Kinda new here seeking some advice.
I've had pretty bad cystic acne for a good few years. Probably since I was 15. Now this was never really a problem; a few flare ups here and there, but mostly I were never really that bothered. Until a few years ago.
After a year of heavy stress inducing acne I was left with quite bad scarring on both cheeks. I have my odd days where I don't let it get to me too much, but damn, this whole thing can really kill your self-esteem. I'm pretty obsessive and find myself looking at the damage in the mirror what would probably be considered an unhealthy amount. My social life has dwindled along with my confidence, but now, at the age of 22, I just want to get it sorted.
Now the deep scars are mostly on the left side of my face, but there is a lot of very noticeable pitting on both sides. I'm going to see my GP to get a referral to a dermatologist, but other than that, I have no clue what to do.
The areas with the scarring often look very rad and irritated. I wash my face everyday with a menthol tea tree oil, and moisturise with Aveeno Cream. I have very dry skin and dermatitis as it is, so my skin is already quite sensitive.
Any advice would be massively appreciated, whether it be home remedies, surgical treatments, or even just how to keep myself from getting too down about it.
Cheers!
Adam
Heya, welcome to acne.org. I'm 23 and also suffering from acne and acne scarring - so I share your pain. Your scarring isn't too bad really and I imagine the redness makes it look worse. It's probably about the same as mine - which obviously I freak out about looking in the mirror too, even though I know it could be much worse. I've found the best way to feel better about it is to get out and keep busy. Most people won't ever notice, and if they do they won't care. Confidence can take practice so sometimes you just have to force yourself to be brave and have fun.
In terms of treating it - I would advise you tackle your dry and sensitive skin first. It may be that your choice of facial products aren't suitable, and you need something more gentle and moisturising. You don't look like you have much active acne at all, so you can probably use a milder product. A dermatologist should be able to recommend a good product. Personally, I'm inclined to recommend Cetaphil - they are specially designed for super sensitive and dry skin. I really love their moisturiser - though it can be a little heavy for me as I have oily skin. They're not too expensive either!
As for the scarring, I'm not sure as I haven't had mine treated yet - though I'm think I've trying the dermapen. We'll have to see what other people suggest.
Thanks for the reply JollyHohnson!
Yeah, I guess you're right. I suppose that when you give an insecurity so much attention and thought it just puts fuel on the flames and makes it seem like a massive thing. I mean, Bill Murray has acne scars and he's still pretty awesome!
I'm gonna cut out all the products I'm using to see which one, or which combination is causing the irritation. The redness definitely makes it look a lot worse. I have stopped with a lot of the acne breakouts, but I still get the occasional weeks where it's really bad, especially if I let my diet/sleeping go to the dogs.
I'll definitely look to get myself some Cetaphil! I hope yours works out in the end too!
yea i think Cetaphi is very good not to harsh cleanser,i started using that a few months ago instead of a more expensive salicylic wash and have not had any break outs in a long time,so Cetaphi plus acne.org's benzoyl peroxide and an oil free moisturizer works for me..so lightningin if you go a good few months without getting any breakouts the red marks and discoloration will start to fade..a diet change helped my skin as well,,you don't have many scars which is good but you could start derma needling,loads of info here [Removed]
i use copper peptides on my monthly needling.and once your clear of all acne breakouts you can look into tca peels start a low percentage lke 12% to 15% and do loads research first if you interested ....
Thanks Blahblah82! Just reading your response has made me more optimistic about this whole thing, so thanks man 
kensden, I've sorted my diet out, and exercise quite regularly,so I'm pretty sure some of the products I'm using will be a part of the problem, along with the usual hormones and stuff. I'm gonna get researching this for sure though. It's cool knowing there are people going through the same type of thing.