April 7th: Hi everyone just to let you all know that I've changed my regimen again 
it's down the bottom of this post as "Update 2 " Please read my story and stuff just a few lines down...I'm aware it's pretty long but you might get some valuable info and whatnot okay thanks and good luck
UPDATE IS DOWN THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST!! THANKS
Okay hello to everyone who reads this, welcome!
I'm a 17 year old male looking to get rid of acne once and for all. I've set March as my goal but as long as it's before my birthday in May I'll be happy...summer and all
So I've had acne since I was like 13 but it was really small, I didn't even care it was so little. Then around age 16 it got more serious. I was more conscious about my skin and myself at that age, like everyone I guess so I tried and tested loads of cleanser, scrubs and creams but to little avail...I became really depressed and conscious, so much so I refused to go out on Saturday nights over last summer because of my skin, eventhough I've always gotten lots of female attention 
Anyway I started researching about acne and stuff and I found a log on here that said Head N Shoulder Classic Clean got them clear...having used it as my shampoo ever since I had hair I tried it out. I noticed little difference after a few days but after a few weeks I noticed it made my skin less oily and my breakouts reduced pretty dramatically
I kept using it and by like October I was clear off all spots, just red marks...I was so happy!! Then I broke out bad in November and have had breakouts since. Things are looking up again in the last month or so, but I've still got spots and the cursed hyperpigmentation marks :/ I've been using this regimen with like two months but I'm just here to spread it around and to post progress and stuff...if you've any question at all about it, please ask!! I'm really nice and not a bit intimidating and I'd be glad to help 
UPDATE 2 - YES YOU'RE IN THE RIGHT PLACE IF YOU READ MY LITTLE NOTE UP THE TOP!
Okay so hi everyone. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately I had to change my regimen around early March. It wasn't that the Head and Shoulders was doing more harm than good, no it was going alright but I researched more into stuff and decided to scrap it, seeing I had a bad breakout at that time...soooooo:
My regimen now, if you could even call it one is just plain water! Sounds simple yet extreme right? No doubt..I was scared to try this but I finally just did it. Scrapped Head And Shoulders, Sudocrem all that...I still was using my toothbrush but only like twice a week. So heres simply what I've been doing since early March and still doing a month or so later. Rinse my face with warm water for like 15 seconds morning and night. Then while a little water is flowing onto my face lightly use my hands to rub off oil, dirt etc for less than half a minute. Then I rinse fast with warm water again and then cold water and it's done I saw pretty good results after like a week and then I saw those red marks surfacing (good thing) and now a month later my skin is finally adapting. My skin is so smooth now and its finally looking natural in colour. I still have pimples atm and a fair few red marks but this is going pretty damn well for me I also now have been experimenting without my toothbrush for a week and my skin has reacted pretty well although my skin is flaking a little...so yeah thats it.
Of course I'll keep you informed on the latter pages of this thread (page 4 atm) and feel free to ask any questions related or unrelated
For those willing to give Head And Shoulders a try I would still recommend it..it got me clear once as I said above and many others on this site. Just search it and you'll find threads about it. Or just ask me on here and I'll gladly help! It does work for some, not others. It worked for me, then didn't. Life's A Bitch haha...but yeah if you're curious about it or my new regimen just go for it. Experimentation is great as long as you maintain some moderation and see it through properly Peace & Love
Other Regimes:
Okay here are some tips/whatever that I try to follow as best as I can that I've seen to help me. There not severe or anything haha
I eat pretty healthy. I don't eat much chocolate or sweets at all...I eat oily/fatty food maybe twice a week. I drink at least 3 litres of water a day (very important no matter what your regimen)
I've thrown away my wash cloth. I'd advise everyone to do this, irratation, dead skin cells all that. I've stopped using a towel on my face too. Detergent can be irratating and cause more acne. So I just let the air dry it
Also I've been abstaining from masturbation. Look theres plenty of debate whether this works or not, but it seems to for me and many others. If you're curious, try it out. It's benefits go beyond just clearer skin, trust me. Record for that is 73 days I think.
So yah thats pretty much it! Thanks for reading, it must have been tiring but yeah hopefully it'll be worth it for you any question, please fire away!
