Hey everyone, this is my first post and I'm at my wits end! I'm 25 and I am sick of having acne. I know that my acne isn't the worst in the world, but it really does bother me. I used to have the occasional big zit when I was in my teens but it was nothing like it is now. It just seems to be getting worse and worse the older I get.
I have cystic acne. It's always around my chin and mouth and I have loads of red marks that just aren't going away. More recently I'm getting delightful cysts with whiteheads on top which is new and ugly. And I have tiny little pimples on my chin which gives it a rough feel and appearance.
I™ve been on the combined contraceptive pill for ten years. I have tried lymecyline, oxytetracyline, every kind of topical treatment under the sun which always just burnt my skin. I saw a dermatologist two years ago and went on trimethoprim for 8 months and found that it really worked but my GP told me to stop taking it as I couldn't take it forever. My acne came straight back with a vengeance. I've started trimethoprim again and have been on it for two months but it's not working as well as last time.
I've been doing the fairy free diet for 3 weeks and I think I've seen a minor change but not enough really. I gave up all refined sugar for the whole of January but that made no difference. I eat healthily, lots of fruit and veg and nuts, take a healthy skin vitamin supplement. I do have a bit of a weakness for biscuits but generally I™m pretty good. I exercise regularly, I wash my face with tea tree products and only wash gently in the sink and use clean tissue to dry. I cleanse, tone, apply tea tree and moisturise. I wear makeup when I go out (otherwise I wouldn™t leave the house!) but not tonnes of it.
Unfortunately my job is pretty stressful and I do long hours and night shifts so my sleep/eat pattern is sometimes out of whack but there™s nothing I can do about it.
I don™t really know what to do next! If the dairy free diet hasn™t worked within 30 days should I carry on a bit longer or give it up? Any other advice? Sorry about the rant!
2.5% BP might be just the thing for you. Have you tried it?? My son cleared all his severe cystic acne using 2.5% BP (the Acne.Org Regimen), along with 100 mgs minocycline. An antibiotic can really help calm things down by killing acne bacteria from within, while the Acne.Org Regimen tackles acne bacteria from the outside. Sometimes a 2-prong approach is necessary for really stubborn acne.
As for the dairy-free diet, give it time. These things can sometimes take awhile to see results. But if this isn't helping, then safe to say that dairy probably isn't causing the acne.
Hope this is helpful! 
Yes, give the dairy free diet AT LEAST 3 months. If you don't see results after that time period, then move on. You've got to let your body fully detoxify itself. Your acne looks hormonal since it is localized in the chin region, and cystic(I used to have the same issue). If it is hormonal then topical products will not do much for your skin., that type of acne needs to be treated within. Specifically,whatcleanser,toner, and moisturizerdo you use? Do you have sensitive skin at all? Answer those questions and I'll help you the best I can. You can message me if you want to talk one on one. I was on Accutane but it didn't fully clear me up so I can offer you a lot of advice, but it's too much to write here. Best of luck to you. My acne was 100x worse than yours and I'm now mostly clear(1 or 2 pimples here and there), so just stay positive, it WILL get better. I know it sounds hard, but try not to stress about it too much, it will only make things worse.
Just repeat the mantra "This too shall pass." over and over when you are feeling down, because it will.
Thanks guys for your kind words of wisdom!
I am on the contraceptive pill, have been for 10 years... on cilest (also called Lizinna) and I'm already taking an antibiotic (trimethoprim).
3 months?! Argh that's so long! I will definitely keep going though. I have tried topical treatment- tried BP many years ago, also retin-a and a few others. All they seem to do is burn off the top layer of my skin and leave me red and raw but do nothing to treat the cyst underneath.
I have got fairly sensitive skin. I use body shop tea tree cleanser and tea tree or seaweed toner. I target treat with tea tree oil every other day. I moisturise with body shop aloe vera day/night cream which is for sensitive skin and isn't meant to block your pores. I don't go overboard with moisturiser though, especially on my chin. Does this give you any more ideas Monroe?
I'm trying not to let it stress me out but I'm getting married in four months and all I keep thinking about is being a spotty bride! Especially as I'm getting more whiteheads now which aren't as easy to hide! xx
Okay, I checked the ingredients of the products you use, and there are a lot of known irritants listed. Since you have sensitive skin and acne this is no bueno. The best thing you can do for you skin(aside from eating healthier), is to let it heal itself and right now you are interfering with the healing process by putting irritating products on your face. I know that a lot of companies market themselves as "natural", but in reality a lot of themaren't. Ifyou read the ingredient list, you will see that,a lot of timesthe chemicals usedare actually quite harmful for your skin. I have the same type of acne as you, and the way that I finally cleared it is by not putting irritating products on it. Even if a product is non-comedogenic, that doesn't mean it won't further irritate your acne. All non-comedogenic means is the product won't clog your pores. But, irritation makes our type of acne SO much worse and as a result, it can't heal itself. I would suggest you change your entire face routine. For a cleanser, either buy a Konjac sponge(I like the activated charcoal infused one) or "Ju Ju Bar" by DrunkElephant. If you buy the Konjac sponge you don't need to by a separate cleanser with it(the sponge itself cleanses your skin) and it is only around 8 bucks. If you haven't heard of it before, google it, it's amazing and so gentle. For a toner, I would recommend Thayer's alcohol-free witch hazelwith rose petal. You can get it atAmazon. For a moisturizer, I'd recommend the Wonder Seed'sfacial cream, or Toogga's 100% desert date oil(anti-microbial, and very soothing).