I have had acne for almost 9 years. It started from my face and went down to my back and chest. I dont even remember when I had that perfect skin. My face cleared up alot from what it was 5 years ago but my body never did. I didnt really deal with chest acne 5years ago but now it gets worse every single day. It first started around my cleavage but now its spreading everywhere. Its very itchy and looks disgusting. I have never worn open back or front clothes because of this. I take shower every day but my skin doesn't look like idid.
Background on my skin: I have dry scalp, think my skin is dry to combination but my skin gets very oily during my monthly cycle. I have hormonal acne. If my hair gets into my skin or neck or my face I break out. Which is why I try to put my hair on a bun every day
I am desperate to try anything that has worked out for anyone, very stressed out, dont want to go anywhere or meet anyone. Pleasee help me, I'm dying to get rid of these :'(
You most likely have FUNGAL acne, not ordinary acne. Fungal acne is caused by taking antibiotics and some other meds. Spreading implies a fungal problem, because fungus spreads across skin with hyphae (which are like 'runners" in couch or strawberries).
Do you have dandruff and/or seborhheic dermatitis and/or dry (yes?)/flaking skin (which are indicative of fungal acne caused by malasezzia fungus) ? Do you have a white tongue ? (indicative of fungal acne caused by candida). Have you taken antibiotics (or accutane, or birh control pills or prednisone) ?
If you get back to me with answers to these questions, I can provide targeted advice on how to control your problem.
In the meantime, wash your hair and chest in antifungal shampoo, preferably a shampoo with climbazole (not to be confused with clotrimazole) in it. Buy some clotrimazole antifungal cream (canesten) and apply that to the affected areas.
Keep your skin very dry, and use a clean towel (or disposable paper towels) to dry it. Dust your skin in antifungal powder (or corn (maize) flour) after showering and drying your skin, and after applying the clotrimazole cream.
DO NOT APPLY ANY MOISTIRISER OR ORGANIC OILS (other than diluted tea tree or eucalytus oil, if you wish) TO THE AFFECTED AREAS OF YOUR SKIN. Organic oils FEED the fungus.
I look forward to hearing back from you with answers to the above questions, so I can provide more targeted information.
Hi. Thank you so much for your response. I am in no medication at the moment and I haven't even been to the dermatologist. Yes I do have a lot of dandruff which I never had before, everytime I itch dandruff falls off. I can't explain how my skin is. It gets dry right after I wash my face if I dont use moisutrizer but after I do I get oily in couple of hours. Even after I shower in within an hour my body starts to itch which gets very frustrating sometimes. And I dont think I have a white tongue. If you could recommend exact product that I could use. I research and found out that Nizoral shampoo helps with the acne like this but I tried it 2-3 times and I saw no difference so stopped using it. If you can recommend any specific products that helps with it please i'm being desperate to try anything that helps get rid of it.
This is how my skin is currently.
Myj
You have an outbreak of malasezzia fungus, which is causing your problems. Malasezzia causes acne like symptoms (which is not ordinary acne) and dandruff. Buy some terbenafine antifungal cream (often sold as Lamisil) if you can get it without a prescription and apply it to the affected areas 3-4 times a day for a few days, and then 2-3 times a day. that should control the problem. If you cannot get terbenafine cream without a prescription, buy some clotrimazole cream (often sold as Canesten) and apply that.
Also buy some antidandruff shampoo with CLIMBAZOLE if you can get it (not to be confused with clotrimazole) in it, and wash your hair and te afected areas of your skin with that. Mustela Foam Shampoo for Newborns is an excellent shampo to use, if you can get it. Climbazole kills malasezzia (as does terbenafine).
Which country do you live in ?
The antifungal in Nizoral is not very effective against malasezzia.
Have you taken antibiotics in the past (or birth control pills) ?
Get back to me after you have used the antifungal creams for a few days, and let me know how things are going. The terbenafine cream (clotrimazole is less effective, but it will help) should control the problem along with using antidandruff shampoo, preferably one with climbazole in it.
There is little point in going to a dermatologist, because 99% of them do not understand fungal skin conditions, and they will try and prescribe antibiotics which will make your condition worse.
Do NOT APPLY ANY MOISTURISER TO YOUR SKIN - MOISTURISER FEEDS MALASEZZIA> Your skin is dry because the fungus is making it dry.
