I started getting cystic acne around age 30. I had had pimples but never this crap. I quit eating dairy which helped for awhile but drinking a lot of acidic juice, neglecting my teenage face washing routine, drinking, less water, a lot of bread, and no red meat ended up giving me cystic acne later in life.
So I gave in and went to the dermatologist who prescribed clyndemyacin--forgive spelling--and tretnoin. The combo got rid of the bigger, more infected cysts but I still had little bumps on my forehead and occasional bumps on my cheek and back. I went to another doctor and got mynocycline(an oral antibiotic). But the small bumps didn't go away. I quit eating gluten, which made me feel much better and which caused me to lose 10lbs in 3 months, just running 3 miles a week, eating grilled chicken, vegetables, gluten free everything else. But the bumps didn't go away.
So so I was randomly searching online and the raw pumpkin seed/zinc conversation got me to buy the seeds. After 2 days of maybe 1/2 cup of seeds a day, and the bumps are either gone or drying up.
I'm still on tretnoin so I'll see what happens after I stop, and I'll see what happens when my seeds run out(l, which they just did a moment ago, but my daily routine is this.
Every Morning
1.wipe face(remove dirt) in morning with garnier skinactive oil free face wipes(they're new I guess).
2. Wet face with water and remove more oil with cetaphil oil control foam wash.
3. Dry face with a towel.
4. Wet face with water and lather face with cetaphil anti bacterial soap
5. Dry face
6. Let face dry and then apply moisturizer with an spfsunscreen(everyday, cloudy or sunny) to protect your skin
Before breakfast eat a few handfuls of raw pumpkin seeds. Have your breakfast. I was using almond milk but now I've switched to unsweetened hemp milk.
Exercise whenever possible. Go see a dermatologist if you haven't already, drink water everyday(even go a day with just drinking water for your beverage once or twice a month) and cut back on whiterice, and wheat bread. Don't overdo drinking water each day
I change my pillow cases every night too. I've also quit shaving my beard(I go to the barber for that). Don't cut your own hair(go to a barber). You can get inflamed hair follicles.
i li repeat the face washing process at night and I use tretnoin on alternating nights, and I use cetaphil moisturizer after the tretnoin.
So so far my face is smooth except for two left over small bumps on my forehead but I don't expect them to last.
And don't stress yourself by worrying about anything. Stress doesn't help your skin. Also, don't think there is no hope. Just try to get ithe cystsunder control, and after that there are many different ways to deal with any potential scars: creams and peels fromprofessionals.You have nothing to worry about. Everything will work out
i ate a crapload of rich bakery cookies for the first time yesterday and they didn't affect my skin(yet). We'll see.
Hello Pumpkin,
How are you doing today? I read your topic and it sounds like you're doing great. What I noticed the most is your skin care regimen. Compared to me, you do a lot more. My daily skin routine consist of hot water, oil, and exfoliation. I have dealt with severe, moderate, and mild acne for 10 years. The most crucial factor I have observed is dietary. Zinc is very important but I do not get it from pumpkin seeds. I get it from beef, lamb, or goat.
1 hour ago, Natureman1000 said:Hello Pumpkin,
How are you doing today? I read your topic and it sounds like you're doing great. What I noticed the most is your skin care regimen. Compared to me, you do a lot more. My daily skin routine consist of hot water, oil, and exfoliation. I have dealt with severe, moderate, and mild acne for 10 years. The most crucial factor I have observed is dietary. Zinc is very important but I do not get it from pumpkin seeds. I get it from beef, lamb, or goat.
Yeah. I quit red meat, and then I started getting cystic acne after I started eating poorly, and by that I mean I was drinking a lot of juice, no soda, a lot of bread, a lot of rice, not enough waterbut I thought because I was eating mostly salmon that I was eating healthy. But I was wrong salmon seems great for heart health in moderation but it seems too oily if you eat it regularly
I triedexfoliating with neostata but I tried exfoliating with neutrogena micro head exfoliant but it caused some redness.Online it also said don't exfoliate while using tretnoin because the tretnoin does some exfoliation.
My my skin is still doing ok and I started eating some cookies with wheat, but I also bought some more seeds. Hahaha. I'll see what happens.
Why did you quit consuming red meat and fish? Did it give you acne? Also, what were you eating with it? If you were consuming juice, bread, and rice while eating red meat, it most likely not the meat. Consuming high-carbohydrate foods, especially refined carbohydrates are more likely to produce acne than red meat. Also, I use Burt's Bees peach & willow barkdeep pore scrub. I do not know what is in NeoStrata but it is very expensive. Burt's Bees is more affordable and has a good ingredients list. Also, you should stop eating the cookies. If you want something sweet that is not the way to do it.
7 minutes ago, Natureman1000 said:Why did you quit consuming red meat and fish? Did it give you acne? Also, what were you eating with it? If you were consuming juice, bread, and rice while eating red meat, it most likely not the meat. Consuming high-carbohydrate foods, especially refined carbohydrates are more likely to produce acne than red meat. Also, I use Burt's Bees peach & willow barkdeep pore scrub. I do not know what is in NeoStrata but it is very expensive. Burt's Bees is more affordable and has a good ingredients list. Also, you should stop eating the cookies. If you want something sweet that is not the way to do it.
Yeah. I stopped red meat because I thought it can cause heart problems later in life. I was consuming salmon all the time and I think it was too oily. Yeah, the juice and the carbs weren't good together. I went to a skin specialist and she gave me samples for the neostrata. It was really nice cream though. The cookies aren't healthy at al. But I've been on the gluten free for months and the non gluten gave me something new. I won't go back full time. I started eating more fruit after the cysts and I used to juice when I was younger. I might try yogurt again.
Concerning red meat, it depends on what type you buy. Commercial red meat is grain-fed. It may contribute to heart problems because of that. It is best to buy grass-fed meat from Whole Foods. There are several great web sites you can order red meat from. If you are going to eat salmon, it should be wild-caught not farm-raised. If you do not want to eat it, that is perfectly fine. There are other options available. About the cookies, it is far better to eat fruit. There are better brands of cookies I can recommend for you. How do you feel about cereal and fruit bars? When it comes to dairy, you have to be very careful. I notice that goat's dairy is easier for me to digest than cow's dairy.