Day 1 of Azelex Day 2 of Menstrual Cycle I have made a decision: I am going to switch to the Azalaic Acid, specifically Azalex. I am tired of the complexities of BP, and worrying about getting it on my clothes/sheet/son. And BP is not considered very safe for pregnancy or breastfeeding, so I think, with Crystal_Willow's encouragement (thanks so much!) I'm going to make the switch to Azalex. I can't foresee doing the BP routine long term. It's too harsh and too time-consuming. I still have new bumps popping up on my chin, possibly from using glycerin and water as a moisturizer. With the Azalex I shouldn't need as much moisturizer, and maybe the regimen moisturizer will work for me. I'm quite nervous about this - I tried Finnacea a few months ago, and had a few cystic bumps pop up, which lead me to quit the Finnacea and switch to BP. But since I'm still having cystic stuff pop up during that time of the month, I'd rather be on Finnacea or Azelex, since they're so much less harsh. Between Azelex and Finnacea, I think I like Azelex better for my face. It worked for me years ago and didn't cause any irritation. I felt like the Finnacea was more irritating. I will keep updating this blog with my progress. Thanks to Crystal_Willow's Azelaic Acvid log, I'm going to give it more time to work. And the encouraging thing is that even if I get pregnant, I can keep using Azelex without any worry. So in short, I'm glad I made the decision. I've been dreading the whole BP routine every morning and evening, and hating the dryness that went along with it. Cheers, Kelly
OK, so the cystic thing I reported in my June 9 post has gone down a little bit...but I've gotten two new HUGE cystic outbreaks in the last day. I'm so upset about this. I was just at the dermatologist for cortisone shots and I REFUSE to go more than once a week. But the dermatologist and shots seems to be the only way I can live with huge breakouts. So frustrated that I'm back where I started in the regimen - miserable with multiple cystic outbreaks. I feel like I'm almost having a panic attack every time I think about it. Going to go take an Atavan. I wish I was at a point where I could emotionally deal with this stuff, and I think I am when my face looks OK-ish. Then I get a big breakout and my world falls apart. I hate how weak I am. Hoping tomorrow will be better.
Today is nearly the 30 day mark. I just had the dermatologist inject cortisone into three jawline breakouts from the last week, then came home to find a new, possibly cystic breakout developing on my cheekbone. So, I'm not feeling so encouraged that the regimen is working. I am forcing myself to give it two months, possibly three. It's very frustrating to be dealing with these deep zits that seem to lurk and be painful but never come to the surface. I thought the BP was helping my breakouts to be more surface-level. Perhaps sometime in the next month the cystic stuff will cease. I'm still hopeful. I hear good things about the results people are getting in two months. I'm considering the possibility that my breakouts of the past week were caused by chocolate or junk food. For the next week I'm going to try eating healthier and drinking only water. Hopefully I'll see some results. My plan for now is to do BP and Celexa for two months, then consider going off the Celexa and attempting to get pregnant. I probably won't stop the BP until I'm actually pregnant, which is a whole other set of anxieties. I need to be OK emotionally, even if my skin gets worse than it is now. Not happy necessarily, but OK. I will still keep hoping and working for clear skin, but I need to function in the meantime. I need to know that I can do this, even without the Celexa. Days on Regimen: 29 (Date Started: May 12) Day in Cycle: 24 (could that explain the breakouts?)
