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A lot of people say that their acne goes away when they turn 19-20. Right now I am approaching 18, and my acne still hasn't gone away. It started when I was around 12-13. I'm not sure what kind of acne I have. It seems like I have a lot of very small white pimples on my forehead (I can't count all of them). I also have some small red pimples on my forehead. (maybe 5-10 red pimples?). I have a few small/medium red pimples on my cheeks, and a few white pimples on my cheeks (apparently these are called whiteheads? I don't know for sure if they are white heads or not). I think I do have whiteheads on my chin though, because there are lots of small white pimples on my chin that haven't gone away in MONTHS. New ones don't appear, but old ones don't go away.
I think I started out with mild acne when I was like 12, and then when I turned 13-14, it got to be the way it is now. Basically, the only thing that affects my acne are acne medications, such as proactiv. I haven't really used anything else (I am going to try acne.org regiment to see if it is better than proactiv). I've been using proactiv for about a year, and at first it cleared up my skin by 90%. I don't think I've had the same effect happen to me twice, because later on, it still kept my acne at bay, but my skin wasn't really clear. Right now in the summer I decided not to use proactiv because I am spending time in the sun. I am just using a regular 2% salicylic acid face wash, 2% salycilic acid toner, and a moisturizing cream (with some salycilic acid in it too). My acne is okay, but it is worse than when I was using proactiv.
I'm wondering there's any chance that my acne will "go away naturally". I just feel like it won't, since I am already almost 18 years old. I have also considered going on accutane, but I have heard that it creates joint pain, and I don't want that since I am in gymnastics. I would be able to handle the other side effects (such as dryness of lips, face, nosebleeds, etc) besides the joint pain. And I also wouldn't want to get depression from it, or loss of hair (i already have thin-ish hair).
I dont know. I don't want accutane to mess up my body. I also want to have a big family in the future, so that means I want to be able to give birth to healthy children.
Btw, I'm not one of those people that can't look in the mirror because of acne. I really don't like my acne because it is annoying, and just looks annoying, but I barely wear any makeup. I do wear some concealer on the sides of my nose, but that is only because I have seborrheic dermatitis, and it just makes the sides of my nose look red compared to the rest of my skin (it doesn't even hurt or anything, it doesn't itch, or have any scalings. Just the redness color is annoying). So I put concealer on it to make it the same tone as my skin. I don't usually wear concealer on any of my acne, unless it is a special occasion or an important meeting. I still have acne, and it is still visible, I just don't really bother with concealing it.
How many years should I wait for my acne to go away naturally, before going on accutane? I am probably going to wait until age 20, and if acne doesn't go away by then, then I go on accutane. But what if it could still go away naturally at, say, 22, without needing accutane? I really don't know if I should go on it, I am planning on being in gymnastics until mid 20's, or even until having children, so I don't want accutane to make me quit gymnastics (because it could cause joint pain).
I'm 21 and my acne still hasn't gone away yet (although I'm seriously hoping it will soon!). Some people on these boards have still got acne into their 30s and 40s. I'm not suggesting this will happen to you but it varies on an individual basis so it's hard to predict as and when your acne might subside naturally but there are other treatments that might be able to keep it under control until it does.
Considering the effects Accutane might have on your gymnastics and the fact that you said yourself that you're not super self-conscious about your acne (ie. it doesn't stop you doing things and you're happy to go out without concealing it too much) I would seriously suggest exploring other treatment options. The Regimen would be a good place to start because you don't need a prescription to buy benzoyl peroxide and you've already said that Proactiv (which also contains BP) worked quite well for you for a while. If that doesn't work for you there are a number of other topicals a doctor or dermatologist can prescribe, as well as oral antibiotics and hormonal treatments that you should probably explore before committing to Accutane. As I understand it, Accutane's really a last resort for people who have severe acne which hasn't responded to any of these other treatments and because of its potential side-effects it should definitely not be undertaken lightly.
I`m 40 and haven`t totally outgrown acne yet but I think in my case it is down to genetics as both my mum and gran had acne and continued to breakout well into middle age.
First got acne when I was 12 and it was moderate/severe right up to the age of 30. It has gotten better in recent years and I do have clear periods but I still continue to breakout every now and again which at my age is very frustrating.
I think that I`m an exception because I`ve been dealt a crappy hand in terms of my genes. However having read your post, although it may take a little while and involve some trial and in error in terms of treatment, I`m pretty sure that your acne will clear up in due course.
Many people who post on these forums have had a lot of success with the acne.org regimen so as that may worth a shot. I certainly would suggest going down that route before trying accutane as that is a very severe drug with some quite harsh side effects.
Good luck - I hope your acne clears up soon.
Since you're on an acne forum the responses you get are going to be biased, most people here are probably going to tell you that they haven't outgrown their acne yet. Most people with clear skin probably don't spend a lot of time here, so take that under consideration when you're reading these responses. =) It doesn't mean you will have the same results.
I am 30 years old and never outgrew my acne. I never even started getting it until I was 20. My family doctor and dermatologist both have told me that the magic age tends to be around 24, if you haven't outgrown your acne by around age 24 then you're not likely to and it needed to be treated. I think the best way to gauge it is by looking at your parents and your siblings; if they had teenage acne that they outgrew then you are likely to have the same experience. If they had more severe, persistent acne then yours may be more likely to persist as well.
I would suggest trying all other options before Accutane (the Regimen, prescription topicals, a birth control pill like Yaz that is known to decrease acne for many people, possibly antibiotics) since you're still young enough that you may outgrow your acne; that is, unless your acne is really severe or scarring. I am currently on Accutane and it has been great for my skin but has been a difficult drug to take and there is of course the risk of serious side effects. Good luck to you! =)
Hello Streampaw,
Started to get acne about the age of 14. Gradually got worse and worse and by the time I was 16 it was pretty bad. Now, I'm 18 about to turn 19 and have had a little bit of improvement.
My whole face is red from acne scars and treating it with a ton of medications. The Regimen worked when I followed it religiously, but I had to completely avoid going outside and no one was allowed to touch my face if I went to bed after putting on medication. Also, my face was continually red from bp (even after using it with AHA+ and moisturizer for around a year).
Therefore, I'm seeking natural remedies to help aid in healing my body first before I go back to the regimen. Right now eating a specially grown chia seed blend (others are very low quality Chinese seeds which have little to no nutrient value) and a high anti-oxidant & omega-3 diet. I have noticed a lot of improvement. First of all, my bacne went away, and my face gets a lot less, although it looks a lot better and I can actually go outside!
So I definitely recommend trying all out to get rid of your acne with ways other than Accutane before turning to it. My mom went on it and had a lot of problems, but it is case-by-case so to each his own.
my mum,my cousins and my aunt outgrew acne in their early or mid 20s.
i am 21 and have mild-moderate acne now.
u cant just judge by that.
every person is different,
there's no denying that 'majority' has it in their teens or sometimes late teen and then outgrows it.but thats never the case all the time.
some have it in their 60s as well.