with 100 pimples on my forehead! Acne does not act like that. 

I will be making sure to take probiotics with the antibiotics to minimize affects to my system. 

Starting out on a high dose and lowering down but I will need to be on it for a few months. 

So yeah.. if your acne doesn't respond to anything, consider folliculitus.