Random acne scarring appear on my face

[acnesux77 0]

Hi my names Matt I’ve been suffering with acne since about 18 and I’m now 29. When I was 21 I developed sleep problems which still exist today and never sleep properly. A bit later let’s say a few months after I developed sleep problems I noticed that I would get random acne scars on my face without actually getting any acne first. I also suffer from raynauds syndrome (dunno if this affects my ability to heal).

During this time I also started using proactive products, which do not contain high strength ingredients I don’t think. The only active ingredient is salicylic acid. Anyway since then I have been developing more and more acne scars on my face without getting active acne first. I just get a random acne scar on my face and when it appears its quite small first of all like a few black dots or like half a box scar, But then it always eventually develops into a full blown scar.

Recently in the past year or two when I get a random scar it appears red first of all and then develops into a bigger scar. I can always tell im getting a new scar because of the redness. Also in the past two weeks I have been trialing epiduo cream and this has seemed to accelerate the process and I have been developing random scars faster than normal. 

This has also happened when I used a chemical peel and a home microneedling device. The peel was 10% and I was gentle with the  microneedling I didn’t get much pinpoint bleeding.

WTF is happening to my skin?? I will upload pictures at a later stage I just needed to get this off my chest! Any help much appreciated

[acnesux77 0]

You know what I can’t be bothered to post pictures, but I’m still having this problem. Things that changed within the last four months I got a job as a postman, so walk a lot and am extremely tired. I get bad sleep anyways (wake up several times during the night), but something else that’s changed is i always get up to pee now so maybe that’s disrupting my sleep even more? Takes me longer to get back to sleep.

I eat more sugar than I normally do. Everyday I’ve added banana malt loaf or apple loaf to my diet which is about 130g. This equates to roughly 26-30g sugar. I eat cinnamon and raisin bagel everyday which is about 8.5g sugar. I put honey on my porridge everyday Roughly 30g of honey? Maybe this reduces collagen damages my skin or something??

I’m more stressed nowadays because of walking so much as a postman and I suffer with poor sleep anyways and this makes the sleep worse. Sometimes I fall asleep for about 5 hours and then wake up to brush my teeth and wash my face. Poor sleep so my skin can’t heal properly?

I’ve changed my skincare routine and have added hyaluronic acid serum which I use after using proactiv cream which contains salicylic acid. Dunno if this will affect my skin?

 Maybe I have this Condition called  Atrophia maculosa varioliformis cutis?

I think I’ll try cutting down on sugar and see if this helps. But someone please respond!

[acnesux77 0]

Here is an example of the random scarring without actually getting acne first. The first picture shows that I have a scar already, but then you can see in the second pic that the scar has grown for some reason. Wtf is up with that.

what I did that evening. I washed my face at 5pm and moisturised. I don’t normally wash face until about 7pm but my face was feeling dry.

i was absolutely exhausted that night following hard day work I fell asleep around 7.30pm without washing my face again.

woke up 3am in the morning, washed face with gentle cleanser used epiduo.1 adaplene and 2.5 BP on my whole face. Used hyaluronic acid serum after and waited 20mins before adding a moisturiser. Roughly 1-2hrs later I looked in mirror and noticed the scar!

[Pudding pie 0]

Hi. 

First things first matey, stop all that proactive rubbish, it's terrible for your skin.

In fact dump all products now. Seriously. 

I did and my skin literally has never been better. 

Our bodies have evolved over thousands of years with nothing but dirt and good ol fashioned h2o touching our skin. 

Its only the last 50 years we have decided to use all these cleansers, moisturisers, lotions and potions and guess what, most people's skin is worse then it was before.

I'm a 34 year old male and had zits since I was teenager, until about 2 months ago. Then I decided to ditch everything apart from a gel moisturizer for those harsh dry winter days as I work outdoors also. Even then I very rarely use it. My skin is now nearly almost flawless, apart from some old spot Mark's. For those I use make up, specifically war paint for men makeup.

I still wash twice a day but with nothing but lukewarm water and clean hands. I use my hands like  a washcloth, gently rubbing around my face whilst constantly splashing to remove dirt (same as our ancient ancestors did) Press my face dry with a towel then apply some concealer on my old zit Mark's. Job done.

