So i just wanted to vent my feelings so that i am not ruining a perfectly good day.

I HATE ACNE. It's as simple as that. I don't even become surprised anymore when i breakout - it's like it has become my new normal. Due to this persistant disease, i am afraid to hope for anything better (in relation to acne, not life). I don't get optimistic because i know that it is only a teaser. I want to give up but if i do, there is no where to turn (ok, maybe not true, but really, having to start this process again is less than appealling). My chin is on the downward spiral....again and instead of larger than life bumps (which i am grateful they are not) i am graced with smaller under the skin bumps that are there and don't ever go away. There are a ton of them too and of course, they itch and bring redness galore. . Someone suggested to use more BP there so i've done this so we'll see how it works out. I know i am still early in The Regimen (2 months) but i am afraid to hope that things will get better for fear of a let down.....again

OK - rant over- off to face the day.8 more days till summer vacation....WOOT! WOOT!

EDIT: So the chin acne on the left side of my face is a hideous bright red (looks like i have a rash or an allergic reaction). I am sitting on my couch debating whether or not to call into work today. But you know what, fuck it! Acne is not going to win, at least not today

Oh Hun hang in there. You have said it yourself that it can take even up to 6 months before people are clear on the regimen. Think of what it has done for you so far you cheeks and forehead are clear which is something even accutane wasn't doing for you. I know patience is a difficult thing and breaking out is discouraging but if you stay presistant it should work for you. You might seriously have hormonal acne and need BC or spiro to control the hormonal side of your acne. Give the regimen some more time and see. Your strong and have done it before with other treatments. Stay positive and know you have a group of support here on this website and we are always here for you to vent to. Great decision going to work and staying strong. Don't let acne kick you down. Show it who's boss

Oh Hun hang in there. You have said it yourself that it can take even up to 6 months before people are clear on the regimen. Think of what it has done for you so far you cheeks and forehead are clear which is something even accutane wasn't doing for you. I know patience is a difficult thing and breaking out is discouraging but if you stay presistant it should work for you. You might seriously have hormonal acne and need BC or spiro to control the hormonal side of your acne. Give the regimen some more time and see. Your strong and have done it before with other treatments. Stay positive and know you have a group of support here on this website and we are always here for you to vent to. Great decision going to work and staying strong. Don't let acne kick you down. Show it who's boss

Oh Hun, you are too sweet. Your words are very encouraging and its posts like these that make me grateful to belong to such a wonderful community of individuals. 6 months seems like tsuch a damn long time to tell you the truth, but if i look at it this way - 2 months down, 4 more to go, it doesn't seem like such a long time after all. These breakouts have gotten me down in a bad way and even though i've had worse, acne, no matter the severity, is acne.

You could very well be right about the hormonal front so that will be my next step in the next few months. If i'm honest with you, i am not keep on taking another oral medication but if it helps my acne, it will be worth it. BC however is out of the question. Never ever will i put that shit in my body.....ever. Thanks again for your kind words, it makes the days easier to deal with

So i just wanted to vent my feelings so that i am not ruining a perfectly good day.

I HATE ACNE. It's as simple as that. I don't even become surprised anymore when i breakout - it's like it has become my new normal. Due to this persistant disease, i am afraid to hope for anything better (in relation to acne, not life). I don't get optimistic because i know that it is only a teaser. I want to give up but if i do, there is no where to turn (ok, maybe not true, but really, having to start this process again is less than appealling). My chin is on the downward spiral....again and instead of larger than life bumps (which i am grateful they are not) i am graced with smaller under the skin bumps that are there and don't ever go away. There are a ton of them too and of course, they itch and bring redness galore. . Someone suggested to use more BP there so i've done this so we'll see how it works out. I know i am still early in The Regimen (2 months) but i am afraid to hope that things will get better for fear of a let down.....again

OK - rant over- off to face the day.8 more days till summer vacation....WOOT! WOOT!

EDIT: So the chin acne on the left side of my face is a hideous bright red (looks like i have a rash or an allergic reaction). I am sitting on my couch debating whether or not to call into work today. But you know what, fuck it! Acne is not going to win, at least not today

Totally get where you're coming from, Sasch. I had a day like this recently where I was just like "FUCK...I wish acne would die and go to hell." We all have those days where it just breaks you down and seems hopeless, but these days can't last forever and you feel much better as the week goes on. Btw, I LOVE your choice to go into work despite your skin bothering you. Every time we make decisions like that Acne LOSES and we gain another personal victory. One thing I used to tell myself all the time when going into work with bad skin was "It's been worse before and I endured it...this is child's play in comparison" and that always gave me the strength to face the world. I've been guilty in the past of calling out from work during bad skin days, I even lost a great job because of calling out too much as a result of my bad skin issues once, and that can become a habit so it's best to soldier through even during those bad times because things will improve in the long run.

