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Soooooo very lost... I don't think I even know who I am anymore; it's like I'm just living in some kind of limbo and trying constantly to break free. I guess that's what happens when you cut yourself off from the rest of the world and live like a hermit most of the time. But it has to get better someday... Right?
work on the blog.may be that will make u feel better.
lol!
cheer up mate!
I had a bit of a random breakout a few days ago. Not sure what caused it (I suspect being on holiday with all the sugary foods, beach trips, over-washing and using guest soap did it) but I'm happy to say that my regular routine is killing it nicely. Big hugs to everybody that's feeling down - the right routine is out there for you somewhere!
Hey guys! I've been coming here less frequently but I still wanted to update you with anything new.
I had a cup of caffeine the other day. And by caffeine I mean the weakest form possible--green tea. Guess what? After almost 2 months with no breakouts (not even a small pimple), I got a painful bump on my chin. I already was fairly sure but at this point there is no doubt in my mind: caffeine is bad, bad news.
About a week before that, I had a gluten-free chocolate chip cookie that had soy in it. That was my big test of soy. And zero reaction. Not even a tummy ache or anything. I don't think I'll be eating massive amounts of tofu, but knowing I can handle trace soy and corn is a HUGE thing for my life. It means I'll be able to eat out at restaurants again in the future! 
I've been eating cheese and sour cream again too. Yay.
My theory is that caffeine is just too hard on my stomach and it inflamed everything and made me more sensitive to foods. Now that I'm not bombarding my system with a stimulant every day (or bombarding it with massive amounts of those probiotic drinks) I seem to be able to digest food like a normal person. I'm sure easing back into a normal diet after years of disordered eating has something to do with it too.
I'm using less BP every day and being super casual about how I apply it. I basically just slap it on now. No more being ultra-gentle with my skin and spending ages rubbing in the BP. I treat my face like a normal person. Wake up, wash, slap on some lotions and creams and I'm out.
I keep making these posts so you guys will have hope. And please--if you haven't considered giving up caffeine yet, please give it a try. I can't say for sure why it affects me the way it does, but I would imagine that if we all suffer from the same condition, we likely aren't too different. It's worth a shot anyway. but NOTE: It took being off caffeine for over a while before I began to see real changes. I think I noticed my skin getting better after a couple weeks and it seems that it's only continued to improve over the few months I've been caffeine free.
I'm in this really annoying cycle of:
Stressing about what I eat... which leads to: losing weight, gaining acne
Forgetting to stress about what I eat...which leads to: gaining weight, losing acne
I don't understand! Right now, I'm in the forgetting to stress about what I eat stage.
I've always been too obsessed about what I eat, but now that I realize acne can be exacerbated by the types of foods that I consume, I'm even MORE paranoid! 
Good thing is...I'm getting my Mirena IUD out on Monday. I think it's been causing my extreme fatigue, moodiness, and possibly acne for the past 2 years. We will see.
I'm in this really annoying cycle of:
Stressing about what I eat... which leads to: losing weight, gaining acne
Forgetting to stress about what I eat...which leads to: gaining weight, losing acne
I don't understand! Right now, I'm in the forgetting to stress about what I eat stage.
I've always been too obsessed about what I eat, but now that I realize acne can be exacerbated by the types of foods that I consume, I'm even MORE paranoid!
Good thing is...I'm getting my Mirena IUD out on Monday. I think it's been causing my extreme fatigue, moodiness, and possibly acne for the past 2 years. We will see.
good luck!
I'm on Week 6 of the Regimen and it has been so trying. I broke out in cysts about a year ago and have been trying to get rid of acne ever since...although it's not so bad anymore, it's still a huge pain. It seemed to calm down a while ago, but once I couldn't afford to see a dermatologist anymore it came back! Argh! So now, my skin's been flushing hardcore, and I've been removing whiteheads to try and speed up the process/for appearance's sake, but of course my face is ridiculously red. The BP also made it redder/darker. It is getting clearer, but it's hard to look at this messy face. 
