Hey I wanna say that first of all, it's PROBABLY not as bad as it seems to you. Because of course you're gonna be super hard on yourself. Also, I do understand how you feel cuz I'm 22 and can definitely say that I let acne ruin the past year of college. I too, JUST started breaking out in college and can def say its at its worst now. I only break out on my lower cheeks, which it horrible cuz it makes me feel ugly and I used to think I was pretty!! But, I also have been using a topical for the first time the past two months now and it's been a crazy ride.. I say you should def go back to the derm, they will know the answer a lot quicker then your home remedy attempts. I too eat super healthy, drink plenty of water and work out. In MY opinion, I think your best bet is to consult with your doc and don't let it take over your life any longer! Sorry if I wasn't much help, but my response is better then none lol

Stress can aggravate a skin condition - I don't know if it would *cause* one, per say. It sounds like you're in great health otherwise, which is fantastic! It is possible that the anti-biotics did something for you and the effect wore off. I don't know much about medications and acne, unfortunately, but lots of other members do.

Hey I wanna say that first of all, it's PROBABLY not as bad as it seems to you. Because of course you're gonna be super hard on yourself. Also, I do understand how you feel cuz I'm 22 and can definitely say that I let acne ruin the past year of college. I too, JUST started breaking out in college and can def say its at its worst now. I only break out on my lower cheeks, which it horrible cuz it makes me feel ugly and I used to think I was pretty!! But, I also have been using a topical for the first time the past two months now and it's been a crazy ride.. I say you should def go back to the derm, they will know the answer a lot quicker then your home remedy attempts. I too eat super healthy, drink plenty of water and work out. In MY opinion, I think your best bet is to consult with your doc and don't let it take over your life any longer! Sorry if I wasn't much help, but my response is better then none lol

 

Yeah it's good any opinion/ help is appreciated

& yeah I had my skin the best it ever was exactly a year ago. And now I hate looking at my self like seriously. I sometimes don't even use my glasses cause that way I won't see people that well and won't examine their skin and use it against mine and criticize my self lol. I just hate this fuc*ing piece of sh*t acne. Sometimes I feel good sometimes bad. Sometimes frustrated. It's a non ending cycle. But yeah I have an appointment with a university dermatologist this Wednesday ! So I'm sort of excited x). I just want to find a perm solution

Hello everyone,

I have had acne for the past few years. Ever since I was in 8th grade. I am now a freshman in college and still have it. Long story short I went to a dermatologist early freshman year in high school and he prescribed me acanya gel for morning and tretinoin cream at night. He also prescribed anti biotics but only took them for the first 3 months and discarded them. My acne was in fact clearing up. When I got to my junior year it was getting better and better; once I reached senior i pretty much loved my skin.

The thing is that my acne has come back!. I would say even worse than before because even back then when I had acne I would still look in the mirror and like my self; now I can not stand looking in a mirror because I look hideous ! I notice this change ever since I stopped taking my prescriptions but the fact is I stopped taking them because I started college and it started getting expensive for my prescriptions.

Ever since late may I stopped them and tried the "natural way" by putting tomatoes, honey, aloe Vera, lemon, etc on my face. I honestly haven't seen improvements:(. I am scared to go bak to my old prescriptions because what it they don't work??

My diet consists of pure healthy foods ever since I started getting it. I drink A LOT of water and just recently, about a month ago, I am eating spinach, carots, and brocolli every day as wel as some antioxidant powder and aloe era juice.

I do not know what's wrong. Probably the prescriptions were "hiding " my acne because I still get it. Before , even with prescriptions, I would get a pimple here or there but now it's like full back. I feel like shit during these past months that I do not want to leave my house. My room always has my curtains close cause I hate the light cause makes my acne worse. I'm in college and isn't it suppose to be the best time of our lives?? Yet I'm here writing this and avoidin all social interactions. Any help please??

I will write a bit more because I thought it would be too much but it isn't really lol. Or maybe it is?

