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Hey Sasch!
I'm glad to hear that you've switched to a simpler and more managable regimen. I've been at a standstill for 2 weeks. I haven't seen any further improvements, but thank God it hasn't gotten worse. I'm guessing my skin got use to the meds and stopped working.. grrr.. I was doing so well in the beginning.
I've been on this regimen for 2 months, I don't have a follow up with Dr. Q. until March. Lets see what happens between now and then.
Please keep us updated on Atralin.
Hey, thank you for posting such a detailed account of your experience with this regimen. I happened to come across this post/site while researching Ziana, and as it turns out we have the same derm and now I'm on the same regimen you started with. Long story short: I am 22 and have had fairly minor to moderate acne since my adolescence, and all of a sudden, within the past 2 months or so, I've started getting horrible red, inflamed, painful cystic acne (mostly on my cheeks and chin) unlike anything I've ever had before, so now I'm totally miserable.
It's only been a week but my acne has gotten exponentially worse :[ I'm going to have a follow-up in a month, but I don't know if I have your patience to stick it out as long as you did, especially since I've never had acne quite this severe. I hate to say it, but it kind of makes me doubt Dr. Q... like, is this just her go-to regimen she puts people on? I hope it does something for me because I hate wearing soooo much makeup every day :[
Best of luck and thanks for sharing!
Laura
Hey, thank you for posting such a detailed account of your experience with this regimen. I happened to come across this post/site while researching Ziana, and as it turns out we have the same derm and now I'm on the same regimen you started with. Long story short: I am 22 and have had fairly minor to moderate acne since my adolescence, and all of a sudden, within the past 2 months or so, I've started getting horrible red, inflamed, painful cystic acne (mostly on my cheeks and chin) unlike anything I've ever had before, so now I'm totally miserable.
It's only been a week but my acne has gotten exponentially worse :[ I'm going to have a follow-up in a month, but I don't know if I have your patience to stick it out as long as you did, especially since I've never had acne quite this severe. I hate to say it, but it kind of makes me doubt Dr. Q... like, is this just her go-to regimen she puts people on? I hope it does something for me because I hate wearing soooo much makeup every day :[
Best of luck and thanks for sharing!
Laura
Hi Laura - in speaking with Dr Q and having been to 3 other derms previously, i think they just tend to try the least irritating product and then move on to the next one if it doesn't work. Acne unfortunately is not an exact science and no one can say definitively what will work for them. If you plan to continue with this regimen, realize that your skin will go through changes. You have to see it through for 3 months at least or you won't know if it is working. Dr Q told me that there would not be an initial breakout but i disagree. Ziana will bring acne that is underneath the skin to the surface and that part SUCKS! For me, 4 meds was incredibly harsh on my skin but you may have a different experience. If you do decided to cut out something, keep the Ziana and aczone (this is supposed to work for inflammation ALA bumps that the Ziana brings out). Please keep your head up and a positive attitude - i have fallen into depression even further throughout this journey but i am actively trying to change my mindset and let acne take its course (there is only so much that is in my control so no point in working myself into a frenzy). i have also made tremendous improvements with my diet and i am seeing a naturopath to work on my chronic stress/anxiety and to detox. Keep with it for 3 months and feel free to message me with questions, if you want to vent, etc, etc. I also have a picture log so you can see how my skin changed during this entire process.
For me, the regimen was not for me so now i am on Aczone and Atralin (which is stronger that Ziana and no antibiotic component). I had to be assertive with Dr Z and tell her i wanted to try this (read some decent reviews about it) as she didn't seem to know what to do with me. Hoping she gave you samples so you didn't have to spend your money to buy all those ingredients. I now have almost full tubes of Ziana, finacea and sumadan wash just sitting there.....sigh.
Good Luck with everything and i encourage you to document your process - it makes it a little bit more bearable, at least it did for me
Rooting for you
Hey Sasch!
I'm glad to hear that you've switched to a simpler and more managable regimen. I've been at a standstill for 2 weeks. I haven't seen any further improvements, but thank God it hasn't gotten worse. I'm guessing my skin got use to the meds and stopped working.. grrr.. I was doing so well in the beginning.
