Okay now that I've got your attention, heres my story in a nutshell. Im not sure when I first started getting acne, maybe 11-13 years old. around 2 years ago I took Accutane and I was completely clear once I got off it I was still clear for like 5-6 months. then when I got a job and worked 50 hours a week and went to school full time at the same time, I was not sleeping much and ate unhealthy. the acne came back. I went on Accutane a 2nd time for 4 months and now I just got off it last month and I am already getting 1 pimple a day. I have DONE everything to lemon honey all the products on my face the retin A im using right now nothing ever works on me nothing ! I use clearasonic now given to me by my girlfiend and its making my lips and face dry like im on Accutane when im not. I linked some pictures of me, I NEED YOUR HELP in what I can do for my acne scars, what type of scars they are, and if I can do anything about it or I need laser. PS: THEY ARE HARD TO SEE IN THESE PICTURES, NOT SURE WHY, BUT IN ANY MIRROR THEY ARE A LOT MORE NOTICEABLE. I have a LOT of discoloration on both my cheeks, I have this one huge scar been there for like 1-2 years and its very light pink- that's why you guys cant see the scars very easily I think in these pictures. Everyone tells me my face is fine and I have no acne but I SEE IT..you guys see it too .
My acne looks the EXACT same as yours. People tell me I'm crazy because they can't see anything and I only have 1 or 2 pimples. But 1 or 2 pimples still should not be coming up every day in my opinion. I started the acne.org regimen 3 weeks ago and I do see an improvement in large pimples forming. However I still see that my pores are clogged when I look at my skin up close in the mirror. The acne.org BP 2.5 treatment should help with the larger pimples, but I haven't found anything for my clogged pores.
The only time I get acne breakouts is when I eat certain foods. Dietary habits are the most important factors for acne. Also, my skin regimen consist of Burt's Bees exfoliating scrub, Shea Moisture soap, and oxygenated olive oil (moisturizer). I am thinking about adding facial wipes when I'm in rush. When I do get acne breakouts, I apply Burt's Bees acne blemish stick. I also drink a lot of water.
Okay now that I've got your attention, heres my story in a nutshell. Im not sure when I first started getting acne, maybe 11-13 years old. around 2 years ago I took Accutane and I was completely clear once I got off it I was still clear for like 5-6 months. then when I got a job and worked 50 hours a week and went to school full time at the same time, I was not sleeping much and ate unhealthy. the acne came back. I went on Accutane a 2nd time for 4 months and now I just got off it last month and I am already getting 1 pimple a day. I have DONE everything to lemon honey all the products on my face the retin A im using right now nothing ever works on me nothing ! I use clearasonic now given to me by my girlfiend and its making my lips and face dry like im on Accutane when im not. I linked some pictures of me, I NEED YOUR HELP in what I can do for my acne scars, what type of scars they are, and if I can do anything about it or I need laser. PS: THEY ARE HARD TO SEE IN THESE PICTURES, NOT SURE WHY, BUT IN ANY MIRROR THEY ARE A LOT MORE NOTICEABLE. I have a LOT of discoloration on both my cheeks, I have this one huge scar been there for like 1-2 years and its very light pink- that's why you guys cant see the scars very easily I think in these pictures. Everyone tells me my face is fine and I have no acne but I SEE IT..you guys see it
I know what they say. don't let it get it you. don't let it ruin your life. I cant take it anymore though. ive had acne since 13..at times moderate, some cysts here and there, but a lot of small acne ..a lot of mild acne going on. now I am 21. I been on Accutane twice, but every time I get off it the acne just comes back. NO acne on my back or anywhere on my body- only my face ! I wish I would get them on my back if im going to get them...I just broke out with like 4-5 new small whiteheads...made me extremely depressed but more than anything what upsets me is the scarring I have. I have mild scarring but it bothers me so much. I have tried EVERYTHING- changing my diet, sleep, all topical treatments, all pills, etc. I am using retin a every night which doesn't do anything either. I made an appointment for vbeam laser to remove acne scars or at least make them less visible. I have pigmentation everywhere! I am ready to kill myself. I cant focus in class, look my girlfriend in the eyes, or talk to anyone without thinking they just see my acne. I compare my skin to everyone else's and wonder why my acne is so bad.
someone please...help
Totally understand and empathize with you. It sucks when it feels like you'll be stuck with it for forever. I know for me, it was the most distressing when Accutane didn't work for me (because I see Accutane as being the last and greatest resort). I sought out counseling for my major self esteem issues over acne and it really has helped me. I'm slowly accepting that I will be one of those people who has acne the rest of my life (unless they magically come out with something else like Accutane). Counseling and talking with friends about it has helped me cope with it and wards off the depression about having acne.
