Hi Everyone,
I feel personally obliged to tell everyone suffering from adult acne that I found a remedy after 15 years of upsetting adult acne. Of course we are all unique, so it probably wouldn't work for everyone.
Over 15 years of struggling with moderate adult acne (non-pitting), extremely sensitive skin, and now aging skin, I believe I struck gold.
I have exhausted everything I know to be out there. I was on Accutane twice, and had to stop 10 years ago to avoid liver damage and future birth defects. Accutane is the only product that annhilated my acne, but the price (healthwise) would have been too high to continue. The acne came back within a year of stopping the course. I also tried every topical and oral antibiotic known to man, and birth control pills, only to either have a shredded stomach or uncontrollable weight gain.
I've tried all kinds of upscale and physician recommended products. I tried microdermabrasion and AHA's, etc..., but my skin is very sensistive, and those 'gentle' exfoliation treatments have only worsened the scarring and irritation. Oh yes, and I had a peeling problem. My skin, apart from being acne-prone, was very dry, and was flaky, I was even wondering if I had psoriasis of the face...
I have been a vegetarian for almost 21 years, and even do liquid fasts twice per week, and nothing made my skin better. I was becoming resigned to having bad skin for the rest of my life, basically knowing that I'd suffer from acne until my skin dried up and became old and wrinkled. Until starting 10 weeks ago.
I gave it one more shot, and read online about the studies done with Niacinamide/Nicotinamide. I've been using Niapads in the morning, Freederm at night, and oral Niacinamide 1000mg 5days/week. In just 2 weeks, I stopped getting breakouts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I still get a pimple here and there, but I can now count on one hand how many I get per month. As of 4 weeks into this regimen, the zits are no longer a problem. Now, I am just waiting out to see if some of the scarring and melasma (from years of popping and scrubbing) will fade some more. Niacinamide is reputed to help fading of discoloration.
I do not know how much longer to continue taking oral Niacinamide in these amounts, because I'm unsure of long terms effects of it. But I will use the topical products until the end of my days. Maybe when I turn 50 in 15 years, I will stop to see if it's necessary anymore... The good thing is I noticed no drying. I feel beautiful and free again- I haven't felt this way since I was 19. I am ecstatic over this. If one more person can benefit from reading this, then I will be glad.
I am not advertising anything, but if any niacinamide company wanted me to do an ad for them for free, I'm pretty sure I would.
lotushead i just read your post about the nicotinamide and i have been taking this on and off for a year now. I was never faithful about taking it so maybe this is why i dont think it made much of a difference. In the last week I started taking it twice a day so we'll see. I dont take a multi-vitamin, do you think thats a problem when taking this?
Niapads are hilariously overpriced.. there are just so many other options.
I make my own niacinamide serum. It's incredibly easy because niacinamide is so cheap, and very stable with respect to heat and light, and doesn't oxidize for all practical purposes. It's also fantastically water soluble.
lotushead i just read your post about the nicotinamide and i have been taking this on and off for a year now. I was never faithful about taking it so maybe this is why i dont think it made much of a difference. In the last week I started taking it twice a day so we'll see. I dont take a multi-vitamin, do you think thats a problem when taking this?
Wicky, have you been only taking it orally, or have you also been applying it topically? I started out doing the topical routine, and then about 3 weeks in I added the Niacinamide pills. It had already begun to work by the time I started on the pills. I think it's important to be regular about it. I'm not ritualistic about many things, but having found such a treasure, I wouldn't dare skip a day in my new cleansing routine! Apparently, you can make your own topical solution instead of having to buy Niapads or Freederm. Somebody posted it somewhere on acne.org how to make a standardized topical solution.
lotushead i just read your post about the nicotinamide and i have been taking this on and off for a year now. I was never faithful about taking it so maybe this is why i dont think it made much of a difference. In the last week I started taking it twice a day so we'll see. I dont take a multi-vitamin, do you think thats a problem when taking this?Wicky, have you been only taking it orally, or have you also been applying it topically? I started out doing the topical routine, and then about 3 weeks in I added the Niacinamide pills. It had already begun to work by the time I started on the pills. I think it's important to be regular about it. I'm not ritualistic about many things, but having found such a treasure, I wouldn't dare skip a day in my new cleansing routine! Apparently, you can make your own topical solution instead of having to buy Niapads or Freederm. Somebody posted it somewhere on acne.org how to make a standardized topical solution.
Okay, so you're not a shill for Niapads 
I had my suspicions. Sorry! They have a really good ad campaign of forum posters, so its hard to tell.
The homemade topical solution literally acts and looks like water, so yes - it can be worn under make up with no problems. I'd keep it in the fridge if you don't want to use a preservative, which complicates things. Really, a solution of niacinamide and water isn't going to do anything but sit there, but technically it should have a preservative if its not going to be kept in the fridge.
lotushead i just read your post about the nicotinamide and i have been taking this on and off for a year now. I was never faithful about taking it so maybe this is why i dont think it made much of a difference. In the last week I started taking it twice a day so we'll see. I dont take a multi-vitamin, do you think thats a problem when taking this?Wicky, have you been only taking it orally, or have you also been applying it topically? I started out doing the topical routine, and then about 3 weeks in I added the Niacinamide pills. It had already begun to work by the time I started on the pills. I think it's important to be regular about it. I'm not ritualistic about many things, but having found such a treasure, I wouldn't dare skip a day in my new cleansing routine! Apparently, you can make your own topical solution instead of having to buy Niapads or Freederm. Somebody posted it somewhere on acne.org how to make a standardized topical solution.