I've been on this regimen for 2 months, I don't have a follow up with Dr. Q. until March. Lets see what happens between now and then.
Please keep us updated on Atralin.
Hey, thank you for posting such a detailed account of your experience with this regimen. I happened to come across this post/site while researching Ziana, and as it turns out we have the same derm and now I'm on the same regimen you started with. Long story short: I am 22 and have had fairly minor to moderate acne since my adolescence, and all of a sudden, within the past 2 months or so, I've started getting horrible red, inflamed, painful cystic acne (mostly on my cheeks and chin) unlike anything I've ever had before, so now I'm totally miserable.
It's only been a week but my acne has gotten exponentially worse :[ I'm going to have a follow-up in a month, but I don't know if I have your patience to stick it out as long as you did, especially since I've never had acne quite this severe. I hate to say it, but it kind of makes me doubt Dr. Q... like, is this just her go-to regimen she puts people on? I hope it does something for me because I hate wearing soooo much makeup every day :[
Best of luck and thanks for sharing!
Laura
Hey Laura!
Welcome to the Dr. Q club
I've been seeing her for 2 months and was prescribed the same wash and topicals as Sasch. Seems like our regimen are not customized to our needs, since we all have very different descriptions of our acne.
I saw improvement for the first 1 1/2 months,but have since been at a standstill. I'm giving it time and hope to see further improvement. Otherwise, I will ask for a change.
Good luck and keep us posted on your experience.
Jenn its good to hear from you! The Dr Q club - i like that....lol. Yes, a lot of derms unfortunately are like that but then again acne is not an exact science. I find that you have to be your own advocate and you have to do your own research. I did and when i saw her yesterday, i asked for Atralin which seemed to have better and more consistent positive reviews that Ziana. She seemed unsure of where to go with me though and that was disappointing. But in any event, i am on a modified regimen, less product and after seeing a naturopath, i am going to be doing a detox and working on my stress/anxiety which has been out of control for some time now.
In regards to your situation, give it till your 3 month appt. As Dr Q told me yesterday, topicals will never get us 100% clear. if at month 3 your positives don't outweigh your negative, then maybe it is time for a change. If you have seen substantial improvement since you first started and you find that you are at a standstill, you may want to give it till month 6 as the benefits of retinoids get better the longer you use them.
Good Luck Jenn and keep me posted!
i have an iphone now and was able to take clearer pictures than the ones i took on my webcam in the past. as promised here is my skin after 7 months on aczone and atralin... (note: the first one shows my right side which did not break out too badly early on. but the discoloration by my nose marks a cyst or cluster of comedones which got really inflamed and painful a couple months ago, but shrunk back down and has been fading ever since. the spot lower on my cheek is a ripe one, started forming a head yesterday but i've learned just to let them run their course and so i have hopes it will be gone within the week. in any case, very easy to cover up. the second shot shows my left side, which is the one that was really messed up after 3 weeks on the aczone/atralin combo, which is still scarred a bit but i didn't have very good sunlight so it's not visible because the discoloration has almost completely faded as well. the mark on that side near my jawline is a pimple from last week or so, much like the one on the opposite side, which i've let run it's course and is slowly fading. lastly, a front view, there's not too much going on here. except i noticed a moderately sized headless bump developing between my eyebrows this morning. it doesn't hurt too much and there is very little redness so i don't expect it to be a big problem if i stick to what i've been doing. ) as you can see, my skin is far from perfect but it means so much to be able to look in the mirror and recognize myself and to not have such bad skin that i look like a different person. i'm happy with the results so far and am very optimistic about the coming months. hope this helps!
Unlovely, your skin looks amazing - you've come such a long way. Thanks for sharing these pics and taking the time to answer my questions. i definitely think in the next few months your skin should be back to fine form, especially since your acne seemed to be from hormone shifts related to birth control.
Keep us posted if you decide to up your tretinoin dosage
Thanks for the words of encouragement everyone, I'll try to let y'all know how it goes-- though frankly I am terrible at keeping up with message boards!
Cheers,
Laura
It takes practice but you'd be surprised how much better you feel sharing your experiences with other people going through a similar experience.
Good Luck!
