Strictly Dan's Regimen

[abby 0]

thanks to everyone for supporting me throughout this whole process. i'm still going to update, with pictures.

toria -- my main purpose in this whole process was to let people see my progress. i had a hard time reading through other posts without seeing pictures.... that's why i decided to make mine different. i'm really happy to hear so much positive feedback and i wish this much success for everyone.

last week i graduated from duke university and i had my first job interview this morning. having clear skin has made me WAY more confident i am forever in debt to this website and dan's regimen.

but don't worry, i'll keep posting

[AngelaJo 0]

ABBY YOU LOOK SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!

I know I've never posted before, but I've been keeping track of your progress since the beginning. You look fabulous!

Just one comment... That must be a super bright yellow shirt the way it's glowing on your face!!! j/k!

Good luck with your job hunt!

[Pat07 0]

Abby:

=D> CONGRATULATIONS!! I cannot believe my eyes on this latest set of pictures! What happened?? You must be wearing makeup in this latest set!! (Just kidding.)

Abby, can you fill everyone in on exactly what you're present regimen has been (how many fingers worth of BP, how much moisturizer (1x or 2x per day?), etc.) You started the regimen about 6 months ago, so it took 6 months? Or would you say less time since you restarted once or twice?? What did you do differently on this most recent round that worked so well?? Are you using a lot more BP than you did during the first two false-starts??

What else are you doing besides BP? I read your old posts and it said you were using the tape method too (how often?)--is that still the case or when did you stop taping?

I can't help but wonder if the proactive BP did better for you than Neutrogena? Your most recent progress seems that something else happened....I read you gave up soft-drinks? Is that still the case or when did you start drinking soft-drinks again? You were discussing Vita-K in one of your posts (but I didn't sense from the post that you use Vita-K, is that correct?)

One of your posts said your sister grew out of her acne when she hit the age you are right now, so I must admit that it crossed my mind that maybe you just grew out of it over the past several months at 22?

Oh well...Congratulations again and I hope you can share more details!! Good luck on your interviews!

[nyygiants4444 0]

Wow, your face looks excellent. Your results really make me wanna drop my current regimen (tazorac, clindagel, doryx) and go on Dans. Last night i tried putting some 2.5% BP on a problem side burn area, and i put tazorac on the rest of my face like i usually do. When i woke up, the side burn spot looked fine, no new breakouts or anything. I just want to come off tazorac because it hasnt made me 100% clear, and because id rather go in the sun with BP than tazorac.

[abby 0]

alright Pat, I'm going to try to outline my exact regimen and answer all your questions

first, no i'm not wearing makeup even when i do it's not that much, i'll post a picture of myself right before i go out (makeup and all). since i'm an athlete i don't have time for primping.

how long did it take me to get clear?

December 2002 - i started using BP and initially i cleared up and my skin tone was much better, but i was still getting breakouts here and there.

February 28, 2003 - i started getting more strict about my regimen. also, i stopped using moisturizer. my face gets pretty oily, so the BP didn't dry me out that much.

April 28, 2003 - i started using Proactiv lotion instead of neutrogena BP. i was up to about 1 and 1/4 finger when i switched over to using the Proactiv. the Proactiv is not drying, so my face was pretty greasy when i used it (even though it seemed to work).

maybe the Proactiv worked for me because it had some moisturizer in it and i needed that. when i go back to the BP i'll use the moisturizer and let you know what happens.

as far as the tape method, i did it twice and didn't see any difference. i never used vita-k i was just contemplating it. i don't think i have that many obvious scars from acne. my freckles mask most of them.

acne has always been a come and go thing for me. i never had it as severe as my sister (who's now 33), but it was always there. my parents were hesitant about putting me on medication (like tetracycline... even though i was for a short period of time). i was looking for an "over-the-counter" solution, and i found it through this website.

it's been 7 years with acne and i hope this is the end. i may have grown out of it... it might have been the regimen, but i'm not complaining.

[yo 0]

ABBY =D> ! your face looks GREAT! that's such an amazing improvement and I am SO happy for you! It's hard to tell you do you have any marks left on your face at-all? Or is it completely clear of traces of acne?

[nessa 0]

Well done Abby :D/

Your skin looks F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C. You've given a lot of people ( including me) a lot of hope.

Vanessa xxx

[abby 0]

Thanks for all the compliments. I'm sorry I haven't posted any pictures lately, but i'm busy trying to start a life here in Florida. I took some on the webcam since I don't have to worry about uploading. The only problem was that the lighting in this room is HORRIBLE and makes me look red and weird. So, once you get past that..... remember that I have freckles.

These pictures show the red spots that I still have. There are no pimples, and all of this can be covered up by makeup and you can't even tell they are there. I'll try to get some normal pictures up soon.

[jcal88 0]

I'm so amazed. Thanks for posting those!! Congratulations- it totally reinstates my faith in this!!! My skin is slowly getting there- lol. and it's nice to see the pictures!!! Congrats and good luck with everything!

[abby 0]

Alright Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have not jumped ship just yet.... I will still be posting pictures and progress Because I think it is JUST AS IMPORTANT for people to see continued success as it is improvement. Here are some pictures from today, coupled with the pictures from December.

BEFORE AND AFTER SHOTS

let me know what you think!!!

[THX 1]

Looking awesome

[Pat07 0]

=D> Abby: Fantastic again!

