I understand how you feel, acne can change the way we see ourselves.. however, others are more objective and you are definitely not a monster. Quite the oposite. I don't know if you have tried changing diet, other hormonal treatments or even accutane but if not, it's worth trying..

Thanks for your reply.

I really don't want to go on accutane because I suffer from depression and have heard it can make it worse.

I'm not sure what other hormonal treatments are available.

I'm thinking of going to my GP tomorrow and asking for something to help - cream or pills. Not accutane though.

My diet has been bad over the last few weeks because of Christmas, chocolate, alcohol etc.

But surely that can't have caused such a flare up?

I am taking spironolactone, it's a bit difficult to get prescription for this because it's not officially recommended for acne (and i wonder why) but it is a miracle treatment for me.

4 Christmas ago i had a huge nodular breakout, i was on vacation and i couldn't go to a derm, but i believe it was due to chocolate.. This and dairy are the worst triggers for me.

I might mention spiro but I think I have before and he didn't really follow it through.

Would you say, looking at pics that it's really severe?

I think it's moderate.. The distribution suggests a hormonal issue. I don't know about your healthcare system, i think that you can't change doctor? What about private sector doctors?

Yeah I think I may need a blood test to check my hormone balance.

I'm in the UK so could go private but can't really afford it at the moment.

Check your hormones (mine were fine but i believe i have sensitive androgen receptors). I hope you will find a treatment soon .

Yeah, i remember i felt the same way- so self conscious, would cry to myself everyday feeling as though i just wanted to leave the earth. Im not recommending this at all because im not a professional in anyway and its between you and your derm- this is just personal experience- but i went on accutane at the end of this past may (through the process learned my skin hated moisturizer and makeup) so i just cleansed everyday with cerave cleanser and my face has been clear too this day. But my situation was very similar to yours. keep your head up - there is light at the end of the tunnel - i promise!

Yeah, i remember i felt the same way- so self conscious, would cry to myself everyday feeling as though i just wanted to leave the earth. Im not recommending this at all because im not a professional in anyway and its between you and your derm- this is just personal experience- but i went on accutane at the end of this past may (through the process learned my skin hated moisturizer and makeup) so i just cleansed everyday with cerave cleanser and my face has been clear too this day. But my situation was very similar to yours. keep your head up - there is light at the end of the tunnel - i promise!

Do you think mine is severe enough for accutane?

Yeah, i remember i felt the same way- so self conscious, would cry to myself everyday feeling as though i just wanted to leave the earth. Im not recommending this at all because im not a professional in anyway and its between you and your derm- this is just personal experience- but i went on accutane at the end of this past may (through the process learned my skin hated moisturizer and makeup) so i just cleansed everyday with cerave cleanser and my face has been clear too this day. But my situation was very similar to yours. keep your head up - there is light at the end of the tunnel - i promise!

Do you think mine is severe enough for accutane?

Yours is not severe looking at all- My acne was a mix of less than moderate spots- would look worse because of my rosacea- which made treating the acne and calming the rosacea a tough task making me break out. Anyways, Because i couldnt treat my acne properly i went to my derm (who mentioned accutane as a possibility) and said straight up - "i think i want to try accutane"And then i went through all the proper procedures to start the course. the medicine I believe is beneficial for those who have "*hard to treat acne* to that could range from moderate to really severe - Anyways talk it over with a professional (and be honest about how you feel!) Say how much emotional trauma your acne is causing you - even though the med can cause emotional issues - It didnt for me because the emotional issues was from the acne to begin with.

Lastly- If you do decide to take the medicine- dont wear makeup or any exfoliants- just a common cleanser. You dont want to add the extra friction of taking it off. I used to wake up an hour before things to *cover my face*- now i dont have to do anything which makes my life much more calm.

Thanks guys.

I just hate living like this, day after day.

I'm going to try the diet thing first and using a topical and then if that doesn't help then try a medication.

Maybe not accutane though because of my history of depression.

look into low dose accutane and see how you feel. You can stop it anytime. Everything else is a band aid.

Hi- First, let me tell you that you are nowhere near repulsive. Honestly your acne does not look bad to me. I understand how it can bring you down because trust me I have been there. Please don't be too hard on yourself because from what I see it isn't terrible. Is it scarring? Have you tried Dan's Regimen?

Honestly? When I first looked at your picture my very first reaction was "WOW, what a naturally beautiful girl". You are very stunning. Please know that the first thing people notice about you is not your blemishes, but your pretty eyes and open, friendly face. You strike me as a young lady that has A LOT going for her.

Honestly? When I first looked at your picture my very first reaction was "WOW, what a naturally beautiful girl". You are very stunning. Please know that the first thing people notice about you is not your blemishes, but your pretty eyes and open, friendly face. You strike me as a young lady that has A LOT going for her.

That's such a lovely comment thank you so much.