OK, Good luck everyone
One Love
hey bro nice to see you made a log that i can kee[ up with now too! lol
i hope the head and shoulders works for you bro this time for good! what about redmarks? are you just going to wait it out? theres no way i could.. I NEED these marks gone NOW i look so ugly with them man.. im really good looking without these flaws it sucks... ill let you know how finacea goes after a few weeks. i have a derm appt on the 28th.. so ive decided im going to give finacea until then at least that will be 3 weeks since i have had finacea by the 28th so im thinking i should def see results by then. it sucks man my marks are almost invisible as soon as i get out of the shower morning and night but as soon as my face gets its normal amount of oil produced throughout the day the redmarks are like glossy so bright.. it pisses me off so much.. anyway good luck man ill be keeping up with your log! dang its time for me to shave... you know what that means.. redmarks are going to be inflammed like a mother! ugh... oh also i officially started the air dry technique tonight after my shower, no more towels on my face. it works out great to because i have a heater/vent and i can turn the heater on and its right above my head takes about 1 mins to dry my face lol so ill be trying that.. im thinking what about whe i clean my sheets though? i dont sleep on my cheeks back only so i dont think i will be rubbing my cheeks on the sheets but what aboutnjust having my face that close to the fabric in general and breathing it in? hmm idk i dont think it would be nearly as bad as rubbing my face in the towels.. any way good luck bro what % is your acne and redmarks at right now?
hey bro nice to see you made a log that i can kee[ up with now too! lol
i hope the head and shoulders works for you bro this time for good! what about redmarks? are you just going to wait it out? theres no way i could.. I NEED these marks gone NOW i look so ugly with them man.. im really good looking without these flaws it sucks... ill let you know how finacea goes after a few weeks. i have a derm appt on the 28th.. so ive decided im going to give finacea until then at least that will be 3 weeks since i have had finacea by the 28th so im thinking i should def see results by then. it sucks man my marks are almost invisible as soon as i get out of the shower morning and night but as soon as my face gets its normal amount of oil produced throughout the day the redmarks are like glossy so bright.. it pisses me off so much.. anyway good luck man ill be keeping up with your log! dang its time for me to shave... you know what that means.. redmarks are going to be inflammed like a mother! ugh... oh also i officially started the air dry technique tonight after my shower, no more towels on my face. it works out great to because i have a heater/vent and i can turn the heater on and its right above my head takes about 1 mins to dry my face lol so ill be trying that.. im thinking what about whe i clean my sheets though? i dont sleep on my cheeks back only so i dont think i will be rubbing my cheeks on the sheets but what aboutnjust having my face that close to the fabric in general and breathing it in? hmm idk i dont think it would be nearly as bad as rubbing my face in the towels.. any way good luck bro what % is your acne and redmarks at right now?
Thanks man!! Yah I just hope I don't suddenly become immune to it, but I've been using it with ages and nothing changed with it so fingers crossed
I'm putting nothing extra on for red marks. Exfoliation is good for them and I do that pretty regularly (most people recommend one a week). I saw some dude posting picture process on toothbrush exfoliation and I got hooked, I'll try to find it in a bit if I can
Ahhhh I see, well all the best with them man. I know I've always gotten plenty girl attention (I still did back in my bad acne days too) but yah acne has fucked everything about my appeal...yes, just before my evening shower my red marks are VERY visible it's awful...I think you should think about getting a new shaving cream man thats not right, I shaved last night and the red was gone when I went to bed and this morning my face even looks clearer. Maybe mention it to your derm or something?? Ahh heater, very handy!! Glad you're trying it out too. It's been 2 and a bit days for me with it and I've seen nothing but positive results I'm not sure about sheets, you're lucky you can sleep on your back, I have to be on my side (maybe thats causing something for me). I read up about ppl putting a clean towel over their pillow every night but I'm not sure yet...
As a whole...eh I think I might be in the late 80's% maybe even more. I've like three pimples which are almost gone and then red marks...