Even my old zit Mark's are fading rapidly.

Give this a try matey. I promise you will see results after 2-3 weeks. 

Week 2 you may feel a bit grubby, slightly oily, week 3 it starts to even out and your face feels amazingly clean after washing.

Oh and regarding pro active, that shit done the same to me. It made these weird marks appear on my face in places I didn't even know i had zits. They faded a couple of weeks in to my water only washing method.

To help your pock marks, I would continue use with the derma roller with a 1.5mm needles. Wait until week 3 of water only washing to use the roller, so your skin is more naturally balanced so will heal itself better. Then use the roller every 3rd week. When you've finished rolling use a cotton pad soaked in destilled water to wipe your face. 

Edited February 11 by Pudding pie

[Pudding pie 0]

I just re read your post again bud...

Seriously you really need to stop what your doing. From the looks of it you wash your face a lot and use a lot of products which has just destroyed your natural skin barrier. 

The ravages you've put your skin through have messed with your mental health, disrupting your sleep patterns to an extent that you feel you need to get up at 330am to wash your face, even though you already washed it at 7.30pm. Seriously, how much dirt do you think your skin would have accumulated in that short space of time, whilst your indoors. The answer is very little.

You have become anxious and paranoid about your skin, leading to lack of sleep, over cleansing, overuse of products, leading to worse skin and more sleep problems... JUST STOP!!!!!!!

Seriously bro, when you get home today, take a long hard look at yourself in the mirror and say enough is enough. From now on I'm going to relax, stop worrying, let nature and more importantly my skin do its own thing. Follow those steps I have already mentioned, let your skin rebuild its own natural strength. It will take a few weeks to build but it will get there. Hand on heart, in 1 month your skin will look and feel so much clearer, smoother and happier. Your wallet will be thanking you too.

You will then realise that the whole skincare industry is built on a lie. The best thing you can put on your skin is nothing but water. A strong natural skin barrier does a great job in keeping out dirt, pollution and bacteria. Water just helps rinse the out layer and our hands do a great job in helping remove dead skin and stimulating the skin. It's what our bodies have evolved to do so let it do it and stop destroying that process.

Also very important,  do not masterbate! Keep those hormones balanced. If you really need to then no more then once per week. Testosterone spikes after 7 days.

[acnesux77 0]

Hi there. You read my post wrong. First of all I said I normally wash my face at 7.30pm. BUT sometimes I fall asleep and don’t wash it and then when I do wake up at 3.30am I will wash it. Secondly I suffer from sleep problems for the last 7 years and that is because I suffer with teeth grinding, raynauds syndrome and erythromelalgia. 
 

These conditions are what disturb my sleep. I wake up on average once an hour. Thirdly I’ve been using proactiv for about 7 years and it has helped with my acne so much. If I don’t use any products then I get big ass nodules on my face.I doubt proactiv is the reason for the random scarring. When I say scarring I actually mean scarring, not red pigmentation I mean deep boxscar scars that appear out of nowhere.
 

There’s a boxscar on the picture above which came out of nowhere. I did not even get acne first!! The picture below I have highlighted where random scarring has appeared.

just had a thought maybe it’s sun damage?? I dunno I’m outside a lot more than usual because I’m a postman and I only apply sunscreen once in the morning. I’ve noticed I have more freckles too.

[Pudding pie 0]

Doubt its sun damage. Iv worked outdoors for 15 years, hardly ever wear suncream with minimal sun damage. The freckles are however hyperpigmentation caused by the sun.

I still stand by my proactive comment. Its harsh stuff and made my skin look crap, exactly like you I had random scars appear on my face.

Using nothing but water and your hands is the best thing for your skin. Its completely natural, non irritating and a perfectly good way of removing surface dirt and pollution. Honestly give it try. You may have a break out in the first couple of weeks whilst your skin starts producing more sebum to repair and balance itself, just stick with it. Don't be tempted to start moisturising or have the odd wash with soap or it will just strip your skin again and your back to square one.

I felt gross after 7 days without products, oily and dirty. I wiped some of my face with a washcloth then put some moisteriser on, the next day I woke up with a breakout on that exact area. Since then nothing has touched my face except for some concealer, baby wipe to remove it and warm water. I'm quite aggressive when I wash my face with my hands and water and it seems to really stimulate my skin and it is now looking better then ever. Scars are fading quickly now and when I do get a zit it's generally tiny and goes within a day.

