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Hopefully this is just a minor setback, a random thing. Don't lose lose all hope!
Skin is doing a little better and I`m starting to eat meals instead of just junk all the time so maybe the increase in nutrients in my diet is helping. Not acne related but on Wednesday, I attended a peer support group meeting through an organisation called Depression Alliance - a UK based mental health charity. It was pretty nerve-wracking beforehand but having gone along, actively participated in the discussions and interacted with some of the other attendees, I`m so pleased that I went. Subsequently I`ve emailed the group facilitator to give them my feedback on the meeting and they are so impressed with my summary that they want to put it on their website so it can be used to encourage people with depression to attend peer support group meetings throughout the UK. Had a pretty torrid time of things in the past month or two, some of which has been self-inflicted but doing this activity on Wednesday has given me a big boost. Think I`ve been a little guilty in recent months of spending too much time on the internet. It`s all well and good and internet forums have their place but if that is all you spend your time doing, you really miss out on real life experiences and interaction and I personally think you cannot grow as a person. Sorry if that offends anyone, it`s just that I got more out of a real life meeting on Wednesday than spending countless hours browsing the internet. Haha, I do realise that by posting this comment on an internet forum, I could possibly be accused of hypocrisy - just my opinion is all. Whatever the level of your acne or anything else, hope you are all doing okay out there.
My skin is practically perfect right now. Here's what I'm doing. Unfortunately I started the first 3 things listed at the same time so I don't know which one caused me to clear up. But I haven't had a single pimple since. I've been doing the rest of the list for a long time.
No cleanser. I only rinse my face with water at night in the shower. Lukewarm while gently rubbing the oil off my face with my hands. Then a cold splash before I get out.
Now Foods Opti-L-Zinc once a day.
Wellbutrin XL for mild depression.
Avoiding dairy and excessive sugar.
Drinking lots of water.
Trying to get as much sleep as possible.
Thinking positively, keeping my mind off my skin, trying to eliminate stress and anxiety. This is most easily done by just being outside, working, enjoying the fresh air and sunlight (even if it's -10 Celsius or worse).
Woke up with a cyst on the right side on my chin, where I usually get them close to that time of month but at least its only 1 instead of 3 to 5 of them so Spiro is working. I hope in the next few months of taking the Spiro I will not get anymore. Maybe when I go back to see my dermatologist in April I might ask him to give me 75 mgs and see what happens. So today I feel blah 
Surprisingly well. A week and a half off bcp and fine. But don't get me wrong, I am getting ready for the blow up but part of me has a glimmer of hope it won't happen. I just thought after coming off it I'd break out the next day, but I suppose the same with regimens, you need 3-4 months to see a difference, so I'd imagine it's the same with going off something..? (but I'm sure my period will cause a stir)
My neck has broken out quite a bit in the past day or two - so frustrating as I`m continuing to still get clear periods and then break out randomly. One thing I have discovered though is that diet doesn`t seem to have quite as much of an impact as I`ve always thought it had. That is quite a big turnaround for me as I`ve always been overly obsessive with diet. Hope this breakout clears up soon.
In all other aspects I`m doing quite well and not feeling quite as depressed as I was.Think it is really helping me not being on the internet so much. There are lots of people out there who virtually live their lives online. I`ve been guilty of that myself and up until recently, I`ll admit that I used to spend some days just aimlessly browsing the internet. It really doesn`t do you any favours - you lose the ability to interact and communicate in real life and you cannot possibly grow as a person without that. When you get to the stage where you are on the internet virtually all day and when you get to the stage where you place more importance in online interaction than you do real life interaction, then I`m sorry but I think it is a real problem for people who are like that and they are doing themselves a lot of damage in the long run. Tomorrow night I`m going to my peer support group again. I really enjoyed last week`s group - it`s so nice to speak to people in real life who understand and don`t judge and also to know you are not alone. I`m also hoping that I get the go ahead to return to work fairly soon as well. All in all, things are finally starting to look more positive.
This is the best my skin has looked in months and months, only because I found an antibiotic that is keeping me clear. I know it will all come back once i stop taking the medication but it is keeping the acne at bay until I can try my first course of accutane. I'm fairly confident that it will clear me for good. Best of luck to everyone out there going through the acne struggle, i know how you all fell.
Woke up feeling really good about my skin today and still am tonight. Breakouts are clearing and I'm going longer between new breakouts. The Regimen is really controlling everything again which is great. I still have a few actives at the moment but they're small. I haven't been wearing makeup lately as I'm spending most of my time at home or just going to places locally for short amounts of time so I've felt ok for the most part to go without it and I think it's been helping my skin. Ideally, I'd like to not wear makeup everyday when I go back to uni in a couple of weeks.