Day 1: Okay so I've just settled down for the morning. Woke up this morning, no new breakouts. Existing pimples are dying and healing. Did my morning regimen. So yah I'm doing good. I shaved last night, and my skin always looks better the day after I shave...overall I'm feeling good. Must start studying in a bit. I've a pounding headache though. Tiredness...good thing I'm off school, I'd be asleep in there
Okay, peace everyone
maybe its y imagination but i feel like my face just gets inflammed even where i DO NOT put the shaving cream? i only shave my beard area and my acne is on upper cheek bones so the razor nor cream hits there yet it still looks more bright red after i shave.. even the day after it goes back down about 2 days after i shave
also yeah when i started using a honey mask over night it trained me to sleep on my back lol i never rub my cheeks on my pillow which is also why i wonder why i have/ ever had acne on the cheeks.. im sure you will not get immune to H&S seems how its been so long. ive been experiementing with clean and clear morning burtst with bursting beads as an exflo i do it on my chin and forhead on patches of clogged pores.. honestly its been about a week and the patch on my chin almost looks like its diminished about 50% but the forehead looks to be getting worse.. im worried and dont know wat to do i really want to start using it on my full face now because im getting a few clogged ones on my cheek now as well.. finacea is supposed to be an exfoliate though.. because it sheds skin cells at a rapid rate.. so im hoping that im getting enough exfoliating just with this twice a day. anyway glad to hear your 80% clear.. id say my face is also about 80% clear of acne but 80% FULL of red marks... 
Day 2: Day 2 is going good. My nasty headache is gone thank fuck!! Skin is doing pretty good as well. No new breakouts. Existing pimples are technically dead and just healing Red marks look the same but they're fading nicely as the weeks pass....yah I'm pretty happy Back to studying I guess....ha
Have a great day everyone
Day 3: Wow, still no new breakouts to report. I think this no towel thing could be working!! Very happy how my skin is atm. The pimples I got over the weekend are flat and dead with no pain at all when I touch them (clean hands of course 
) Red marks are coming along well too....so I'm off for another long ass day of studying
Have a good day everyone!
Day 4: Hello everyone! I'm doing good today, no major breakouts. Got a TINY whitehead on the moustache line but all good besides that...the pimple I got yday is already in the healing stage, theres no pain from it at all. My skin does look to be getting more normal with each day. I got a serious fright last night, my red marks looked like shit right after my shower. But after an hour they were looking like normal...phew haha
Okay have a good day everyone
Day 5: For some reason I'm feeling pretty shitty today. My skin hasn't gotten worse or anything, I've one painful pimple on my moustache line but thats it really besides the healing pimples....I dunno. My face does look like shit though, not with acne, it just looks like it could do a lift or something. It's Friday, I'm wrecked tired and I've got so much study to do before a week of exams next week....yah life's a bitch right now....I can't wait to relax tonight though
Peace everyone...
Hold the fort down, represent to the fullest...What? One Love
Ok, I've broken out...and my red marks look like shit. I'm fucking going nuts right now
I was going lik 5 steps forward this week and now it seems I've fallen back 20...fuck this shit man, unfair
that sucks bro.. i definately know the feeling man.. seems how we both keep jacking it and we have been using a cleanser that works in the past not irritating our face with the towels eating mostly well.. seems like were doing everything right but then we break out again even when were doing good.. it sucks man.. just get through it just tell yourself ok these few pimples are going to die off in a few more days cause you know the lifespan of your acne. and just pray that no more pop up. all we can do is be patient bro it sucks.. but im there with you i broke out with like 10 new pimples a few days ago maybe 4-5 days ago and they are all mostly healing or already healed now and im praying for no more.. it really is unfair. i believe i have a derm appt on the 28th. im really hoping im completely clear before then and can cancell but if im not.. i will unfortunately be left to taking antibiotics.. because nothing else will have worked by then. good luck man! i know you will clear up in a few days.
@wll37 we just air dry the face.. dont apply anything on it. i would think even tissues have some sorts of softening chemicals in them plus you dont want to get all that debris left behind from tissue on a wet face.
@dreamingofclearskin2011, is it making a big difference if you just air dry your face than you dry it with towel? I'm thinking bout air drying my face under the aircon.
@dreamingofclearskin2011, is it making a big difference if you just air dry your face than you dry it with towel? I'm thinking bout air drying my face under the aircon.
i couldnt tell yah bro ive been air drying for only 4 days or so maybe 5 and i havent seen a difference in my acne yet.. it could help thoug. you never know. im just trying new things all the time now trial and error is the only way to find out how to treat your acne everyone is different. but i have a heater/vent in my bathroom i stand underneath the heater and dry i feels cleaner but i have no idea if its effecting my acne at all.