But anyways my healthy diet doesn't consist of those 3 vegetables. I also eat any fruit and vegetable that I know have anti oxidants and anti inflammatory. I restrict my diet soooo much that I hate my self for doing it. I mostly eat chicken fish and some light light meat. I hate it cause when I go out to eat I always always feel so aware and worried if what I just ate would break me out.

Is it possible to break out just by worrying about it or something? Like since ur thinking about it too much ur mind will do something about it??

Also, I am very athletic. I been in martial arts ever since the 4th grade. Sad story is after I reached my black belt in 9th I stopped because of my acne. I could not stand going so I just stopped. But I still go for a run and work out at home

Ok this Is it. Any help please ?!?!?

 

Getting help from a dermatologist is the best thing you can do; they've received schooling after all. The stress-acne connection is a bit complicated. It's not that the stress increases cortisol or androgens that lead to acne; rather, it's like a nocebo effect (a negative placebo) so you focus more on your acne and it looks worse and you see more pimples than there really are.

Don't let acne get to you -- there are far worse diseases you could get that are far more debilitating. Acne does fade away on its own, too, and the right treatments can make everything better!

I'm glad you gave an appointment Wednesday! I have one Thursday! Hahah and I literally cannot wait. It's as if I think all my answers will miraculously come on Thursday lol a girl can dream right?? But I'm glad I can help and I TOTALLY hear you! My confidence is so shit and I can't help it, I find myself avoiding eye contact with people during conversation cuz I don't think they're looking at me as much lol acne makes you crazy and that's the truth lol but to the person above me, because I don't know how to tag ppl or what ever on here, I absolutely agree that other people gave it WAY worse! But, it's hard to change how ya feel inside :/

I'm glad you gave an appointment Wednesday! I have one Thursday! Hahah and I literally cannot wait. It's as if I think all my answers will miraculously come on Thursday lol a girl can dream right?? But I'm glad I can help and I TOTALLY hear you! My confidence is so shit and I can't help it, I find myself avoiding eye contact with people during conversation cuz I don't think they're looking at me as much lol acne makes you crazy and that's the truth lol but to the person above me, because I don't know how to tag ppl or what ever on here, I absolutely agree that other people gave it WAY worse! But, it's hard to change how ya feel inside :/

 

Omg yessss. Im sad to say I hate talking to people face to face. If we are walking I try to face forward haha. It's because I hate that I was liking my face a couple f months ago and now I hateee it

I also sometimes hate when my family says to not worry about it and stuff. I mean I really appreciate they helpin me with positive feedback but I always take it negative and sometimes makes me feel good.... For a while.... Then back to hating my face. I try being always happy and smiling and not caring cause I been reading about the placebo and nocebo affect but yeah it's hard.

See! But that's what makes me so annoyed because people say a million different things that can cause acne; stress, food, makeup, etc.. How can you make yourself NOT think about it?? My derm is in for a rude awakening this week with my questions lol

I know how you feel. Just a few months ago I had really clear skin. Then I started breaking out which lead to an even bigger break out. I have moderate acne right now and I've had days where I've felt like sh*t -- two weeks ago, I skipped two days of classes because my acne got worse and I felt like complete crap. I just went to work today, without any makeup and to be honest, yes I got made fun of (by coworkers and siblings) but it's gotten to the point where I just didn't care. My acne is going to be there whether or not I stress out of it now. So rather than sit there and think negatively, I thought about how they'll go away soon and I CAN get rid of it. If anything, go to the dermatologist and see what he/she says. That's what i will do if the regimen doesn't work out in 3-4 mnths. Beside, stressing will just make things worse.

If you really want to heal your acne, send me a private message.

I'll also gladly give advice directly to you in this forum, without mentioning a single product, except food.

The lymphatic system is a unidirectional system and flows downward towards the heart.

The reason acne mostly surfaces on the face, in my own speculation, is because that is where the highest point of the lymphatic system is. Your lymph nodes are keeping all the crap from reaching your heart and other important organs through cysts.

If you have any cysts, or deep acne, you will need to repair your body. Your immune system is damaged. You may have ulcers or sores throughout your stomach or circulatory system.