You can also dust your skin in antifungal powder after showering and after applying the antifungal cream. Keep your skin very dry. Wipe off any sweat and apply antifungal cream if you do sweat..
Thank you i'll try all these products and will get back to you in about a week. I have never been into birth pills but I did take medication for acne probably about 6years ago but i'm in no medication rn. I try to take supplements the L-Lyserene sometimes and i'm completely dairy free, I feel like I have hormal acne and cutting dairy has helped me quite a bit. I am very prone to breaking out around my monthly cycle, face gets super oily.
I just noticed that the moisutrizer I use which is Kiehls ultra facial cream has glycerine on it. I'm not wearing any moisturizer atm. What do I wear if I get very dry and flaky?
I live in the states so I found a couple of terbenafine cream on amazon but says foot fungus. Can i use these?
Yes Myj. You definitely can use Lamisil for foot fungus. Applying that should solve your problem. Buy some Lamisil a soon s possible and paply it to the affected areas.
Lamisil is Lamisil. It does not matter what it is sold for.
I would stop taking Lysine as it can possibly exacebate fungal acne. There is some evidence that some fungi feed on the lysine, which is am amino acid.
Do NOT use any moisturiser. The Lamisil will provide enough moisture. Malasezzia FEEDS on the oils which are in most moisturisers (glycerine might be OK, but the moisturiser has LOTS of organic oils in it - I have checked the ingredients). So the moisturiser will be FEEDING the malasezzia fungus and making the problem worse and worse. And ALL fungi, including malasezzia, LOVE moisture.
You can buy some clotrimazole cream (canesten or similar - should be easily available without a prescription) as well as buying some Lamisil, and apply the clotrimazle cream together with the Lamisil. The clotrimazole cream and the Lamisil will provide sufficient moisture while controlling the fungus.
Make sure you wash your hair in an antidandruff shampoo, and you can wash your skin in an antidandruff shampoo, if not too irritating.
Dust the unexposed parts of your skin morning and night, and the exposed parts of your skin at night, in an antifungal powder or in corn (maize) flour (including after you shower and after you then apply the antifungal cream). The antifungal powder will help to keep your skin dry, and will help to control the fungus.
I am happy to hear back from you after you have applied the antifungal cream/s 3-4 times a day for several days, or with any queries in the meantime.
Hi. Just wanted to post an update on my skin. I have been using the lamisil for about a week now and I did see difference on the first couple of days but my acne is still flaring up. It doesn't stop coming. I am using head and shoulders for my hair and body wash and using a clean towel. For my face i stopped using my moisturizer but my skin gets super dry after I wash my face but i need some type of moisturizer to soothe my skin from being dry and flaky. Do you think I should change something for my chest acne, I think there is still something thats irritating my skin.
Here is an update
Myj
The Head and Shoulders will be irritating your skin. It contains ingredients that irritate some people's skin, so stop using Head and Shoulders on your skin and stop using it as a shampoo.
You can try a different antidandruff shampoo but only on your head.
Buy some clotrimazole cream (Canesten) and mix it with the terbenafine cream and apply that to your face and chest. See how you go with that.
Do NOT use any moisturiser that contains organic oils on your skin. Doing so will feed the fungus.
Dust your chest in antifungal powder. You can dust your face with antifungal powder at night if you wish. You can spray your chest in 3% (no stronger) hydrogen peroxide, which will help to control the fungus, along with applying the antifungal cream and powder.
Let me know how you go after a few days.
See if you can get Mustela Foam Shampoo for Newborns - that is an antifungal shampoo with no SLS in it (see below) and it is gentle enough to use on your skin.
If you cannot get the Mustela shampoo - you could Nizoral anti-dandruff shampoo on your hair - but not on other skin (it is too harsh).
Or - see if you can get a shampoo with climbazole in it - climbazole is antifungal. But - do not use any product with sodium laurel sulphate (or similar) on your skin (OK on hair) as SLS is VERY irritating. It is very annoying that people put SLS into skin washes.
Or - If you cannot get Mustela Shampoo for Newborns - then buy some chlorhexadine wash with no or low alcohol (sold as Hibiclens in the US) and dilute it down to 2% chlorhexadine concentration and use that is a foam pump, on your hair and body.
Let me know how you go.