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Hi, I'm 19, have had mild to moderate acne for about 3 years and I have had enough.
It has got to the point where I only get one pimple at a time. I used to get two or three but I have limited dairy and sugar, deep clean my nose once a week (cleared up my nose 80%) and I have good hygiene.
I may only get one pimple at a time, but they are always on my chin and ALWAYS blind/cystic ones. The ones that hurt and last for weeks. They start as small white, and sometimes black tiny bumps, then they start to hurt and become huge and inflamed within 24hrs. Once one goes, another comes up, WITHOUT FAIL.
I have got to the point now where I just want to give up and have been breaking down and crying about this more and more recently. From the age of 16 I can only even remember being happy a few times, I have no friends any more (granted they were dicks to abandon me), and I am EXTREMELY self-concious. I don't even leave the house anymore because I always have some big red mark on my face somewhere. I know it might sound trivial to some of you that are experiencing much more severe forms of acne than this, but I promise you this is hurting me just the same.
I have tried pretty much everything but antibiotics/accutane etc. and have come to accept that this is hormonal?. I cleanse with cetaphil, and use salicylic mouisturiser on my chin and nose twice a day (BP on nose before bed).
What do I do?
I have been lurking these forums for a long, long time and I want to say thank you to everyone that has helped me whether it was inadvertent or not. I have never really spoke about this, thanks for anyone who took the time to hear me out.
If you suspect its hormonal, look into natural supplements for men. Also, if you can afford it, going to see a naturopath may be helpful.
Thank you for your reply. I have tried numerous things to naturally balance my hormones, mainly dietary. Still no luck. Do you think it is worth looking into accutane? I know the use of the drug for anything less than moderate/severe is a controversial topic (although I may be misinformed about this).
If you suspect its hormonal, look into natural supplements for men. Also, if you can afford it, going to see a naturopath may be helpful.
Thank you for your reply. I have tried numerous things to naturally balance my hormones, mainly dietary. Still no luck. Do you think it is worth looking into accutane? I know the use of the drug for anything less than moderate/severe is a controversial topic (although I may be misinformed about this).
Accutane is a tough drug and even though I had great success with it, my acne came back. Some people get away with no permanent side effects and others aren't so lucky. You need to definitely weigh the pros and the cons. If you've mainly tried dietary stuff, look into hormonal supplements. Sometimes it gives an extra boost. The hormonal forum may be able to give you better details.
Hi Jake,
Your post made me so sad! I feel for you. My advice is: don't bother with antibiotics, even if they work temporarily they do nothing long-term, which is kind of the point. I've taken them all and none have helped. Accutane is a wonder drug but stick to low doses. I had a gung-ho doc put me on 40mg to start and I had to stop due to eye complications at 6 weeks, the acne came right back. It's definitely worth considering if you are really frustrated and really have tried everything, but tread carefully.
That said, have you tried a topical retinoid? Your topical regimen could definitely be taken up a notch with some prescription topicals unless you have super-delicate skin. I have found that the only thing that helps me is topical tretonin, its a first-line defense against acne and works well for a lot of people. The only thing you risk in trying it is irriated skin and potentially an initial purge (though I did not really experience anything ohter than some peeling). Aczone and Finacea are also both really good topicals that you can use in the AM with a retinoid at night to beef up your results. I've used both in the past but can't source them in my new country, and especially liked aczone, which is a super-new drug that's especially good for hormonal acne.
I have tried everything under the sun in terms of natural treatments and hormone balancers and I can tell you that its all a bunch of crock besides cutting dairy and sugar and eating a generally healthy diet. don't go down the natural rabbit hole too far, it is crazy-making and can get REALLY expensive (i spent hundreds on naturopaths and supplements and organic foods before i woke up and smelled the pachouli)
Good luck!!