Sending encouragement and good thoughts your way, you've come so far and you're a stronger person because of it!

Hi Sasch, can't do the diet thing anymore, I almost cracked today. How is BP going for you? Not sure if I should perhaps also try it again?

Hi Sasch, can't do the diet thing anymore, I almost cracked today. How is BP going for you? Not sure if I should perhaps also try it again?

Lilo, i hear ya loud and clear. A proper diet is awesome but for many of us, it is not the end all and be all of acne. I have developed certain food phobias due to obsessing over what i eat. i think you should give the regimen a shot. My chin and cheek acne is virtually gone 9 (a feat accutane couldn't even manage). My chin and jaw continues to struggle but i know i am only 2 months in.

Sometimes our body needs some help, even if it is not natural.

Good Luck!

Week 8 Day 56

Tomorrow begins week 9 and nothing new to report. Chin still breaking out albeit i think these may be clogged pores. From far away you can't really see them but up close it gives my skin that rough texture. I am thankful it is not huge. AHA doesn't seem to be helping my jaw so i am not keen to start it on my face. The rest of my face is exceptionally well! My progress has stalled in the areas with acne (its been 4 weeks since my chin started breaking out in clusters and no signs of steady improvement.....sigh). The itching has greatly been reduced and the flakiness has gone down tremendously. If i am still breaking out in month 3, then i will take plunge and go up to 2 pumps. in the meantime, i will use less bp on my forehead and more on my chin/mouth.

Wishing it would get better already

So I have made the conscious decision to visit the org between once and twice per week. The time i spend focusing on my skin is time away from the people and things i love. I am hoping that by shifting my focus i can stop counting down the days and just simply taking each day as is.Here's to keeping my resolve.

Week 9 Day 59 (is it just me or is my count off?)

This week has gotten off to a terrible start. The middle of my chin which has been relatively clear now has 4-5 under the skin bumps (1 that is beginning to develop a whitehead). All i'm thinking right know is WTF?!?!? I am also getting more clogged pores on my face close to my nose. I am honestly so sick and tired of this struggle.

My skin is dry

My skin is flaky

And i STILL have acne

I am also going on vacation an i feel (think i am getting sick) and look like shit.

I think that the stress of moving and wrapping things up from my job has also affected progress as well as my bad eating habits lately. Just praying that this summer does not turn out like last summer.

Just to recap acne wise:

Forehead: 1 pimple

Cheeks (outer):clear

Cheeks (Inner): clogged pores that are turning into pimples but they go away quickly

Chin (mouth area): broken out in many small red bumps

Chin (middle) several under the skin bumps

Under jaw/chin: several small pimples scattered.

ATM, very disappointed that i am not clear yet. Doubting that like with EVERY other treatment i've tried, this will not work for me.

Rant Over.....off to watch 'Under The Dome' by Stephen King

So i have to get back into my no mirror policy as examining my breakouts as i've been doing has been murder on my self esteem. My entire right side of my chin is broken out in red bumps, i have deep pimples in the middle of my chin which i havent had in months and the left side of my chin has red pimples (not as much as the right side but they are taking turns). I am doing everything that The Regimen prescribed so there is not much else for me to do but to wait it out. All this is odd as the rest of my face is clear or mostly clear with 1-2 isolated pimples and clogged pores.

This honestly sucks but life goes on ....so much positive things happening:

I'm moving!

I'm going on summer vacation starting Thursday!

I'm startng my vacation on Sunday!

I'm gonna spend some time with my family and friends!

And the list goes on.

So starting today, i will not look in mirrors unless necessary. It's gonna be hard, but doable. I'll see you guys on Thursday or this weekend after i've finally moved

CHOW

Sounds like you are going to be having a fun couple of days. Stay positive and stay busy so you have no time for doubting. Seems like you have already seen a big improvement so hopefully you are on your way.

