Hello everybody. It's my first post in here, though I have been reading quite a lot in the forum in the past.
I'll begin with a not so very short intro: I'm 19 and have had acne since about 14. It started quite normal for my age and has aggravated as I used various soaps and topicals. I was also on Minocycline for about 6 months.
About a year ago, I read about the Caveman regimen and the science behind it and was sold. At first, I stopped using cleansers but continued moisturizing, which helped a bit. Later, I washed with water only and my acne ceased completely! I was quite pleased with the results, but my face was dry and dehydrated, and over a couple of months I've developed small inflamed bumps all over my forehead and on my back..
When that happened I went to the derm, who diagnosed me with keratosis pilaris.. Which is weird because the bumps acted "live", so to speak: It spread from my back to shoulders to chest, and then back again. Also, when it developed I was very stressed, sleep deprived and slept at a shared dormitory.
A month or so afterwards I started getting these horrible papules on my cheeks, which were unlike anything I had before: they were deep inside the skin, would barely come to a head if any, and would sort of just turn into a scalp evantually. They weren't big either, but they turned the entire area around them inflamed. Meanwhile, the back "bumps" traveled to the back of my neck, and became very similar to the papules on my face, but quite itchy.
OK NOW for the bottom line
Thanks you for bearing with me!
I've been reading plenty, and am convinced I have some sort of acne-mimicking infection, in light of these reasons:
1. I was rid of my acne for two months right after quitting cleansers, before it started.
2. My body "bumps" act "live" - travelled from my back to shoulders to chest and then from my back again to my neck.
3. The bumps on my neck, which are similar to those on my face, are itchy.
4. Neither my face nor body "acne" is like anything I've had before.
5. Both body and face "acne" appeared during a stressful, sleep deprived period in which I slept at a public dormitory.
6. My face papules mostly don't come to a head, and seem to come in groups: the worst breakout consisted of 4 adjacent papules, one forming as the former has started to recede.
7. Some of the bumps on my forehead clearly don't consist of a comedone.
I have a derm appointment soon and would like to get tested for folliculitis, though I hardly think she would comply with me having an opinion, especially when every derm around here seems ever so eager to perscribe retinoids and antibiotics.. Any advice regarding my condition based on what I described above or regarding how I should approach my derm would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you very very much!