I have been finding lately though that when I first wake up and look in the mirror, my red marks are hardly noticeable - but after washing / moisturising / as the day goes on, I find they're really noticeable again... I don't know if it's just lighting, or if it's from touching my skin... Anyone else experienced that at all?
I'm trying to use AHA more often and also looking for a better SPF to use so hopefully all help with the redmarks.
Lilly Many experience the same thing, it's the oil and product that has mixed over the night time hours that make the skin look much nicer before washing and then starting the product regiment. Once the warm water hits my skin and I exfoliate with my glycolic, the redness is def more apparent and then a few hours later it is less noticeable again. Glad you are having a good day today. I am kinda meh about mine. 7 1/2 weeks into Spiro treatment and clogged pores are still inflamming one at a time, have two today that are there this am and will probably come to a head by this evening. It's just like groundhog day, I'm over it!
This is my first time dealing with cystic acne. I have one cystic acne spot on my face near my chin. It's right in the T zone. It's red, swollen and it hurts. I know I can't do anything about it because it's cystic so it's really deep and painful. I seriously have no idea how this started because before this my face was clear. And I swear I can feel a second one coming up near it.
For those of you familiar with acne, is it true that it takes weeks for a cystic acne spot to heal and that no over the counter product can fix it because it's deep? Would it be extremely vain to go to my doctor over this and this alone? Right now I'm covering it up with make up but it still looks bad.
terrible. About 2 days ago I broke out with 8-10 super tiny whiteheads around my mouth and they became these small red bumps that are extremely noticeable. I'm so scared of putting any product on my face because I feel like they cause breakouts and I'm just feeling extremely hopeless. I skipped my college class today because I didn't want to be seen at all. I'm too afraid to try accutane or the regiment but it seems like I'm out of options other than those.
Looks like quotes are back people
On 2/19/2014 at 8:29 PM, CarpeMomentum said:Lilly Many experience the same thing, it's the oil and product that has mixed over the night time hours that make the skin look much nicer before washing and then starting the product regiment. Once the warm water hits my skin and I exfoliate with my glycolic, the redness is def more apparent and then a few hours later it is less noticeable again. Glad you are having a good day today. I am kinda meh about mine. 7 1/2 weeks into Spiro treatment and clogged pores are still inflamming one at a time, have two today that are there this am and will probably come to a head by this evening. It's just like groundhog day, I'm over it!
thanks for that info. It's annoying that they do become so much more noticeable! Oh well... not much I can do about it until they (hopefully) fade away
All the best for your spiro treatment! I've heard amazing things about it so hopefully it works that well for you 
I have not felt anything about my acne and I feel great! I don't care!
This is the best my skin has looked in months and months, only because I found an antibiotic that is keeping me clear. I know it will all come back once i stop taking the medication but it is keeping the acne at bay until I can try my first course of accutane. I'm fairly confident that it will clear me for good. Best of luck to everyone out there going through the acne struggle, i know how you all fell.
What antibiotic are you on and how long did it take to start working for you to clear? I started Doxy a little under a month ago along with Spiro 2 months and I'm not clear yet. Just no more cysts or blind spots.
Channeling your energy today, really need it as I'm having myself a little pity party over here. :/
I have not felt anything about my acne and I feel great! I don't care!
Hey there Whamper! May I ask are you male or female? Reason being is that it may be a hormonal change that has caused the cysts to start or perhaps something in your diet...excessive dairy, gluten, sugar? If you have a derm perhaps you can call them, if not it unfortunately can take several weeks to get in to see one. I no longer get cystic acne, but I remember when I had a complete hormone shift one day I just started getting cysts on my chin and then it didn't stop until I went to the derm for treatment. Your internal system can be a bugger to try and fix, so it's good that you are noticing and trying to get on it before it gets worse. There are different things people use to help cystic acne, but you might want to see if it really is a cyst or just perhaps a blind inflammed pimple that needs to come to a head. Some people may use Tea tree oil to reduce redness infection, salicylic acid to help break down the extra layers of dead skin over the infection. Happy to try and give you some advise. Head up and hang in there, we are all on a crazy journey.
This is my first time dealing with cystic acne. I have one cystic acne spot on my face near my chin. It's right in the T zone. It's red, swollen and it hurts. I know I can't do anything about it because it's cystic so it's really deep and painful. I seriously have no idea how this started because before this my face was clear. And I swear I can feel a second one coming up near it.