So i have to get back into my no mirror policy as examining my breakouts as i've been doing has been murder on my self esteem. My entire right side of my chin is broken out in red bumps, i have deep pimples in the middle of my chin which i havent had in months and the left side of my chin has red pimples (not as much as the right side but they are taking turns). I am doing everything that The Regimen prescribed so there is not much else for me to do but to wait it out. All this is odd as the rest of my face is clear or mostly clear with 1-2 isolated pimples and clogged pores.

This honestly sucks but life goes on ....so much positive things happening:

I'm moving!

I'm going on summer vacation starting Thursday!

I'm startng my vacation on Sunday!

I'm gonna spend some time with my family and friends!

And the list goes on.

So starting today, i will not look in mirrors unless necessary. It's gonna be hard, but doable. I'll see you guys on Thursday or this weekend after i've finally moved

CHOW

Have fun on your vacation Sasch, it's def great to be out and about and keep yourself busy so that you don't even have time to think about your face. It'll start clearing up before you know it

I feel like my little vacation helped me and I cleared up for a couple days, like 0 pimples. It's a great feeling!

Now we just have to keep going

So i have to get back into my no mirror policy as examining my breakouts as i've been doing has been murder on my self esteem. My entire right side of my chin is broken out in red bumps, i have deep pimples in the middle of my chin which i havent had in months and the left side of my chin has red pimples (not as much as the right side but they are taking turns). I am doing everything that The Regimen prescribed so there is not much else for me to do but to wait it out. All this is odd as the rest of my face is clear or mostly clear with 1-2 isolated pimples and clogged pores.

This honestly sucks but life goes on ....so much positive things happening:

I'm moving!

I'm going on summer vacation starting Thursday!

I'm startng my vacation on Sunday!

I'm gonna spend some time with my family and friends!

And the list goes on.

So starting today, i will not look in mirrors unless necessary. It's gonna be hard, but doable. I'll see you guys on Thursday or this weekend after i've finally moved

CHOW

Hope your chin clears up soon Sasch! That was one of my biggest problems areas too and it took a long time to clear up. Sounds like quite a few exciting things are happening in your life! Best of luck with the move and I hope you enjoy your vacation.

I saw you said you were gonna watch Under The Dome too, how'd you like the first episode? That's one of my favorite newer King books that's come out in the last few years.

Thanks guys! Vacation has been well deserved and I am trying to enjoy it as much as I can. Mostly when I'm not sight seeing I am trying to catch up on hours of lost sleep. I am also moved into my new apartment so I am happy about that. I will slowly start unpacking boxes this weekend .

On to the face update:

Day 66: chin/ mouth acne still persistant and today it is pretty bad. Numerous small red pimples and that whole area is red and irritated looking. My god daughter pointed it out and said it looked like a rash( it is not). It's embarrassing to say the least and it has prompted me to make a derm appt in August to see yet another derm. By that time I would have been on The Regimen for over 3 months so if things continue like this , then ill know this is not for me. I wanted to introduce AHA to my face but it feels too sensitive for even that. I've been going back and forth thinking that it was a mistake to even try The Regimen but then again all other areas of my face are relatively clear. I reduced BP back down to 1 pump, the majority of that going to my chin/ mouth area. Dryness is still an issue and I don't know what to do about it. Been thinking of trying jojoba again but afraid it'll make me breakout more ( just like it did the first time around )

One thing that I do plan in doing is waiting 10 minutes between each step of the regimen to see if that reduces irritation. I have been waiting only 5 minutes so that could be a factor in the irritation around my mouth.

I am back from vacation on Thursday so depending in how my skin feels/ looks, I may try a dab of AHA mixed in with moisturizer to see of it helps with dryness and smaller mouth/chin bumps

Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated. Keep me in your thoughts regimen buddies as I am this close to throwing in the towel.

Hope you all are in a better place.

Do you think the acne around your chin is mainly hormonal? I'm about to start the regimen but I'm worried it's not going to help if my acne is mainly caused because of hormones... I haven't come across an answer to whether the regimen clears hormonal acne... do you know anything about that?

Have you tried a different moisturiser - maybe switching would help with the dryness more? Years ago I used the neutrogena one and personally didn't find it all that moisturising. I know people recommend cetaphil for the regimen, which I've also used in the past. I didn't really like the cetaphil one either but maybe it works well on the regimen as it is sort of thick/greasy from memory... (I know that doesn't sound appealing but maybe that's good for the amount of dryness the regimen can cause?)

