The regimen is effective. It can keep my skin clear. But it's a constant battle between dry/flaky skin and oily/over-moisturized skin. Life on the regimen is annoying to say the least. It takes an extra hour to get ready in the morning and at night for bed. I hate walking around like my face is wet paint; if any gets too close to my face, I freak out.
I'm going to college next year and I don't want to bring the regimen with me. I know if I stop using it, i'll break out bad. The regimen and college sound like hell together. Dorm bathrooms with a bunch of other guys while I slap goo on my face for an hour... Please, no.
So this has got me thinking, what is the end result? My acne is NOT going away on its own, in fact, I have to continuously increase the amount of BP i'm using to combat it. The regimen, while effective, cannot be used forever. What do we do, the people like me, who have been using I for 4 years now?
I'm seriously considering Accutane like never before, just to end this fiasco. What's y'alls take?
You def have way more experience with the regimen than I do, and I gave it up after about 4ish months. Have you ever consulted a derm before? I don't know if you want to jump to accutane right away - personally I wouldn't until I feel like I've literally exhausted every last option out there just 'cause I'm kind of scared of the side effects.
I can totally see where your coming from. Have you considered decreasing the amount of BP over the 4 years, I have been on the regime for a long time also, however i only use it at night now and not in the day and it does make the process easier. But if you think this wouldnt work for you then you have to make a choice, if you do plan on stopping the regime, i would highly recommend not stopping cold turkey. All the best.
I started the regimen when I was 20. I stopped a few times to see if I "outgrew" my acne. I'm now 30 and am still using the regimen. I never thought I'd be 30 and still have acne, but that's life. Consider accutane if you like, it's a viable option. I thought I would have the same problem when I went camping, but remember it doesn't have to be in the bathroom especially if you have a small travel sized portion antibacterial soap...