I avoided sulfites at all costs these past few days, after a nasty flare up last week. My skin was doing so well for over a month now, so I needed to figure out what caused this sudden flare up. I took close up pics of my acne and realized it might all be an allergic reaction, except for a few hormonal break outs. My daily regimen -- including diet, supplements, and cosmetics -- is so controlled at this point, that any new addition makes a difference in my skin. After switching up my shampoo, shower gel, toothpaste, and a few other products, as well as avoiding sulfites in food preservatives, my skin is clearing up again. All within a span of 5 days. I will see how it goes this month, and if I am indeed on the right track I will do an extensive post on the diet forum to explain the connections I have found between histamines, intolerances, and acne. I wish I could go back and re-do my PhD in a more useful field, like dermatology. Sigh.

Can you do a PhD in dermatology? I thought that was a specialty after completing medical school? And, boy, is that a long road. 2 years of pre-med courses, MCAT, 4 years of med school, USMLE, and then you have to top to get a residency in dermatology, and finally, you must pass your boards. URGH, right?

Sometimes, I feel like everyone on this board works so hard for clear skin. So freaking hard. And I know people out there who say "but it gets clean in the shower" or wash their face with freaking scented body wash, pick and pop the couple of pimples that they get, etc. and they still don't have acne. It seems so unfair.

I quite honestly think that it's a lot of things combined: 1. HOR-freaking-MONES. Something about living in industrialized countries screws them up. I don't know what. But when I was in India, there was literally no one with acne in the rural areas there. I only saw a little acne in the cities, and there was no one with really severe acne at all in the cities. Maybe sleeping and eating habits contribute to that? The food there is so much fresher and not GMO. I'm making guesses at best here. One thing I've noticed is that I let stress and college affect how much I sleep and what I eat. I also use hot water to shower. 2. living in a high stress environment and our immune system response to such high stress. Cortisol suppresses your immune response, and I feel like chronic stress could explain acne. The bacteria/infection causing acne doesn't get beat down by the immune system quickly enough. 2. screwed up homeostasis of the skin. I feel like some of us are really overzealous with our skin during our teenage years. I know I was. Maybe this damages sebaceous glands and impairs this function. I feel like it wouldn't last so long, but who knows? Maybe hormonal changes during puberty are supposed to affect/change the development of sebaceous glands (you don't have apocrine glands as a child) and these are affected by some event or another and don't develop normally. In that case, acne really would just be freaking hopeless, wouldn't it?

 

I avoided sulfites at all costs these past few days, after a nasty flare up last week. My skin was doing so well for over a month now, so I needed to figure out what caused this sudden flare up. I took close up pics of my acne and realized it might all be an allergic reaction, except for a few hormonal break outs. My daily regimen -- including diet, supplements, and cosmetics -- is so controlled at this point, that any new addition makes a difference in my skin. After switching up my shampoo, shower gel, toothpaste, and a few other products, as well as avoiding sulfites in food preservatives, my skin is clearing up again. All within a span of 5 days. I will see how it goes this month, and if I am indeed on the right track I will do an extensive post on the diet forum to explain the connections I have found between histamines, intolerances, and acne. I wish I could go back and re-do my PhD in a more useful field, like dermatology. Sigh.

Can you do a PhD in dermatology? I thought that was a specialty after completing medical school? And, boy, is that a long road. 2 years of pre-med courses, MCAT, 4 years of med school, USMLE, and then you have to top to get a residency in dermatology, and finally, you must pass your boards. URGH, right?

Sometimes, I feel like everyone on this board works so hard for clear skin. So freaking hard. And I know people out there who say "but it gets clean in the shower" or wash their face with freaking scented body wash, pick and pop the couple of pimples that they get, etc. and they still don't have acne. It seems so unfair.