Okay, so you're not a shill for Niapads
The homemade topical solution literally acts and looks like water, so yes - it can be worn under make up with no problems. I'd keep it in the fridge if you don't want to use a preservative, which complicates things. Really, a solution of niacinamide and water isn't going to do anything but sit there, but technically it should have a preservative if its not going to be kept in the fridge.
Well, where the h*** were those Niapad ad campaigns when I was basting in sad terrible skin??? I actually was thinking there was some kind of U.S. pharmaceutical conspiracy against Niacinamide, being that my dermatologists (all fired) never mentioned them to me. Maybe the studies were more recent than their dismissal...?
LOL! You know, I haven't thought about it a lot.. but you're right in a sense. It's not so much a "conspiracy" as just a failure. There's certainly no coordinated effort to undermine Niacinamide as a topical, but it just hasn't been pursued much as a prescription level treatment. There's a lot of different probable reasons for this.
The research on niacin as related to skin care didn't heat up until very recently.. but it's now making its way into products all over the place. Olay, for example, has made it the main active ingredient in most of their moisturizers (though its not specifically listed as such - they don't want to make pharmaceutical claims for it).
The molecule itself can't be patented, as its been well known for a long time. There was one prescription formulation, both oral and topical, called Nicomide - but it never really took off. I suspect that orally, the safety issues with large doses are just too fuzzy, and no one wanted to fund extended FDA trials. The oral "drug" contained other active substances, like zinc and copper (if my memory isn't failing me).
Most dermatologists really just don't know about its effectiveness for treating acne. It also can't really do much for comedonal acne, as it works mostly as an anti-inflammatory. Retinoids are far superior in a lot of ways - they powerfully change the structure and function of the skin, and are hard to outshine.
I *think* in the next few years, it will be developed as a drugstore acne remedy, as its so safe topically. Whether it takes off or not is really up to the public. Right now, its still too new to be distributed retail - hence the many overprice online products. There's another company that claims to have created a "special" form of niacinamide that treats every skin disease on earth... total scientific bullshit. Their prices make Niapads look like charity.
LOL! You know, I haven't thought about it a lot.. but you're right in a sense. It's not so much a "conspiracy" as just a failure. There's certainly no coordinated effort to undermine Niacinamide as a topical, but it just hasn't been pursued much as a prescription level treatment. There's a lot of different probable reasons for this.
The research on niacin as related to skin care didn't heat up until very recently.. but it's now making its way into products all over the place. Olay, for example, has made it the main active ingredient in most of their moisturizers (though its not specifically listed as such - they don't want to make pharmaceutical claims for it).
The molecule itself can't be patented, as its been well known for a long time. There was one prescription formulation, both oral and topical, called Nicomide - but it never really took off. I suspect that orally, the safety issues with large doses are just too fuzzy, and no one wanted to fund extended FDA trials. The oral "drug" contained other active substances, like zinc and copper (if my memory isn't failing me).
Most dermatologists really just don't know about its effectiveness for treating acne. It also can't really do much for comedonal acne, as it works mostly as an anti-inflammatory. Retinoids are far superior in a lot of ways - they powerfully change the structure and function of the skin, and are hard to outshine.
I *think* in the next few years, it will be developed as a drugstore acne remedy, as its so safe topically. Whether it takes off or not is really up to the public. Right now, its still too new to be distributed retail - hence the many overprice online products. There's another company that claims to have created a "special" form of niacinamide that treats every skin disease on earth... total scientific bullshit. Their prices make Niapads look like charity.
Hey, aren't you too young to be in the adult acne section? JK!
The molecule itself can't be patented, as its been well known for a long time. There was one prescription formulation, both oral and topical, called Nicomide - but it never really took off. I suspect that orally, the safety issues with large doses are just too fuzzy, and no one wanted to fund extended FDA trials. The oral "drug" contained other active substances, like zinc and copper (if my memory isn't failing me).
I suspect the success rate was as much a disincentive as safety issues. Like most things, Nicomide just offered no miracle cure that really wiped out acne for a majority of patients.
Congratulations!
Is this method still working for you?
My skin sounds exactly like yours. So I'd love to try this.
But for now, I will give the below a try for 6 weeks:
I went to a naturopath who presrcibed a cream with the following:
1% metronidazole, 4% niaciamide, 2% tetracycline, 0.5% green tea, 11% zinc, 10% collodial silver, 0.5% lithium
The cream cost atoub 60 for about 2-3 months of use. not bad if it works, but i'd love to try the homemade serum.
Thanks for sharing!
Congratulations!
Is this method still working for you?
My skin sounds exactly like yours. So I'd love to try this.
But for now, I will give the below a try for 6 weeks:
I went to a naturopath who presrcibed a cream with the following:
1% metronidazole, 4% niaciamide, 2% tetracycline, 0.5% green tea, 11% zinc, 10% collodial silver, 0.5% lithium
The cream cost atoub 60 for about 2-3 months of use. not bad if it works, but i'd love to try the homemade serum.
Thanks for sharing!
What do you call this cream?
Hello!
I have suffered with acne for a few years now and have tried almost everything. Anitbiotics, topicals, BCP's you name it. My acne is defintley hormonal and its the cystic kind where its deep in the skin. I recently went to the derm to get a check up and she prescribed me the vitamin Nicazel. But my parents insurance doesn't cover it so I looked up the ingredients and it is a bunch of different vitamins. Niacinamide is one of them. I started taking that along with other vitamins: zinc, folic acid, fish oil and B-6. Within the first few days I noticed a difference and then all of a sudden I broke out really bad. All over my chin. So my question is did you break out initially? How long will it take for me to see improvements?