Day # 4
My skin is dry after applying the Atralin (i'm used to it with the Ziana) and i am noticing a lot of the clogged pores on my cheek area (closest to my nose) are becoming inflammed and red. I am keeping in mind that everything must come to the surface but i still hope that its not too bad. Limiting my mirror time has really helped me with dealing with the stress that comes with my acne. My forehead has officially broken out in red bumps.
On another note, the supplements that my naturopath recommended arrived today and i have made the decision not to start everything at one time. i already started the cortisol manager last week and tonight/tomorrow i will add the magnesium and adrenal support supplement. In a week's time, providing i don't have any adverse reactions, i will start the dandelion root supplement and after that, the green food powder. Pretty soon i'm gonna need to type up some supplement schedule for myself....lol.
By Friday, i'll try bumping up my use of Atralin to every night. BTW - is it normal to get severe dryness after washing your face/before putting on your topical. I'm not sure how to combat this...any advice would be appreciated.
really good idea to space the suppliments apart, give your body time to get used to the new additions. 
Useful info for dryness issues:
Remember moisturiser does not add moisture, it simply acts as a barrier to prevent your skin loosing moisture and adds some lubrication to relieve tightness.
Moisturiser can act as a potential barrier between your skin and your medication so if you are going to use it, it may be best to include it after your topicals have been applied. Once they have dried you could add moisturiser as the barrier will still keep moisture in, without coming between you and your topicals.
Good on you for limiting mirror time, its an achievement.
I realised when you wrote that, that I check my reflection only a few times a day now and its pretty much got everything to do with applying makeup, removing makeup and applying gel. I did try really hard when I was covered in acne not to look into mirrors too often and I did manage quite well in the end but it was very hard to control the compulsion, so well done 
)
about the dryness after washing--- i get that too. it was worse before when i'd use hot/warm water. make sure to use temperate or even cool water. and when you go to dry your face just pat dry gently (never rub) and try to leave some of the moisture on your face if you can. if you still have a problem, you'll just have to moisturize after and then wait to apply topicals... i don't think it makes a huge difference in the effectiveness of the topicals, i've had to do it numerous times.
Thanks Unlovely - i'll try that
really good idea to space the suppliments apart, give your body time to get used to the new additions.
Useful info for dryness issues:
Remember moisturiser does not add moisture, it simply acts as a barrier to prevent your skin loosing moisture and adds some lubrication to relieve tightness.
Moisturiser can act as a potential barrier between your skin and your medication so if you are going to use it, it may be best to include it after your topicals have been applied. Once they have dried you could add moisturiser as the barrier will still keep moisture in, without coming between you and your topicals.
Good on you for limiting mirror time, its an achievement.
I realised when you wrote that, that I check my reflection only a few times a day now and its pretty much got everything to do with applying makeup, removing makeup and applying gel. I did try really hard when I was covered in acne not to look into mirrors too often and I did manage quite well in the end but it was very hard to control the compulsion, so well done
)
Thanks Crystal -it's a struggle but my frame of mind has gotten better. Last night i slept well with the new supplements so i am hoping that this is the start of something positive. Hoping that in a few months i can join the acne-free circle.
Week 1
One Week down, 11 to go (looking at the bright side of life!) Pics for this week are uploaded and i will tag them later in the afternoon.
My skin is:
dry
red
oily
a few minor inflammed bumps (2 on chin, one on either side of my mouth, one on right cheek). After how bad i know it can get, this is not too bad. Non inflammed bumps on forehead, chin and cheeks area.
I currently will apply Aczone everyday and Atralin every 2 days with 1 day off till next week Saturday. I will then move up to applying every 3 days with 1 day off and finally on week 4, i will apply Atralin everyday. I am trying to let my face adjust to the product without excess irritation.
I have been limiting mirror time and this continues to assist me in managing my stress as it relates to acne. Thanks for all the support guys!
So, um, your acne is not bad. Actually, by judging from your pics, I'm not sure that you even have acne. After reading through this thread, I'm amazed at how much distress your nonexistent acne has caused you. I hope you don't take this post the wrong way. I just want to reassure you that your face looks good! You shouldn't be worrying so much about this.
