Hi All,

So i'm back on here after 7-8 years. I'm on here to share my story and what's worked for me.

Background:

So I first started getting spots at 15 and was diagnosed with acne at 16 by my doctor. What did my doctor recommend? Leave it alone, just wash your face twice a day and it will go away. I was naive and listened to him. Big mistake. I didn't do any research on acne prior to my visit and hoped my acne will go away as my doctor had said. But it didn't.

I suffered acne pretty bad during my college (16-18) years and it affected my confidence. It continued into my university years. If you're young and have just started getting your first spots I would recommend visiting your local supermarket or pharmacy and getting a good soap/wash (one which doesn't clog pores and is oil-free) and a benzoyl peroxide cream to apply to your face once daily before you go to sleep. The sooner you start fighting acne the better. I'm 28 now, thankfully over the last couple years my skin has begun to look much better (please see attached pictures).

What Have I tried?

Various soaps/washes - Purpose Gentle Cleansing Bar, Cetaphil face wash, Clean and Clear Daily Wash, Clearsil (just to name a few)

Various creams - Quinoderm, Brevoxyl

What's my current regime and what works for me?

I'm using Acnelak soap - to put it simply - it just works for me. Leaves my skin feeling clean and fresh after I've washed it. I wash my face twice a day.

I'm using Panoxyl Aquagel 10% - once daily.

Food? What I avoid?

After reading several threads on dairy products I've removed that from my diet - and it's been a big big big help. My body doesn't agree with dairy and I've noticed my skin looks better when I refrain from eating dairy products. It's a shame as I love ice-cream

I have the occasionally can of coke (once a week) and drink as much water as I can.

Sleep? How important is it?

Very important. Skin and body needs to rest and getting a good night's sleep does wonders for the skin. I've noticed whenever I don't sleep well (2 or 3 nights in a row) then my skin begins to look tired and more oily. So get plenty of rest. Heck, I even sleep for an hour or two on weekends (afternoon) when I don't have any plans.

And finally, many people will not agree with this but I do use an antibiotic too. I've left this till the end because of 2 reasons.

1) Try clearing your skin with the above first. If your not satisfied with the results by doing just the above then look into taking an antibiotic.

2) If you have or suffer from body acne (back, neck, shoulders, arms and chest) - then you may need to take an antibiotic as it helps clear all over the body.

Now I used to suffer from quite bad back acne. I take an antibiotic and it helps keep away the body acne. What antibiotic do I take?

In the US, it's called Bactrim. In the UK and Europe they have various different brands - just make sure it contains sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim). I was hesitant about taking antibiotics too, like many people out there. But I finally decided to give it a try as I was so down about my acne. Looking back, I wish I had started taking this antibiotic sooner. It's worked wonders on my skin along with the Acnelak Soap and Panoxyl regime.

I'm no longer that single guy who looked in the mirror and dreaded being in the sunlight. I used to hide indoors in bad lighting so people couldn't see how bad my skin was. Now, I enjoy going out in the sun. I prefer the summer to the winter! (Shame, the weather is pretty bad in London).

I've been part of this community since the age of 15 and I understand what everyone on this forum has and is going through. Let's help one another out and I hope this post helps at least one person!