Acne.org Products
On 8/17/2021 at 5:22 AM, underdog said:That's great mate. Have you stopped using BP completely, i mean is it enough to just use HOCL alone? And did u get this condition after accutane or antibiotics?
Unfortunately, after a few weeks they started coming back again (but not nearly as bad as my original photo)
So currently my routine include both using the spray, and using BP 2.5% (only at night, only around my nose), and they seem to be reasonably under control. I usually only have 1 or 2 pimples (or sometimes none) on my face (outside of the ones in my nose) .
I saw a dr regarding the ones appearing inside my nose and they had me apply bactroban for 10 days, but it doesn't seem to have helped much... the nostrils cleared for 1-2 days after, and then they started coming back
I've never been on accutane
I've been on oral antibiotics once (for an abscess tooth), but this was several years ago. I think it was amoxicillin
On 8/19/2021 at 10:00 AM, Scorpy said:Unfortunately, after a few weeks they started coming back again (but not nearly as bad as my original photo)
So currently my routine include both using the spray, and using BP 2.5% (only at night, only around my nose), and they seem to be reasonably under control. I usually only have 1 or 2 pimples (or sometimes none) on my face (outside of the ones in my nose) .
I saw a dr regarding the ones appearing inside my nose and they had me apply bactroban for 10 days, but it doesn't seem to have helped much... the nostrils cleared for 1-2 days after, and then they started coming back
I've never been on accutane
I've been on oral antibiotics once (for an abscess tooth), but this was several years ago. I think it was amoxicillin
2 things could be happening here:
1. If the cause is a reoccurring bacterial or fungal infection, you may be getting re-infected from something touching your skin, like towels, washcloths or bed linens (pillow case), clothing, hat, etc. When fighting off a recurring skin infection, make sure you use a clean towel and clean washcloth daily. Also make sure your sheets and pillow case are clean. Hats, scarfs, sweat bands, glasses - anything touching your skin should be washed frequently as well.
2. If the cause is NOT a bacterial or fungal surface infection, you might have a gut issue like Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) or Small Intestinal Fungal Overgrowth (SIFO). SIBO has been very strongly associated with Rosacea Subtype 2 with papules and pustules which looks just like acne. The surface skin issues are caused by an overpopulation of demodex skin mites - microscopic skin parasites that everyone has. SIBO changes something in the immune system in your gut that allows the demodex skin mitesto get overpopulated. The mites eat skin oil and live and die on a 2-3 week cycle. When the mitesdie the pustules full of dead mites pop to the surface and mayappear suddenly. Demodex skin mites do not respond to the usual anti-bacterial acne medication or antibiotics. Demodexare sensitive to topical products containing sulphur, zinc, and both topical and oralIvermectin. Juvenile mites can also be killed byHOCL which can reduce the demodex population over time.A normal healthy immune system normally keeps the mites under control. SIBO and possibly SIFO can allow demodex to get overpopulated.The intestinal bacteria or fungus causing the SIBO/SIFO can be detected with an endoscope test. Then they can prescribe the best drug to knock out the specific bacteria or fungus triggering the skin issues.
It is important to eat a healthy well balanced diet low in sugar and fast food to help keep the gut healthy. A healthy gut leads to healthy skin. Probiotics may help keep the gut healthy.
Hi guys after a long time,
recently, I've been experimenting with another a possible solution for our issue with whiteheads.
Everything points at some kind of deficiency/immune system issue in our bodies, that allows this bacteria to exploit and result in whiteheads.
I personally have very dry/flaky skin in the area where whiteheads are forming, and very oily T-zone. To me, this always looked like a school example of omega-3 deficiency and I tried to address it a few times but didn't have any results. Basically, I would try for a week to take fish oilsupplement in the recommended dosage but since nothing would change I would give up.
Then a few weeks ago, I learned that people with very bigomega-3 deficiency need actuallysignificantly higher dosage of fish oil, and need to wait between 1-3 months at least to see any change. I decided this time to up the dosage and be patient.
So what's interesting, I'm about two weeks in, and for the last week I didn't have a single whitehead formed and my diet is basically the same. This is really out of the ordinary but its probably too early to say if its gonna last. I didn't expect for whiteheads to disappear, but it's great to see clean face. As for addressing other skin issues(dry/oil skin), I still don't see any significant change, but that's normal and I don't plan to give on fish oil for at least 3 full months.
