Hey guys, here's some background info about myself before I get into things.

I'm a 18 year old guy struggling with acne for about 2-3 years now, and honestly I am SICK of this. I have been going to an aesthetician to clean my skin regularly by manual facial extractions and exfoliations, but my acne kept coming back. A year later I finally decided that it wasn't working and went to a dermatologist. They prescribed me antibiotics that only backfired. I have also tried many commercial acne products that did nothing for me or made things worse. I have dry acne-prone skin so treatments can be difficult for me. Acne has ruined my life to such an extent that going out is such a hassle for me. I know a "simple" problem like acne shouldn't take control of my life, but I just can't help it.

I'm posting because I really want some answers about my skin. I moved to Japan about 3 months ago from Canada and my skin wasn't all that bad. Just recently I have been getting cystic acne here and there that I wasn't getting before. I'm sure it's not the environmental change since it's been quite while for it to have any affect on my skin. So, I researched online to see what I could been doing wrong.

Here are some things I read about acne online and have been incorporating into my lifestyle:

- Getting moderate exercise

- Eliminating dairy

- Adequate sun exposure (about 10 min)

- Eat really healthy

- Getting enough water

- Getting enough Zinc

- Good sleeping habits (12-1am for 8-9 hours)

- Trying to relieve my stress as much as possible

I've also read I could be allergic to something, but I can't think of anything particular that could be causing it. Genetics also can't be a factor since none of my family has ever had serious problems with it. The only thing I could think of is how sensitive my grandmothers skin is (dry and sensitive) and that the genes may have caught on to myself.

What I think is really causing my acne for no clear apparent reason:

STRESS - I'm starting university in April of 2014 (school starts in April in Japan) and I'm living in my grandmothers house alongside my mother which I feel is a huge burden for me. I can't live entirely free because of the language barrier and unfamiliar environment which is hard on myself, and living with my grandmother has been harder than I thought it would be.

HORMONES - I think this is the biggest reason why I'm getting these breakouts, even though I feel I'm not doing anything horribly wrong. As I could be at the peak of puberty, the hormone fluctuations in my body must be creating more oil and clogging my pores. Also, most people may not believe this but masturbating is probably one of the causes. I read that it is the increase in DHT production that could be the culprit, and so, I have been taking Saw Palmetto and Nettle Leaf supplements to help lower these levels. It's only been about a week or so and I know that I must take it for at least a couple months before seeing results due to that of hormones reacting slowly.

My solution?

I am thinking of going back to the dermatologist (if it gets worse) to get some topical antibiotics and use it until the supplements start to kick in and my hormones start balancing. I'm really confused about my skin but I know that my lifestyle isn't all that bad. So it MUST be the hormones that are raging inside of me that is to blame.

What do you guys think?

I feel horrible about myself sometimes and just want to get life over with. I'm starting university soon and it's my chance to finally be who I actually am and to enjoy school unlike my high school experience. I always wonder how my life would be without this disaster on my face and it's really getting on my nerves. I hate seeing teens live their lives without having it show on their face, and it feels like the world is so unfair. I am a very self conscious person (even without acne) and dealing with having this disaster on my face is not going to cut it for me! I just need some advice on how to get through this...

Thanks for reading everyone, I really appreciate it.

Have you read through the diet & hollistic health forum? If you've tried antibiotics etc there is a strong chance it could be something internal eg candida/leaky gut etc... Also in terms of an allergic reaction.. it doesn't necessarily have to be something bad for you in order for you to have a reaction.. Have you considered keeping a food diary and logging the changes in your skin? I also found that whenever i had sugary drinks and crisps my skin would explode with acne the following week, it wasn't until 5 months ago i learned about candida and it all made perfect sense

It is a lot more simple than people think to clear acne.

I am almost clear of having acne for 4 years. I tyried everything over this time such as many prescribed creams off the doctors as well as two different types of antibiotics and not eating chocolate. Everything worked for a short period but always ended up coming back!

I realised eventually I had tried everything, so I started thinking about what I put in my body. My diet wasn't to bad but I do have quite a sweet tooth. So I decided to eat exact remedy health which by no means is not easy!!!

I must eat on average 6 pieces of veg or fruit a day but the same time I do not eat anything bad for me, such as

Yogurts- they are not as good for you as you think with a lot of sugar in!

Chocolate

Sweets

Cream cakes

Icecream

Anything with a lot of sugar in!

Also I avoid gluten where I can such as buying gluten free bread and when I have a sandwich make sure you put plenty of salad in as well. Last but not least I have one yakult everyday ( light) this is probiotics for this that don't know.

If this dosent work I can guarantee that your cheating somewhere, somewhere even as small as having sugar in your coffee.