Ok, I've broken out...and my red marks look like shit. I'm fucking going nuts right now
that sucks bro.. i definately know the feeling man.. seems how we both keep jacking it and we have been using a cleanser that works in the past not irritating our face with the towels eating mostly well.. seems like were doing everything right but then we break out again even when were doing good.. it sucks man.. just get through it just tell yourself ok these few pimples are going to die off in a few more days cause you know the lifespan of your acne. and just pray that no more pop up. all we can do is be patient bro it sucks.. but im there with you i broke out with like 10 new pimples a few days ago maybe 4-5 days ago and they are all mostly healing or already healed now and im praying for no more.. it really is unfair. i believe i have a derm appt on the 28th. im really hoping im completely clear before then and can cancell but if im not.. i will unfortunately be left to taking antibiotics.. because nothing else will have worked by then. good luck man! i know you will clear up in a few days.
@wll37 we just air dry the face.. dont apply anything on it. i would think even tissues have some sorts of softening chemicals in them plus you dont want to get all that debris left behind from tissue on a wet face.
Hey man. Ya it sucks, it's fucking driving me nuts!! Wow 10 
I only have 3 new ones today, damn fair play for staying positive! My red marks seem to be gone back to normal again, false alarm thank god All the best man, I hope you're clear and glowing by the derm appointment, enough is enough you know? Acne is seriously the worst thing I've ever know lol.
Peace bro
hey ,you still do the no-towel thing? do you air dry your face or you dab tissue paper?
Hey bro, yes I'm still doing it! it's been nearly a week now...and it's going pretty good. What I do is straight after my shower I shake my head like a dog to get rid of excess water lol then I just let it dry normally, takes 5 mins roughly! I'd definitely recommend it, my skin seems to be less red now and stuff but that could be my imagination. I'll know for sure after another week. Try it out man, nothing to lose!
Day 7: Hello everyone...not much new to report. Breakouts are in the healing stage. Haven't got any new ones since thank god!! Oh one little thing I've changed in my regimen that I didn't mention above
I've stopped using a face cloth on my face. What I do is wet the cloth under the shower and lightly rub my face with it to get off obvious sweat, dirt etc. I've stopped this because I hear it can over exfoliate and irritate skin. Since I use a toothbrush every other day I won't really need it. Plus soap and stuff is probably on it seeing I use it on my body in the shower too....so yeah I've changed that, tried it out last night. I'll keep everyone posted enjoy your sunday! I've got study to do once again. Finishing exams on thursday, so 5 more days of infinite stress left and then a weeks rest, before slowly getting into full time study for June lol
One Love
Day 7: Hello everyone...not much new to report. Breakouts are in the healing stage. Haven't got any new ones since thank god!! Oh one little thing I've changed in my regimen that I didn't mention above
I've stopped using a face cloth on my face. What I do is wet the cloth under the shower and lightly rub my face with it to get off obvious sweat, dirt etc. I've stopped this because I hear it can over exfoliate and irritate skin. Since I use a toothbrush every other day I won't really need it. Plus soap and stuff is probably on it seeing I use it on my body in the shower too....so yeah I've changed that, tried it out last night. I'll keep everyone posted
enjoy your sunday! I've got study to do once again. Finishing exams on thursday, so 5 more days of infinite stress left and then a weeks rest, before slowly getting into full time study for June lol
One Love
Don't you think your face will be irritated if you use wet cloth on your face? I red in other forum and someone said that face cloth can irritate the skin. sometimes, it can be really frustrated to get the best method as simple as washing the face.
Day 7: Hello everyone...not much new to report. Breakouts are in the healing stage. Haven't got any new ones since thank god!! Oh one little thing I've changed in my regimen that I didn't mention above
I've stopped using a face cloth on my face. What I do is wet the cloth under the shower and lightly rub my face with it to get off obvious sweat, dirt etc. I've stopped this because I hear it can over exfoliate and irritate skin. Since I use a toothbrush every other day I won't really need it. Plus soap and stuff is probably on it seeing I use it on my body in the shower too....so yeah I've changed that, tried it out last night. I'll keep everyone posted
One Love
Don't you think your face will be irritated if you use wet cloth on your face? I red in other forum and someone said that face cloth can irritate the skin. sometimes, it can be really frustrated to get the best method as simple as washing the face.