Also, it's worth mentioning that I've been drinking Aloe Vera pure juice(around 100ml/3.4oz)first thing in themorning. Now when I think about it, it might be the juice who is responsible for this great news, as it is marketed to aid digestion. I started drinking it about day or two before started taking fish oil, so it's hard to saywhether it helped or not.
I'll report again in another week, hopefully with good news.
1 hour ago, UnkemptGround said:Update to the last post.
I must say, this treatment looks promising. I've been taking fish oil for 12 and aloe vera juice for ~17 days, the last white zit I had showed up 5 days ago, it was barely visible and disappeared the same day.
The next update will be in 2 weeks.
That's great, at what time of the day do you take fish oil. Also, is it fine on your stomach as i have noticed that most of us guys who have this problem also suffer from gut issues.
2 hours ago, underdog said:That's great, at what time of the day do you take fish oil. Also, is it fine on your stomach as i have noticed that most of us guys who have this problem also suffer from gut issues.
Well I have two meals a day, typicallyin the span of 4 hours in the morning, I take fish oil with both meals, didn't notice any issues. However, I am not 100% convinced that fish oil is responsible for disappearance of white zits as I'm not taking it long enough.
If you have issues with fish oil, I would suggest you try first taking thepurist possible aloe vera juice in the morning for 10-14 days, 100ml on the empty stomach, as it might be that the juice is what we actually need. Aloea Vera juice has theenzymes that help breakdown fats and sugars in order to keep digestion running smoothly. It's also very expensive in its pure form(11.00 per 0.5L bottle on amazon.co.uk), at least the one that I'm drinking,but definitely worth it, here are the juice ingredients:
Organic freshly squeezed cold pressed Aloe Vera inner leaf juice 99.9%(Aloe barbadensis)
Citric acid from tapioca 0.1%
I've just run into an article describing how Aloe Vera is capable of blockingstaph bacteria infections, and staphwas proved a while ago on this topic to be the cause of white zits.
8 hours ago, UnkemptGround said:I've just run into an article describing how Aloe Vera is capable of blockingstaph bacteria infections, and staphwas proved a while ago on this topic to be the cause of white zits.
Staph is ONE cause. Acne with white zits can be caused by a bacterial infection like staph, or a fungal infection,a demodex skin mite overpopulation or hormonal imbalances. Each of these conditions can be tested for with a scientific medical test by a competent dermatologist. With demodex skin mites it tends to be a cyclical condition occurring every 2 to 3 weeks based on the 2 to 3 week life cycle of the mites. When the mites have a "die off" the pustules of dead mites appear. The pustules tend to reoccur in the same areas of the skin due to the mites living in the same pores or oil glands. Due to the cyclical behavior, demodex skin mites can be misdiagnosed as hormonal acne. The underlying reason for the demodex getting overpopulated is frequently the immune system getting screwed up due to eitherSmall Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) or Small Intestinal Fungal Overgrowth (SIFO). An endoscope test can identify the bacteria causing SIBO and/or the fungus causing SIFO. Based on the endoscope test results the doctor can select the best antibiotic and/or best antifungal drug to treat the condition.
The best treatment for each of these 4 possible causes is completely different. It is important to get tested to identify which condition is causing the problem. Unfortunately, way too many dermatologists give nothing but a quick visual exam, before making a hasty diagnosis and then they start writing prescriptions.
18 hours ago, qwertyasdfgh said:When it comes to supplements I think I tried everything mentioned already in this thread (@UnkemptGroundincluding omega3)and more and no major improvement.I think I'll focus on my gut now, cause it might be the real cause. I'm thinking about taking gastroscopy to see if everything is fine in there.
Yeah, addressing the gut is definitely the way to go. I had so many theories why we have developed this condition, starting with antibiotics that destroyed our gut flora and weakenedthe immune system, to basically vitamin/mineraldeficiencies.
In my case, it is definitely connected to food sensitivity. I am able to have crystal clear face if I eat only unprocessed meat(stakes,minced meat) and low carb vegetables. Add anything processed to the mix, gluten, or dairy, I'll have white heads the next day.
