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Help With My Acne Please (Pics)!

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(@dunedain)

Posted : 02/11/2013 8:15 pm

This is the current state of my skin:

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It's kind of super up-close and I tried to turn on my lamp so I could get better pictures...so I apologise for the orangey-ness.

My main acne spots are my cheeks. I have clear skin on my "T-zone" for the most part...except for some blackheads on my nose sometimes, but compared to my cheeks I hardly even notice it. I have a LOT of acne scarring - sad to say this is actually a lot better than what my acne used to be like a few years ago. I've tried a bunch of different topical treatments and nothing has really worked all that well for me. I've been using BP for years now with different cleansers and I find that it keeps my acne under control, but definitely doesn't clear anything up. I occasionally use the mud masks from Borghese which I find help to clear some acne spots.

I have had acne for about 10 years (I'm 22 now) and I have never taken any sort of drug treatment for acne. My mom never let me go see the doctor until I was about 16 but then my mom stopped bringing me because she said that the prescribed topical stuff was too expensive and not worth it :(. Since then I haven't really been able to find any products that work for me. I'm too afraid to go outside without any makeup on now, which I know is awful for my skin, but I have become so dependent on concealer that I will get panic attacks if I'm not wearing at least a little in public. I want to try to go to the dermatologist but i'm not sure how to get to their office with a naked face......I know it's pathetic.

I just finished week 3 of the Regimen and I've been trying to follow the instructions as much as possible. I do tend to pick a lot but I've really kept my hands occupied at all times to make sure they don't just end up on my face again. I feel like I'm in the phase of "getting worse before it gets better" because halfway through week 2 I started breaking out a lot thus all the angry red marks on my cheek.

But I don't know if I should hope that it will actually get better? Or is this "hormonal acne" which I'm not sure how to identify. Also, despite having acne for so long I don't know if this is cystic acne? I just miss having clear skin!

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(@forrestgump)

Posted : 02/11/2013 11:17 pm

I wouldn't really call it cystics :) and if it makes you feel better, it really does not look that bad to me :)

Try the acnefree sulphur mask, its great! Also try some light antibiotics like doxycyline or minocycline those do not have bad side effects and can be effective!

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(@naturalog)

Posted : 02/12/2013 4:10 pm

Your acne looks inflamed. My derm said that my acne is very prone to inflammation and the antibiotics works wonderfully for that (amoxicillin). Hormonal acne usually appears around your lower cheeks/jawline and are often inflamed and cystic. They also tend to appear around the time of your period (if you are a girl). I think the only way to effectively treat hormonal acne is by going to the dermatologist. I've tried every over-the-counter medication for YEARS and my skins just got use to them and they stopped working well. The derm's topical creams are the best I've ever tried. Good luck!

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(@dunedain)

Posted : 02/12/2013 9:57 pm

Yes I'm a girl and I do get a lot of breakouts the week before my period. Are antibiotics the only way to go? I've taken birth control for about a year in the past but that gave me really bad side effects so I've been weary about it, but it was Jasmine (sp?) and I've also heard that that's a "bad" birth control...not sure why exactly.

I wouldn't really call it cystics smile.png and if it makes you feel better, it really does not look that bad to me smile.png

Try the acnefree sulphur mask, its great! Also try some light antibiotics like doxycyline or minocycline those do not have bad side effects and can be effective!

That does make me feel a bit better, haha!

I looked into the Acnefree sulphur mask and it seems to have pretty good reviews, though some of the people who reviewed it didn't really have moderate-severe acne so I'm not sure if it will work for me? But the price point seems pretty good!

My doc is always trying to get me to go see her without makeup on so she can take a look at it....but I really can't bring myself to leave the house without makeup it's awful. I wish I could go, take it off and reapply it all in her office or something, but I feel like she wouldn't let me do that.

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(@naturalog)

Posted : 02/13/2013 2:47 pm

My doc is always trying to get me to go see her without makeup on so she can take a look at it....but I really can't bring myself to leave the house without makeup it's awful. I wish I could go, take it off and reapply it all in her office or something, but I feel like she wouldn't let me do that.

I always dread going to my derm's bare faced but I figure I'm not going to see anyone I know. And your doctor really cant assess your precise situation until she's seen your bare face. If you must though, like you said, maybe you should remove the makeup once you've arrived and put it make on after..not sure why she wouldnt let you do that? Wear super light makeup thats easier to remove?

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(@sarsar123)

Posted : 02/13/2013 4:07 pm

I take my make up off just before I go in the room and then reapply it straight away before I leave the dr, I take make up remover in my bag!

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