I quite honestly think that it's a lot of things combined: 1. HOR-freaking-MONES. Something about living in industrialized countries screws them up. I don't know what. But when I was in India, there was literally no one with acne in the rural areas there. I only saw a little acne in the cities, and there was no one with really severe acne at all in the cities. Maybe sleeping and eating habits contribute to that? The food there is so much fresher and not GMO. I'm making guesses at best here. One thing I've noticed is that I let stress and college affect how much I sleep and what I eat. I also use hot water to shower. 2. living in a high stress environment and our immune system response to such high stress. Cortisol suppresses your immune response, and I feel like chronic stress could explain acne. The bacteria/infection causing acne doesn't get beat down by the immune system quickly enough. 2. screwed up homeostasis of the skin. I feel like some of us are really overzealous with our skin during our teenage years. I know I was. Maybe this damages sebaceous glands and impairs this function. I feel like it wouldn't last so long, but who knows? Maybe hormonal changes during puberty are supposed to affect/change the development of sebaceous glands (you don't have apocrine glands as a child) and these are affected by some event or another and don't develop normally. In that case, acne really would just be freaking hopeless, wouldn't it?

that is so not right.

am not sure which city of india u were in or when u were here but am guessing that hardly matters.

acne is widespread,really.and going by ur age,iu must be talking about people around our age or a lil' older may be.

acne is quite prevalent here.

in the cities and although i think its less in the rural cities but 'genetics' does play a role irrespective of city or village.

u wanna take up anything to do with dermatology?

am not sure about the US but here(as u must already know), phD doesnt need a med school degree.

am curious as to whats the rule there?

 

I avoided sulfites at all costs these past few days, after a nasty flare up last week. My skin was doing so well for over a month now, so I needed to figure out what caused this sudden flare up. I took close up pics of my acne and realized it might all be an allergic reaction, except for a few hormonal break outs. My daily regimen -- including diet, supplements, and cosmetics -- is so controlled at this point, that any new addition makes a difference in my skin. After switching up my shampoo, shower gel, toothpaste, and a few other products, as well as avoiding sulfites in food preservatives, my skin is clearing up again. All within a span of 5 days. I will see how it goes this month, and if I am indeed on the right track I will do an extensive post on the diet forum to explain the connections I have found between histamines, intolerances, and acne. I wish I could go back and re-do my PhD in a more useful field, like dermatology. Sigh.

Can you do a PhD in dermatology? I thought that was a specialty after completing medical school? And, boy, is that a long road. 2 years of pre-med courses, MCAT, 4 years of med school, USMLE, and then you have to top to get a residency in dermatology, and finally, you must pass your boards. URGH, right?

Sometimes, I feel like everyone on this board works so hard for clear skin. So freaking hard. And I know people out there who say "but it gets clean in the shower" or wash their face with freaking scented body wash, pick and pop the couple of pimples that they get, etc. and they still don't have acne. It seems so unfair.

I quite honestly think that it's a lot of things combined: 1. HOR-freaking-MONES. Something about living in industrialized countries screws them up. I don't know what. But when I was in India, there was literally no one with acne in the rural areas there. I only saw a little acne in the cities, and there was no one with really severe acne at all in the cities. Maybe sleeping and eating habits contribute to that? The food there is so much fresher and not GMO. I'm making guesses at best here. One thing I've noticed is that I let stress and college affect how much I sleep and what I eat. I also use hot water to shower. 2. living in a high stress environment and our immune system response to such high stress. Cortisol suppresses your immune response, and I feel like chronic stress could explain acne. The bacteria/infection causing acne doesn't get beat down by the immune system quickly enough. 2. screwed up homeostasis of the skin. I feel like some of us are really overzealous with our skin during our teenage years. I know I was. Maybe this damages sebaceous glands and impairs this function. I feel like it wouldn't last so long, but who knows? Maybe hormonal changes during puberty are supposed to affect/change the development of sebaceous glands (you don't have apocrine glands as a child) and these are affected by some event or another and don't develop normally. In that case, acne really would just be freaking hopeless, wouldn't it?

that is so not right.

am not sure which city of india u were in or when u were here but am guessing that hardly matters.

acne is widespread,really.and going by ur age,iu must be talking about people around our age or a lil' older may be.

acne is quite prevalent here.

in the cities and although i think its less in the rural cities but 'genetics' does play a role irrespective of city or village.

u wanna take up anything to do with dermatology?

am not sure about the US but here(as u must already know), phD doesnt need a med school degree.

am curious as to whats the rule there?