It makes sense that probiotics couldhelp in our case, I have tried them multiple times with no persistent result, however I must admit I have never taken them for more than 2 months in a row.
You said you tried everything, have you also tried aloe vera juice(which is addressing the gut) ? Seems like I'm having some success with it(no whiteheads forming at all), but it'sstill early tosay that it is permanent, we'll see.
On 9/1/2021 at 1:44 PM, qwertyasdfgh said:
1. As many of you I had problem with guts. The problem is thatI have very loose stools, type 6 and 7 most of the time according do this scale https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_stool_scale Very rarely (like one or two times in a month) I have type 4 and always when I have good stool I don't have pimples so it might be really connected. I'm looking for a reason of this loose stools and now I think it might be cause of prolonged usage of 'Duac Gel' which contains antibiotic and I read recently that this gel might cause diarrhoea - I've been using it for few years ignoring those loose stool and this gel could be the cause.
GUT ISSUES:Loose Stools/diarrhea is one major symptom thatpointsto a possible Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) and/or possibly Small Intestinal Fungal Overgrowth.SIBO/SIFO screw up your immune system which is in the gut.Problems with the immune system frequently causeskin issues.You can have either or both SIBO and SIFO at the same time.The symptoms of SIBO and SIFO are identical.The right oral antibiotic targeted against the SIBO bacteria can clear SIBO.The right oral antifungal drug can clear SIFO.An endoscope test is the gold standard for identifying the bacteria and/or fungus causing the gut and skin issues.They collect a small sample of fluid from your small intestine and culture the fluid for bacteria and fungus.Once they have identified the bacterial and/or the fungalovergrowth they can select the best drug to treat and clear the problemAntibiotics are limited in which bacteria the treat effectively.The wrong antibiotic could reduce the bacterial infectionmaking it seem better for a while.But not clear the SIBO completely allowing it to come backYou have to get the right drug to completely clear the infection.
SIBO is highly associated with Rosacea skin issues.Clearing the SIBO/SIFO condition clears the rosacea.Rosacea Sub Type 2 with papules and pustules can look just like acne.Clogged pores and the appearance of white zits are common in this condition.It may or may not appear to be cyclical.Yes, it may affect your eyes but that is onepossible symptom.My eye issues developed much more slowly as the mites slowly spread.Some people react strongly to the mites and get really red other don't react much at all so they have little or no redness.If your face isn't particularly red, Rosacea Sub type 2 is frequently misdiagnosed as bacterial acne since it appears similar to bacterial acne.That is what happened to me based on doctors who relied on visual exams only.The mites can track bacteria and fungus around when they come out to mate at night.That bacteria and fungus may cause secondary infections.The secondary infections may respond to topical antibiotics.
The mites can get anywhere on your skin where there are oil glands. That includes your ears, nose scalp, face and body. Everywhere except the soles of your feet and the palms of your hands. You may or may not have such widespread symptoms.
Accutane/isoretinoin can temporarily improve the skin by drastically reducing the oil output. Oil is the mites primary source of food. Reducing the skin oil starves the population down making the skin look better for a time. When the population rebounds the skin problems reoccur.
If SIBO/SIFO is the cause, clearing the gut issues will clear the skin. Accutane just treats temporarily treats the surface symptoms. It doesn't cure the real cause.
Sorry, I didn't keep pictures - didn't want to.
I only recently realized that I had SIBO for decades along with the skin and later eye issues.It started when I was a teenager.For me, the intestinal issues included randomly occurring severe, grinding abdominal cramps, bouts of either diarrhea or constipation and bouts of severe gas.SIBO/SIFO can cause any, all or none of these symptoms, it varies depending on what type of bacteria or fungus you have and how your body reacts to it.Some people have no symptoms but when tested still have SIBO/SIFO.The 2 times it got really severe it wasdiagnosed by 2 different ER doctors as "it must be a bug or something you ate".I could never pin it down to a specific food.And since no one else was sick, a bug or food poisoning seemed unlikely.