Yes haha, thats why I'VE STOPPED USING IT thats what I said in the post above right? But yeah I think it could irritate me so I've stopped. It's not like I'm not getting all the dirt off without it so it really has no use to me....so yeah since last night, no towel or no cloth on my face!!
One Love
You should leave the H&S on for longer. Let it soak in. Does your one have conditioner?
If you want to exfoliate the skin and get rid of the marks then I would suggest using Retin A Gel 0.05 every other night, and mandelic acid peel 10% or glycolic acid peel 10% alternating with retin A. You really don't want to exfoliate the skin yourself. Let it shed off on it's own. If you want to prevent new breakouts in the future, get yourself some sebum inhibitors and antibacterials - both oral and topical.
I would avoid the sudocream if I were you. Does it help with the acne itself? Or just the redness/swelling?
You should leave the H&S on for longer. Let it soak in. Does your one have conditioner?
If you want to exfoliate the skin and get rid of the marks then I would suggest using Retin A Gel 0.05 every other night, and mandelic acid peel 10% or glycolic acid peel 10% alternating with retin A. You really don't want to exfoliate the skin yourself. Let it shed off on it's own. If you want to prevent new breakouts in the future, get yourself some sebum inhibitors and antibacterials - both oral and topical.
I would avoid the sudocream if I were you. Does it help with the acne itself? Or just the redness/swelling?
Yes I saw that on your topic that you leave it set for longer so I'm gonna try that tonight, thanks for that No it's the normal shampoo without conditioner. Oh...well I'm not too keen on peels and I've heard Retin A only works for some but I'll keep it in mind. Toothbrush exfoliation is working good for me though, but I am reducing the frequency of use gradually! I find Sudocrem great. It dries up existing acne and reduces redness, lightens and heals red marks but I'm pretty sure it does nothing for future prevention... I'll look into those inhibitors Thanks for that man, I appreciate it
One Love
Yes I saw that on your topic that you leave it set for longer so I'm gonna try that tonight, thanks for that
Thanks for that man, I appreciate it
One Love
The peels are very cheap and it's great for long term use. You just dab the liquid onto your face with some cotton and leave it on for 2 minutes. Then wash off. This will loosen up all the dead skin cells on your skin and let them fall off. Retin A helps to bring out new skin cells and will give your face a glow if used alongside the aha. It works for everyone, but some people don't understand that Retin A requires special care when used. You have to wait 30 minutes after washing your face, and you have to use the tiniest ammount. Most people use too much without even realising, then they go around saying it didn't work. At first, Retin A will make your pores get clogged and this will cause you to breakout, but the trick is to inhibit sebum production and use the AHA to exfoliate the top layer. When starting off with retin A most people want to see results overnight, so they use it everyday. I did that too lol, and I suffered the consequences. I would advise people to use Retin A for the first day, then wait another 5 days while using AHA every other day. Then slowly ease the Retin A into the regimen, increasing the frequency while paying attention to your skin's reaction.
You'll just have to work hard to prevent any new breakouts. Very easy with H&S + Nizoral and Antibacterials.
I would leave the sudocream and go with the H&S twice a day. H&S can help prevent new acne, and it can make the existing ones dry up fast. See how it goes without the sudocream?
hey bro if youre still feeling own guess what my pimples all hleaed now left with redmarks but i unfortunately made myself shave tonight just now.. im terrified to go look in the mirror right now to put on my finacea.. man i really ont want to my redmarks always look ragingly inflamed and bright red after the shave.. i really hope tomorrow morning that they look as good as before the shave how they did tonight they were actually looking quite faded.. maybe my eyesight though.
hey bro was it you that i saw a little while ago saying they used sudocrem on their face? did that never work out for you? i saw zinc oxide at my walgreens today. just plain zinc oxide cream only ingredient said it was 40% zinc i wanted to buy it and try it out but i had already spent 26 bucks on all the other otc i bought. had to get supplies. guess what i also got tea tree oil im going to test patch it tonight and see if it helps for when i get those little buggers out of no where so i can zap um dead. i was going to to clean and clear persa gel 10 it was cheaper too but something just told me to try the all natural 100% oil i really hope it works. goodluck bro im glad things are lookin up and it was a false alarm