Hey Rosalie! Good luck with your regimen, I hope it works out for you. I have had pretty severe anxiety/depression which stemmed from my acne in the past, along with mild OCD, so I can kinda relate to what you're going through.

my mild/moderate acne on my forehead returned and mild acne appeared on my chin and mouth area. Thankfully my cheeks, nose, neck, chest, and back are completely clear *knocks on wood*.

**UPDATE**

So, two weeks later and I'm not sure how much improvement there has been. I have noticed a that all the large papules have disappeared from my forehead and now I'm just left with the small ones. Which seemingly start out small and benign, then randomly become small pimples that I can easily pop. Yeah I know bad girl, I shouldn't pick my skin, blah blah blah. I know, but c'mon we all do it. Anyways, there isn't much improvement on my chin unfortunately. Maybe a small reduction in the number of small papules, but I recently broke out in that area so it's hard to tell. My mouth area has showed improvement, but there wasn't much there to begin with. What's so difficult is that everyone keeps telling me that my skin is looking better and better everyday, but my BDD keeps telling me it's getting worse and worse. I wish I could see the improvement, especially because of all the time, money, stress, and energy I am putting into chasing my clear skin dream.

Unfortunately my Septra DS prescription ran out two days ago and my dermatologist refused to refill it. So far no adverse breakout rebound from stopping the medication, but I'm still keeping all my fingers and toes crossed just in case. I started the topical antibiotic last night and honestly I think it improved my skin slightly when I woke up this morning. My skin seemed a little smoother and the gigantic under-the-skin zits on my chin were a little smaller. But who the heck knows what that is actually attributed to. Really hoping by this time next week my skin will be on the right track. Dermatologist said that the three week mark was when I was start to see improvement and I am DEFINITELY holding her to that statement...

Hey there, just wanted to drop you a little support, hope things work out great for you! I actually used just about every antibiotic under the sun to treat my acne a few years ago, and what I can tell you from experience is that Septra DS (Bactrim) was one of the most successful oral antibiotics I ever took to treat my acne. It cleared me up pretty quickly and was super effective compared to other antibiotics my derm prescribed to me, plus I had almost no side effects from Bactrim. One piece of advice I'd give you is drink a full glass of water each time you take it...bactrim can crystallize in urine and years ago I thought I had a urinary tract infection when actually I just wasn't drinking enough water when I took my daily pill If you drink a full glass of water when you take it I'm sure you'll have no problems.

I used Differin for many years too and it was one of the most effective topicals I used, I liked it much better than Retin-A.

Anyways I'm wishing you lots of luck and hope your journey to clear skin goes smoothly!

I got a terrible, terrible inflamed breakout at the time I used Shiseido products - face wash, moisturiser and peel. I'm not quite sure if I can directly blame Shiseido, there were other stressful events on the side that could had affected it, but my instinct told me to stop using Shiseiso products immediately, and the inflammation cooled down. I don't think this cosmetics line is the best in fighting acne. Try instead to moisturise with a cream that has lactic acid in it, it balances your skin and leaves it smooth, besides it's good ageing prevention.

Good Luck! And stop popping your zits. Lol

**VERY DELAYED UPDATE**

Alright, so I'm about 5.5 weeks into this regimen. My skin is not where I wanted it to be at this point, which is disappointing. I know logically that there is improvement. For example, I have basically stopped getting papules on my forehead and my chin is starting to clear up. i also haven't gotten any new tiny whiteheads around my nose. I'm currently only left to deal with breaking out around my mouth and on my chin, clogged pores on my forehead, and the large amount of superficial scarring.

The past few days I haven't gotten any new zits, so maybe this is the turning point for me? I don't want to give myself any false hope, but it would be amazing if things were looking up from this point forward. I'm surprised that subsequent to running out of Septra DS, I didn't get a rebound breakout, which leads me to believe that it wasn't doing anything for my acne in the first place. Of course, I'm that person that Bactrim doesn't work -.- Extraordinarily frustrating, but I guess no harm, no foul.