At the same time as the SIBO was going on, I also had what was misdiagnosed as acne.The conditionused to be called demodicosis but Rosacea Subtype 2 with papules and pustules is the current preferred name.My skin was really oily for years.First, my pores got horribly clogged up, then white zits started appearing sometimes quite suddenly.In spite of good hygiene daily showers and daily hair washing, the condition spread into body and scalp acne as well.No topical anti-acne treatment including topical and oral antibiotics, retinoids and prescription benzoyl peroxide helped much if at all.The eye issues developed slowly over time as the mites spread and got more overpopulated.
Here's 2 medical studypapers that help explain treatments with the right antibiotic for SIBOcan clear the skin.The first paper is the 2 drug combined treatment that worked for me. I'mstill clear after 3.5+ years.No SIBO, no skin or eye issues.It worked.Oral Metronidazole(trade name Flagyl) is highly effective against 2 of the bacteria known to cause SIBO.This first paper was published inMay 2013 in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases.The doctors verified that all test subjects had overpopulations of demodex skin mites but did not check for SIBO.In the study, the doctors didn't know why Oral Metronidazole worked and improved the treatment success when combined with Oral Ivermectin.It is clear to me nowthat the Oral Metronidazolecleared SIBO infections resulting in long term eradication of the demodex skin mites causing the surface skin issues.
"Evaluation of the efficacy of oral ivermectin in comparison with ivermectinmetronidazole combined therapy in the treatment of ocular and skin lesions ofDemodex folliculorum"If the URL link doesn't show up google to find the paper on Science Direct.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S120197121201315X
This second newer paper was published in 2016.In this study the doctors confirmed that all test subjects had both Rosacea and SIBO.They did not specify which bacteria was causing each patients SIBO.All patients were treated with the very expensive antibiotic Rifaximin.Rifaximin is highly effective against E Coli but may be less effective against other types of bacteria causing SIBO.Paper is from a Letter published in theMay 1, 2016 Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.Google if necessary to find the article ""Rosacea and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth: Prevalence and response to rifaximin"
thanks for going into details. The thing is, outside US and maybe few other countries, it is very unlikely to have a doctor diagnose SIBO because there are no SIBO tests, at least in my country. If that was a possibility, I would take the test. I'm not sure how without it, I can figure out if I actually have SIBO/SIFO, if you have any suggestion, do tell.
A while ago I actually did some stool testing for common bacteria(Salmonella ,Campylobacter,Shigella,Yersinia enterocolitica,Escherichia coli) and it was all negative.
Btw, how long have you taken those antibiotics ? Did the oil disappeared immediately after the therapy ?
@ElaineAthanks for explanation. I think if I had skin mites for +11 years it would spread to my eyes, head and other places throughout this time so I don't think mites are the cause for me, especially since benzoyl peroxide works good for me and for you it was not working. Of course I can't be 100% surethat I don't have it but I'll do test for it after checking my gut in the first place. So I'll try to do breath test for SIBO, will do lab test of my stool cause never did it and if everything will be ok I think I'll do gastroscopy and colonoscopy to find the reason of loose stools.
@UnkemptGroundI think I tried aloe vera jucie in the past but I'll give it a try one more time.
2 hours ago, qwertyasdfgh said:@UnkemptGroundI think I tried aloe vera jucie in the past but I'll give it a try one more time.
Great, just make sure that you're buying the real deal, it has to be99.9%aloe vera juice.
Something that you wrote made me think. You mentioned something about not having pimples when having good stools and vice versa. I noticed the same thing recently while drinking the juice, but only now figured that it could be due to stomach acid and indigestion.
Basically, aloe vera juice does something to the stomach acid, and I read somewhere thatit's required to wait around 20 minutes after drinking it in order to properly digest food. I followed that in the beginning by accident, and than stopped. But even with loose stools, the whiteheads that I had a few days ago are like nothing, very small and not painful, and it's basically just one perweek. Today I started following this rule: 50ml of juice then waiting for 20 minutes and then eating first meal. The same thing with the second meal.No other food for the rest of the day. No loosestool today, we will see in the following days.
