I am pretty much at my wit's end with my skin problems... Looking for any and all help and suggestions and recommendations for dermatologists, allergists, holistic healers, whatever, in the Los Angeles area.

My skin started breaking out when I was 12 years old. I had braces at the time. I am allergic to nickel (as well as wool, cashmere, & fragrance). It was later realized that I was also having an allergic reaction to my braces, which contained nickel.

Over the years, I have been prescribed topical erythromycin, Tazorac, a retina-A cream, topical clindamycin (worked very well for several years), and oral doxycycline. Birth control pills (which I no longer take) did not reduce my acne either.As for OTC treatments, I've tried PanOxyl, ProActiv, Bliss, Kiehl's, Peter Thomas Roth - benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, glycolic acid. Any moisturizer except for Cetaphil makes me break out. Still no solution.

I am currently taking oral doxycycline (not seeing much results & it makes me super nauseous) and have recently begun using tretinoin gel (really dries out my skin). I use philosophy clear days ahead salicylic acid cleanser and occasionally Kiehl's rare earth pore refining mask. This past month I switched from a liquid foundation (Nars Sheer Glow) to pressed powder (Benefit and BareMinerals).

I am now 20 years old and my skin shows no improvement and has actually worsened in the past months. There have been periods of time in which my skin has been almost clear but it is generally always broken out and definitely is now. It is primarily along my jawline with large angry red cysts and smaller ones at my temples. I do not have any idea how to fix this anymore. The doxycycline does not seem to be working and I do not know what else is there left to try.

My mom seems to think that if I simply spend half an hour everyday in the sun, eliminate my stress (ok sure? let me just move to Hawaii and leave behind the pressures of sorority life, maintaining a high GPA, finance career aspirations, etc), and live a "wholesome" life that my skin will magically clear up. 90% of my diet is organic fruits & veggies so I am not sure how much more natural I could even be. On the other hand, my boyfriend seems to think a dermatologist will have "at least 10" solutions for me. (Really sweet when your boyfriend tells you that you need a facial/cosmetic work am I right?)

So, if you were kind enough to read this long background that has led me to this point, please please share any and all suggestions you have. I'll give up gluten and dairy, do something with lasers, eat strange herbs, see your Tibetan healer, carry crystals with me, only shower with ocean water, see a team of fifteen dermatologists, WHATEVER. IT. TAKES.