How exactly would you go about repairing this damage? My research leads me to believe that good, saturated fats will repair this damage (transfat is not usable by the body and will actually permeate the blood vessels and cause some serious damage).

Lymph node massages may help, but seriously, it's just another form of exercise - exercise greatly regulates your lymphatic system. However, exercise isn't the only thing that will help - the diet has to augment exercise.

In order to get your overactive immune system, along with all of the hormonal problems under control, a simple diet must be followed.

Try a diet of fish, chicken and kale for a few weeks. As painful as it sounds, season the meat with simple ingredients like chopped garlic and sea salt. Use avocados and feta cheese (a tiny amount), along with some apple cider vinegar with kale to make it tasty.

Limit your carbohydrate intake to less than 50 grams a day.

This is a cleaning phase and I would say it took me about 4 days of eating this way to see results in my skin. I later incorporated more and more foods into the process, sometimes cheating, only to reaffirm that I could not eat gluten, large amounts of sugar, or too much dairy (I can handle some small pieces of feta cheese, but not a tub of sour cream).

Eating a few pieces of bread gave me a tiny small surface pimple the next day - this is a no-brainer. My body is less tolerant to wheat gluten and is more sensitive. I also noticed immediate bloating.

Keep a food log - it helps to find a trigger of what you can or cannot eat. I suspect your problem mostly has to do with your lymphatic system, hormones, and diet.

See! But that's what makes me so annoyed because people say a million different things that can cause acne; stress, food, makeup, etc.. How can you make yourself NOT think about it?? My derm is in for a rude awakening this week with my questions lol

 

So what happened !? How did it go??

Oh my goodness. It went bad/good! As soon as I walked in my derm said "oh boy", which was a fabulous start! Hahaa. She told me she wanted me to stop taking ziana immediately and she switched me to epiduo, along with doxycycline. I mean I'm pissed that I just wasted two months using the ziana, but excited to start something else, since I clearly was only seeing bad results with ziana. Also, I asked her if diet has a major affect and she said.. That there is studies that SUGGEST it, but she is not convinced because she says there is not enough evidence to prove it. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but ill just stick to the prescription for now and eliminate foods later if I choose to do so, which I might fit overall health reasons anyhow. I also asked her how much stress affects acne and she said a great deal! which is not good for me cuz I'm super stressed!!

I'm glad you gave an appointment Wednesday! I have one Thursday! Hahah and I literally cannot wait. It's as if I think all my answers will miraculously come on Thursday lol a girl can dream right??

 

My guess is...you'll walk in. he/she will examine your face. he/she will prescribe either A) a harsh topical cream/cleanser B) more anti-biotics and or meds C) set up a follow up appointment

and...you'll be right back where you were before you went to see them.

These people do go to school, but they are school's focused on prescription drugs/topical treatments to deal with acne. Very rarely, you get a derm who actually understands all the various reasons people get acne. Hell, there are more people on these forums that are more knowledgeable concerning acne than most derms.

If you would have asked my advise as to whether or not you should take anti-biotics, i would have said absolutely not. They are only going to provide temporary relief from a much deeper/more complex problem. And they destroy your good bacteria. And once you are off of them, you are left in an even more vulnerable state. I've read so many horror stories of people getting clear for a couple years, only to have their acne come back worse than before.

If you want to restore good bacteria to your gut, you might try fermenting vegetables. There are instructions on how to do this all over the internet as well as on this site. Also, something you might add to your diet are Chia/Flax/Hemp seeds. You can make a smoothie using spianch, banana, berries, and coconut milk, and simply add a few tablespoons of these seeds to it. They are loaded with omega 3's. I wouldn't advise taking fish oil though, as it's very likely to be rancid by the time you are consuming it.

Honey and lemon are hit and miss from all the experiences i've read. Your first goal should be to restore the good bacteria in your gut by fermenting vegetables. But if you're looking for something new to try topically, you might try using a toner that i and many other members are making. There's a thread on it here in the mild to moderate acne forums. It uses green tea and sea salt, but recently i found that green rooibos tea has even more antioxidants than green tea. It's also caffeine free, which is great if you are sensitive to caffeine.