4 hours ago, qwertyasdfgh said:@ElaineAthanks for explanation. I think if I had skin mites for +11 years it would spread to my eyes, head and other places throughout this time so I don't think mites are the cause for me, especially since benzoyl peroxide works good for me and for you it was not working. Of course I can't be 100% surethat I don't have it but I'll do test for it after checking my gut in the first place. So I'll try to do breath test for SIBO, will do lab test of my stool cause never did it and if everything will be ok I think I'll do gastroscopy and colonoscopy to find the reason of loose stools.
@UnkemptGroundI think I tried aloe vera jucie in the past but I'll give it a try one more time.
This started for me when I was about 11.5 years old. It was actually about 18+ years before I started noticing my eyes were pink and irritated all the time. Another 20+ years after that before I was likely into full blown ocular rosacea/blepharitis demodex. All of it takes a while to spread and the spreadvaries greatlyby the individual. Of course the underlying causecould be something differentfor you with similar symptoms.
Great idea to take a scientific SIBO breath test and see what turns up. It will help you either rule SIBOout or rule it in based on the results of a scientific test. Make sure your dermatologist knows about the gut issues and what you have learned about SIBO and its possible impact on your skin. Some doctors are more up to date than others on medical advances.
A healthy gut definitely can lead to healthy skin. Good well balanced diet and probiotics can help a lot.
After doing thorough research, I found that it is very possible that the root cause of our issues is actually SIBO as you suggested:
1) Pretty much everyone here reported having this condition after taking antibiotics/accutane, both are linked to SIBO
2)Oily skin - SIBO makes bile acidineffective for fat absorption, so you basically end up with the bodytrying to push fat through the skin. Without possibility to absorb fats, you end up with dry skin as well.
3) Other digestion issues
I found one very expensive SIBO test in my country, I'm not sure how accurate it is but I will definitely take it in a few weeks.
Guys i too have loose stools ever since i got this condition. Moreover my stomach also gets upset when i consume alcohol. I have also developed intolerance to a lot of food items. It is suffice to say that this condition is a manifestation of our gut dysbiosis. Our microbiome is completely off track. We have to stop treating it as a skin condition. We gotta find a way to fix our gut microbiome. I have tried a lot of probiotics but they are useless. The only thing that can fix our microbiota is FMT. FMTfrom a good donor can work wonders for us.
14 hours ago, underdog said:Guys i too have loose stools ever since i got this condition. Moreover my stomach also gets upset when i consume alcohol. I have also developed intolerance to a lot of food items. It is suffice to say that this condition is a manifestation of our gut dysbiosis. Our microbiome is completely off track. We have to stop treating it as a skin condition. We gotta find a way to fix our gut microbiome. I have tried a lot of probiotics but they are useless. The only thing that can fix our microbiota is FMT. FMTfrom a good donor can work wonders for us.
I think what you described is really SIBO, although I don't have upset stomach, I do have loose stools. @underdog do you have oily/dry skin as well ?
Last week, I did 3 times gut dysbiosis test, which showed no dysbiosis. Out of 3 tests, only one showed minimal above average candida presence. What I'm trying to say, most likely the issue here is in the small intestine, the overgrowth of bacteria/fungus(SIBO/SIFO) as a result of antibiotic use. This cannot can be seen in a stool and requires a special SIBO breathing test, which I plan to take in the future.
I read that FMT definitely can help with SIBO, but its not available in my country so I have to find other ways, I guess you have more luck than me 
What I'm going to do, is basically start a natural SIBO treatment with a lot of different anti-bacterial supplements for about 6 weeks, starting from Monday, and see if it's going to make any difference. I basically collected a lot of info from people who cured SIBO naturally and came up with my own version of a healing protocol. It comes to this:
1) 6 weeks of AntiSIBO protocol
2) if my skin returns to normal I will post the protocol here
3) If it doesn't help, I'll take a SIBO test and try to treat this with SIBO specific antibiotics(I hope I won't have to)
I totally agree with the last posts. SIBO/Gut issue is the key. BP, tea tree oil and my anti-eczema moisturizer are my best topical allies BUT I clearny know that the root cause is in my gut.
I was pretty in peace since several month (some white bumps but not every day) and today is very bad : I feel very tired, have gut inconfort and note a f**king big breakout on my face (It's been years since I had a similar breakout...). So the link is an evidence.
