two different topicals?

can i treat different parts of my face with diff medications?

i have benzamycin and i have been applying it to my forehead only for a week now. it was presricbed by my allergist whom i first visited when i got acne. these past four months i've been plagued with bumps, pustles, and scalp acne-folliculitis. i was on ziana for five weeks but i dont think it helped for the acne around my hairline (folliculitis).

then i got retin a from my derm today. i was thinking of using the retin a (.1) only for my chin which is HIGHLY congested.

but then i breakout occasionally around my nose and cheeks, so could i just use 2.5 bp on that area? the benzamycin is too drying to put all over my face, and the only reason why i wear it during the dya on my forehead is because my bangs cover it and its the oilest part of my face.

so my regimen would be:

am

wash with gentle wash
benzamycin forehead
2.5% neutrogena on the spot rest of face
moisturize


pm

wash genlte wash
benzamycin forehead
retin a on chin
...rest of face?

i also got prescribed doxy 100 mg.


today i used my 10% pnaoxyl bar and witch hazel in the am to shut my dad up. he thinks that will solve everything. should i use witch hazel as a toner?

my first cortisone shot

so i went to the derm today, with this thing below my bottom lip and i knew it was a cyst or nodule (apparently nodule) so i got a cortisone shot.

this is my first time getting one, and it seems like there is no difference how long does it take for the nodule to go away? it looks like it came more to a head.

can i spot treat?

benzamycin questions

i was using ziana for five weeks. i finally have thrown in the towel, it's just that every three days my face changes. my forehead is out of control. i wish i could stick it out longer but i can't i am a wimp, maybe one day ill be able to handle something with retin-a but now is not the time, school is starting soon and i don't want the hassell of a breakout for twelve weeks.

so i went to see my allergist who i went to six years ago when i first developed acne (oddly enough on my forehead). i figured he'd give me something like differin and i told him i had been using ziana. also he confirmed my hairline acne (diff from forehead) could be caused by SD. joy.

ok so he prescribed benzamycin to use twice daily. although i heard it's hard to wear during the day under makeup so i might use it once at night.

but my questions are

1) how much do you apply? i used a fingertip amount for my forehead. then spots for everywhere else that may be acne prone.

2) will this help with non-inflamed acne? that was my biggest issue begining this summer on my forehead, then with ziana they become inflame hibernate and strike back again. can't deal with it. i rather have some non inflamed bumps then monsters...but just curious all the same...maybe a month in benzamycin ill get some aha or something for the day....

3) anyone had sucess with this?

PLEASE HELP

ok the beginning of this summer along my hairline i had these flesh colored bumps. they didn't look like your normal acne bumps, i thought i was having a heat rash or somehting. sometimes they would get inflamed like a pimple but there would be no pus, or if there was it would either pop on it's own or just stay there. then they get less red and "die down" for a week or so, while new flshy colored ones devleop int he area. but the same ones that were red, get inflamed again and pussy IN THE SAME SPOT either days or week or so later.

they also itched, and when inflamed hurt.

i think it's folliculitis. i took couple antiobiotics before this, actually a lot because of recurring bacterial and yeast infections (sorry) and a flase alarm of a uti (stupid doctors are just ready to give you pills no matter what).

i also have these stubborn things by my chin.

so i got a different appt with another derm on monday. but the thing is the two really inflamed and pussy ones had "died down" again.

what i want is a biosy sample. but will it be possible if it is not red or pussy?

if this is the case i will have to wait a week or two. and i start university soon. ive been telling my parents all summer this is not normal. they think im crazy (because it goes awaY) and jus ttell me its acne. but i NEVER had acne like this before. i also have a "zit" futher in my hair pass the hairline.

also i have OILY SKIN, LIVE IN HUMID CLIMATE, and bad case of DANDRUFF.

so will the derm (whose 100 years old) be able to tell if i have this? even if it's "behaving"?

i want to know if it's fungal or bacterial.

topical to the regime

ok so i have been using a topical called ziana for 27 days now, so 4 weeks. i don't think i can stick with it. topicals are so fickle. it has an antibiotic which eventually my skin will become immune to and trentinion which causes serious purging.

bp seems to work for me. proactiv worked for a year, and then this summer slowly stopped. but many people on here have had sucess from the regime after using proactiv so im not worried about that.

the thing is my skin past couple days has been flaky, and i don't know if it's from ziana or the mandelic acid. (i tried using MA and i used it practically everyday for a week) and had to stop *dry skin*. i was also washing with st. ives in the morning. weird thing is my face is also SUPER OILY! at the same time as being flaky! weird i know.

so anyways i guess my concerns are switching from a topical to bp... how long should i wait?

i really want to start the regime as fast as i can. i want to order dans bp but i have the on the spot at my house already.

would it be ok to start with on the spot and then switch?

i should i suck it up and stick with the topical...maybe do the dkr in the morning and topical at night?

need some advice school starts less than a month


im also going to ask for sprintolactene when i see my derm tommorow...i think my acne may be hormonally triggered? who knows.