If after 6 weeks you haven't seen improvements then you can say your skincare regimen is not your problem and you have an underlying hormonal issue. 

Also have you considered war paint for men makeup? Don't be ashamed to use it, mens make up will be booming this year. I use it and my girlfriend is absolutely fine with it, even gave me some lessons. 

[acnesux77 0]

Hi. I’m sorry but I’m not going to stop using proactiv because it’s the only thing that controls my acne. Like I’ve said if I don’t use anything I will get big nodules on my face. No thanks!!

before using proactiv I used tea tree oil products, face wash moisturiser and night cream. It did nothing to help my acne. Everyone’s skin is different and I’ve found what works for me.

the only reason I get acne now is because of poor sleep. Any I can’t fix my sleep because the conditions I suffer from has no cure.

yes I’ve looked into makeup before but can’t find any which match my skin colour and is non comedogenic. I live in the UK so it’s hard to find.

So I don’t think the random scarring is anything to do with sugar as I’ve cut way down and nothing has changed. I’m think it’s because I suffer from EXTREMELY HIGH STRESS LEVELS. When I say high I mean full on heart pounding and little things piss me off. 
 

ive been suffering from extremely high stress levels for about 4 months non stop now and it’s coincided with this random scarring thing.

ive read that stress damages collagen etc so maybe that’s what happening to me.

[Pudding pie 0]

I live in uk also. War paint for men makeup is made in uk, it was on dragons den. 

How do you know your acne isn't under control already? You don't until you stop using products. 

Take my advice or leave it, up to you.

Being from the uk did you know proactive have pulled out of the uk market and you will soon find it very difficult to get their products. Just a thought.

If you want to heal some of those Marks on your face, I would suggest a strong retinol serum, though not advisable to use whilst on proactive.

Sunday riley A+ retinol is good for that, bit expensive though.

 

[Pudding pie 0]

A nice little article on pro active..

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6565461/amp/Proactiv-skin-care-brand-faced-controversy-ads-allergy-fears.html

Interestingly named by the FDA in USA as one of the brands that can cause serious allergic reactions on some people, in fact nearly 50% of people report adverse effects in including skin burns. Ever considered you may be one of those people? Scars don't just appear unless your damaging your skin.

Also did you know that the same active ingredient used in the American proactive is not used in the uk version as its banned here. All the good reviews you see on the brand are from America. Most uk reviews on proactive are that's it is garbage.

1 star on trust pilot, just saying.

Seriously matey I don't know how many times I have to say this but proactive is [email protected], overpriced junk that is terrible for your skin. 

You come here asking for advice on what's causing your skin to look crap, I'm telling you its proactive. 

If you refuse to stop using it then fine, enjoy a face full of redness and scars for the rest of your days..

Edited February 12 by Pudding pie

[Pudding pie 0]

22 minutes ago, Pudding pie said:

A nice little article on pro active..

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6565461/amp/Proactiv-skin-care-brand-faced-controversy-ads-allergy-fears.html

Interestingly named by the FDA in USA as one of the brands that can cause serious allergic reactions on some people, in fact nearly 50% of people report adverse effects in including skin burns. Ever considered you may be one of those people? Scars don't just appear unless your damaging your skin.

Also did you know that the same active ingredient used in the American proactive is not used in the uk version as its banned here. All the good reviews you see on the brand are from America. Most uk reviews on proactive are that's it is garbage.

1 star on trust pilot, just saying.

Seriously matey I don't know how many times I have to say this but proactive is [email protected], overpriced junk that is terrible for your skin. 

You come here asking for advice on what's causing your skin to look crap, I'm telling you its proactive. 

If you refuse to stop using it then fine, enjoy a face full of redness and scars for the rest of your days..

Another article...

https://www.google.com/amp/www.etherealauraspa.com/blog/proactiv%3fformat=amp

[Pudding pie 0]

Do you see what I'm saying now? That stuff is destroying your skin.

Go simple and natural matey, let your skin heal. 

You want better skin or not? 