I know two SIBO protocol. The one from Medical Medium (celery juice, lemon juice, no fat, no dairy, no gluten). And the protocol from a nathuropath i saw (origan oil, lactoferin...). Perhaps need I to try this protocol in the same time... but It supposes courage and force I dont have anymore 
FMT is not either available in my country (France)
1 hour ago, Dsophobe said:I know two SIBO protocol. The one from Medical Medium (celery juice, lemon juice, no fat, no dairy, no gluten). And the protocol from a nathuropath i saw (origan oil, lactoferin...). Perhaps need I to try this protocol in the same time... but It supposes courage and force I dont have anymore
You should also read this Herbal Therapy Is Equivalent to Rifaximin for the Treatment of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth
I'm actually starting herbal therapy described in the study above, probably in about 10-14 days, as soon as the supplements arrive.
5 hours ago, Dsophobe said:Which product did you order ? The 4 products listed in the study? I hope it'll be effective !
Yeah I bought all 4, although they used combinations of 2 products I thought I'll use all 4 just to make it even more effective. They are quite expensive btw, and I have to useintermediary delivering service just to get them into my country, as of course amazon doesn't deliver those products outside of US.
Celery juice is great for stomach acid, butI got too bored with cleaning the juicer every day so I gave up. It turns out that my stomach acid is actually good now after drinking aloea vera juice for a month, I did a test for a few daysand I passed every single time.
Wish you look with the supplements.
On 9/18/2021 at 1:18 AM, Dsophobe said:I totally agree with the last posts. SIBO/Gut issue is the key. BP, tea tree oil and my anti-eczema moisturizer are my best topical allies BUT I clearny know that the root cause is in my gut.
I was pretty in peace since several month (some white bumps but not every day) and today is very bad : I feel very tired, have gut inconfort and note a f**king big breakout on my face (It's been years since I had a similar breakout...). So the link is an evidence.
I know two SIBO protocol. The one from Medical Medium (celery juice, lemon juice, no fat, no dairy, no gluten). And the protocol from a nathuropath i saw (origan oil, lactoferin...). Perhaps need I to try this protocol in the same time... but It supposes courage and force I dont have anymore
FMT is not either available in my country (France)
Yes u can call it SIBO which is nothing else nut gut dysbiosis. If u dont have FMT in your country you can also try the DIY way. Get a healthy donor and make him go through the screening tests just to know that he is not suffering from any infection himself. I know it's a bit tedious but u can find a lot of articles which will guide u step-by-step. One more thing that i would like to ask is do u also get these zits in your scalp at times?
6 hours ago, underdog said:Yes u can call it SIBO which is nothing else nut gut dysbiosis. If u dont have FMT in your country you can also try the DIY way. Get a healthy donor and make him go through the screening tests just to know that he is not suffering from any infection himself. I know it's a bit tedious but u can find a lot of articles which will guide u step-by-step. One more thing that i would like to ask is do u also get these zits in your scalp at times?
Yes, I also have zits on my scalp and sometimes in my nose and upper back.
It begins when I was 20 after a big depression, I am no 29.
On 9/18/2021 at 10:18 AM, UnkemptGround said:Yeah I bought all 4, although they used combinations of 2 products I thought I'll use all 4 just to make it even more effective. They are quite expensive btw, and I have to use intermediary delivering service just to get them into my country, as of course amazon doesn't deliver those products outside of US.
Celery juice is great for stomach acid, but I got too bored with cleaning the juicer every day so I gave up. It turns out that my stomach acid is actually good now after drinking aloea vera juice for a month, I did a test for a few days and I passed every single time.
Wish you look with the supplements.
Indeed, it's very expensive... hope it will be worthwhile.
I was also tired of cleaning the juicer 
The supplement I plan to try during 2 month : https://en.salvia-nutrition.com/dysbios-aroma/
8 minutes ago, Dsophobe said:Indeed, it's very expensive... hope it will beworthwhile.
Its basically the strongest possible herbal therapy to address SIBO. If this doesn't work out, then there's no hope anymore..
8 minutes ago, Dsophobe said:The supplement I plan to try during 2 month : https://en.salvia-nutrition.com/dysbios-aroma/
Let us know how it goes. Good luck.