So, um, your acne is not bad. Actually, by judging from your pics, I'm not sure that you even have acne. After reading through this thread, I'm amazed at how much distress your nonexistent acne has caused you. I hope you don't take this post the wrong way. I just want to reassure you that your face looks good! You shouldn't be worrying so much about this.
Markm i am not offended at all. In the last few weeks i have really been working on my state of mind and that includes accepting myself and seeing all the positives that there are about me. My acne over the last few years has gotten better (3 rounds of accutane - should have seen me before round 1 - yikes!) so i am aware that progress has been made. I think the worry over my acne came from being clear for 2 years 2009 - June 2011 and then having acne slowly invade my life again. Having had acne for a good chunk of my teenage life was distressing for me but i was used to it. Having it gone and then come on so suddenly as an adult, well, i definitely didn't take it well. i am getting better though and focusing on improving other areas on my life:
relationships with family and friends
diet
exercise
stress
learning to love and accept myself.
I know my acne is not bad compared to others but like everyone else, its not something i want to hang around forever (know what i mean?) Be assured my focus is slowly moving towards things in life that count!
Thanks - btw, gotta love cameras, they sometimes make things better than they are in real life...lol
Week 2
First and foremost....i missed you guys! But as Crystal said, being away promotes independence! I have thought very little on my acne this week and mentally, i feel really good. The only times i look in the mirror is when i apply my topicals and moisturisers.
2 weeks in, this is what i notice:
My texture does not feel as dry and a bit smooth.
My tone is blotchy and red in certain areas (maybe because my skin is becoming so thin so undergrounders are showing?)
I am getting tiny ski colored bumps on my forehead. i also have smaller non inflammed bumps on my right and left cheek.
As of today, i have broken out a bit on my left side chin and mouth area. I counted around 4 inflamed, red bumps that are hard to the touch, no head and not painful.
Not pegging this as my initial breakout....yet as i am not up to using Atralin every night. For this week, i will do 3 consecutive nights with atralin and 1 night off.
So far, i don't have many complaints about atralin. I think having been on Ziana i am more prepare about what to expect so i don't get upset too much if i wake up with more bumps than i went to bed with. Hoping that by 8 weeks i see some noticeable improvements and that by 3/4 months i am able to gauge whether this is helping or hurting my skin.
One thing i gotta say though is that this simplified routine rocks!!!!! And also, my new outlook has probably been the greatest asset. Not constantly looking and feeling my face has allowed me to focus on other things that matter.
I will upload pictures in the afternoon.
See you all next week and thanks for the continued support!
Week 3 - as you can see in my sig, i have changed around a few things in regards to my supplementation. My bottle of zinc is finishing and i have decided NOT to repurchase. Did not see a difference in my skin that i could attribute to the zinc and i have been using that since December so it's one less supplement i will have to take. I have also started to take the Green Vibrance powder (concentrated greens) that the naturopath recommended. I read that it's supposed to aid in detoxing and alkalizing the body. In the next 2 weeks or so, i will implement the last phase of her recommendations - the Dandelion Root to detox my liver. I'm definitely taking things slowly as i do not want my body or face to freak out. Now on to the good stuff:
ACNE:
This week has definitely not been a bad skin week at all or maybe i just haven't been analyzing my face in the mirror as often. As of today, i have tiny bumps with heads on my chin (they feel as if they are drying out) as well as 3-5 inflamed red pimpled at the/below the mouth area. I have also noticed some under the skin bumps that are not yet inflamed, coming out on my right cheek area. My forhead has tiny non-inflamed bumps that are visible but not a bother.
TEXTURE
Texture is rough with all the tiny bumps
COLOR
skin tone still splotchy and greasy (especially with moisturizer). My skin has always been naturally oily so i guess i blame genetics. I surmise based on all the logs that i have read that the IO should began in the next few weeks so i am definitely not getting complacent nor am i stressing out about it. It is what it is and life must go on.
Will post pictures soon.
See you in Week 4
BTW: i am moving up to 4 days on Atralin 1 day off for this week. After this week, i will be using Atralin every night unless it becomes intolerable.
Good gradual changes and great that you are stripping unnessisary things away after giving them a good chance to work....
Your attitude to recovery is fantastic!