I really hope the regimen starts clearing your chin soon!! Hang in there Sasch

Thanks guys! Vacation has been well deserved and I am trying to enjoy it as much as I can. Mostly when I'm not sight seeing I am trying to catch up on hours of lost sleep. I am also moved into my new apartment so I am happy about that. I will slowly start unpacking boxes this weekend .

On to the face update:

Day 66: chin/ mouth acne still persistant and today it is pretty bad. Numerous small red pimples and that whole area is red and irritated looking. My god daughter pointed it out and said it looked like a rash( it is not). It's embarrassing to say the least and it has prompted me to make a derm appt in August to see yet another derm. By that time I would have been on The Regimen for over 3 months so if things continue like this , then ill know this is not for me. I wanted to introduce AHA to my face but it feels too sensitive for even that. I've been going back and forth thinking that it was a mistake to even try The Regimen but then again all other areas of my face are relatively clear. I reduced BP back down to 1 pump, the majority of that going to my chin/ mouth area. Dryness is still an issue and I don't know what to do about it. Been thinking of trying jojoba again but afraid it'll make me breakout more ( just like it did the first time around )

One thing that I do plan in doing is waiting 10 minutes between each step of the regimen to see if that reduces irritation. I have been waiting only 5 minutes so that could be a factor in the irritation around my mouth.

I am back from vacation on Thursday so depending in how my skin feels/ looks, I may try a dab of AHA mixed in with moisturizer to see of it helps with dryness and smaller mouth/chin bumps

Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated. Keep me in your thoughts regimen buddies as I am this close to throwing in the towel.

Hope you all are in a better place.

Hang in there Sasch! Maybe a little fine tuning of the regimen will help get better results. Yes, waiting 15 minutes in between steps helps. At least it did for me. Also, if you really feel Dan's moisturizer isn't doing such a good job, I would really suggest changing up your moisturizer. For the AHA, try spot treating your active acne and red marks with it before applying the BP. It has worked really well for me in that order.

Do you think the acne around your chin is mainly hormonal? I'm about to start the regimen but I'm worried it's not going to help if my acne is mainly caused because of hormones... I haven't come across an answer to whether the regimen clears hormonal acne... do you know anything about that?

Have you tried a different moisturiser - maybe switching would help with the dryness more? Years ago I used the neutrogena one and personally didn't find it all that moisturising. I know people recommend cetaphil for the regimen, which I've also used in the past. I didn't really like the cetaphil one either but maybe it works well on the regimen as it is sort of thick/greasy from memory... (I know that doesn't sound appealing but maybe that's good for the amount of dryness the regimen can cause?)

I really hope the regimen starts clearing your chin soon!! Hang in there Sasch

Hey Lilly...just wanted to say that my acne is caused by my hormones. I have PCOS and the regimen has helped control my acne a lot. I still get a spot or two maybe once a month, but definitely waaaaay smaller than what I used to get pre-regimen. Plus when I use the AHA as a spot treatment under the BP, it goes away in about two days without leaving a red mark.

Do you think the acne around your chin is mainly hormonal? I'm about to start the regimen but I'm worried it's not going to help if my acne is mainly caused because of hormones... I haven't come across an answer to whether the regimen clears hormonal acne... do you know anything about that?

Have you tried a different moisturiser - maybe switching would help with the dryness more? Years ago I used the neutrogena one and personally didn't find it all that moisturising. I know people recommend cetaphil for the regimen, which I've also used in the past. I didn't really like the cetaphil one either but maybe it works well on the regimen as it is sort of thick/greasy from memory... (I know that doesn't sound appealing but maybe that's good for the amount of dryness the regimen can cause?)

I really hope the regimen starts clearing your chin soon!! Hang in there Sasch

Hey Lilly...just wanted to say that my acne is caused by my hormones. I have PCOS and the regimen has helped control my acne a lot. I still get a spot or two maybe once a month, but definitely waaaaay smaller than what I used to get pre-regimen. Plus when I use the AHA as a spot treatment under the BP, it goes away in about two days without leaving a red mark.

That's good to hear! I think I could handle a spot or two every now and then. It would definitely be better than what it is now anyway!

So maybe it's just a matter of time, Sasch, hang in there as long as you can to really give the regimen time to work

Thanks for the encouragement guys! Things have calmed down some so we'll see how it goes. I'll introduce AHA mixed in with moisturizer tonight as the flakes are getting out of control. I am back to 1.5 pumps.