I'm going to be ordering Paula's Choice BHA to help with the clogged pores on my face. Any recommendations about when I should be using the product in my regimen, and how often? I honestly have no idea! My guess it that I would use it once a day BEFORE my topicals, but I'm not sure. I'm a little worried about irritation, so if I needed to dilute it, how should i go about that? Also, does anyone know if you get an IB from starting BHA? (Sorry I know it's a lot of questions. I'm just extremely anxious/skeptical about adding something to my skin care routine) If the BHA doesn't work, next time I'm at the dermatologist, Im going to ask about going on Doryx. Last time I was on doxycycline my skin cleared up like a charm, but I'm hoping it doesn't come to that.

Another thing I've noticed, is that since I've been going out a bit more, makeup doesn't seem to effect my skin. I guess that means the products that I'm using go well with my skin's condition! Woo hoo! One less thing that I have to worry about... Amen haha. I'm going to try and update more often because I find it helpful to look back and read my previous posts. Helps to gauge how much improvement there has actually been.

Any and all replies are very much appreciated! Xo

Don't get discouraged if the BHA causes an IB. I'm pretty certain that it will. I used Paula's acne toner... that has 2% bha I think... and I did get a few new spots. Luckily they faded away pretty quickly. I'm not totally constant with using it though, but from what I've heard after the IB your pores will be clear and your skin texture better.

Good that your makeup's working for you. I'm really nervous about starting to use it (before acne and PIH I didn't feel the need to). Now I'm really suffering from my uneven skin tone and it's embarrassing. But I'm scared that the makeup might end up breaking me out again. What kind are you using?

Don't get discouraged if the BHA causes an IB. I'm pretty certain that it will. I used Paula's acne toner... that has 2% bha I think... and I did get a few new spots. Luckily they faded away pretty quickly. I'm not totally constant with using it though, but from what I've heard after the IB your pores will be clear and your skin texture better.

Good that your makeup's working for you. I'm really nervous about starting to use it (before acne and PIH I didn't feel the need to). Now I'm really suffering from my uneven skin tone and it's embarrassing. But I'm scared that the makeup might end up breaking me out again. What kind are you using?

Ahhhh... I'm so nervous to start the BHA! I don't want to breakout, especially since the breakout periods have been getting farther and farther apart. Oh well, I spent the $20, might as well give it a go.

For make-up I use:

MAC Studio Tech Creme Foundation NC20 (I use new sponges everyday, so there's no bacteria build up)

Signature A's Bronzer or

Ready to Wear's Couture Finish Powder

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer NC20 (or NC30 if under bronzer)

Ready to Wear's Pink Platform Blush

I do not use primer, and I do not use finishing powder. I feel those are unnecessary layers of make-up to subject my skin to. I wash my brushes bi-weekly with my cleanser, because I do not trust brush cleaner to not irritate my skin.

Don't get discouraged if you try some make-up and your skin freaks out a bit. It took so so so so much trial and error before I found the right combination of products.... And honestly I'm sure it's still the culprit of a pimple or two on my face. Don't buy into the whole "mineral make-up" cr*p because there are still a ton of skin irritants in all those powder foundations. Everyone is different! Just like some people had bad reactions with Shieseido products, I think the moisturizer I use is great for my skin type.

Hope this helped!

Thanks! I need to try really hard and just get out of the house and try some things in store. I splurged on a kit of Makeup Forever foundation because I heard good reviews and saw Youtube videos of people with acne PIH like mine using it successfully. So far my skin's been too dry to apply with success, but I'm gonna keep trying because I think if I can learn how I'll look a lot better with it on. Thanks for your response

Maybe try the BHA in certain places to begin with? It'll probably cause some spots, but maybe if it's only in one part of your face and you can constantly remind yourself... 'This is from the BHA. It will clear up.' you won't be quite as bothered by it?