Good luck increasing the Atralin x
Thanks for the continued support Crystal. It means a lot. I have been making a lot of changes and i have been making them VERY slowly. It's amazing how acne and my pre diabetes has really forced me to re examine my lifestyle a bit and try to live better. This time last year i was clear of acne and unaware of my pre diabetes but i was stuffing my face with McDonalds every other day, refined sweet treats, very little fruit and vegetable and not monitoring my stress levels. Today, i feel healthier and i am beginning to feel happier as well. My issues are still there but i am taking them in stride. I hope to eventually nail down a regimen that works for my skin, a steady diet that helps with my pre diabetes and a routine that minimizes my stress.
It's a tall order but i know the support and answers are out there.
I'm keeping the faith girl
1 Month update (8 weeks to go!)
Ok, i cannot believe it's been 1 month already. I have to tell you all, i was terrified to start another regimen and more than a bit disheartened. But over the past month, i have started to put my priorities in order and not thinking about my acne has helped me to do other things that i actually care about. I've actually started writing again, going out with friends, eating out - living life and doing things that i previously had taken for granted. I still have a looooooong way to go but i do feel as if i am on the right track.
Acne Wise
This week was not as great as last week with a slight increase in the number of bumps on my chin but the good news is that it seems to just be confined to the chin area. No significant bumps on my cheeks or forehead (just tiny ones. And those chin bumps seemed to pop up overnight as whiteheads. This is different than when i was on Ziana as towards the end of that treatment, i was getting strictly inflamed bumps which were big and stayed around a while. I am noticing that i am beginning to get tiny clusters of bumps under my jaw/neck area but they are not inflamed and could be due to the green vibrance powder i am taking.
In any event, i don't believe i have had my IB yet. When did others get theirs? As stated, i am not experiencing any inflammed bumps on my forehead or cheek area but i do have quite a few small flesh colored bumps which will hopefully chill and not decided to turn inflammed.
Texture wise:
Skin is still rough and dry after i wash it. Moisturizer helps tons and with the warmer weather, i am not having to reapply too often. Certain parts of my face are mega smooth though like my nose (it feels really weird to the touch though). If this is what i have to look forward to in the next 2 months, then bring it on baby!!!!!
Wrap Up
I definitely like this simplified regimen
I can't say definitively that Atralin is working as i am still cycling through breakouts.
So far, nothing that i have experiences makes me want to stop using it
Easing into it's use (by not using it EVERYDAY during the beginning of treatment) may have helped me adjust better.
I will now attempt to use it every night and see what happens. Hoping for the best and looking forward to the end of month 3.
Will be posting pics later this afternoon
Happy Saturday everyone!
ooh what do you write?
fiction, real life issues...things like that. I would love to do it seriously but right now i don't have the time or resources to make it happen....it's still on my radar though.
Week 5
Someone on these boards had said not to get too complacent and boy oh boy, are they right. It's amazing how one day you can be clearer and the next....bam.....back to breaking out again. After my bout with Ziana, believe me when i say i am not allowing myself to get too comfortable with this regimen....not yet at least.
Acne Wise
I am breaking out more on my chin. This past week it seemed to be clearing up, leaving behind red marks but this weekend i have about 5-6 bumps on my chin. 2 have heads so i'm hoping they'll go away in a few days. They are not as bad as i know they can get but they are annoying to look at and feel - thank goodness i'm avoiding mirrors, it keeps my mind and hands off of them.
My cheeks are still relatively ok with tiny, tiny bumps. My forehead also has those tiny non inflamed bumps (a non-issue with me at the moment). I am noticing though that i am getting more bumps under my chin and jawline which was never a problem area for me (any insight on that anyone?)
Texture wise:
When i wash and moisturize, my skin generally feels sooooo smooth so i am happy about that. Also, since the weather has warmed up some, flaking is not an issue. I even got my first compliment last week that my skin was looking better so i think i'm heading in the right direction in spite of the setbacks.
It is important to note that on Friday, i started taking the Dandelion Root supplement recommended by my naturopath (not using full dosage yet) so i'm thinking that since it aids liver detoxification, that may be contributing to my chin flareup. Hoping to get over that phase in a few weeks.
My six week follow up with the derm will be this coming Friday and my follow up with the naturopath is on Saturday. Will definitely update you all on the outcome. No pictures this week unfortunately but will post some on Saturday.
