Hello, I literally just created an account because I am somewhat excited to begin a personal log for Vitamin B5.

About me: I am a 19 year old Asian male who has experienced acne of all types since the age of 11. My journey has involved the usual drug store acne washes, Proactiv, Finacea, Retin-A cream, Minocycline,Doxycycline. Many of these are effective but not permanent for me so if you would like me to describe my experience for any of them then feel free to let me know. I was supposed to go on Accutane but because of a small history of depression, I'm advised against it. However, I refuse to let this terrible terrible skin disease bring me down anymore. I am in the beginning phase of this Vitamin B5 megadose routine and I have high hopes. My acne is definitely hormonal and genetic. My mother has a long history of acne and still has it with many many marks on her face. My father has clear skin which has blessed my two siblings.

About my skin: I describe my skin as moderate cystic acne and easily scarring. Not sensitive at all though. right now I have a very oily skin type with small bumps of clogged pores on forehead. I only have cysts on my cheeks and jawline. For some reason, my left side has been extremely clear for several months but my right side refuses to calm down with CLUSTERS on my jawline. For my face as a whole, I have quite some discoloration on my nose, cheeks, and chin. The scars on my cheeks are not going anywhere anytime soon :(.

About the risks: I have researched extensively and am well aware of the health risks that come with megadosing Vitamin B5 which includes bowel problems, hair loss, and the imbalance of Vitamin B complex. I'm sure a handful of us agree that acne hits us not just physically, but mentally too. My self-confidence is usually at a low because I am afraid of people staring at my skin. I've been told that my acne doesn't affect my attractiveness. But I find that so hard to believe because I can't even brush my teeth with the lights on. If you're acne were as bad as mine, you would know that I would lose a limb to be happy with myself. With that said, I will be taking cautious measures and not just popping pills like no tomorrow.

My arsenal:
500mg Vitamin B5 capsules (Pantothenic Acid) (Varies)
50 mg Zinc tablets (1 a day!)
100% Aloe Vera Gel from bottle and PLANT (as much as possible)
Vie Naturelle Acne Dietary Supplement: that contains Vitamin A, C, D3, E, B1, B2, B6, Biotin, and other stuff (taken with Vitamin B5)
Neutrogena Rapid Clear Acne Cleanser (morning and night)
St Ives. Blemish Control Apricot Scrub (2x a week)
Water!

After breakfast, I eat one zinc tablet for the day (eat with food or suffer a stomachache),1 gram of Vitamin B5 (2 capsules), and one acne dietary supplement. The dietary supplement can be any multivitamin or Vitamin B complex so you aren't depleted and imbalanced. I'm currently aiming for 5g in 4 sittings for the first week. The Dietary supplement is recommended for 3 times a day so on the 4th sitting I have 4 Vitamin B capsules. Every night I apply aloe vera onto my face to help reduce redness and inflammation. I don't use it to treat my acne, it's to help with my scars and post-acne pigmentation. Also, I drink so much water and added much more fruit and greens into my diet.

Day 1: This is where I began taking the pills. Is this considered day 0 or 1? I did not take a before picture because I didn't think it would work in one day!!

Day 2:The next morning, my clusters of acne on my jawline were calmed down with only one big one still active. Also, there were cheek cysts that were flat and taking forever to fully heal began to shrink in half. I could wash my face without being pain from the inflammation. Some things I should add is that my stool has softened a lot and my lips are extra chap. Also, two new pimples showed up that were already surfaced as whiteheads(usually they're underground and red!) and were so easy to drain in the shower.

Day 3: That one big jawline pimple has flattened and isn't very painful either. My right side is dramatically less bumpy and can almost compare to my left side. One new pimple on the top left corner of forehead but that's okay. The two new pimples are gone from day 2 but left some marks my fault probably. Lips are not chap because I apply Vaseline lip therapy. Stool is..embarrassingly soft. I have to pee a lot because I drink so much water and sometimes it's extra yellow from the pills. Oil production has not been affected. I don't want to say its from my face cleanser or aloe vera.

Goals:
Reduced redness on cheeks from scars and hyper pigmentation, Reduced dark discoloration marks on chin and jawline. More even skin tone overall.
Sorry this was long. It would suck if nobody read this but i'm doing this for me! Wish me luck!!