Vkey, thank you for that advice! I think this whole acne mess started because of the generic form of birth control I was on. I want to wait at least a year on spiro while my hormones all balance out before I introduce something new like birth control. I will ask about the Diane 35 though. I agree, I think staying long-term on antibiotics is a bad idea.
Skin is red/scarred pretty bad, it looks like the aftermath of a battlefield (and in ways it is). A week before I hit the four-month mark. Still ways to go. My concentration is on still trying to live my life and enjoy things without this all ruining it. Because it has for so long. It still does in some ways, so I am trying to work through that. I hope the fincea helps with some scarring. Thanks to everyone who has left helpful comments on here! Especially Tracy and Valerie! You two keep my spirits up in that I will get through this. Especially with this recent cystic outbreak. Mouth and neck areas are horrible.
Side question, has spiro helped at all with blackheads? The ones on my nose seem to be permanent. I've had them for years, and I have tried everything, but they do not budge!
Hey kirks! Just wanted to say glad you are hanging in there. You been using the epiduo the last few days? Any luck on those bigger cysts? I hope you got out this weekend and got to do something fun but then again I know the anxiety can make that it hard to do that.
So do you have indented scars or just red marks? I have been doing different laser treatments and just want you to know there is hope and once the red marks are gone everything else will look better too!
I have one blackhead on my jawline that i cant seem to get rid of so i dont think spiro helps those deep seated ones but i know a good esthetician will be able to extract that for you so when you clear up you can go see one.
You seem to be in better spirits today so thats good! Just try to be positive and know things are going to work out for you somehow, someway.
Hey Tracy!
I am doing better, trying to keep my mind focused on other things. I really am still upset about my appearance. I will remain patient, as I do think the medicine is helping. Cysts take forever to fade/go down. I do not think my skin/scars are pitted, they are more just red/darkened areas. I think stopping the tazorac was the right call--so thank you to all who warned me about the retinoids. Epiduo seems to be working better. It dries my skin out a bit, so I only use it to spot treat and use aveeno and aquaphor to moisturize. Going to get bloodwork done later this week to check my potassium levels. Haven't noticed too many side effects from spiro. My period has always been irregular, so that is not a huge change for me.
The blackheads on my nose are so atrocious. Nothing works, and I do not understand! My derm tried extracting them, but it did not really help, so I am at a loss of where to go/what to do concerning them. This whole acne journey has really brought down my self confidence/esteem. It never was particularly high to begin with, but now with the cysts, it has hit an all time low. It is difficult to see anything worth liking in the mirror. Something else for me to work on, I know. Just had to vent a bit.
Hey Tracy!
I am doing better, trying to keep my mind focused on other things. I really am still upset about my appearance. I will remain patient, as I do think the medicine is helping. Cysts take forever to fade/go down. I do not think my skin/scars are pitted, they are more just red/darkened areas. I think stopping the tazorac was the right call--so thank you to all who warned me about the retinoids. Epiduo seems to be working better. It dries my skin out a bit, so I only use it to spot treat and use aveeno and aquaphor to moisturize. Going to get bloodwork done later this week to check my potassium levels. Haven't noticed too many side effects from spiro. My period has always been irregular, so that is not a huge change for me.
The blackheads on my nose are so atrocious. Nothing works, and I do not understand! My derm tried extracting them, but it did not really help, so I am at a loss of where to go/what to do concerning them. This whole acne journey has really brought down my self confidence/esteem. It never was particularly high to begin with, but now with the cysts, it has hit an all time low. It is difficult to see anything worth liking in the mirror. Something else for me to work on, I know. Just had to vent a bit.
Don't underestimate those nose pore strips. I first exfoliate my skin with a scrub and then thoroughly wet the nose and slap a Biore strip on there. Make sure when you press it on that you press straight down. Don't press and slide, or it doesn't stick to the blackheads as well.
P.S. are you taking vitamin D3? I had a big breakthrough with taking those in my pre-spiro days. I still take D3 every day. I learned that it the D3 conversion process from sun exposure happens in the oils of your skin and it takes about 72 hours. That means that if you went out in the sun you would only get the D3 from it if you limited your showers to once every 3 days..gross. I take 5,000 - 10,000 IU of D3 daily. It's a pro-hormone that really helps the skin.
Hey Tracy!
