Hi everybody! So 4 years ago I had cystic acne on my cheeks and it was horrible. I dealt with it, washed my face as usual and let it subside on it's on. Last year my skin cleared up A LOT (I mainly used purpose cleanser, witch hazel, and aha) and I rarely broke out and I was just so content with my skin for the first time in my adult life. Up until recently, although my skin was relatively clear and smooth, I wanted something to brighten up my skin and fade my red marks... I tried Dan's Regimen and I feel like it ruined my skin! I stopped a month and a half into it because my skin was so dry, red, and I just couldn't handle it. I started to break out on my cheeks and i had about 3 cysts on each cheek. I went to the derm and got them injected with cortisone which left even more red marks. But the cysts went down. Right now, i'm using Purpose Gentle Cleanser, Witch Hazel Toner, Neutrogena Oil-free Moisture SPF 15 (in the mornings) and Walgreens AHA 8% (at night). My skin is oily, acne-prone, has red marks, white heads, and about 3 inflammed pimples.
Right now, my pimples have turned into white heads, I have a few inflammed pimples. Though, the areas on my face that aren't affected is bright, smooth, and clear! My problem areas are mainly on my cheeks and a little on my forehead. I have done 2 glycolic acid peels at 30% the past two weeks.
I just want my skin back to normal again... I feel like I'm starting this horrendous journey all over and it's just one more stress factor added onto my already stressful life...
Is there any advice somebody can give on how to get my skin back to normal? Please and thank you!
before 
after
before right side of cheek 
after
before left side of cheek 
after
Could it be the glycolic peel? I had a glycolic peel 10 days ago and I have been getting more cysts and whiteheads afterwards. The peel helped with overall skin clarity and fine lines/ dryness, but it did nothing for my acne. Did you also have extractions with the peel? Your acne looks inflammed like mine was after my peel, and I suspect it was also because my aesthetician did extractions on me (I would only allow a dermatologist to do extractions if I could afford more expensive facials).
Could it be the glycolic peel? I had a glycolic peel 10 days ago and I have been getting more cysts and whiteheads afterwards. The peel helped with overall skin clarity and fine lines/ dryness, but it did nothing for my acne. Did you also have extractions with the peel? Your acne looks inflammed like mine was after my peel, and I suspect it was also because my aesthetician did extractions on me (I would only allow a dermatologist to do extractions if I could afford more expensive facials).
Hi! Thanks for your reply! I did the glycolic peels at home and have only done two so far. I hope it is just purging... but I have a slight hunch that it's not :/ I recently got a cyst on the left side of my cheek today... it feels very hard and hurts! I'm trying to keep my skin care routine as simple as possible. But it doesn't seem to be working.
Are those marks near your mouth/nose on the right side of your face red/brown marks or are those pimples?
I'm curious because mine are very similar but mine are marks from pimples. Also how old are you btw? I'm 26/male and asian and still have this
Hi! Thanks for the reply. I'm 18 y/o and the marks that are on the right side of my face are mainly just red marks and the ones that are closest to my ear are a few old, old hyperpigmentation marks from previous pimples. I also have a few tiny cysts on the right side of my cheek as well. Have you been trying any products to fade those marks?
Go to a derm asap and look into diet modifications.
What do you think a derm will reccomend? I visted a derm before Christmas and he was a little shady and not sympathetic... which makes me a little hesitant to even want to reach out to a derm.
Did you get really sick at some point? Sometimes acne is the result of a lingering infection that hasn't cleared up.
What is your hormonal state? Are you on any birth control pills? Have you recently switched brands? Do females in your family have any hormonal issues (bad PMS, menopause issues, miscarriage, fertility, etc.)?
How do you eat? There is a very strong link between acne and dairy and sugar consumption.
How often do you get pure sun exposure, meaning sun exposure without sunscreen, makeup, and in the open air (not behind a glass window)? Vitamin D deficiency often leads to acne. Getting sun behind glass or with makeup on will not give you the same level of vitamin D stimulation. The less of your skin is showing, also the less vitamin D.
Hey,
I had some cystic acne around my jaw/chin/lower face and I understand how stressful and painful it can be. My derm put me on a course of tetracycline lymecycline, epiduo and swapped my birth control to dianette before resorting to accutane. My acne seems to have calmed down (touch wood) and I have stopped getting cysts, just a few pimples around my chin. I personally feel swapping birth control makes a huge difference, have you tried this?
Epiduo is also good but really strong and stings for the first month like crazy. Its worth it though 
You're still beautiful and remember you wont have acne forever ! Good luck
For treatment recommendations, if you can afford it try high frequency but make sure the aesthetician/ dermatologist is experienced in treating acne. Unfortunately, when I got my glycolic the facialist wasn't experienced with acne prone skin and I think that might be why I got some infections (also, if they don't wash their hands in between applying different treatments to your face, you should ask them too to avoid the risk of bacteria to your face).
Sorry you're going through this! It sounds like you're using the same products that kept you clear in the past, so maybe you just need time to get back to normal.
I have to say I never liked Dan's regimen because it doesn't exfoliate your skin and you have to keep BP on your face all day. Maybe it threw your skin out of balance? If you don't have an exfoliating element in your regimen like Dan's, dead cells can accumulate and eventually clog up your pores.
One thing I've learned over the years is the most effective treatment includes both exfoliation and disinfecting your skin.