Questions for you: On May 20th you posted that you were completely clear (and you have been proving it with pics)...but, have you had any new facial break-outs since then? If so how often, how many, how severe? I'm just wondering if "completely clear" means you don't get ANY new blemishes at all, or if it means that you just get far fewer, etc. Also, do you have any acne locations besides your face that you treat such as bacne? Thanks!

[abby 0]

Pat07 - Thanks a lot. As far as your questions are concerned...... I have not had any new breakouts, which is absolutely a MIRACLE. However, I have had a few ALMOST breakouts. You know when you feel one coming under your skin and it forms a little bump. Well, I've gotten about two of those. I use more BP on that area and the bumps went down in a couple days. I haven't had any whiteheads since may 20th.

I have never had a problem with bacne, but I would recommend Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash. I had to use this last year when I came home (my back was having trouble adjusting to the humidity) and it did wonders!

Hope this helps!!!!

[Josephine110 0]

I was just wondering if you were still on the regimen and if it is working for you still?

[Pat07 0]

Abby, thanks for the info.

Do you still use BP only (and still no moisturizer morning nor evening?)

Have you gone back to using Neutrogena 2.5% BP yet?

I'll be interested to find out if you notice any difference if and when you go back to Neutrogena 2.5% BP, and if and when you go back to using any moisturizer. Thanks again.

[abby 0]

hey guys, yes i'm still on dan's regimen. i'm still not using moisturizer. and i've switched back to neutrogena BP. i don't see that much difference in my skin..... and i'm hoping that continues ;o) i've also noticed that i don't have to use as much BP during the day. i'm down to about a finger of BP at night and not as much during the day. to get myself clear i was up to about 1 and 1/4 fingers.

[abby 0]

grrrrr.... on monday, i got a little bump on the right side of my mouth. it has pimple potential, but i'm trying to zap it before it comes to a head!!! i'll let you know what happens

here's a picture of me and my nephew from Sunday. i had a little makeup on, but not that much (cuz i was just visiting my sis). there was really good lighting from the windows and so you can really see my skintone. i think it looks 500% better. let me know what you think.

[Ubah0ne 0]

Your skin is looking great!

Plus keep that kid away from the paprazzi, the second picture looks like he's about ready to punch out the cameraman/woman.

[Pat07 0]

The woman in the photo has an excellent complexion, but the young man has a slight lesion on the forehead!

( just kidding! )

Yes, you are absolutely right Abby! Your skin does look 500% better! I still can't believe your before and after pics. You are truly an inspiration to others fighting the acne fight!

I wouldn't be too upset about your one possible lesion on the right side of your mouth...even Dan mentions that he still breaks out once in a while--he said it may be from rubbing too hard, from missing an application, or whatever.

I'm still wondering if your old ProActiv lotion somehow pushed you through to the "clear" stage, or if your stopping the use of moisturizer finally got you there or what? I re-read all of your posts looking for any clues...you mention apple juice instead of soda, etc... Do you still take a long time to rub in your BP?...you wrote that it takes patience, so you must be extra gentle like Dan recommends? Since you don't use moisturizer, do you use any sun screen if you're going to be in the sun a lot? If so, what do you use?

I'm glad you're still posting even though you've cleared up! I'm hopefully getting there, and I enjoy reading your posts for inspiration. The other regimen log thread I particularly enjoyed was "Keith's Log - Praying This Works"...his results also were amazing! I always think: remember the success of Keith and Abby! Thanks again.

:-k <--- Oops! This Emoticon just touched his face...he'll probably break out there by the morning! ---> #

[Josephine110 0]

Abby! You look great! Absolutely fabulous! It must feel great to finally have great skin and not have to put on 10 lbs of make-up! Way to go!

[abby 0]

ugh, i got 4 little bumps on my skin that hurt and i think they're going to become whiteheads. AAAAAA!!!! i hate this, do you think it's because i'm not usuing Proactiv anymore??? i need feedback fast!!! what should i do?

[Pat07 0]

You did write that you recently cut back a bit on the amount of BP...maybe you need to return to the amount you were using as you cleared up? Maybe others have better ideas.

[Dan 571]

When in doubt, use more bp. I've learned that lesson over and over and over again. Also, stay VERY gentle.

[abby 0]

wow, it's been so long!! i was on vacation this past weekend for father's day, sorry i haven't been keeping you updated.

anyway, i tried putting more BP on the bumps and it worked out pretty well, they're pretty much all gone. i think the key to keep clear skin is not to touch it. because as soon as you aggrevate one pimple, it spreads and 5 more pop up around it.

the hardest part of this regimen is getting clear. once you reach that stage, maintaining it is fairly easy. yes, like dan says, you can have one or two pimples every now and then, but that's SOOOO much better then the constant acne i used to have.

i'll post pictures in the next few days. i hope everyone is doing well

[begonewithacne 0]

Hey Abby, i just joined this board and also starting out with the regimen. Your amazing results have really given me hope to stick to it!

Anywayz , u said u apply makeup ..do u apply it ontop of the bp and the moisterizer? i was thinking of using powder on top so the redness won't be so obvious..however i'm afraid it will worsen the condition of my ance. did makeup cause u more breakouts?

i don't know if its good to apply 3 layers of chemicals on my face! hmmp...please advice