For those of you familiar with acne, is it true that it takes weeks for a cystic acne spot to heal and that no over the counter product can fix it because it's deep? Would it be extremely vain to go to my doctor over this and this alone? Right now I'm covering it up with make up but it still looks bad.
Have you ever looked up face mapping? Chin area denotes typically hormonal acne. Could also be a product you are using toothpaste with Flouride or SLS, mouthwash etc. As soon as I stopped using those products breakouts around my mouth area stopped. I am on Spironolactone as a female to treat hormonal acne, chin, mouth area.
Pretty bad, breaking out in whiteheads on my chin again. Always my chin, as my forehead and cheeks are clear? anybody know why?
This is my first time dealing with cystic acne. I have one cystic acne spot on my face near my chin. It's right in the T zone. It's red, swollen and it hurts. I know I can't do anything about it because it's cystic so it's really deep and painful. I seriously have no idea how this started because before this my face was clear. And I swear I can feel a second one coming up near it.
For those of you familiar with acne, is it true that it takes weeks for a cystic acne spot to heal and that no over the counter product can fix it because it's deep? Would it be extremely vain to go to my doctor over this and this alone? Right now I'm covering it up with make up but it still looks bad.
You could always get a cortisone shot; it'll take the pain and lump away in 1-2 days. However, do a little research, as there is some risk in having one done, minimized by having someone that knows what they're doing do it
Generally, i feel great first thing after a good sleep, then bad after cleansing, toning, moisturising etc because it makes my face all red again!
Then feel good once my makeup is done, all fresh. By the afternoon though i turn into an oil slick and my true skin begins revealing its self!
Also does anyone else feel like the process of taking off makeup and then skin regime is like some kind of monotonous chore!!
I feel terrible, I keep breaking out in lots of red spots, they are quite small but are noticeable and they make me look and feel awful I have been using dianette and isotrex gel for 5 months and although my spots are less inflamed nothing stops these red smaller ones. My bdd is going crazy I don't want to see anyone or be near anyone I just want to sleep. It's my husbands 30th birthday night out tomorrow and I'm dreading it, who wants to go out when they have a face full of spots, it was already going to be hard with all my anxiety but now it seems impossible. My husband just doesn't understand he is already cross with me he is going to be so angry if I can't make it through tomorrow
I'm so sorry to hear about where you are at right now with your treatment and still experiencing a rough patch. They say it can take 6months+ for homones to balance out. Have you had signs of progress otherwise? If so, remember that. Your body is just taking its unfortunate sweet time to heal. I know exaccccctly how you feel and only someone that is going through what we are can understand. I try so hard to pretend it doesn't bother me and that I can ignore it, but then I look in the mirror and I don't see perfection so I get so upset. If I can encourage you to get through tomorrow for your marriage, for your husband, for yourself. Your husband loves you no matter what, through the good the bad, sickness and in health. Being there for him on this important day is a sacrifice you can decide to make for him. Believe me I have a date tonight with the guy I am seeing and wish I had a few more days to let a swollen bump heal and more PIH to fade. But I know once I put on a little makeup, dress myself up, do my nails, hair and as soon as I see him...hopefully some of the anxiety will fade.
No one cares more about our acne than ourselves. No one goes home and thinks about it. No one really cares or talks about it, and if they do, they have their own insecurities. I've found it helpful to tell people close to me that I am going through hormonal treatment for PCOS and the sided effects are acne which suck and I am not happy about it. They at least understand and know that I am doing something about it. Sending you lots of love to get through this weekend. You are beautiful and have a wonderful smile.
Liz 
I feel terrible, I keep breaking out in lots of red spots, they are quite small but are noticeable and they make me look and feel awful I have been using dianette and isotrex gel for 5 months and although my spots are less inflamed nothing stops these red smaller ones. My bdd is going crazy I don't want to see anyone or be near anyone I just want to sleep. It's my husbands 30th birthday night out tomorrow and I'm dreading it, who wants to go out when they have a face full of spots, it was already going to be hard with all my anxiety but now it seems impossible. My husband just doesn't understand he is already cross with me he is going to be so angry if I can't make it through tomorrow
I'm feeling ok giving my circumstances. Going on my 3rd week off the pill and I am definitely breaking out more, but I nip them in the bud [that seems graphic and disturbing to say but I can't think of another phrase!] by nightly using differin which so far is keeping them from, as I like to say, reaching their full potential. The breakouts are concentrated on my chin and around my nose, so basically the middle of my face. I'm glad they're not doing much harm but they are no fun, and at times hurt.
Happy weekend, hope everyone has a good one!