I totally agree with you both. Genetics does play a role, that's why people who tend to get acne are labeled "acne prone." But also, as skinnie pointed out, hormones and lifestyle play a huge role. GMO, pesticides, and certain preservatives (like the sulfite connection I'm making) can mess up our hormones if we are sensitive (especially for women with PCOS for instance) and cause histamine reactions that affect the immune system. If a person has an intolerance to certain chemicals, it can go on for years without being diagnosed because conventional allergy tests only diagnose full blown allergies. In my case, the allergy tests showed high IgE (antibody reaction) levels, but the actual allergen couldn't be found so they recommended an anti-histamine diet and regimen. If you suspect a sulfite or salicylate intolerance, checking your IgE and IgG levels can be the first step.

It's about what we put on and in our bodies. Ironically, most acne products are filled with sulfates and salycilates, which some people cannot tolerate in high amounts. Now I know why my acne never responded to acne products.

I'm going to do a full post on this at the end of this month if my theory is truly correct, I am taking photos to document the progress.

 

Oh my goodness, it is scary, isn't it? I totally know what you mean- I can't tell if I'm actually losing my hair either! I've tried brushing it as little as possible, and I only wash my hair every other day now because I also feel like I lose more hair after showering. Yeah probably right that stress makes it worse, but it's hard not to stress out when your hair is falling out! I really feel like it has a hormonal component to it. Right before I took Accutane, when my acne was at it's worst, large painful pimples all over my chin and the oiliest skin in the world, I developed alopecia and I was left with a huge bald spot on the right side of my head. Luckily there was a layer of hair to cover it, and it has since then grown back, but ever since then my hair has been getting thinner, and I have more all-over hair loss. I was just looking at a picture of myself from a couple of years ago, and my hair was so, so thick! I'd say my hair is half the thickness now of what it was. It's driving me crazy. I miss my thick hair.

Yeah it is scary! I can only imagine what it would have been like dealing with alopecia. I would have been terrified honestly. Glad to hear things have improved since then though.

In high school people used to tell me they loved my hair. I'm sure it's thinned a fair bit since then.

It's hard to work out the cause. I'm sure there's a hormonal component to it too. Could be some sort of vitamin deficiency also and stress like I said before.

Hopefully we all figure out what the deal is with this thinning hair issue and how to help it. Hope it only improves from here on!!

Dealing with alopecia was awful! I felt horribly gross and ugly. I was petrified that it wouldn't grow back. People also used to compliment my hair a lot, but I don't get that much anymore.

I'm sure you're right that all of those factors play a part. I was looking into vitamin deficiencies that would cause thinning hair, and I'm going to try incorporating more foods high in those vitamins into my diet, and I will probably start taking some supplements.

I hope we figure it out too, and that this problem will improve!

Quote

Depressed

Welcome aboard!

Let's be brave, acne's bro!

For everyone with those recent posts about hair concerns, a little information that may or may not be helpful. It is within the normal range to lose about 100 strands per day. For people with long hair--that looks like an awful lot of hair! In fact, I have heard of people with super long hair becoming so obsessed with how much of their hair collects in the shower in the shower drain everyday that they decide to go short. It looks like a lot less hair. Hair growth and hair loss are influenced heavily by hormones as most women who have been pregnant have noticed. Every hair follicle goes through periods of growth and dormancy. The growth cycle is around 2-5 years. The length of this cycle is genetically determined. If you would let your hair grow without ever getting it cut (or experiencing breakage) you would find that it would reach a maximum length. People with longer growth cycles have a longer maximum length than someone with a shorter growth cycle. At the end of the 2-5 year growth cycle, the hair follicle temporarily stops producing new cells and hair growth stops for that strand of hair. Luckily not all of our hairs are on the same cycle. At the end of the dormant period the strand of hair is shed (these are called club hairs) when a new strand grows enough to eject the old hair from the follicle. What happens during pregnancy is that the cycles of a lot of hair syncronize due to the hormones. Many pregnant women notice thicker hair. After the pregnancy, those hormones, in the process of returning to normal, cause many hairs to end their dormancy period simultaneously. It is significant enough that women notice the visible change in the thickness of their hair and an increase in the number of club hairs in their brushes and drains, but it is completely normal. I imagine that depending on the birth control pill, you could experience the same effect.