I'm 34 now, had acne since 13 years old and only just got better this year. Iv tried everything from accutane, proactive, retinols ( good for healing acne Mark's but not curing acne ) , every face wash, moisteriser, serum etc under the sun. I have spent countless days researching acne, scars, cures, products, ingredients and finally came to the conclusion simple is better. Some people may never completely cure acne (I  still get the odd spot or 2 for example ) mainly because of fluctuating hormones which I highly suspect is due to metabolic rates. Myself, I eat like an animal, McDonald's most days for breakfast and my missus says I have a black hole in the pit of my stomach. Yet i am incredibly slim, always have been. I have a very high metabolism, burn through what I eat incredibly quickly which makes me very gassy and I suspect gives me bad skin.

If like me your are one of these people who will probably suffer from some form of spots throughout their life then like me you can just learn to accept it and stop worrying about.

Going natural however really keeps the spots down, the ones i do get are far less inflamed, irritable and heal much quicker. Overall my general skin health, colour and tone are sooo much better without products.

Follow this exact routine and your skin will look much better soon, I promise you.

Firstly- starting taking 40mg zinc gluconate tablets daily. Very important to good skin. Make sure you take it after a meal but do not take with coffee or if you have drink coffee in the last 30 mins ( coffee is a dialectic and will make all minerals pass straight through without being absorbed ). 

Wash routine.

Morning- splash face with warm water, gently use hands to wipe. Pat dry.

Apply a natural, non comedgenic sun screen ( there are plenty available on line ). Personally I don't use sunscreen apart from in the summer but for you its important for now because you need your skin to heal.

Evening- use a gentle face wash such as cetaphil. Pat dry.

Use a strong retinol such as sunday riley to help heal your old scars and improve your collagen. Only use retinol a couple of days a week at first then increase use as your skin gets use to it. You will get a bit red, inflamed and peely for the first couple of weeks then it will die down. Don't be tempted t0 use a moisteriser as doing so will make it longer for your skin to adjust to the retinol plus any emollient over the dry skin caused by retinol can cause outbreaks.

Sunscreen is very important whilst using retinol. 

I would reccomend using the retinol for 3 months. After that it becomes pretty ineffective from my experience, however 3 months is enough time to see some good skin improvements.

After that just stick to the wash routine and maybe sunscreen.

[acnesux77 0]

I know my acne isn’t under control already because like I said before I used to get loads of acne when I didn’t use any products. Dude you don’t read my posts properly! Before I didn’t use any products to help with acne and I always used to breakout if I didn’t get enough sleep.

The same thing happens now if I get terrible sleep I get a big nodule. Since using proactiv my acne has been under control!

Again like I said before I have been using proactive for about 8 YEARS NOW WITH NO SIDE EFFECTS!! I only started getting this random scarring when I got a new job as a postman. 
 

Now I’m trying to get better sleep and lower my stress and have been sleeping better for the past 3 days so I’ll see if that helps. Who knows maybe it’s too much time spent outside in the sun?? 
There’s got to be a connection here. I get a new job and random scarring occurs.

Also just because proactiv didn’t work for you mate doesn’t mean it won’t work for anyone else. And yes I do know that proactiv no longer operate in the UK. I’ve still got about 6 months worth of proactiv left and afterwards I think I’ll look at the ordinary products.

Oh and I’ll look into warpaint cheers.

[acnesux77 0]

Just want to update if anyone is interested. I think it might be eating high sugar content REGULARLY. Last week I would allow myself one day to treat myself and then the next two days after I would eat a low sugar diet. Then I would treat myself again after. But every time I treat myself I would always allow two days rest where I lower my sugar. During that week I had no random scarring appear on my face.

However this week I have been feeling incredibly stressed and have been eating sugar EVERYDAY. I don’t know how much exactly maybe 40-50g extra sugar and I have seen more random scarring appear. 
 

I think the sugar is damaging my skin if eaten daily! Sugar breaks down collagen and causes inflammation in the skin. I will follow my diet from the previous week where I allow myself a treat day every three days and will update.

[beautifulsun 0]

First you need to find a solution to reduce the acne on your first, did you discuss accutane with your doctor,  thats what helped me a lot in my case, then to be honest, I have been doing derma planning at a reputable medical cosmetician in my area, I could see some improvement after I did it twice. I will keep doing it and report later.