I am doing better, trying to keep my mind focused on other things. I really am still upset about my appearance. I will remain patient, as I do think the medicine is helping. Cysts take forever to fade/go down. I do not think my skin/scars are pitted, they are more just red/darkened areas. I think stopping the tazorac was the right call--so thank you to all who warned me about the retinoids. Epiduo seems to be working better. It dries my skin out a bit, so I only use it to spot treat and use aveeno and aquaphor to moisturize. Going to get bloodwork done later this week to check my potassium levels. Haven't noticed too many side effects from spiro. My period has always been irregular, so that is not a huge change for me.
The blackheads on my nose are so atrocious. Nothing works, and I do not understand! My derm tried extracting them, but it did not really help, so I am at a loss of where to go/what to do concerning them. This whole acne journey has really brought down my self confidence/esteem. It never was particularly high to begin with, but now with the cysts, it has hit an all time low. It is difficult to see anything worth liking in the mirror. Something else for me to work on, I know. Just had to vent a bit.
Don't underestimate those nose pore strips. I first exfoliate my skin with a scrub and then thoroughly wet the nose and slap a Biore strip on there. Make sure when you press it on that you press straight down. Don't press and slide, or it doesn't stick to the blackheads as well.
P.S. are you taking vitamin D3? I had a big breakthrough with taking those in my pre-spiro days. I still take D3 every day. I learned that it the D3 conversion process from sun exposure happens in the oils of your skin and it takes about 72 hours. That means that if you went out in the sun you would only get the D3 from it if you limited your showers to once every 3 days..gross. I take 5,000 - 10,000 IU of D3 daily. It's a pro-hormone that really helps the skin.
Hi--I actually started taking vitamin D3 about a month ago. Interesting to learn more about the process! I also take Lysine and Zinc, Vitamin C, A, E. Also iron supplements because I am a bit anemic.
What scrub do you use to exfoliate? I've tried the biore strips before without much success, but maybe I'll run to the drugstore later this week and pick some up and try again. I would press and slide, so that is good to know now not to do that in the future. These blackheads really have become irritating, and they are so noticeable.
I am still battling one cyst around my mouth. The lil bugger is so easily irritated, as it is an area that is easily touched (eating/drinking). I think the fincea is helping on some of the red marks, so that made me feel hopeful! I bought Clean and clear blackhead exfoliate to use on my nose and some more biore strips, so hopefully those work!
well things sound better except for that one cyst. when do you go back to the derm? i am sure you probably want to get that sucker injected and have it be gone. those ones near the mouth are just so awful because they hurt so damn bad. i feel for you on that. any luck with the biore strips?
Four months in. My chin is a mess. I still am battling that one cyst/red mark next to my lip. Now tiny pimples are blooming along my chin, with two giant (and as of tonight, pulsing) cysts. Can't see a derm until October so will not be able to get them injected. Miserable. I just want clear skin. One pops up, it leaves a red mark lasting months, then three more cysts follow suit. Not in a good place right now. My mouth/chin region is awful looking, and so visible. No make-up will cover this up.
Hi Kirks,
I've been following your log since beginning. I know exactly how you feel. Last 3 months have been utter hell for me. I breakout every single day. Stuff starts to heal and a new batch just follows. I cry almost everyday, I hate going out.
Every time I think i'm going to get a break, something awful arises. Was feeling "ok" last cpl of days, woke up this morning with one of the biggest cysts I've ever had, its horrible. I also have one under my eye that is freaking me out. Have a few small zits, and red marks that are taking forever to heal. I hate the way I look.
I'm going to call derm and beg to get in for shots today, I was just there last Thursday. So frustrating. I started spiro last Monday, i'm so hoping it will be my cure. Hopefully the both of us will be happier soon.
Hang in there and know you are not alone!
Hey Shadylee,
While it is nice to have company (which misery loves), I wish you weren't going through this as well. It is an ongoing journey with plenty of ups and downs. Keep me updated with your spiro journey! Support is what is helping me get through this (thank you Tracy!!).
I got a tattoo touched up recently, so I used A&D on it for the first few days of healing, and figured I might try it on my face in healing some of the cysts and red marks. I think it might help, and it doesn't seem to be hurting. It also keeps my face moisturized as sometimes the BP will tend to dry it up pretty bad (learning less is more).
I'm still figuring out how to get rid of these blackheads, I have not seen any improvement there, not with the exfoliant nor biore strips. Any suggestions?
Hi kirks 
,
Hopefully both of us will soon be not miserable! Isn't the support here great?? I don't know what I wld do without it!
Wish I had some advice about blackheads for you, that's the one kind of acne I rarely get.. Once in a while i'll get a cpl stubborn ones on my cheeks..of course I fiddle with them. It will take me a couple of days of manipulating them, but after a shower i'm able to pop them out.