**UPDATE**

Okay, so basically six weeks into these shenanigans. (My previous update was incorrect, I was at 4.5 weeks). My face is pretty bad right now. All my own doing. I maliciously attacked my face about a week ago, which resulted in four tiny spots turning into medium sized under-the-skin zits on my forehead. They really aren't raised at all, but they're very red and hurt to touch. They're slowly going down each day, but I know they're going to leave scabs and red marks for at least 1-2 weeks to come. Which is super frustrating and even worse because I know I caused it. I have a cluster of miniscule papules (about 7-8) on the center of my forehead that aren't budging. The left side of my forehead is totally clear though. So there's that silver lining.

My chin/mouth area isn't horrible. My left side is completely clear (like my forehead, go figure), but my right side just continues to breakout. I have no explanation for this. Right now there is only one under-the-skin bump by my upper right corner of my mouth. So, I'll just leave that alone and let it subside on it's own. Otherwise the right side of my chin has no active bumps (thanks to my awful picking habit), just a mess of red marks and scabs. I've also noticed that even after I pop one of the papules by my mouth, they continue to be bumps for at least two days before retreating. I don't know why they do that.

I guess things that I have to be thankful for are clear cheeks, half a clear forehead, clear nose, mostly clear upper lip, and half a clear chin. I guess my regimen is somewhat working, but I still seem to be breaking out just as much as usual, the bumps just come and go a little quicker than before. My next dermatologist appt. is on September 10th and I couldn't be more excited. I want to talk to her about going on Doryx, because in the past it's cleared me up like a charm. I know that my acne came back after I stopped taking it, but I'm willing to take that risk for the time being. It may not be the long-term solution, but I'm still holding onto the fact that I MAY outgrow my acne one day.

I shall update in another week, when hopefully the terrible spots I caused myself will be well on their way to being gone. It's so depressing that I have so little control over picking my face. Oh well... Tomorrow's a new day!

Those under-the-skin spots are so frustrating! I have some that don't really show up as raised on my face unless I'm standing straight over a light (yes, I'm checking my face in all kinds of light now >.<), but all around them is red and dry skin and they're all scabby and hard to cover with makeup. The worst! I really should cut my nails, they may look nice but they're just causing more damage to my face than the looking nice part is worth!

I hope your face heals up soon! I was good today about not looking in mirrors or touching my face too much. Also, not logging into this site every 10 minutes was beneficial to my mood! These behaviours have become obsessive over the past few weeks. One day isn't much, but I guess we can only go one day at a time.

Those under-the-skin spots are so frustrating! I have some that don't really show up as raised on my face unless I'm standing straight over a light (yes, I'm checking my face in all kinds of light now >.<), but all around them is red and dry skin and they're all scabby and hard to cover with makeup. The worst! I really should cut my nails, they may look nice but they're just causing more damage to my face than the looking nice part is worth!

I hope your face heals up soon! I was good today about not looking in mirrors or touching my face too much. Also, not logging into this site every 10 minutes was beneficial to my mood! These behaviours have become obsessive over the past few weeks. One day isn't much, but I guess we can only go one day at a time.

This is very true, one day at a time. I do the light checking as well,,, I usually compare what I look like i my bathroom light, to how I look in daylight. Daylight always seems to be more flattering for some reason. I would definitely recommend cutting off your nails. I did it today, and it's worth not having more scabs on my face. Plus, if you just paint your nails they can look just as pretty

Today my face looked a smidgen better. Not enough for me to venture into the outside world, but I took a walk tonight (without makeup) and even chatted with a neighbor for a bit in the dark. Couldn't see anything, so I felt secure in that aspect. Had to shower the second I came in the house though because my face was "contaminated" by fresh air. It sounds mad when I type it out, but those are literally the thoughts that go through my head. My boyfriend wants me to go to a baseball game with him tomorrow night, and I don't think I have it in me. Especially with my forehead being in it's current state of nastiness. I would have to wear a hat and I'm terrified the sweating would cause me to breakout even worse. Goodness... My skin rules my life. This is so depressing/discouraging/angering/frustrating/saddening/pathetic... great.