Just needed to vent a bit.
I`ve got one or two small spots and some bits of hp but apart from that, my skin is pretty clear. The most important thing is that right now I don`t feel that bothered about them which is real progress for me. Up until recently, even the most minimal of breakouts would leave me feeling hideous and ugly and although I`d love to be 100% clear, I can live with it.
Had a CBT session today which went well - however, I found out that after today, I only have two sessions left. I was told that apparently, if you have CBT via the NHS you only get allocated twelve sessions. I have had twelve sessions to date and because my therapist felt I would benefit from another couple of sessions, I have been allocated two further sessions but after that, that`s it. It`s a bit of a shock but having said that, a lot of the benefits I have gained from CBT has come from the work that I have done away from the sessions anyway. I`ve got notes that I have written up on all of the sessions I`ve had and all of the tehcniques that I have learnt. I know what I need to do and from here on in it is up to me to apply what I`ve learnt whenever I fall into negative patterns of thinking. Right now I`m doing okay as I feel that my skin is pretty clear. The real challenge for me will be if I do breakout again at some point in the future, how I react to it.
My Life sans Confidence
I have a BIG inflamed cyst on my nose tip.It is so so embarrassing. It has robbed me of my confidence.I fall in a downward spiral when i have cystic acne.Cysts hamper carefree living.When i talk to people,they don't look into my eyes ,instead they focus on my Rudolph nose.The onlookers gawk at me as if i'm Pinocchio .I can't even talk straight to the girl i fancy since two years.My poor dermatological health and the ensuing low confidence levels do little good for my chances of having a good social life.I cannot focus on my academics without a good social life.Going to a college having 25,000 students with a face full of cysts is ignominious.
But there's something worse.Ranting and cribbing about your life here... I know it won't improve my life in any possible way.But still i end up rambling...
I'm on Week 6 of the Regimen and it has been so trying. I broke out in cysts about a year ago and have been trying to get rid of acne ever since...although it's not so bad anymore, it's still a huge pain. It seemed to calm down a while ago, but once I couldn't afford to see a dermatologist anymore it came back! Argh! So now, my skin's been flushing hardcore, and I've been removing whiteheads to try and speed up the process/for appearance's sake, but of course my face is ridiculously red. The BP also made it redder/darker. It is getting clearer, but it's hard to look at this messy face.
Just needed to vent a bit.
Keep going! I remember having my last major breakouts between weeks 4 and 6. Things improved a lot for me since then and only continued to get better over the next couple of months. <3
I`ve got one or two small spots and some bits of hp but apart from that, my skin is pretty clear. The most important thing is that right now I don`t feel that bothered about them which is real progress for me. Up until recently, even the most minimal of breakouts would leave me feeling hideous and ugly and although I`d love to be 100% clear, I can live with it.
Had a CBT session today which went well - however, I found out that after today, I only have two sessions left. I was told that apparently, if you have CBT via the NHS you only get allocated twelve sessions. I have had twelve sessions to date and because my therapist felt I would benefit from another couple of sessions, I have been allocated two further sessions but after that, that`s it. It`s a bit of a shock but having said that, a lot of the benefits I have gained from CBT has come from the work that I have done away from the sessions anyway. I`ve got notes that I have written up on all of the sessions I`ve had and all of the tehcniques that I have learnt. I know what I need to do and from here on in it is up to me to apply what I`ve learnt whenever I fall into negative patterns of thinking. Right now I`m doing okay as I feel that my skin is pretty clear. The real challenge for me will be if I do breakout again at some point in the future, how I react to it.
It will seem like a big change but try not to worry about it because with your notes and everything it sounds like you're very well prepared for finishing your CBT course. Think of it as an opportunity to be more independent and really in control of your own life and thoughts! That way it will seem more liberating than scary. 