How is your skin doing? Any improvement?
Welp. Time flies. It has been over four months on Spiro!
Tomorrow I plan on making some big changes in my life. I have gotten sloppy during these past few months. I have been so concentrated on the look of my skin, I have let that affect every other area in my life, and it has just fallen apart. I stopped working out because I hated being in public, I want that to change. I like to run and walk, I will start doing that again. Going to the beach! Taking dogs out walking. Also, making better eating decisions. I want to be more aware of what I am putting into my body. My face is still looking like a battlefield with all the redness/scars and pimples popping up, so I want to do what is best for it. I won't be able to follow a strict regimen of health because I like to have fun, and I love chocolate (non-negotiable in giving that up, like ever).
Still dealing with these blackheads without any luck. Will be seeing the derm in a few weeks, so hopefully she can recommend something. I will be going off of keflex soon, and I am super nervous about that. I don't want to break out in cysts after stopping! My derm wants me to stop cold turkey in two weeks. :/ feeling nervous about that. Ughh. I'm stressing myself out already. I just want healthy and good-looking skin.
Hi Kirks,
Me too..have really let my skin take over my whole life. I used to walk/jog 5 1/2 miles almost everyday. We have a great lake near us with a walk path which is so pretty, I also have a treadmill. Last couple of months I've had zero desire to exercise. Yesterday got on the treadmill for an hour and loved it, felt so good..I was feeling good bc thought my skin was doing ok..
Woke up this morning, skin was horrible.. Went and got cortisone shots. Im home now and i'm trying to convince myself to exercise. I cant believe I let my skin effect everything I do. I wish I wldnt let it dictate my life, unfortunately I do.
I'm happy to hear you're going to make changes, i'm loving your attitude, hopefully I can get there too
I totally get how you both feel I did the same thing almost 2 years ago when my skin was really bad. I just stopped exercising, talking to friends, going out etc. I cried every single day and prayed to god that the nightmare would end and that spiro would work for me. After I got clear I was so crazy happy until I noticed all the scarring which almost pushed me over the edge. It probably took me until a year later to get back to feeling a bit normal and seeing all my friends again and stuff. I still feel weird when I am outside around people but its slowly getting easier. It's so crazy though I remember thinking before all of that mess that my face wasn't that great because I had a few red marks and oh man I would kill to go back to that time and just enjoy life and smack myself for being so crazy about things. Anyway what I am trying to get at is that at some point you will both get clear and then you can slowly start picking up the pieces and enjoying life again.
The only advice I can give to you is to just force yourself to work anyway and try to go out and enjoy life as much as you can for now. Don't become a recluse because later on it just gets harder and harder to see people. I know that things are going to get better though and that one day this whole mess will be a distant memory. Hugs to you both!
Tracy,
Thanks so much for the support...Trying so hard not to become a recluse. I'm pretty good on the weekends, I'll go out with the hubby and do stuff. During the week I basically only get out for work. I only work 2 to 3 days a week, and thank god I work for my best friend. I've called out a couple of times, but now she urges me to go in. Shes so supportive. I just cant stand going in public looking the way I do. I'm 47 years old and I get so embarrassed. My skin was never been this bad and chronic till a few months ago, Its so frustrating to wonder why..
I'm so scared spiro isn't going to work for me, that's my biggest fear. I'm only 2 weeks in so I have a long journey ahead of me..i'm so hoping it gets a tiny bit better in a month or so. I'm not even looking for perfect skin anymore..i just wld love for the cysts to stop.
I've been pretty lucky abt scarring, my skin heals pretty well. I've notice last cpl of years tho it takes sooo much longer for the red marks to go away. Also some of the cortisone shots have left tiny holes, not sure if they will heal or not.
I'm sooo happy that spiro has worked for you, and happy that going out has gotten easier for you!
I can totally relate with you all. When my acne was worse in the beginning of this year I completley gave up on even looking presentable. I became so depressed I would not see friends or family and stay home to just sleep. I don't care what anyone says dealing with acne is one of the most difficult things. I wish you the best and I'm still following your log. Hope that spiro is really working for you and that weaning of keflex makes no adverse effect on your skin!
Welp. Time flies. It has been over four months on Spiro!