How many times I've wished my acne was only on my forehead.. I'd could just grow out a fringe to cover it! Haha! That is just a step in the wrong direction though. s it stands, I'm happy my hair is long, I can hide behind it. :/ The main kind of advice you get is.. 'Go out and do things and after a while you won't even think about it any more because you'll be distracted with other things!', but honestly I wouldn't be able to stop thinking about it at all. My entire "way of being" has changed, down to my body language to cover my face. I feel your pain.

Sorry! Haha, what a depressing post I just made.

How many times I've wished my acne was only on my forehead.. I'd could just grow out a fringe to cover it! Haha! That is just a step in the wrong direction though. s it stands, I'm happy my hair is long, I can hide behind it. The main kind of advice you get is.. 'Go out and do things and after a while you won't even think about it any more because you'll be distracted with other things!', but honestly I wouldn't be able to stop thinking about it at all. My entire "way of being" has changed, down to my body language to cover my face. I feel your pain.

Sorry! Haha, what a depressing post I just made.

Don't apologize, you see the kind of posts I make haha I try to remain positive, but it get's really difficult after a while. People always say the same thing, but all I hear is "blah blah blah"... Walk a mile in my shoes and then try and follow that advice! I'm praying to the dermagods that my forehead will clear up soon because that's really what is stopping me from going out in public right now. In reality is takes up maybe 5% of my forehead, but it seems like so much more when I'm running my fingers over it. The redness is what kills. The actual bump is small, but the surrounding irritation/scab makes it look worse... I want to feel better. I just don't know how. I've gotten through Week One of Prozac. Another increase in dosage this Friday, so hopefully it will start kicking in soon. My OCD will be the death of me

Haha! Dermagods. I like that

Redness is the WORST thing ever!!!! One time I actually found myself thinking "I really wish red was not a colour." One thing that kind of reassures me, even though it is super uncomfortable.. is realising a lot of the redness extra redness in my face is because my skin is super itchy and irritated these days.

I'm actually finding myself hoping people I talk to/interact with will study my face closely to see that a lot of it is actually smooth.. the redness totally makes everything look a million times worse... and the scabby dry bits make it kind of impossible to cover well with makeup. >.<

Haha! Dermagods. I like that

Redness is the WORST thing ever!!!! One time I actually found myself thinking "I really wish red was not a colour." One thing that kind of reassures me, even though it is super uncomfortable.. is realising a lot of the redness extra redness in my face is because my skin is super itchy and irritated these days.

I'm actually finding myself hoping people I talk to/interact with will study my face closely to see that a lot of it is actually smooth.. the redness totally makes everything look a million times worse... and the scabby dry bits make it kind of impossible to cover well with makeup. >.<

The Dermagods have answered my prayers and my forehead looks waaaay better today! instead of zits, it's just peely and red. Now that it's improving, I find myself focusing on the dark spots and uneven skin tone much more. It's amazing because there's always something to dislike about my face! I know the redness will be almost gone by tomorrow and I have to make sure my skin is moisturized, or like you said, It's impossible to cover with makeup!

I think I need to find a more moisturizing serum for my face. The one I have is great because it goes well with my skin's chemistry, but I just don't think it's really moisturizing my skin. If it was, I would think that my skin wouldn't be as oily as it is now. I mean, It isn't horrible (i.e. drowning in oil), but my sebum glands are still producing too much oil. I thought the zinc was helping with all of this, but apparently i spoke too soon! Maybe I need to up the dosage for a couple weeks and see what happens.

Cannot wait for my dermatologist appointment on the 10th. I'm literally counting down the seconds until then...