Hey guys. I've been lurking on this forum for the past few months and wanted to just ask for some advice. I'm suffering really badly, the emotional toll that my skin has caused is ruining my life.
I'll start from the beginning. I've always tended to have dry patches of skin around my nose -- nothing vaseline wouldn't take care off and, sometimes if needed, a bit of concealer (even though I'm a 23 year old guy). Well in June I went on Holiday to Florida and got a lovely colour and had completely -- and I mean completely, clear skin. I've always suffered from the odd spot here and there but since I was 18 I have been relatively acne-free. However, it seemed that the holiday did the trick for the last remaining few. So when I got back from holiday, I went on a weekly 5 minute sunbed to carry on my colour and continued to use my Neutrogena All-In-One Acne Control face scrub which I had been using whilst on holiday-- for the next few months I had perfect skin that didn't even bother me.
So around mid-November I started to realize that I had about 20-30 skin-coloured lumps all appear on my forehead. They were non-inflammatory to begin with, but then some of them escalated into tiny red yellow-heads. I tried everything I could to get rid of them -- OTC spot creams, face washes, smothered sudocrem on my forehead, smothered toothpaste on my forehead, germolene, literally anything that was meant to help I tried.
These then began to escalate down to my temples. It was at this time that I noticed how red my cheeks were -- from the corners of my nose up to the temples of my forehead was just completely red, almost like a rash. Soon after my cheeks began to break out pretty severely and before I knew it they were appearing on my chest, back and top of my arms (I even had one on my earlobe and one on my stomach). The spots that do die down have just turned into unslightly red marks which won't vanish (My temples and side of my cheeks are covered in them, as well as the mysterious rash). The usual redness I have around my nose has escalated into, what appears to be, eczema.
I went to the doctor and was prescribed duac -- which had helped me before when I first received acne at 15-17. This did absolutely nothing, it might as well have been a placebo gel. Distressed, I went back to the doctor who prescribed me Oxytetracyline. I've been on this now since Christmas Eve -- which, again, has had absolutely no effect.
I don't know what to do but it is ruining my life. My depression is so severe now that I don't want to leave the house, I don't want to meet my friends, carry on my training, work, because I know just how disgusting and ugly my skin looks. I have constant anxiety attacks and I go to sleep every night praying not to wake up in the morning.
I just don't know what to do. Every day gets worse. The past three days I had another breakout on my cheek and have had to resort to wearing foundation. I just don't see how I can go from perfect skin to literally having so many problems in the space of two months. I'm terrified of waking up and having to face another day being me.
I have my first ever dermotologist appointment on Monday, but to be honest I don't know what they can do. I've tried so many things including gels and biotics that the only other option would be Accutane -- which I'm not applicable for because I, now, suffer from extreme depression and am on a high dosage of antidepressants (even though I know my depression is caused by my skin). Besides, because of the eczema around my nose, the seemingly permanant red marks and the redness, I don't really see Accutane helping all of my skin issues. In fact, I don't see what can. Creams and gels may help the acne but will only aggravate the redness and dryness, and vice-versa.
Sorry for the long long post, but I just don't know who else to talk too anymore. Will a dermotologist actually be able to help, or will it simply be "ok, here's a different antibiotic to try for two months"? Because I genuinly don't know how I can cope looking like this anymore...
Acne often worsens in winter so that could be the reason you are breaking out. And are your breakouts truly acne or more of an allergic reaction to something?, Are you doing anything differently since Nov? Diet changes, more dairy or carbs, weight gain, different cleansers or even laundry detergents, less sleep? Tell the derm your entire story and hopefully they can help you. Good luck!
At first I thought it was an allergy.. It seemed odd -- but I've just moved back to England from France before Christmas and I still have the same problems -- if anything my skin is worse now. Nothing had changed in my diet or in any products I use so I'm really doubting the allergy thing, as much as I would love it to be (seems like an easier fix...)
I'm not sure if I should start sunbeds again but I'm scared the marks will just stay longer and the redness will only get more red rather than blending in.
I'm so depressed right now, I literally can't live anymore like this - it's destroyed my life. I've never suffered with anything as emotionally scarring as having your face destroyed.
I'm worried my dermatologist will be horrible or simply prescribe another biotic and leave me for like two months with nothing but deteriorating skin.
I feel like I have too many problems to diminish with a single treatment/in a short time span.
What other options can a dermotologist suggest other than accutane?
Hey I know exactly what youre going through. My face went from clear to ugly as fk in a two month. It appeared on my cheeks at first and then it covered my entire face. I went to the dermatologist for 3 years taking whatever cream or antibiotic they had. It was a never ending cycle, the creams and antibiotics did work but the acne did not stop coming. With each acne passing, it would leave a new scar. And fast forward 4 years, I have really bad acne scars all over my face and I'm facing the exact kind of depression your going through w/o the antidepressants. And it's funny because when my acne was getting bad I begged my dermatologist to prescribe me accutane but he shouted at me and absolutely denied prescribing me it. I still think of that day, like if only that bastard wasnt such a money hungry smart@ss I would still have manageable scars and I will be living a normal life... Since you're only beginning the acne nightmare, I strongly recommend you take accutane or any method that will CURE acne, not treat it like a stupid cream or antibiotic. It seems like you only have red scars or hyper pigmentation, which is totally fine as they fade over time, but if you don't stop the breakouts you WILL develop actual acne scars like icepicks, boxcars, rolling, and once you get those, your face will NEVER return to its original flawless skin. Having acne is short term depression because it will eventually go away, but acne scars is long term depression because they will haunt you for life
I don't know, like I said, if Accutane would actually help considering I have extreme dryness/eczema on the corners of my nose. Also, due to my career path I cannot risk muscle dehibilitation and I am a regular contacts lense user which can't be good for dry eyes. (Again, I need to wear contacts for my career)... i'm at a loss. I can't spend another week living like this, let alone years of trying different creams.
I just found out, however, that my nan who lives with us has been diagnosed with scabies: she as a red itchy rash on her leg which has red bumps. Part of me is thinking maybe...just maybe, but her bumps don't look anything like the spots I'm getting (hers look like small very red scabs)