From all your recent comments it seems to me that you've definitely learnt enough now to warrant some real confidence in your own ability to mould your perception of the world into one that is more positive and fulfilling. Have faith in yourself, and good luck!
I'm on Week 6 of the Regimen and it has been so trying. I broke out in cysts about a year ago and have been trying to get rid of acne ever since...although it's not so bad anymore, it's still a huge pain. It seemed to calm down a while ago, but once I couldn't afford to see a dermatologist anymore it came back! Argh! So now, my skin's been flushing hardcore, and I've been removing whiteheads to try and speed up the process/for appearance's sake, but of course my face is ridiculously red. The BP also made it redder/darker. It is getting clearer, but it's hard to look at this messy face.
Just needed to vent a bit.
Keep going! I remember having my last major breakouts between weeks 4 and 6. Things improved a lot for me since then and only continued to get better over the next couple of months. <3
Thanks, that's good to know. Things are better today, so that's good. Hoping this is the last purge.
Ok so generally my skin is looking a little better today but I did something really stupid this morning. I had a cyst on my forehead that was hurting like a b**** and giving me such a headache so I did possibly the worst thing one can do in this situation and took a pin to it. I know: infection risk, scarring risk, etc. etc. I just couldn't deal with it and wanted it gone.
Anyway it released the pressure a lot and drained it a bit but I think there's another still there under the surface and even my reckless foraging couldn't get any of that fluid to drain out through the surface. It just ended up bleeding for ages and it still hurts a lot but is at least flatter than before.
I whacked a load of Epiduo on it in the hopes this will ward off infection but knowing that I gave in to doing something so stupid and one of the fundamental acne no-nos is making me feel like a total idiot with no self-restraint. Hopefully it will be a lesson learnt and not come with too many bad consequences in the long run
Ok so generally my skin is looking a little better today but I did something really stupid this morning. I had a cyst on my forehead that was hurting like a b**** and giving me such a headache so I did possibly the worst thing one can do in this situation and took a pin to it. I know: infection risk, scarring risk, etc. etc. I just couldn't deal with it and wanted it gone.
Anyway it released the pressure a lot and drained it a bit but I think there's another still there under the surface and even my reckless foraging couldn't get any of that fluid to drain out through the surface. It just ended up bleeding for ages and it still hurts a lot but is at least flatter than before.
I whacked a load of Epiduo on it in the hopes this will ward off infection but knowing that I gave in to doing something so stupid and one of the fundamental acne no-nos is making me feel like a total idiot with no self-restraint. Hopefully it will be a lesson learnt and not come with too many bad consequences in the long run
Oh man, I've done stuff like that before. Sometimes it's so hard to just let something be and run its course. I'm sure you'll be fine. If it comes back at least it'll be smaller, or if the other one surfaces, at least you'll have another chance to treat it properly! They're both opportunities to learn and move on, no big deal.
By the way, I do the exact same thing with BP if I've popped something and I get nervous about it. Slathering = best defense haha.
On 8/14/2013 at 8:17 PM, lizardanne said:Oh man, I've done stuff like that before. Sometimes it's so hard to just let something be and run its course. I'm sure you'll be fine.
By the way, I do the exact same thing with BP if I've popped something and I get nervous about it. Slathering = best defense haha.
Thanks lizardanne, it's good to know I'm not the only one who occasionally gives into such stupidity! I'm hoping the BP will stop anything too terrible from happening. At the moment it looks red but not too ridiculously inflamed so I'm trying not to worry about it too much!
Oh man, I've done stuff like that before. Sometimes it's so hard to just let something be and run its course. I'm sure you'll be fine.
By the way, I do the exact same thing with BP if I've popped something and I get nervous about it. Slathering = best defense haha.
Thanks lizardanne, it's good to know I'm not the only one who occasionally gives into such stupidity! I'm hoping the BP will stop anything too terrible from happening. At the moment it looks red but not too ridiculously inflamed so I'm trying not to worry about it too much!
