I am a 35 year old mother of two girls. I have never had acne until after I gave birth for the first time. I get huge, pus-filled bumps on my face and I can not resist from popping them!! I prefer to have a scar instead of walking around in public with those things on my face. I visited a derm about 2 years ago and she prescribed doxycycline along with my birth control pills. It cleared my face up nicely and I was so happy! That was until I stopped the birth control and the doxy (doctor did not want to keep me on the doxy long term because I have high blood pressure as well), it has came back even worse. I work in retail and I hate having to greet customers when my face is looking a mess. I also hate when people assume that acne equals poor hygiene when that is not the case. I do not like wearing makeup because I sweat a lot and it doesn't hide the huge bumps. Anybody have any suggestions on what worked for them? I think I will go back to my derm to see if anything else will help.
I too suffer from chronic resistant acne and work in a very public setting. It is hard! My new derm has me on the regime below and I'm now about 90-98% clear. It is a very intense regime though. Instead of birth control you could try Spironolactone which works by blocking androgen receptors so it is very mild to the body. Also you could try a topical antibiotic after washing with a BP cleanser. This combo works better for sensitive skin than the BP topicals. Instead of a regular antibiotic you could try Oracea. It is a low dose doxy that lowers inflammation without acting as an antibiotic...so you can take it longterm.
Hope this gives you some alternatives to birth control and oral antibiotics!
Perhaps if you are done having children for awhile you can try Accutane. I am on my second round as we speak. I really only did it because as I got older, I started to scar more, and I didn't want permanent damage..
Yes I am done having children but I did want to see if I could try anything else before I went on accutane. How is it working for you?
I too suffer from chronic resistant acne and work in a very public setting. It is hard! My new derm has me on the regime below and I'm now about 90-98% clear. It is a very intense regime though. Instead of birth control you could try Spironolactone which works by blocking androgen receptors so it is very mild to the body. Also you could try a topical antibiotic after washing with a BP cleanser. This combo works better for sensitive skin than the BP topicals. Instead of a regular antibiotic you could try Oracea. It is a low dose doxy that lowers inflammation without acting as an antibiotic...so you can take it longterm.
Hope this gives you some alternatives to birth control and oral antibiotics!
Thank you for the info, cvd. I'm willing to try anything at this point. This acne is ruining my face and really hate taking pictures! *sigh*
My daughter was on doxycycline and her dr. didn't want to refill. I got her 20% salicylic acid and she is happy with the results so far. She started using it in January and her acne is 75% improved. I use it as well for my cystic acne and I have had only 1 cyst since November. That's unheard of for me. We both use BP nightly.
The salicylic acid 20% is found on amazon. You have to be super careful using it as it can burn your skin. It really helps to exfoliate and prevent clogged pores while the BP kills bacteria. WE made no changes in our diet and both use mineral makeup.
My daughter was on doxycycline and her dr. didn't want to refill. I got her 20% salicylic acid and she is happy with the results so far. She started using it in January and her acne is 75% improved. I use it as well for my cystic acne and I have had only 1 cyst since November. That's unheard of for me. We both use BP nightly.
The salicylic acid 20% is found on amazon. You have to be super careful using it as it can burn your skin. It really helps to exfoliate and prevent clogged pores while the BP kills bacteria. WE made no changes in our diet and both use mineral makeup.
Thanks for the info, rachel.
Perhaps if you are done having children for awhile you can try Accutane. I am on my second round as we speak. I really only did it because as I got older, I started to scar more, and I didn't want permanent damage..
Yes I am done having children but I did want to see if I could try anything else before I went on accutane. How is it working for you?
I too suffer from chronic resistant acne and work in a very public setting. It is hard! My new derm has me on the regime below and I'm now about 90-98% clear. It is a very intense regime though. Instead of birth control you could try Spironolactone which works by blocking androgen receptors so it is very mild to the body. Also you could try a topical antibiotic after washing with a BP cleanser. This combo works better for sensitive skin than the BP topicals. Instead of a regular antibiotic you could try Oracea. It is a low dose doxy that lowers inflammation without acting as an antibiotic...so you can take it longterm.