I finally found the paper with my blood test results from some months ago. My gynaecologist said everything was quite fine, but I checked out myself and few things seemed quite odd. First of all I'm quite low on TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone). It's not below the norm, but when I did the test a year ago, the doctor also mentioned it being a bit low. It was 0.55 mE/L out of 0.20 - 4.00. Isn't it a bit low? FSH (follicular stimulating hormones) is low too. It's 2.5 E/L which makes it fall to pre-puberty category instead of the one for women in fertile age. Estradiol (main estrogen) seems to be stuck in follicular phase...
If anyone here know something about hormones, please tell me if I should worry about these things. My gynaecologist didn't pay much attention to them, so I thought everything's fine, besides me having PCOS.

I finally found the paper with my blood test results from some months ago. My gynaecologist said everything was quite fine, but I checked out myself and few things seemed quite odd. First of all I'm quite low on TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone). It's not below the norm, but when I did the test a year ago, the doctor also mentioned it being a bit low. It was 0.55 mE/L out of 0.20 - 4.00. Isn't it a bit low? FSH (follicular stimulating hormones) is low too. It's 2.5 E/L which makes it fall to pre-puberty category instead of the one for women in fertile age. Estradiol (main estrogen) seems to be stuck in follicular phase...

If anyone here know something about hormones, please tell me if I should worry about these things. My gynaecologist didn't pay much attention to them, so I thought everything's fine, besides me having PCOS.

Hey, if it's within range then it's ok and nothing to worry about. Your gyno would have definately said so otherwise. If you're worried about it though then best thing would be to contact you gynaecologist or doctor and tell them you're concerned about your results and ask them to explain these results. I'd be extremely suspect of anyone here claiming to be able to advise you about this babe x

I finally found the paper with my blood test results from some months ago. My gynaecologist said everything was quite fine, but I checked out myself and few things seemed quite odd. First of all I'm quite low on TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone). It's not below the norm, but when I did the test a year ago, the doctor also mentioned it being a bit low. It was 0.55 mE/L out of 0.20 - 4.00. Isn't it a bit low? FSH (follicular stimulating hormones) is low too. It's 2.5 E/L which makes it fall to pre-puberty category instead of the one for women in fertile age. Estradiol (main estrogen) seems to be stuck in follicular phase...

If anyone here know something about hormones, please tell me if I should worry about these things. My gynaecologist didn't pay much attention to them, so I thought everything's fine, besides me having PCOS.

I can't remember the results of my blood test for this but I know my doctor said something about a hormone being low but that could have been due to whatever point in my cycle I was. I remember her saying there's variation with the ranges too - like a figure can be a few numbers higher or lower than a certain number and it still be ok.

Sorry I can't be more specific or of more help - but isn't it possible that if some things seem low it could be due to whatever stage of your cycle you were at when you had the blood drawn for the test? Overall though, if you were told things are in range than that's good and you shouldn't worry! If you can / are still worried about it, go see about having another blood test done to see what the levels are now.

Ziiiiiiits

 

I finally found the paper with my blood test results from some months ago. My gynaecologist said everything was quite fine, but I checked out myself and few things seemed quite odd. First of all I'm quite low on TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone). It's not below the norm, but when I did the test a year ago, the doctor also mentioned it being a bit low. It was 0.55 mE/L out of 0.20 - 4.00. Isn't it a bit low? FSH (follicular stimulating hormones) is low too. It's 2.5 E/L which makes it fall to pre-puberty category instead of the one for women in fertile age. Estradiol (main estrogen) seems to be stuck in follicular phase...

If anyone here know something about hormones, please tell me if I should worry about these things. My gynaecologist didn't pay much attention to them, so I thought everything's fine, besides me having PCOS.

Hey, if it's within range then it's ok and nothing to worry about. Your gyno would have definately said so otherwise. If you're worried about it though then best thing would be to contact you gynaecologist or doctor and tell them you're concerned about your results and ask them to explain these results. I'd be extremely suspect of anyone here claiming to be able to advise you about this babe x

Those ranges that doctors go by are averages for humans in general. I believe that individuals may operate at levels that are optimum for them. Your optimum may certainly be higher on the normal scale than me impacting your health even if your results are "normal". But that's just my opinion and I have no credentials backing this up, just observing life. However, you are certainly entitled to a second opinion. You do not need to go through all the testing again. Just request a copy of your results or have them faxed to another doctor. Any doctor should not be offended by asking for a second opinion. It is your health and you have to advocate for yourself.

Painful and itchy... I still feel worse. As I have major scars and my face and blemishes....

