red marks

[noggin 0]

I went to the derm today and he told me that only about 15 % of my face is active acne and that the rest are red marks. What exactly does that mean? They will fade when i keep using the tazorac...right? Please say yes. The red marks look no different then the acne. It's like...my face feels smooth but when i look in the mirror there is just a bunch of ...gross.

Another thing, he said i could try duac gel if i wanted and gave me some samples. Told me to alternate between the clindagel everymorning. This won't hurt my advancement, will it? I think the duac gel might work better than the clindagel. Also, um, am i supposed to keep that stuff in the fridge? All the time?

[southside 0]

i have the same exact problem you do help pleasE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[phil_b 0]

My derm (an acne specialist) rekons the red marks take upto 2 years to fully fadeout and your normal pigmentation to return. damn....

I am so used to one to the right of my nose i have named it tomoato face. We have been friends for nearly a year now.....

[noggin 0]

omg, this has never happened to me. it's weird. instead of acne i now have red marks that are no different than the acne. i mean, i can't live with this for a year, it's the reason i got on meds! ridiculous.

[cynic 0]

Just having red marks is way, way better than having active acne. They will fade in time.

[twinklebaby7888 0]

you do have a good point cynic and I guess if I had to choose between marks/acne I'd choose the marks but they TOTALLY SUCK like people have been saying u feel your face it feels smooth then u look in the mirror and you see the marks! I wish there was a quick way to get rid of them, I have had mine for about 2 1/2 yrs. now and I'm tired of them I don't even know why i'm posting I guess I wanted to vent a little . It's nice that we can all come to this site and know were not alone! well, I'm done. (I kinda feel better LOL!)

Nikki

[xciteurmom 0]

If you get a tan they wont be as noticable.

[monicakb 0]

My derm said that the red marks can take 6 weeks to 6 months to heal. They're not permanent so there's a little bit of a silver lining! Some medication may help, but the most effective thing is to have patience and let your skin heal on its own.

[twinklebaby7888 0]

i guess your right monicakb there is a silver lining and thanks for the encouragment! the only reason i've had my marks for so long is because they begin to heal but then I get another damn breakout! If i can just get my acne under control I'd be less pissed. When my acne is under control my marks are hardly visible with my wonderful makeup. I'm going on birthcontrol and retin-a so i'm hoping this combo together will work

Nikki

[noggin 0]

for me, it doesn't make a difference. my face still looks just as bad as it was when i started because the red marks look like acne. but, they aren't. so discouraging. fucking medications suck.

[superphred 0]

I have mainly red marks also. they eventually fade away, but it can take many months.

I love the Duac gel, it's the best stuff. I think it has helped in fading red marks a little.

I'd also recommend just drinking tons of water and some sort of exfoliating helps fade the red marks. I used the tape method for a while and it worked great to fade them, but if you do it too often it can irritate your skin also.

[twinklebaby7888 0]

can someone plz explain to me this "tape method" people have been talking about, I'd really appreciate it!

Nikki

[Paul86 1]

There ya go, Nikki. This is out of the FAQ.

Q: What is the tape method of exfoliation?

A: This is a method whereby a piece of scotch/gift tape is applied to the surface of the skin and then gently removed. Once the tape is removed there may be pieces of dead skin that remain on the tape. Take care in using harsh topicals when this method is employed, as they will most likely irritate the skin moreso than if tape were not used.

For more information, check out this thread: http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php?showtopic=1320

[noggin 0]

what does exfoliatie mean? i'm new to this face stuff. usually i just wash my face. any products recommended?

[twinklebaby7888 0]

thank you very much Paul86! and to you noggin i'm pretty sure to exfoliate is to remove dead skin cell, to reveal new skin.

Nikki