Yeah, no point stressing about it anymore. And seriously, I don't know if this is a real thing you can do, but whenever I screw up and drown the popped pimple in BP it shrinks almost 80-90% and forms a scab immediately. It works surprisingly well I think, but I would like Dan to come out with an official spot treatment.
Oh man, I've done stuff like that before. Sometimes it's so hard to just let something be and run its course. I'm sure you'll be fine.
By the way, I do the exact same thing with BP if I've popped something and I get nervous about it. Slathering = best defense haha.
Thanks lizardanne, it's good to know I'm not the only one who occasionally gives into such stupidity! I'm hoping the BP will stop anything too terrible from happening. At the moment it looks red but not too ridiculously inflamed so I'm trying not to worry about it too much!
I don't think such risky behaviour should be encouraged... Don't just trust on "other people have done it, so it's ok" Only a dermatologist should drain a cyst, because to make it right, you need to drain it totally, so that no pus is left under the surface.
I had a huge and painful cyst on my cheek for around 2 months and it didn't seem to get smaller. So I washed my face and hands neatly, took a sterile needle, dipped it into antiseptic medicine (the one you usually put on wounds), carefully pierced it and drained it really well - there was some blood at the end as well. After that I desinfected the cyst, put on a layer of Duac (antibiotic klindamicyn and bp) and didn't touch that place for few days. It sounds like nothing go wrong with such careful extraction, and it started healing immediatly and didn't fill in again. However... The scar I was left with... The deepest scar I have on my face right now, which you can see in the picture. I used Duac for a year to make it look better and it didn't.
Ofc, I'm not saying this will happen to you, but it's not good to act so reclessly when you really want to get rid of acne. It's like fighting obesity and taking a piece of cake at night, thinking that everyone gives up to temptation sometimes 
Don't touch your cysts, seriously! Let the dermatologist do it
i Feel Freaking great, all most all my pimples are gone i found the love of my life <3 !
i cave the cave man regimen a try its been a week i only wash my face with water in mornings ^.^ i feel great.
That's so great! Congratulations on finding the love of your life! I understand what an amazing feeling that is
On 8/14/2013 at 9:38 PM, Pianina said:I don't think such risky behaviour should be encouraged... Don't just trust on "other people have done it, so it's ok"
I had a huge and painful cyst on my cheek for around 2 months and it didn't seem to get smaller. So I washed my face and hands neatly, took a sterile needle, dipped it into antiseptic medicine (the one you usually put on wounds), carefully pierced it and drained it really well - there was some blood at the end as well. After that I desinfected the cyst, put on a layer of Duac (antibiotic klindamicyn and bp) and didn't touch that place for few days. It sounds like nothing go wrong with such careful extraction, and it started healing immediatly and didn't fill in again. However... The scar I was left with... The deepest scar I have on my face right now, which you can see in the picture. I used Duac for a year to make it look better and it didn't.
Ofc, I'm not saying this will happen to you, but it's not good to act so reclessly when you really want to get rid of acne. It's like fighting obesity and taking a piece of cake at night, thinking that everyone gives up to temptation sometimes
Don't touch your cysts, seriously! Let the dermatologist do it
Thanks Pianina, that didn't exactly make me feel better and I am fully aware that it was a reckless and stupid thing to do in the first place but rest assured I will not be doing it again. I seriously hope it doesn't scar. I've had a lot of cysts recently which have burst of their own accord and I've drained them and luckily they don't seem to have left much in the way of serious scarring *fingers crossed* just a massive amount of hyperpigmentation.