But for sure, you need to be getting a healthy amount of fatty acids in your diet for healthy skin. They sell sprouted/ground Chia seeds at whole foods, as well as flax. And i believe you can find hemp seeds there as well. Or you can purchase online. Navitas is a great brand. Virgin coconut oil is another great source of fatty acids. And it is super healthy to consume

Also do you consume gluten grains and/or dairy? Refined sugar?

Wow very informative thank you! Now you got me debating the oral meds... Yes I consume dairy and grain. I asked my doctor about cutting out dairy sugar and grain and she said there is not enough info to back this up.. Hmm, you have me thinking

Oh my goodness. It went bad/good! As soon as I walked in my derm said "oh boy", which was a fabulous start! Hahaa. She told me she wanted me to stop taking ziana immediately and she switched me to epiduo, along with doxycycline. I mean I'm pissed that I just wasted two months using the ziana, but excited to start something else, since I clearly was only seeing bad results with ziana. Also, I asked her if diet has a major affect and she said.. That there is studies that SUGGEST it, but she is not convinced because she says there is not enough evidence to prove it. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but ill just stick to the prescription for now and eliminate foods later if I choose to do so, which I might fit overall health reasons anyhow. I also asked her how much stress affects acne and she said a great deal! which is not good for me cuz I'm super stressed!!

 

Ohhh nice !

I was also prescribe doxyclyine of 100mg. And some 5% benzoyl peroxide for the morning and clyndamycin phosphate for the night.

He told me to continue my diet of steam vegetables and limiting off all fast food. He said too that there is some connection but still needs more proof.

But idk if I should take the antibiotics bc Ive too heard it can be bad throughout the long term

But I'm ready to try the other 2 prescribed gels.

Yeah man I am too debating about the antibiotics

And my diet consists of a lot of steam vegetables and fruits that are anti oxidant and anti inflammatory

I take many green smoothies

I take aloe Vera juice.

I take an anti oxidant powder

And only limit on fish and chicken

Wow very informative thank you! Now you got me debating the oral meds... Yes I consume dairy and grain. I asked my doctor about cutting out dairy sugar and grain and she said there is not enough info to back this up.. Hmm, you have me thinking

 

Food affects us in so many complex ways. It isn't always as cut and dry as 'you eat this, it'll give you acne' it's more like 'you eat this, and it affects your metabolism in this way, your blood sugar in this way, your liver function in this way, (thus altering your ability to properly control hormons), your thyroid function in this way, your gut function in this way, and so on, and so on...

So it's very complex, as is the human body. Too complex for a simple study that is trying to show whether or not dairy is a cause of acne. It's why some people can eat like crap and not have it show in their face. It'll show in other ways though, especially as they age. And whether or not they are getting acne, they are affecting their bodily functions regardless.

So no, most doctors will not tell you there is any reason to fear dairy or gluten containing grains. Thankfully, we have this site where many users have shared valuable experiences in which they cut out dairy or gluten and saw drastic improvements. So i think it's a great option to experiment for a couple months eliminating both. You don't need them as they offer no nutritional value that you can't find from a less risky, more nutrient dense source.

Also, many users consume sprouted and fermented grains occasionally. This is the safest way to eat them if you choose to do so

Yeah, your right. I'm a very healthy and fit, so I like to think, girl. So, I have been considering making a life change with my diet anyhow. I think I will start with no sugar, then remove dairy and finally grain

Wow very informative thank you! Now you got me debating the oral meds... Yes I consume dairy and grain. I asked my doctor about cutting out dairy sugar and grain and she said there is not enough info to back this up.. Hmm, you have me thinking

 

This is why all the advice to "listen to your great ol' derm" is probably a pile of poo. This website has all the wealth that any dermatologist was ever schooled in and then some. Acne is probably almost ENTIRELY linked to diet. Listen to his diet advice..and PS...grains are the number one cause of all types of inflammation, skin, digestive system or even heart disease. Indeeeeeeed. Cut that out first, with the sugar.