Hi everyone,

Firstly, thank you for being here. WARRIORS, I am with you, we can do this!!!  - I know the misery and the struggle..:(  

Secondly, I'd like to share with you my journey with acne. An ongoing battle that flares up whenever the skin wants.

- Good to know that I've never had acne until I was 23 years old. Everyone and I mean even strangers asked me what do I do for such smooth, silky and clean face. I was telling the truth: nothing (I washed my face with water and sometimes soap, 1-2 times a week used Nivea creme for moisture, and maaaybeee once in a while -  3 times a year -  a steam bath for the face for max 5 minutes) and I remember that back then I was drinking lots lots of water. I've never eaten lots lots of fast food or junk food - only eating cooked food and sweets  and I am a pretty skinny/slim person even now. So nothing particular with the food back then.

- 23 years old -  first episode of moderate to severe acne break out  and it  lasted me for a couple of months or almost 1 year until I've convinced myself that I need a dermatologist.. POSSIBLE REASONS FOR THIS: STRESSED WITH REAL ISSUES in my life, work and so on, sloppy in eating enough & healthy food, oily products for hair that for sure slipped on my face - so some cosmetic acne/clogged pores as well, more sloppy in taking care of skin - as I mentioned I did nothing for it for almost 23 years besides the above), an anemia that I keep under control, and that's it - the blood tests and gynecological tests showed nothing..

- Also good to know - what worked for me is the following: before I got to the dermatologist, I did the following: I removed any cream/cleanser (was using soft creams from the supermarkets for acne - cause you know I never had any so I said it's something weird, surely will disappear, but neah) that for whatever cause didn't work anyway and I've started on a special regimen: HEALTHY FOOD, SPORT (5 times per week), 0 fast food, 0-25% sugar, nothing fried and lots lots of fruits/vegetables and water. Also enough sleep and tried to be distressed as much as possible. THIS WORKED!  I was living YOUNG and FREE of ACNE again!!  I've started seeing results in 1 month after this regimen (no scars, the acne disappeared smoothly, and clear skin - my clear skin was back!! ). BUT Don't judge me - this regimen means 100% energy, 100% money spent - so, I started to be more lazy about it started to eat fries and another forbidden food, like sugar...so yeah...my acne flared up again - that's when I decided I need a dermatologist.

- Dermatologist prescribed DUAC(clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide) and MASK GEL PLUS (vitamin A and clindamycin) every other night only . IT WORKED! in 3 months I was acne free and it lasted for almost 2 years - I still got 1 pimple there and there but nothing serious - I was using THE ORDINARY NIACINAMIDE AND ZINC serum and felt like my skin was under control in these 2 years.

- 26 years old - second episode of moderate acne (less than the first time - but left scarring without touching it - in the first episode when I got cystic acne I kind of play with it and yea, scars - but here I haven't played at all and actually went to Dermatologist and still got the depressed scars..) - so fewer pimples but more scarring

- Dermatologist prescribed SKINOREN (15% CREAM) and MASK GEL - why? SKINOREN - BECAUSE DUAC was out of the table for me as every time I tried using it even in smaller arrears - my face was red/irritated/itchy like an allergy and SKINOREN IS ALSO AN ANTIBACTERIAN. MASK GEL - 'cause I was kind of skeptical in using ANTIBIOTICS ON FACE FOR TOO LONG AS IT DETROYS YOUR NATURAL FLORA ON THE FACE - THAT'S WHY I HAD THE MASK GEL (NOT MASK GEL PLUS)...but in 1 -3 months the results weren't that good as they were the first time.. 

- INFLAMATION WAS STILL THERE and I still got pimples after 1 month...I started introducing oral supplements ZINC and THE ORDINARY NIACINAMIDE ON THE FACE - better. ZINC MADE THE INFLAMMATION TO GO AWAY IN 2 WEEKS. 

- still I get 2-4 pimples once in a while - I cannot take Zinc anymore cause my blood level of Zinc is higher than normal so I should wait to eliminate the excess - I am still using MASK GEL for the scarring (it has low tretinoin 0.025%) and  cleanser every other night only from CERAVE (the blue one) and THE ORDINARY NIACINAMIDE and some moisturizers ( I had The Ordinary NMF, ROCHE POSAY TOLERAINE SENSITIVE, Cerave Moisturizing Lotion - I only use one, these are the ones that I've tried so far). and SPF 50 from Bioderma! once a week, toners BHA OR AHA from Geek& Gorgeous. 

MY RECOMMENDATIONS AND WHAT I'VE LEARNED SO FAR:

- cleanser are not that good - they may strip off your natural oils even there are gentle cleansers so I am using them with caution;

- moisturize every day 

- have something to destroy the bacteria if you have inflammation ( I am still trying to find out a good product on this, besides oral ZINC and BENZOIL PEROXIDE).

- SPORT - Whatever I like, I just move! 

- HEALTHY HEALTHY FOOD - vegetables, fruit, less meat - meat can be good but only the natural one from the countryside, less sugar - I found out that sugar is the one that triggers inflammation for me, I haven't yet tested the diary...I am just eating cheese and sometimes really seldom yoghurt and some crackers with cheese..; also whey protein was bad, bad for the acne - I think it's one of the reason that I got acne again at 26 years.

- HANDS OFF MY SKIN

- CHANGE MY BED SHEETS FREQUENTLY

-  TRY TO BE MORE STRESS FREE and become the person that I used to be - free of worries and issues

- be careful with whatever I put on my hair - avoid oils!! 

- good moisturizers and products that target your specific issues.

- NIACINAMIDE AND VITAMIN C - Good for hyperpigmentation;

- BENZOYL PEROXIDE AND ZINC - Good for inflamation;

- THERMAL WATER GOOD FOR KEEPING THE SKIN FRESH/CLEAN and full of nutrients.

AND WARRIORS, I have some queries and I am open to your suggestions:

- HAS ANYONE FOUND SILVER BULLET FOR INFLAMATION (SPOT TREATMENT THAT WORKS, CREAM, SERUM WHATEVER, ORAL SUPPLIMENTS THAT DON'T HARM YOU)?

- HAS ANYONE FOUND SILVER BULLET FOR DEPRESSED SCARS? ICE PICK AND BOXCARS ARE THE ISSUES FOR ME.  I am more interested in topicals  first than invasive procedures.

- HAS ANYONE TRIED AND SEE LONG TERM EFFECTS OF AN INVASIVE PROCEDURES (DERMAPEN, TCA CROSS, PEELINGS)? I am pretty scared of those cause all of them are using your body resources - so this means the body should heal after a small trauma (dermapen, laser, tca cross, peeling) and that's how the gap is filled - but how we know that the gap is filling smoothly or there isn't going to be more damaged. I am not sure if in 10 years after such procedures, I will have acne again or somehow my natural barrier will suffer in long term even though they may fill in the gaps.

- ANYONE KNOWS EXACTLY OR HAS A SENSE WHY WE SCAR IN THE FIRST PLACE? WHY OUR BODIES DOESN'T PRODUCE ENOUGH COLLAGEN IN THE FIRST PLACE? (what's exactly missing in our bodies that we cannot do this properly?)

- I AM OPEN TO ANY SUGGESTIONS AND IF YOU THINK I AM DOING SOMETHING WRONG , PLEASE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

Coming back with pictures of my face now.. Don't  be scared, please!

THANK YOU. AND HAVE A NICE DAY/EVENING ALL!