Tomorrow I plan on making some big changes in my life. I have gotten sloppy during these past few months. I have been so concentrated on the look of my skin, I have let that affect every other area in my life, and it has just fallen apart. I stopped working out because I hated being in public, I want that to change. I like to run and walk, I will start doing that again. Going to the beach! Taking dogs out walking. Also, making better eating decisions. I want to be more aware of what I am putting into my body. My face is still looking like a battlefield with all the redness/scars and pimples popping up, so I want to do what is best for it. I won't be able to follow a strict regimen of health because I like to have fun, and I love chocolate (non-negotiable in giving that up, like ever).
Still dealing with these blackheads without any luck. Will be seeing the derm in a few weeks, so hopefully she can recommend something. I will be going off of keflex soon, and I am super nervous about that. I don't want to break out in cysts after stopping! My derm wants me to stop cold turkey in two weeks. :/ feeling nervous about that. Ughh. I'm stressing myself out already. I just want healthy and good-looking skin.
have you tried jojoba oil? I know it sounds crazy but I've been using it in combination with salicylic acid for only a few days and I've already seen an improvement in my blackheads! Apparently it has a similar consistency to the natural sebum we produce so its really good at unclogging and dissolving all the trapped oils and dirt in our pores. I first found out about it from this article
Hope this helps Good luck!
You may want to look into some natural mood support. That's not what you want to hear or do, I get it, you feel like I am depressed because of the acne so I should be focusing on the cause and fix the acne, then I can work on being happy.
Problem is the mind likes to reinforce whatever loop it's on. Once you get into a negative loop it is really hard to get out of, even if you fixed the problem that you got you in that rut in the first place. You're in a sort of "negative equilibrium" right now and it's really dangerous to stay there.
If you can try to take a supplement or two that helps with mood and have faith that the spiro is going to work, then you won't waste 9 months of your life waiting for your skin to clear up. And when it does clear up, you won't be such a negative recluse that you can't even enjoy it. Believe me....even after I was 100% clear I felt WORSE about my skin than when I'd started, because I spent such a long time feeling horrible about it. I just ended up transferring that negative energy on to my scars or unrelated body parts that weren't perfect.
5-HTP at night (100mg - 200mg) helps me fall asleep, improves my digestion, and gives me a positive boost by morning. I use this fast-dissolve form at night because you kind of suck on it and let it dissolve in your mouth. It gets into your system much faster that way than swallowing a pill.
Remember too that unfortunately our mood does show up on the skin. Just that little bit of added internal stress you get from feeling this way may prevent your endocrine system from balancing out. Getting your day-to-day feelings at a better place may get rid of the acne faster.
Hi all!
Sooooo computer troubles has kept me logged out of here for awhile, and school has kept me busy.
Still oily, but I can deal with that with oil pads. My blackheads on my nose are driving me nuts, so still battling with that and hoping to find a solution soon. I see my derm this Friday, so I will ask her about that. I am going to stop taking keflex soon, and I am nervous hoping my face will stay clear. I still have a few spots that pop up here and there, but I am coping better. Working on the fading redmarks, but I think the fincea is helping. Hoping all goes well with my derm on Friday!!
Hi Kirks,
It sounds like you're doing much better, I am so happy for you! Your attitude sounds really good, its great you've been keeping busy.
Hopefully your derm will be able to help you with those pesky blackheads. I know its pretty scary thinking about coming off the Keflex, but I bet you will be fine, you have a good amount of time with spiro under your belt, I bet its working its magic.
Keep up the good work. I'm sooo happy to hear that you're doing well..puts a big smile on my face!
Wow--what a journey. It is still ongoing! Currently I have two pimples residing on my forehead (above my inner right eyebrow). They have taken up that spot for almost a week and a half now, driving me crazy. Scars are slowly fading (I think), but my blackheads are still booming. Keep your fingers crossed, but I have not had super painful cystic outbreaks. I will be off of keflex in a couple of weeks now and just on 100mg/day of Spiro.
Life has been absolutely hectic for me these past months. I know that has not helped the quality of my skin especially because I have been experiencing sleeping problems. Melotonin doesn't help much. Does anyone have suggestions for that or dark circles or blackhead removal (still)?
I have been thinking of all the kind support I have received during these times. Especially Tracy! I am happy my life has somewhat calmed down enough that I can sit back and appreciate how far I have come in this journey with spiro. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Hi Kirks!
I actually had asked Tracy if she had talked to you bc I was dying to know how you were doing. I am sooo happy that you're doing good! What a journey this is. Very up and down.
I'm glad that things are calming down for you. Its also great to hear that you've had no cysts, yayyyyy!!!
The support here is fantastic, would go crazy without it.
Hope things continue to go well for you! xo
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