acne

Honestly, your acne doesn't sound bad. I am pretty sure it's not cystic, so you're already ahead of the game. I'm guessing it's not cystic because you would sound a lot more desperate and depressed.

I use a BCP plus a topical solution regimen. My BCP is Diane 35 which controls androgen levels and reduces sebaceous oil gland production which dramatically decreases the development of acne. Oil production = trapped dirt in skin = acne

Then I use a nice cleanser with saliycic acid that cleans the skin right up. Afterwards, if I feel any "problem areas" I'll dab anything with benzoyl peroxide on it. The thing is gone the next day.

Lastly, I use a retinoid cream so my skin can repair itself. You DO NOT use retinoid cream and benzoyl peroxide in conjunction. You gotta use either or during the night/day.

And of course, if you care about your skin you MUST wear sunscreen. Daily.

This has basically been my Holy Grail regimen for the past three years and it saved my life. I know that sounds melodramatic but I'm not exaggerating in any way. I felt like shit for a few years because I had such terrible acne and I had been through so many creams and antibiotics and nothing seemed to work. Heck, my last doctor and dermatologist couldn't figure shit out. It wasn't until I saw Betty Chan that things started to go right.. Anyway, I digress. Tell me more about your skin. What does the acne look like? Do you have scarring? Where does it occur?

PS: Sweating is a function of androgen production, which may be one of the main causes of acne..

What kind of acne are we talking here? Annoying bumps? Cystic? Something in between?

I think the first step is to go to a dermatologist if it's to the point of bothering you so much. There are lots of options out there that will really help. The derm and prescriptions can only go so far though - you need to be consistent in washing your face and applying the meds (if you get a topical solution).

Also, I swear by my Zeno. It can be a little pricey with some maintenance costs too, but if you zap a bump with it at its onset, that bump will not have a fighting chance. It's quick and easy and you can run to the bathroom to use it (only it does beep which can be weird in a public bathroom)

i've had your problem for a long time too. the only thing that has really helped me is a perscription of tazorac, a topical retinoid. definetley go see a dermatologist, they could really help. have you also tried spot treating with OTC benzoyl peroxide? that can help too.

yeah i was in the same situation as you b/c it all started when i was 13. but, seriously see a derm. I remember i tried it at first & they gave me all these creams & it just got worse. then i tried Proactive which worked but, then it came back when i stopped using it

then i finally went back to a diff derm. when i was 19, the derm put me on the birth control YAZ b/c i found i had a hormonal imbalance & that was why i broke out. He also gave me a topical Differin. At first your acne will get worse b/c all the ones that havent surfaced will come out. It does help! & if worse comes to worse they'll put you Accutane. & that works really well but, it is a really strong pill. good luck

One word.


DERMALOGICA! I swear by the stuff! Soooo wonderful! All my friends are hooked too! You must try the active moist moisturizer.. Only one i can use and ive tried them all. It is really super sensitive and light..non greasy.. Love it!

I used to get zits all the time till I went on the pill and it went away. But I went on yasmin and it made me break out 24/7. I found clinique face cleanser worked really worked well for me and I put tea tree oil on my zits before I go to bed.

I used accutane a few years ago, and it cleared it up very well and lasted for several years.

I love dermalogica (especially the clay cleanser and the active toner) but they help make your face feel clean but doesn't clear out the pimples that well.

I feel your pain! I get terrible cystic ones right along my jaw line and cheeks. They hurt like hell!

I went to my family doc and he prescribed me Benzomycin which I apply in the morning and a gel for night (cant remember the name right now sorry, 'derm' something) as well as antibiotic pills to kill any infection causing them. So far it has been working wonderfully but drying the hell outta my skin! Since we cant see your skin it's hard to tell to what extent you may need to go to get rid of them or what products to use.

I would start with your Dermatologist and go from there, they would know best in identifying what type of acne you have and what type of products you should be using. There are so many different forms of acne that what might work well for one person, may not work for another...could even make it worse.