I just suggest that you check for food sensitivites (dairy,wheat,gluten are usually common triggers), maybe start juicing, and take fermented foods/probiotics to help rebuild healthy gut flora (probiotics might cause an initial breakout). Also keep an eye on your digestion, read up on the gut/ skin axis. Hope this helps

Hey,

I know how you feel but to be honest your skin isn't really that bad

you're exaggerating a bit.

I agree with everyone else, you are stunning! But - I also know that looking in the mirror, you don't see that. For me, it's not about what others see, it's about how I identify myself. When I look in the mirror and see something I hate, it's hard not to feel horrible. Anyone who has suffered from the emotional side-effects of acne knows that being beautiful and feeling beautiful are two COMPLETELY different things. Now, you ARE beautiful, no doubt. But you want to *feel* beautiful, and no one can help you do that but yourself.

My advice? Try accutane. Your case is not severe, it is moderate - but please keep in mind, there is no proof that accutane makes depression or suicidal tendencies worse. However, there *IS* evidence that acne, no matter the severity, definitely exacerbates and/or triggers depression.

If you don't want to try it, of course there are other options (like spiro), but just let accutane be an option! Research it, (I mean REALLY research it - look at medical journals and scientific articles). The more informed you are, the better you'll feel about ANY decision you make

You do Not look horrible!! I was expecting to see someone with a face full of scars, blemishes & lumps. When I saw your picture I couldn't believe how pretty you were and how nice you looked.

You only have a mild case of acne. I know depression. I have a lot of scars from acne & lasers. It's horrible when you think you look bad & your esteem goes down.

Your skin will be fine. I can't use harsh things like retin a or accutane. I still get acne & I'm 59!! I've been using Honey lately. Manuka Honey. It seems to calm any redness that pops up & kills bacteria. I had a huge red spot the other day & I put honey on it, by the next day I couldn't even tell it was ever there. Just be gentle to your skin, no rubbing or picking & nothing harsh. It just makes things worse. You can also wash your face with honey too instead of soap. Check out youtube.com. There are so many people who have terrible acne & they tell you different ways that helped. I've seen so many so much worse than you. Look up diamondsandheels on you tube. She has acne & is a model, she shows you how to cover it while it's healing. First try your diet. No dairy. A lot said after they cut out dairy it helped a lot. Make honey & cinn w/nutmeg maskes. Natural things. Your beautiful. Let us know how your doing. Don't be sad Hon, your skin does not look like you think it does. We're always harder on ourselves. xo

Heya Sponge,

A lot of people have offered advice so I thought I would throw my hat in the ring. I would recommend cutting dairy completely and reducing refined and simple sugars as much as possible. If that seems to help you should definitely consider making the switch to gluten free (grass fed) meat and poultry and organc vegetables. I think eating organic is good for us but if you can't afford it I wouldn't sweat it.

I jumped feet first into pro and pre biotics and took them for 4 months and they made my acne much worse. I think they are better at keeping symptoms at bay and I wouldn't recommend throwing them in the mix right from the get go.

If you are feeling kinda desperate my best advice to you would be try taking turmeric caps. Turmeric works for some and not for others (like most natural remedies) but I found turmeric to have similar (but better effects) than fish oil. I noticed I bruised/scarred really easily with fish oil but oral turmeric seems to be softer on my body. I recommend the caps because they are cheap and you can easily regulate how much you take. I take 1.2grams 2x a day and in combination with cutting dairy and refined/simple sugars I have had great results. If you decide to go for it start with 800mg 2x every 18 hours and ramp it up.

If you research turmeric people often recommend making a mask out of it. I used 2x daily masks (do not go for more than 15 mins) to great effect but the staining is unreal. Everything the turmeric touches will stain if you leave it on for too long your skin will stain yellow (no joke).

My acne was way more mild than yours and a derm put me on accutane. I would not recommend taking antibiotic creams or pills. They might work for a year or two but after that our tolerance builds so that they are useless. Try turmeric =)

there seems to be an exciting spiritual adventure in development, that's way more important than pretty faces. i wish you to enjoy the warmth of human kind.

as for acne, i would try:

-drinking water with a few drops of fresh lemon as much often

-washing with green tea if you need a quick fix, eradicates the reddness for the rest of the day

-eating cabbage/cruciferous (dim) and all the specific acne stuff, vitex - agnus castus - natural progresteron etc

i usually fix redness easily with my regime and healthy eating (avoiding sugars, alcohol, animal fat), it's the chin whiteheads that's more difficult for me.

Im new here:) and want to comment your acne problem. You don't look horrible at all!! Mine is 1000x worse than yours if it could make you better!! I don't even understand such kind of mild acne scars lead suicidal thinking.. Though I am a suicidal person due to my acne scars, my suggestion you should be patient and find dermatologist soon.. Hold on!