My skin looks and feels pretty good right now. Still getting at least 2 clogged pores a day, but I can extract them right away and they don't really leave marks so it's not a big deal, more like an annoyance that I hope goes away..

I've been feeling insecure about how oily I get, though...it just seems like in the summer I get these random comments on how I look "hot" or "sweaty" and it's just annoying! But I don't think I get abnormally oily, and I usually just blot my face throughout the day and that takes care of it. Thankfully my makeup never really sweats off so that always looks fine. But hey, apparently I'll have better looking skin when I get older cause of the oiliness. And maybe this Spiro will make me less oily in the long run. In the mean time...I just have to deal with it and be thankful that I don't have more major skin problems.

I'm feeling really optimistic today because I got a call from one of my old supervisors to schedule an interview at my old job next week. I filled out a rehire form awhile ago in hopes that I could get back on with the company...and after I long wait this is the news I was really hoping to hear. The supervisor I'll be interviewing with is a really good guy and he's seen me multiple times in person so he knows I don't have perfect skin so that takes away a TON of the nervousness I would feel if it was someone completely new...I'm crossing my fingers that I get this job because it would be a major positive influence in my life right now.

I finally have my acne under control via The Regimen and this is big step to try and get myself back into the working world after almost a full year of unemployment and struggling with isolation/depression because of skin issues. In many ways I feel like this is my second chance. In the last few months I've found a treatment that actually works for my skin, I've found a girlfriend who I can openly confide in about my skin issues...and if I can get this job it will feel like one of the final steps to get my life back on track and out from under the dark cloud that acne and the emotional baggage that comes with it has caused me.

For a long time I feel that I kind of gave up...I let myself become detached from the world and I lived too deeply in my own head and let what I saw in the mirror drag me down and make me feel low. Even though I'm almost 99% clear right now I'll never be 100% happy with what I see when I look at myself in the mirror and I've reached a point where I can accept that. For too long I've chased after perfection when it comes to my face and the truth of the matter is perfection is not something anyone can really attain and it's a waste of time to keep seeking it out...so I'm at a point in my life now where I can accept that I'm flawed and move forward despite it. A part of me will always be reluctant to get back out there and face the world and another part of me is excited by the prospect of it...but regardless...I owe it to myself to at least try.

I'm feeling really optimistic today because I got a call from one of my old supervisors to schedule an interview at my old job next week. I filled out a rehire form awhile ago in hopes that I could get back on with the company...and after I long wait this is the news I was really hoping to hear. The supervisor I'll be interviewing with is a really good guy and he's seen me multiple times in person so he knows I don't have perfect skin so that takes away a TON of the nervousness I would feel if it was someone completely new...I'm crossing my fingers that I get this job because it would be a major positive influence in my life right now.

I finally have my acne under control via The Regimen and this is big step to try and get myself back into the working world after almost a full year of unemployment and struggling with isolation/depression because of skin issues. In many ways I feel like this is my second chance. In the last few months I've found a treatment that actually works for my skin, I've found a girlfriend who I can openly confide in about my skin issues...and if I can get this job it will feel like one of the final steps to get my life back on track and out from under the dark cloud that acne and the emotional baggage that comes with it has caused me.

For a long time I feel that I kind of gave up...I let myself become detached from the world and I lived too deeply in my own head and let what I saw in the mirror drag me down and make me feel low. Even though I'm almost 99% clear right now I'll never be 100% happy with what I see when I look at myself in the mirror and I've reached a point where I can accept that. For too long I've chased after perfection when it comes to my face and the truth of the matter is perfection is not something anyone can really attain and it's a waste of time to keep seeking it out...so I'm at a point in my life now where I can accept that I'm flawed and move forward despite it. A part of me will always be reluctant to get back out there and face the world and another part of me is excited by the prospect of it...but regardless...I owe it to myself to at least try.

Glad to hear things are falling back into place now that you've found the regimen to work so well for you Hopefully we all get to that point soon (and regardless of if we're using the regimen or not).

I think you're right in what you said about perfection and I think it's good that you can really accept yourself now - acne makes that so hard to do! It's another point that I hope we can all get to as well - even despite acne. If we can try and work on this sort of thing while we still have acne, it'll make it that much easier once we're clear

I can understand what you mean in saying part of you is reluctant and part is excited to get back out there - I can see me being that way too - but you're right - you owe it to yourself to try (and that's something I'll try and remember for whenever I get to that clear stage too)

Good luck with the interview too! It sounds promising so hope it goes well

I feel horrible today. I try to not let it bring me down, but you can't hide your face.