Hope everyone has a great start to the week.
Week 6
Face is definitely breaking out more. I can tell because both sides of my cheek/hairline area are producing small bumps that make my texture rough. Not stressing about it too much as i now it's a part of the process and i'd rather those bumps than the painful, inflamed ones that linger under my skin forever. My chin area has begun to clear up and as of today, the big bumps have shrunk. Knowing my skin though, those bumps will probably make an encore.....again. The weather has been going from hot to cold to hot so my skin will go from peely to not peely and everything in between. My texture is uneven and blotchy but i can deal with that. I'm hoping that this is the initial breakout and that my skin will not freak out to the extreme.
Had my 6 week follow up with the derm and we've decided to keep the regimen as is until the 3 month mark. I will be seeing my naturopath today so any updates i receive i will definitely share.
So to sum up:
- Breaking out more on cheek area in small bumps
- skin texture blotchy and uneven
- skin goes from dry to not dry as the weather has been fluctuating
- texture on my forehead has gotten smoother
- chin area has started to clear up this week (but the bumps tend to come back so not getting too complacent with this).
Hoping by the 2nd month there will be some consistency with clearing and that i am breaking out less
Week 6 pictures will be posted in gallery soon
Happy Saturday to everyone!
UPDATE:
So i'm back from the naturopath and she recommends i continue using the same supplements that she recommended: green vibrance powder, dandelion root, magnesium, cortisol manager and the Adrenal Calm cream. She thinks my overall skin looks better and reminded me that it can take months for t body to get in line with all the changes that i have put into place. She again reiterated to me that STRESS will continue to be my biggest challenge. i am continuing to work on this so we'll see where it leads me.
week 7
So i believe i have begun my initial breakout. My ENTIRE face has bumps (i may not be able to see them all but i definitely feel them). I have read that this is normal so i keeping calm for now. Still have some inflammatory acne (2-5) at any given time. My texture is God awful but i'm hoping that in a few weeks these will go away on their own and not come back. It amazes me people that write reviews that their bumps clear up in 3 weeks of use.....REALLY!!!
Dryness is an issue after i wash but moisturizer keeps the flakes away. One gripe that i continue to have is that my face is even more oilier now than it has ever been and i'm not sure what to do about it. But first things first, i'll deal with the acne first then the oiliness.
Face is red and i suspect that despite sunscreen/sunblock, i am spending way too much time in the sun
How long does it take for the purging to blow over?
When did purging start for others on retinoids?
In any event, pictures may or not be posted this week as i am on Easter Break and spending it with my family, Giving my acne the lack of attention that it deserves.
Happy Easter and Passover to those who celebrate
Week 8 (2 month mark)
So folks, i have made it to the 2 month mark and i believe that my skin is turning a corner. I am still breaking out but not in clusters and the texture of my skin has started to become smoother (those bumps on my cheeks seemed to have either shrunk or disappeared). My chin area is still my biggest issue with recurring breakout/clear up/ breakout /clear up cycle but not unbearably so. I am being cautiously optimistic as my skin is known to be good one day and like shit the next. I am definitely peeling and i can see/feel the skin underneath. My face is not raw but it is definitely reddish so i am making sure to use the sunscreen. I am finding it very difficult to gauge if the supplements i am taking are helping my skin but i vow to keep taking them at least till the end of June (i should be in my 4th month by then).
hoping that i continue to see consistent progress and will check back in one week. I'll try to post pictures this weekend or sometime during the week.
Week 9
Texture wise, my forehead is so smooth and hardly any acne on it. This has probably been the most consistent area on my face. The texture on the rest of my face is improving. The small bumps are still there but the number of them has diminished. I have broken out on the top and bottom of my lip this week and that seems to be clearing up somewhat. Still breaking out on my chin but not in huge bumps. Starting to see small bumps come up on my right cheek.
I've been sick all week so my mind has pretty much been on restoring my health and off of my skin.
Overall, i am liking my regimen. Dryness is becoming a non issue though i still use moisturizer. The true test of this regimen will come as the weather heats up........it was in July of last year that my acne exploded so.......
Looking forward to seeing results at 3 months