Will do a proper update in a week or so

I agree with NicMic, you should should spot treat with the AHA and see if that works for you first.

I wait like 10-15 mins, I really feel like just reducing the amount but since it's an important step, I won't

Hoping the best for you

Well i have been using AHA for about a month under my jaw (about 3-4 times a week) and had had no ill effects so thats why i took the plunge and tried it all over (just a tiny amount though). Will do it again tonight.

Day 71

As i am fast approaching that 90 day/3 month mark, i have to honestly say that despite the setbacks, my face has come a long way. I am happy with the consistent progress of my forehead, and cheeks. On to the acne update

Forehead: Clear (1-2 clogged pores, 1-2 red pimples may be due to AHA)

Cheeks: Clear

Chin: tiny clogged pores mainly on sides of mouth and 1-2 hard pimples

Under chin/jawline 2-5 stubborn hard pimples

Flaring redness still persists on the sides of my mouth but they usually last 1-2 days and go away only to reoccur a few days later. I'm thinking that part of m face is ubber sensitive to BP so i may have to reduce the amounts i am putting there (which probably means more acne...dilema....dilema)

There is still time for improvement as some people don't report complete clearing till the 4th month but after that, if i am not seeing some consistency in my problem areas, i will be seeing a derm for an oral med such as spiro as i have tried EVERY topical out there (well almost).

As for dryness, The AHA helped a lot with the flakes so hoepfully with more consistent use, it will keep me flake free and make my skin smooth.

Congrats to all my regimen buddies that have either cleared or are getting cleared. Wishing you continued success and hope to join you there soon.

Holy mother of God, just mixed AHA with my moisturizer and put it on my face and jeeezus, that shit burned. Feels like someone rubbed jalapenos all over my face. I have a sneaking suspicion that i may be all broken out tomorrow (hope thats not the case) but I guess there's nothing that can be done about that -just part of the process i suppose. I started slow with my regular amount of moisturizer and a drop or 2 of AHA. I'll use AHA again on Wednesday night.

In regards to the AHA purging, yup, i think it is happening to me. I see 2 hard bumps coming up on my formely clear forehead and along my lip line has small bumps. in addition, my chin still has acne but so far, nothing huge (apart from the usual chin suspects). I'm willing to keep at it for a while though as i can deal with these smaller bumps

Wish me luck!

When I started AHA on spiro obviously and I was clear and I got a few new zits too and they cleared up in a couple days. Just smaller ones. I think it's just our damn sensitive delicate skin getting used to a new product. No fun but I really like it. ALOT

Like Moonlight, i hope thats the case for me. Most of the bumps are tiny. The ones on my forehead are bigger and hard and somewhat red and from my experience, takes a while to go away. But in all honesty, if this will help with flakiness and skin tone, it's a sacrifice i won't mind making.

But we'll see. I have a lot of travel plans coming up and i'm off the healthy eating bandwagon so hoping that once i get back on, things will improve.

Ya I hear ya! I hope it's the case with you too and they disappear quickly. I'll be thinking of ya girly!

Day #77

Wow

, we're getting closer to the 3 month/90 day mark. Needless to say, I am still struggling with my skin and will most likely seek the advice of a derm sometime in August. My face is no longer getting huge inflamed acne but I am getting numerous small red bumps exclusively by my mouth/chin. It leaves the area red and somewhat irritated looking (constant redness to me is irritation but I could be wrong). Also, I am getting more obvious patches of dry skin on my cheeks that are really disgusting to look at. The use of AHA looks promising though and I am hoping that with more frequent use, it can help with that. I have used it 3 times thus far and the third time did not burn at all so I will now bump up to using a dollop every other day so this weeks schedule will look like this: Fri, Sun, Tue, Thur, Sat. we'll see how that goes. I also noticed that one or two acne free spots under my jaw are red so I will begin limiting BP use there since I am not getting acne there. Anyway, what are peoples thoughts. Should I go back to the drawing board or give it more time? I am being as gentle as I can be and I am following the instructions to the letter. For regimen veterans, is it normal to still be experiencing this dryness and irritated skin this late in the game? At what point should I just call it quits. To not make this post all doom and gloom, my forehead and cheeks remain clear so clearly The Regimen does work to some extent and it is one of the better tropicals that I have used. Looking forward to getting some responses.

Keep at it Sasch, I'm pretty sure that something you are using is causing that reaction.. what is everything that you are using?