Hello, I was wondering if somebody can help me out with my acne.
24
Male
White
I have included some pictures of the acne.
I've had this kind of acne since 2010. It was never huge acne, but it's getting to the point where my scars are adding up and I want to fix it soon.
I've never had acne in in High School. I just got the usual pimp every now and then. But at the start of my 2nd year of college (age 19, year 2010), is when I started to get it, which I find odd.
I only really get it on my cheeks. I might get little on my chin or the skin to the outside of my eyes. I rarely get it on my forehead or elsewhere on my body. The ones on my cheeks don't heal as well. I put a green circle of an area of acne that I had for a couple of weeks that won't heal well. And a blue circle at a part of my acne (had it for week, maybe two) outside my eye that shows it is healing pretty well.
Also, other thing that I notice is that the skin of my cheeks tend to get drier quicker than anywhere else on my body. For example, I can take a shower and vigorously wash and scrub my entire body with soap, and it still won't feel dry at all. But if I just use water on my face, no soap at all, and tap it dry with a towel, my face feels dry.
Here are some things I plan on trying (Let me know what you think and if you have any other recommendations):
1) I was reading some pages (on here and elsewhere) saying that cheek acne can be linked to digestion issues. So I thought I would give this colon cleanse/detox supplement and this Parasite cleanse a try:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NTIYWVS/
http://www.amazon.com/Parasite-Cleanse-Humans-Infection-Goldenseal/dp/B00M7M3UMO/
2) I've read some articles on "ClearSkinForever" that recommended these vitamin/mineral supplements:
Vitamin D:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0032BH76O/
Zinc:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00020IGLI/
Cod Liver Oil:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004QC7H9A/
I eat one (Maybe two pieces) of meat a day, so I don't think I am getting enough Zinc, so I will take the full recommended amount. I never eat Liver, so I will be sure to get the full amount. As far as Vitamin D, I will take the dosage when I know I didn't get enough sun for that day
Any other vitamins/minerals I should try while I am at it?
Things that I have already tried or do right now:
- Coconut Oil as a topical. It didn't do anything and didn't make things worse.
- Jason's Vitamin E Cream, it didn't do anything and didn't make things worse. I still use it as a moisturizer.
- Been eating healthier for about 3-4 weeks. Lots of fruits, veggies, healthy nuts, olive oil, water. No fast food, sodas, candy, greasy foods, added sugar. Not much improvement to my skin, but I feel better physically.
- Working out and being active
- Keep clean pillowcases and sheets
- Different face washes, nothing noticeable made the acne better or worse (some caused more dryness than others).
- I get 8+ hours of sleep in a dark room. There might be exceptions where I get 5-7 hours of sleep, but it doesn't happen much.
- I drink lots of water (tap water usually, but for what it's worth I live in a city that has one of the best tap water in the USA).
- A cut out all dairy 5 days ago minus 2 slices of whole wheat bread.
- My skin tends to look better when I go on vacation to a beach, so I'm guessing salt water and sun does me some good, but it's too bad I don't live near a beach.
I'm not sure what is causing this...... but a few ideas:
- I have a habit of biting the inside of my cheeks. I'm not sure if this can be the problem? Because I bite the inside part of my lips too and I never get acne on the top and bottom of my lips. Has biting the inside of your mouth ever been linked to acne?
- Fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash? I've heard fluoride can cause acne. It sounds easy to switch tooth paste and mouthwash, but what about the fluoride in the water?
- Lack of certain vitamins, which is why I plan on getting those supplements
- Digestion issues, which is why I want to try those detox and cleansing supplements.
Any help is really appreciated, and I am sorry for the long post! But I wanted to be as detailed as I could.
Well, tap water is still bad for you and your digestive system even if it's the best in the nation. (The worst in the nation is absolute shit. trust me.) And I wouldn't use face wash either. Face wash seems like a necessity, but wouldn't need it if you didn't have acne, so it might mess with your results if you use it now.
Eating healthier is great, but it might not help if you don't know anything about your body's issues. You could have developed chemical sensitivities which are in some of the foods that you are eating, so it may not be helping with your acne.
The best thing to do is just to get tested for this stuff. saves you time and money.
Hi Scott,
I'm actually envious of your skin - it looks really good apart from the little bumps!!
Why don't you try putting Dan's benzoyl peroxide on the zits, not too much, just a dab on the spot and let it dry before you sleep every night?
It may cause a bit of dryness and peeling (only on the spot) then it should be good. You can use mandelic acid too, as for the overall face, but it might cause more breakouts in the first week - like cystic zits - and then after 3-4 weeks, your skin will become clearer. I'm using that now - but for a different reason (I had pityrosporum and it's tougher than ordinary zits!) and I love how smooth the skin is the next morning!
I think overall, your skin is great!!
Hi Scott,
I'm actually envious of your skin - it looks really good apart from the little bumps!!
Why don't you try putting Dan's benzoyl peroxide on the zits, not too much, just a dab on the spot and let it dry before you sleep every night?
It may cause a bit of dryness and peeling (only on the spot) then it should be good. You can use mandelic acid too, as for the overall face, but it might cause more breakouts in the first week - like cystic zits - and then after 3-4 weeks, your skin will become clearer. I'm using that now - but for a different reason (I had pityrosporum and it's tougher than ordinary zits!) and I love how smooth the skin is the next morning!
I think overall, your skin is great!!
Thanks. I know it's not that bad, but I just don't like the fact that over so many years, these bumps are going to leave lot of scars. Plus, I have a habit at rubbing and picking at scabs and acne. Sometimes it's really hard to stop because I can do it in my sleep without noticing it.
As far as the benzoyl peroxide, I never tried this. Are you saying since my acne is not that bad, I should I just use the peroxide without the whole regime (the cleanser and moisturizer)?
Yup, no need for the whole regimen - just order a small benzoyl peroxide tube and use it as a spot-on dab.
Just one dollop - no need to rub it in, just lightly dab it so the whole spot is covered in a snow-like BP - leave it to dry and then sleep at night.
Just remember to use an old CLEAN pillowcase as the BP WILL bleach the fabric!!
You'll see the zits flatten the next morning and some peeling will occur - though it's not that bad, just a dry peel OFF the zit itself and voila smooth new skin will appear.
Sometimes, it MAY leave a dark discolouration - but this will fade within a week (thanks to the peeling).
All the best!