I totally understand you feeling awful and powerless with your acne. I had acne since I was 13 too (until about 22 - I'm 27 now), and I was tempted to try extremes like Accutane, but the side effects were just too scary.
I went about solving my problem with first of all accepting it. I decided to love myself with whatever and at whatever stage I was at.
I found a very gentle skincare routine (with BP), and started going to see an aesthetician to professionally extract my pimples. We also started doing chemical peels on my face to get rid of old scarring. Ultimately, a mindset shift, a healthy diet (no dairy, low gluten, low sugar + zinc, magnesium, niaciamide supplements) and a gentle, consistent skincare routine helped me go from seriously tenacious acne, to clear skin.
When you have acne, you have to become a real detective when it comes to yourself. Your body is telling you that you're doing something wrong. It can be that you killed all your gut's good bacteria with all the Accutane, and caused inflammation of your gastrointestinal tract, or worse leaky guy syndrome...
Get a blood test, figure out if you're healthy and then consult a naturopath. Traditional doctors seem to prescribe antibiotics for everything instead of dealing with the real problem.
For some people it's as simple as giving up gluten or dairy, for others it's about fixing their liver, for you, it could be your gut, or it could be all these things I mentioned. It could be a hormonal imbalance (which I wouldn't treat with birth control). I can't tell you what's wrong, but I can tell you to keep trying to fix it. Keep listening to your body, and know that it will pass.
With love,
Olena
I agree with Jen that you have to find a way to work on your self esteem. I am in therapy myself for depression and we occasionally talk about acne. I too have struggled for over 16 years and its going strong as ever. You don 't know if and when your acne will disappear so you must find strategies to deal with what is. I too have been on accutane - 3 courses and there is no other feeling that trying the strongest drug and not getting results.
Therapy my friend is priceless.
17 hours ago, blahblah82 said:This is absolute rubbish and actually offensive to people really suffering. This is total drama queen behavior.
Some people just love doing that to maximize the agony of other people. It is apparent that the thread starter is doing it on purpose, especially with the use of those big caps. He will get his just dessert in time to come. Nobody's skin condition stays the same forever.
On 3/6/2016 at 0:14 AM, blahblah82 said:And then you see this guy's actual pictures and there's literally 1 or 2 pimples. Seriously bro, you need to get a grip and stop with the exaggeration. I'm pretty convinced you're trolling everyone.
well my post is about my scars not acne right now. anyway, i just look at myself and my heart melts. in person my scars are a lot worse under harsher lighting. i know your scarring is really bad, i am quoting you because i have a few questions if you dont mind: how many treatments have you had and what kind of treatments? has it helped even a little bit in your case? i also saw you post about being very light skin asian and you used to have very severe cystic acne...im really sorry to hear that and i feel your pain if some scars on my face are bothering me ( i have many ice pick and like 3-4 box car/ rolling ) then i can only imagine if i was you ..i was wondering how old you are right now and how old you were when you stopped getting acne and when you first started. did you ever pick? also, did you ever take accutane or any other pills? lastly, do you mind showing some pics of yourself? im just really curious. im sorry for your pain i know you get easily frustrated because my skin is not as bad as some suffering. my issue is that i do have SCARS, and in my eyes they are pretty noticeable, because they are there. everytime i see someone with flawless skin (which is 8 or 9/10 people i see daily) i get so depressed, so i know exactly how you feel. maybe im exaggerating, but i have issues too not just my skin.
well you're on accutane. You will eventually get clear. I've been trying this wash called bioelements flash foam cleanser and I like it a lot. its already foam so you don't have to lather that much. With a good moisturizer it's probably the best cleanser I've used and my acne was a little bit more worst than yours but now I'm pretty clear. Hopefully.
On April 5, 2016 at 9:39 PM, davidctino said:well you're on accutane. You will eventually get clear. I've been trying this wash called bioelements flash foam cleanser and I like it a lot. its already foam so you don't have to lather that much. With a good moisturizer it's probably the best cleanser I've used and my acne was a little bit more worst than yours but now I'm pretty clear. Hopefully.
i been off accutane for almost 4 months . i have scars all over my face now . i want to treat my scars asap but who knows if i will started getting a lot of piples again
My only advice...
When I was off of the accutane and my acne was clear, I was concerned about my red marks/scarring...
Now, half a year later, with acne all over my face, I'd give anything to go back to that time. Live your life and be happy with the skin you have, a lot of people here would be.