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Acne Is Destroying My Confidence And Positive Outlook On Life

MemberMember
0
(@sociallyawkward)

Posted : 05/12/2014 1:54 pm

Hi guys, for the past half a year or so my acne has grew steadily worse. As it has worsened i have become a much less social person and rarely enjoy going out due to the fear of ridicule of my skin. I've suffered with acne for the majority of my teenage years (19 Y/O now) (It was severe acne from 16-18) and I have tried many treatments including diet change, regular excersising, accutane, benzonyl peroxide, oxytetracyline and ethromycin. The accutane worked a treat but the side effects were severe including suicidal thoughts and a massive personality change which caused many problems for my family and me so I vowed never to go on it again. As the acne has come back I have considered a second cause of accutane as I am nearing the point where I am that desperate.

Also it's getting to the point where it's becoming increasingly awkward for me at family situations where they ask the obligatory question about whether I have a girlfriend or not and I reply no In the cheeriest way I possibly could but In reality It makes me feel so low about myself.

I know looks aren't everything but I really do believe they would increase happiness I have in life if I could just get this acne sorted.

Any advice on getting rid of my social awkwardness and new treatments would be much appreciated. Thanks.

P.S. I've attached some photos of my face just so you guys can get a good idea of what my acne is like. Sorry about the wet hair just washed my face!

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MemberMember
7
(@bonsai77)

Posted : 05/12/2014 2:28 pm

Hello!

first off, youre acne is much better than i thought it would be, you dont have a face full of cysts, which protrude from your face...

your skin seems a little rough and dry, do you use a moisturiser? this helps, even with acne prone skin as it helps to keep skin moist and if you dont use it then you can get pimples/closed comedones due to skin flakes. Also, your skin will produce oil to compensate for the lack of moisture causing blemishes too. Massage it in too, it really helps.

Have you ever used a glycolic acid facewash. It sounds harsh but it is a natural exfolaint, meaning it help get rid of current acne, and also red marks and uneven skin tone. It is the only facewash that works on my skin. as its an exfoliator it will also get rid of the red marks left over.

I also found that fish oil helps me alot.

Differin is the spot cream that helped me, it can make you purge but it helped.

suncream will also help, your skin looks a dry as ive said and a bit sensitive? suncream prevents uneven skin tone and also protects skin and acne.

dont pick. i have a tendancy to touch my skin to make sure it is nice and smooth, if i find a bump i pick...dont

Your skin is not bad, no scarring or raised cysts. Just a few dry bumps and a bit of redness, you are lucky.

please dont stress.

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MemberMember
0
(@sociallyawkward)

Posted : 05/12/2014 2:40 pm

Hey thanks for the advice :) I can't really take fish oil as I'm vegetarian, any substitutes that do a similar job? And I'll have to look into the face wash never heard of it before but It sounds promising. Also I don't really moisturise too often as I find it makes my spots look more red but if it helps in the long run I'll give it a shot.

Advice is much appreciated. Thanks :)

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MemberMember
16
(@dscully)

Posted : 05/12/2014 5:38 pm

Stay away from dairy, white carbs, hydrogenated and processed oils, and sugar. Vegetarianism/veganism is no good for folks with acne, since you need fat-soluble vitamins that are only available from animal sources in order to have healthy skin. Since you are vegetarian, I'd wager that you consume quite a bit of carbohydrate from grains, which might be your main problem. I also drink quite a bit of fresh homemade vegetable juice, the best of which I've put in my sig.

Milk and sugar are my two main triggers, but not getting enough A, D, and E from animal sources will throw my skin out of balance if I go without them long enough. If I don't take my fermented cod liver oil, my skin will lose its luster and get very oily. I would seriously rethink being vegetarian if you are doing it for health reasons. Humans are not healthy if they do not get some foods from animal sources. It's how we've evolved. If you are doing it for animal rights/animal suffering reasons, try to only eat free-range, organic animal products, which cause the least amount of suffering (and are healthier), or at least take borage oil(plant source) and cod liver oil, or consider loosening your requirements to eating fish, shellfish and crustaceans, which do not feel pain in the same way that mammals and birds do and fulfil the same fat-soluble vitamin requirements... in fact, shrimp, crabs and oysters are some of the healthiest foods you can eat (unless you're sensitive/allergic to them, which some people are).

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