Another cyst. A big red angry cyst reminding me how ugly I am and how people will see the cyst and not me.

I don't want to be perfect. I just want to feel normal and good in my own skin.

I'm feeling really optimistic today because I got a call from one of my old supervisors to schedule an interview at my old job next week. I filled out a rehire form awhile ago in hopes that I could get back on with the company...and after I long wait this is the news I was really hoping to hear. The supervisor I'll be interviewing with is a really good guy and he's seen me multiple times in person so he knows I don't have perfect skin so that takes away a TON of the nervousness I would feel if it was someone completely new...I'm crossing my fingers that I get this job because it would be a major positive influence in my life right now.

I finally have my acne under control via The Regimen and this is big step to try and get myself back into the working world after almost a full year of unemployment and struggling with isolation/depression because of skin issues. In many ways I feel like this is my second chance. In the last few months I've found a treatment that actually works for my skin, I've found a girlfriend who I can openly confide in about my skin issues...and if I can get this job it will feel like one of the final steps to get my life back on track and out from under the dark cloud that acne and the emotional baggage that comes with it has caused me.

For a long time I feel that I kind of gave up...I let myself become detached from the world and I lived too deeply in my own head and let what I saw in the mirror drag me down and make me feel low. Even though I'm almost 99% clear right now I'll never be 100% happy with what I see when I look at myself in the mirror and I've reached a point where I can accept that. For too long I've chased after perfection when it comes to my face and the truth of the matter is perfection is not something anyone can really attain and it's a waste of time to keep seeking it out...so I'm at a point in my life now where I can accept that I'm flawed and move forward despite it. A part of me will always be reluctant to get back out there and face the world and another part of me is excited by the prospect of it...but regardless...I owe it to myself to at least try.

all the best mate!

i'll pray u nail the interview!

cheers!

I'm feeling really optimistic today because I got a call from one of my old supervisors to schedule an interview at my old job next week. I filled out a rehire form awhile ago in hopes that I could get back on with the company...and after I long wait this is the news I was really hoping to hear. The supervisor I'll be interviewing with is a really good guy and he's seen me multiple times in person so he knows I don't have perfect skin so that takes away a TON of the nervousness I would feel if it was someone completely new...I'm crossing my fingers that I get this job because it would be a major positive influence in my life right now.

I finally have my acne under control via The Regimen and this is big step to try and get myself back into the working world after almost a full year of unemployment and struggling with isolation/depression because of skin issues. In many ways I feel like this is my second chance. In the last few months I've found a treatment that actually works for my skin, I've found a girlfriend who I can openly confide in about my skin issues...and if I can get this job it will feel like one of the final steps to get my life back on track and out from under the dark cloud that acne and the emotional baggage that comes with it has caused me.

For a long time I feel that I kind of gave up...I let myself become detached from the world and I lived too deeply in my own head and let what I saw in the mirror drag me down and make me feel low. Even though I'm almost 99% clear right now I'll never be 100% happy with what I see when I look at myself in the mirror and I've reached a point where I can accept that. For too long I've chased after perfection when it comes to my face and the truth of the matter is perfection is not something anyone can really attain and it's a waste of time to keep seeking it out...so I'm at a point in my life now where I can accept that I'm flawed and move forward despite it. A part of me will always be reluctant to get back out there and face the world and another part of me is excited by the prospect of it...but regardless...I owe it to myself to at least try.

Best of luck!!! Yes, you owe it to yourself to give it a go...it seems that you've come a long way.

I'm feeling really optimistic today because I got a call from one of my old supervisors to schedule an interview at my old job next week. I filled out a rehire form awhile ago in hopes that I could get back on with the company...and after I long wait this is the news I was really hoping to hear. The supervisor I'll be interviewing with is a really good guy and he's seen me multiple times in person so he knows I don't have perfect skin so that takes away a TON of the nervousness I would feel if it was someone completely new...I'm crossing my fingers that I get this job because it would be a major positive influence in my life right now.

