Hi,
I'm a 15 year old girl who has had acne since I was in grade 4. For the first 1-2 years, I just had it on my forehead and now it's cleared up. But from the sixth grade till the present day, I've had to deal with Acne on my cheeks, both cheeks.
People say that my acne is considered mild, but to me, I just find it absolutely disgusting and horrible. If it were just pimples I had to deal with then I think it wouldn't look as bad, but I have scars and blemishes and overall it looks terrible.
I really don't know what to do anymore, I swear I've tried everything, from changing my diet, to taking herbs and using whatever magical potions and creams to put on my face, and to no avail none of it has seemed to work. I wear make up, to cover it because it's that bad, but I'm honestly sick of it. There is also a hard lump on my jaw, and I am unsure of what it is.
I am now currently on Christmas school holidays, and my goal is to have my skin relatively clear by the time I go back. Is there anyway I can do this or is my goal unrealistic? Any tips on how to fix my problem would be greatly appreciated. Also I have what I think may be ice pick scars but I'm not certain if that's what it is or its just my pores. If there are any ways to fix this please post whatever you know.
Hello User273921.
I'm sorry to hear you're struggling so much with breakouts! I know your pain. I promise you your acne is not disgusting, it's simply human. You're beautiful no matter what.
Anyways, sorry for the load of questions but knowing them can better my advice.
How much water do you drink?
Have you tried sleeping on a clean towel every night? Oils from your hair and face often get clumped up in the fabric of pillowcases, and create breakouts.
Do you sleep with your hair up or down? Try to sleep with your hair pinned away from your face as it can rest on your skin and cause breakouts.
Do you eat a lot of dairy? Try to avoid dairy.
What facewashes do you use currently?
Do you use a toner or anti acne cream?
What kind of makeup are you using? Do you wash it off as soon as you're done using it/before bed?
Do you use a primer before applying it?
Most skin types take 2 weeks to a month before seeing actual improvement when using new products - so make sure you give yourself this window of time before determining your outcome.
Hello Paigers,
That is a lot of questions! But I've got time to answer them all. Lol.
I generally drink maybe one bottle of water a day.
I have not tried sleeping on a clean towel every night, but I have begun to change my pillowcase more frequently. Do you suggest I change it everyday or? Also I sleep with my hair up and down, it depends.
With the dairy, I don't eat heaps of it or drink milk a lot but I do sometimes have cheese in my sandwiches and I eat oats for breakfast. I also like eating chocolate :/
I use a variety of products on my face the following things I use are:
- St Ives Apricot Scrub
- Formula 10.0.6 Rescue Me Acne Blemish Treatment
- Elf Zit Zapper
- Garnier Moisture Match Mattifying Fresh Cream (It's the green one)
- Eskinol Facial Deep Cleanser Classic White
And I also have used this face mask for the past two weeks so I've only used it twice but it's this white cotton face mask that's soaked in like tee tree oils and stuff like that, I'm not sure what it's called.
For makeup, which I've stopped trying to use is:
- Garnier BB Cream for Sensitive Skin
- Maybeline Fit Me Pressed
Powder Foundation
- Covergirl Green Concealer Stick
I take it off once I get home or before I go to bed, depending on when I get home.
I also don't use a primer, and with my makeup, I've been looking for Nutrogena's Clear Skin Foundation that has Sacylic Acid in it but I can't seem to find it where I live.
Hopefully that answers all your questions.
Thank You
First of all it looks like you're bombarding your skin with all kinds of products. Don't use scrubs because it irritates acne. I assume your Filipina because you use Eskinol. Try a mild cleanser like Cetaphil or CeraVe. It doesn't dry out your skin. Moisturize with a facial sunscreen. Any chance you can see a derm? It sounds hormonal. They could give you a retinoid. Have you tried benzoyl peroxide? It's the first step to during acne.
Okay so I'll cut the scrub out of what I use and I'll try the cetaphil. I've used Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Mousturier before, and i think they have an SPF one, should I use that? I have not seen a dermatologist before but I might go during school holidays or at least to the doctors. I have not tried benzoyl peroxide yet either. Thank you for the tips, looks like I'll be buying new products and cutting stuff out. 