The problem is that here in the UK the NHS is fantastic but it takes a long time to get an appointment for anything. I booked a dermatology appointment around the beginning of July but the earliest one I could get at that point was the 20th September so I have to wait until then to see a dermatologist and just deal with my skin the best I can with the medications my GP gave me in the meantime. I'm usually super-careful with it but these cysts have been a nightmare and sometimes they're just so painful that I have to drain them somehow to relieve the pressure. In this case it was one on the forehead that was giving me a bad headache. Usually I only do it with my fingers and with ones that have come to a head but this time I gave in to temptation and used a pin, which, granted, was an incredibly stupid thing to do. Like I say hopefully it will be a lesson learnt
Thanks Pianina, that didn't exactly make me feel better and I am fully aware that it was a reckless and stupid thing to do in the first place but rest assured I will not be doing it again. I seriously hope it doesn't scar. I've had a lot of cysts recently which have burst of their own accord and I've drained them and luckily they don't seem to have left much in the way of serious scarring *fingers crossed* just a massive amount of hyperpigmentation.
The problem is that here in the UK the NHS is fantastic but it takes a long time to get an appointment for anything. I booked a dermatology appointment around the beginning of July but the earliest one I could get at that point was the 20th September so I have to wait until then to see a dermatologist and just deal with my skin the best I can with the medications my GP gave me in the meantime. I'm usually super-careful with it but these cysts have been a nightmare and sometimes they're just so painful that I have to drain them somehow to relieve the pressure. In this case it was one on the forehead that was giving me a bad headache. Usually I only do it with my fingers and with ones that have come to a head but this time I gave in to temptation and used a pin, which, granted, was an incredibly stupid thing to do. Like I say hopefully it will be a lesson learnt
Just wanted to warn you, cause everyday I see my ugly scar in the mirror, I'm so angry at myself for touching that freaking cyst... I had a stubborn one again in spring (usually my cysts heal well, but sometimes they're really f***ed up), didn't drain it, took a long time to heal but at least it left no scar, d'oh!! ( *beating my head against a wall*
Maybe try to freeze a cyst instead, or take some aspirin (that helped me a lot with cyst pain).
Just wanted to warn you, cause everyday I see my ugly scar in the mirror, I'm so angry at myself for touching that freaking cyst... I had a stubborn one again in spring (usually my cysts heal well, but sometimes they're really f***ed up), didn't drain it, took a long time to heal but at least it left no scar, d'oh!!
Maybe try to freeze a cyst instead, or take some aspirin (that helped me a lot with cyst pain).
Thank you, I do appreciate the warning and I'm so sorry that you've still got a scar from when you did the same I seriously hope the same doesn't happen to me but I suppose I would fully deserve it for my stupidity.
Thanks for the other suggestions. I tried ice when I had a lot of different cysts all around the same location and it didn't do much to help (in fact the pressure of the hard surface against them made it hurt more) but now it's less severe and just the odd one here and there it might be worth a try again. Not sure if I'm able to take aspirin with everything else I'm on at the moment but I'll check and try that next time I have a bad cyst if I can.
**Note to self: Avoid draining cysts with pins at all costs!!!**
Just wanted to warn you, cause everyday I see my ugly scar in the mirror, I'm so angry at myself for touching that freaking cyst... I had a stubborn one again in spring (usually my cysts heal well, but sometimes they're really f***ed up), didn't drain it, took a long time to heal but at least it left no scar, d'oh!!
Maybe try to freeze a cyst instead, or take some aspirin (that helped me a lot with cyst pain).
Thank you, I do appreciate the warning and I'm so sorry that you've still got a scar from when you did the same
Thanks for the other suggestions. I tried ice when I had a lot of different cysts all around the same location and it didn't do much to help (in fact the pressure of the hard surface against them made it hurt more) but now it's less severe and just the odd one here and there it might be worth a try again. Not sure if I'm able to take aspirin with everything else I'm on at the moment but I'll check and try that next time I have a bad cyst if I can.
**Note to self: Avoid draining cysts with pins at all costs!!!**
Noooo, you don't deserve a scar, none of us does We're already going through this acne hell undeservedly, so at least we could have no reminders of it but it is how it is... Some of us get a second hell after escaping from one (cured acne - left with acne scars).
Ah, but wrap the ice into something soft and clean and don't press the cyst