Hope this gives you some alternatives to birth control and oral antibiotics!
Thank you for the info, cvd. I'm willing to try anything at this point. This acne is ruining my face and really hate taking pictures! *sigh*
Well, my skin is fantastic. HOwever this is my second round and I have promised myself that it would be my last. And so, if my acne comes back after this I won't do it again.
It's such a relief waking up in the morning and not taking forever to apply makeup.
I would recommend it, at least once. If on a small enough dosage, the side effects are limited to dry skin and chapped lips.
Perhaps if you are done having children for awhile you can try Accutane. I am on my second round as we speak. I really only did it because as I got older, I started to scar more, and I didn't want permanent damage..
Yes I am done having children but I did want to see if I could try anything else before I went on accutane. How is it working for you?
I too suffer from chronic resistant acne and work in a very public setting. It is hard! My new derm has me on the regime below and I'm now about 90-98% clear. It is a very intense regime though. Instead of birth control you could try Spironolactone which works by blocking androgen receptors so it is very mild to the body. Also you could try a topical antibiotic after washing with a BP cleanser. This combo works better for sensitive skin than the BP topicals. Instead of a regular antibiotic you could try Oracea. It is a low dose doxy that lowers inflammation without acting as an antibiotic...so you can take it longterm.
Hope this gives you some alternatives to birth control and oral antibiotics!
Thank you for the info, cvd. I'm willing to try anything at this point. This acne is ruining my face and really hate taking pictures! *sigh*
Well, my skin is fantastic. HOwever this is my second round and I have promised myself that it would be my last. And so, if my acne comes back after this I won't do it again.
It's such a relief waking up in the morning and not taking forever to apply makeup.
I would recommend it, at least once. If on a small enough dosage, the side effects are limited to dry skin and chapped lips.
Did your acne get worse before it got better when you first started on the accutane?
Perhaps if you are done having children for awhile you can try Accutane. I am on my second round as we speak. I really only did it because as I got older, I started to scar more, and I didn't want permanent damage..
Yes I am done having children but I did want to see if I could try anything else before I went on accutane. How is it working for you?
I too suffer from chronic resistant acne and work in a very public setting. It is hard! My new derm has me on the regime below and I'm now about 90-98% clear. It is a very intense regime though. Instead of birth control you could try Spironolactone which works by blocking androgen receptors so it is very mild to the body. Also you could try a topical antibiotic after washing with a BP cleanser. This combo works better for sensitive skin than the BP topicals. Instead of a regular antibiotic you could try Oracea. It is a low dose doxy that lowers inflammation without acting as an antibiotic...so you can take it longterm.
Hope this gives you some alternatives to birth control and oral antibiotics!
Thank you for the info, cvd. I'm willing to try anything at this point. This acne is ruining my face and really hate taking pictures! *sigh*
Well, my skin is fantastic. HOwever this is my second round and I have promised myself that it would be my last. And so, if my acne comes back after this I won't do it again.
It's such a relief waking up in the morning and not taking forever to apply makeup.
I would recommend it, at least once. If on a small enough dosage, the side effects are limited to dry skin and chapped lips.
Did your acne get worse before it got better when you first started on the accutane?
Actually, no. My skin got much better as soon as I started. I had no initial breakout.
My regimen for cystic acne at the moment:
Toothpaste strong only left on for 5-15mins (max)
Calamine lotion (45 mins - NOT to be left on overnight)
St Ives Scrub Oil Free With Added Green Tea
Green Tea Rinsage
Clindoxyl Gel (clindamycin phosphate and benzoyl peroxide)
Water
Apple Cider Vinegar
Green Tea
Fruits & Vegetables, lean meat.
Omega 3 Fish, Tofu