If you need something stronger than witch hazel to disinfect, I recommend Oxy Maximum Face Wash which contains 10% BP. This will really kill the bacteria in your face without having to fuss with creams.
Give your skin some time to improve, but if things get worse you can always try the Oxy.
From looking at your before and after photos it looks like your skin is purging. I can see you're breaking out where you have some scarring from cystic acne. You must of had some clogged pores left in those areas and the regimen brought it up to the surface. The regimen did the same thing I me but I stuck it out and it cleared somewhat.
The Walgreens aha cream kinda broke me out or brought stuff up to the surface. I don't use it on my face anymore just my arms and legs sometimes. Vitamin c powder mixed with your favorite lotion/moisturizer works better than the Walgreens 8% aha.
Oh and be carful with the witch hazel if it has alcohol in it. That kind of witch hazel is pretty irritating if used everyday. A good brand if witch hazel to buy is Thayers because its alcohol free.
Did you follow Dan's regimen precisely? I find that some people kind of take steps away or add steps that hinder the effect of the regimen. I have had positive results from the regimen and I am only 6 weeks into it.
Perhaps if it really doesn't work for you, you can try using just the AHA. I find it really lightens the red marks left by acne.
The regimen will purge whatever pimples you have (even if they weren't visible). From what i have a read, a month is way too early in treatment to determine if it is working or not. 3 months seems to be the MINIMUM time needed to gauge if you are going in the right direction. Consider restarting it, following it precisly and not doing any outside things (such as peels)
Good Luck
As for going to a derm, they will probably throw a retinoid and/or antibiotics at you. even with that process there more than likely will be purging that is not pretty so you may as well stick with the regimen, do it right and then cross it off your list if its not working out
Wow, that is so unlucky you broke out after trying Dan's regimen, difficult to believe actually [i'm not saying you're lying.]
Reminds of the saying that if it it ain't broke, don't fix it!
I would just go back to your old regimen, exactly how it was, and if there's no improvement in 3 months, I would see a dermatologist. Something other than Dan's regimen may have triggered this sudden outbreak of cysts, if it still persists after that time.
Don't worry about scarring from the cortisone shots, the AHA product you were/are using will take care of that.
P.S to all the people talking about purging, there is no such thing as your skin purging itself. It's just a myth created by skin care companies to make you spend more money on their products, in the name of their treatment 'making your skin push out impurities' before your skin starts to look good. This process is just your skin adapting to the treatment. The skin becomes accustomed to the negative effects of a certain treatment, but not the positive [in most cases].
By the time you realize their stuff isn't working for you, because it's breaking you out, you've already spent plenty of money persisting with an obviously unsuitable regime. And then your skin suddenly improves...the reason it's improving, is because your skin is adjusting to the products and their ingredients, not because it's working for you. An 'initial breakout' is caused by your skin reacting to the treatment. Those spots were not hiding just to appear, they are entirely new blemishes, caused by the product itself. It's not necessarily a bad sign, but if the breakout persists, your skin just does not like what you're doing to it, and you should stop. For e.g. retinoids will actively irritate the skin, that's why your skin becomes red and flaky, that's how they work. But it usually subsides as your skin starts to tolerate the negative effects.
This girl has clearly reacted in a bad way to Dan's regimen. There was maybe a 1% chance it would happen, and it did. Why is everyone telling her to continue with The Regimen, when she is telling us that her skin was pretty much clear prior to trying it?
ok first of all ive heard so many people say dans regimen really messed them up and some say it helped i believe it all depends on what type of skin you have what may work for others might not work for you and vice versa, the trick is to find out what works for you , if your really worried about your skin i would definitely make and appointment with a dermatologist, if you dont have the money i would start researching and marking when you break out and what your doing , doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is called insanity, i was breaking out like you but a little worse in the past i went to the dermatologist and he said i had a skin infection , he gave me retin a and clyndamyacin and i swear i did not break out in a whole year while using that but as time passed it seemed that the retina was making my skin very irratated and i kept breaking out consistently it got to at least i cystic pimple a week then i said enough is enough im going to stop using everything and just wash my face in the night with cetaphil gentle cleanser. in one month i got only 3 pimples two were not even bad and 1 was but not nearly as bad as the cystic pimple id get all the time. hang in there get some stuff to clear your infection and then see what youd like to do from there , but i can tell you i get the same kind of acne as you did, and ill only use bp on a huge pimple as spot treatment i dont think its meant to be put all over your entire face
I feel your pain. I had my skin ultra clear for a while and then this winter it got back on my forehead and I have some recurring cystic acne going on there.
I am Asian and male and I notice I get breakups when I am tired, stressed, and eat a lot of junk. But I mostly cystic acne when I am down or really stressed
Some things that work are balancing my hormones by running or working out. Lately I have been busy with work so I have let this treatment slip. Also getting in the sun. Sun is good for vitamin D. It's not good to stay out too long because it can dry out your skin, leave dark marks, and lead to possible cancer, but a couple minutes of protected sunlight really does boost moods. Also, taking vitamin A and D12.
You probably have heard it all, drink a lot of water, eliminate X amount of foods, etc etc but no ones has that one solution
When people recommend antibiotics I am for and against it. I took them in high school to help with my acne and it worked very well but after I got off I broke otu all the time and got colds more often. In the end being on antibiotics for the rest of my life isn't what i want and eating like a bird isn't an option for me either.
Your a pretty girl with or without acne