Keep us posted and good luck.

good ol' proactive? I use it when Ineed too and I find it helps...although I did hae a friend who puffed up like a balloon from an allergy to it. Spot test!

ProActive is pretty good, but dont you find it dries the hell outta your skin with the benzoyl peroxide? I had to stop using it because I couldnt stand how dry it made my skin.

really? my skin isn't very oily and I find it's fine. I don't use it all the time though. I only use it when I break out or if I want to prevent a break out for a certain date (pictures, whatever). Maybe that's the difference? My skin tends to be very good, except for when it's bad (does that make sense?).

I'm considering blue/red light therapy... like do-it-yourself at home kinda thing. I think you can find the lamps for about $200 total.

^how does light therapy work?

The only thing that ever worked for me was Proactiv, but it did dry out my skin until I started using Aveeno Positively Radiant moisturizer.

A healthy diet HELPS! Trust me, if you start eating apples everyday (doesnt have to be 5 or anything, just one a day), it'll take away the redness. Also, eating lots of bran (like Raisin bran cereal) that contains iron and zinc HELP. Even though the dermatologists say junk food has nothing to do with it, I find it does. If i drink pop, or eat chocolate, i break out. Stay away from greasy foods, and drink water!!

From wikipedia:

Acne vulgaris


Blue/red light treatment

Sunlight was long known to improve acne, and this was thought to be due to antibacterial and other effects of the ultraviolet spectrum; which cannot be used as a treatment due to long-term skin damage. However, artificial UV didn't work as well as sunlight.
It was found that some of the visible violet light, present in sunlight, in the range 405-420 nm activates a porphyrin (Coproporphyrin III) in Propionibacterium acnes which damages and ultimately kills the bacteria by releasing singlet oxygen. A total of 320 J/cm2 of light within this range renders the bacteria non viable[1] . This part of the spectrum is just outside the ultraviolet and produces little if any tanning or sunburn.
Application of the light for 3 consecutive days has been shown to reduce the bacteria in the pores by 99.9%. Since there are few porphyrins naturally found in the skin, the treatment is believed safe except in patients with porphyria;[2] although eye protection is necessary due to light sensitive chemicals in the retina. The light is usually created by fluorescent lamps, bright LEDs or dichroic filament bulbs.
Treatment is often accompanied with application of red light which has been shown to activate ATP in human skin cells (essentially a photobiomodulation effect), and seems to improve response rates.
Overall improvements of on average 76% for 80% of patients occurs over 3 months; most studies show that it performs better than Benzoyl peroxide but treatment is far better tolerated. However, approximately 10% of users see no improvement.[1]
Home use light boxes usually work well, are effective for people with long-term acne, are likely to be cheaper than dermatologist office light treatments, and can be repeated over several years for negligible cost, as opposed to once weekly or fortnightly. The light at a dermatologist clinic is likely to be much of a higher intensity, however, possibly negating the disadvantage of infrequent use. As of 2007 even though they are expensive, the cost is on a par with the total cost of benzoyl peroxide, moisturiser and facial washes over the total life of the light box, and the light boxes may yet get less expensive due to economies of scale.

and here is an article about researches and testings:

AcneNet Article - Are laser and light treatments really light years ahead of conventional acne therapy?

Anton, get a BHA (or if that doesn't work an AHA) exfoliant. These ones are really good --> Exfoliants

It's not about washing your face - it's about getting the skin to turnover and clean itself out. These exfoliants will help your skin with that process. And as always, WEAR SUNSCREEN!

As for the back/chest - see a dr for a topical solution.

PS - this the exfoliants I just linked above don't work, see a derm and they can get you on something to help your skin with turnover. (PS - it will take a few weeks to see full results with either the Paula's Choice or a script from the dr)

Proactiv has worked for a lot of people. Despite the cheesy celebrity endorsement. So if you're looking for something without a RX...I'd recommend either that..or the acne treatment wash and toner from Arbonne.

Hey, i know exactly what product that helps your acne dramatically and is VERY cheap.

what is it?

Adult acne is the WORST. You would think that by my age I would grow out of this. Guess not!