I finally have my acne under control via The Regimen and this is big step to try and get myself back into the working world after almost a full year of unemployment and struggling with isolation/depression because of skin issues. In many ways I feel like this is my second chance. In the last few months I've found a treatment that actually works for my skin, I've found a girlfriend who I can openly confide in about my skin issues...and if I can get this job it will feel like one of the final steps to get my life back on track and out from under the dark cloud that acne and the emotional baggage that comes with it has caused me.

For a long time I feel that I kind of gave up...I let myself become detached from the world and I lived too deeply in my own head and let what I saw in the mirror drag me down and make me feel low. Even though I'm almost 99% clear right now I'll never be 100% happy with what I see when I look at myself in the mirror and I've reached a point where I can accept that. For too long I've chased after perfection when it comes to my face and the truth of the matter is perfection is not something anyone can really attain and it's a waste of time to keep seeking it out...so I'm at a point in my life now where I can accept that I'm flawed and move forward despite it. A part of me will always be reluctant to get back out there and face the world and another part of me is excited by the prospect of it...but regardless...I owe it to myself to at least try.

Congrats! I'm really happy for you! Best of luck to you!

I remember when I had oily skin I got comments like that a lot. The Spiro helped decrease oil production for me, and I would imagine it would do the same for you. It feels nice to not have to blot my face throughout the day.

My skin looks and feels pretty good right now. Still getting at least 2 clogged pores a day, but I can extract them right away and they don't really leave marks so it's not a big deal, more like an annoyance that I hope goes away..

I've been feeling insecure about how oily I get, though...it just seems like in the summer I get these random comments on how I look "hot" or "sweaty" and it's just annoying! But I don't think I get abnormally oily, and I usually just blot my face throughout the day and that takes care of it. Thankfully my makeup never really sweats off so that always looks fine. But hey, apparently I'll have better looking skin when I get older cause of the oiliness. And maybe this Spiro will make me less oily in the long run. In the mean time...I just have to deal with it and be thankful that I don't have more major skin problems.

Going through the motions. Wondering why I even bother treating my skin sometimes. It sometimes sucks dealing with the hand that we're dealt. .

Going through the motions. Wondering why I even bother treating my skin sometimes. It sometimes sucks dealing with the hand that we're dealt. .

Good luck with your interview Randall! Awesome you found a new girlfriend, too! Excited for you. <3

My friend criticized me today for wearing makeup to cover up my skin. He called me a "cake face." He said wearing makeup will make my skin break out. He obviously doesn't understand my acne is an internal problem. How judgmental and ignorant he is about my skin makes me so angry and insecure.

My friend criticized me today for wearing makeup to cover up my skin. He called me a "cake face." He said wearing makeup will make my skin break out. He obviously doesn't understand my acne is an internal problem. How judgmental and ignorant he is about my skin makes me so angry and insecure.

That's awful...not a good friend, IMO. Thankfully my friends have never said anything like that to me, but if they did I'd be so upset. I've had guy friends talk about how they hate foundation on girls and how they prefer the "natural look" (while not realizing that all of their favorite celebrities are wearing full makeup 95% of the time they're photographed).

You don't owe it to anyone to wear less makeup. You're your own person and you make your own decisions. If you want to wear makeup, then screw what other people think. If it makes you feel more secure, then embrace it and don't feel ashamed. And if you don't want to wear makeup, that's fine too. To each their own. I personally love makeup, and wearing concealer and foundation makes me feel less self conscious about my skin in public.

And as long as you're wearing non-comedogenic makeup, it shouldn't contribute to breakouts, so your friend is wrong...of course everyone's skin is different and some people break out to different things. But I think as long as you're using the right makeup, cleaning your brushes frequently, etc. you should be fine.

In other news, about my day. My skin looked really good today overall, my mom even commented on it. I've also started using Milk of Magnesia as a primer, which I think has helped keep my skin matte for longer. Still though, I won't know if the Spiro's working until TOTM.

On 7/15/2013 at 9:49 AM, TheSavyBanana said:

My friend criticized me today for wearing makeup to cover up my skin. He called me a "cake face." He said wearing makeup will make my skin break out. He obviously doesn't understand my acne is an internal problem. How judgmental and ignorant he is about my skin makes me so angry and insecure.

Your friend was being a jerk! He is ignorant, so don't let him get to you. I know! You should read your own signature. . . it always makes me feel better. (reading YOUR signature)