The Horse Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

Bad acne! Please help.

2K views 10 replies 11 participants last post by  PaigeOfPaper 
#1 ·
I am 20 years old and have really bad acne. It is mainly around my mouth, chin and my forehead. I've had it since I was around 12. I hoped it would go away, but it hasn't. I've tried many different things. Eating fresh stuff, drinking lots of water, facial masks, home remedies ect. Nothing has really worked.

I'm trying Clearasil Pads, but they haven't done much either. It is frustrating because I would really like to have decently clear skin and it is annoying that I have to wear a full face of makeup - foundation, concealer, blush and powder to look half way decent. And of course you can still see the bumps - it just takes away all the redness. I wash my face twice a day with a very pure soap and then use witch hazel as a toner.

I'm willing to even try some medications (not that I really like doing that), but I just don't know what to try next. Do any of you have any tips that have worked for you? I really would like to have reasonably clear skin soon! Thank-you!
 
#2 ·
have you talked to a dermatologist(sp).. they could really steer you in the right direction..

as for little things
visine takes away redness (put on before makeup)
make sure makeup helps clear acne.. nuetragena make has a ton of stuff especially there concealors.
try washing you face with hot/warm water to open pours and then use a mild wash like st ives or something to that nature. and rinse with ice cold water...to close pours

you can also do soaking of face is ice cold water.. im not sure how long you have to keep your face in it but i went until i couldnt hold my breathe anymore...

um... what else if your skin is dry it will also cause ur face to breakout so find a good face moisturizer

other than that a dermatologist can give you medacation and other helpful pointers

goodluck :)
 
#3 ·
Salt water. Let it dry everything out for a week or so. Then moisturize everyday and salt water once or twice a week for regular control until you only need it really once a month.

As simple as:
Remove make up.
mix warm water and about 2-3 tablespoons of salt for about 4oz of water.
mix til most of all salt is dissolved.
Dip cotton ball in water and rub all over face a couple of dips and let dry.

Work like a charm for me.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#4 ·
I would try a dermatologist to figure out what the exact cause of your acne is.

When my face breaks out, it's mostly due to hormones and dehydration. I started drinking the recommended amount of water (which is actually half your body weight in ounces, not the standard 64oz) and I've been on BC for a year or so and now my face is mostly clear except for occasional spots. I happened to find out from guessing and checking, but a dermatologist would have been awesome when I was in high school.
 
#5 ·
I suffered from acne for 30 years an couldn't find anything that helped until I tried a product called Panoxyl, which contains benzoyl peroxide.

I used it and things improved immediately, stopped using after a couple of months and things stayed clear. Now I just wash my face using pure soap (a supermarket own brand) twice a day and it's all good, as long as I keep my hands away from my face!

That stuff's pretty cheap so give it a go, start with the lowest strength 2.5% stuff and see if that works, if not try the 5%.

Hope that helps!
 
#6 ·
I like the Neutrogena gold bar soap. I wash my face with it whenever I shower. If my skin feels too oily, I will instead put cold cream on my face, let it sit for a few minutes then wash it off.

Don't touch your face with your hands! You might be leaning on your chin during the day.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#8 ·
Yeah id definitely recommend seeing a dermatologist. I had acne in my early 20s and hated it!! So i feel you. It was only after the doc looked at my skin that she was able to determine the right med for my type of acne.

As a precaution, though, i will warn you that many types of oral acne medication can negatively affect your birth control (if you are on it). Just something to make sure to ask before you start taking something.
 
#10 ·
I haven't had the best experience with Dermatologists. All of them seem to want to put me on things like long term antibiotics or the like. None of them ever really seem interested in trying to determine the underlying cause of the acne. Though I suppose if they did that, they wouldn't have too much repeat business :\
I'm not saying that you shouldn't see a Derm. Just be wary, ask lots of questions, don't be afraid to say no to a treatment that doesn't sound right to you (as I did when dermatologists wanted to put me on antibiotics) and don't hesitate to seek another doctor's opinion. Remember, while ideally doctors should be solely interested in their patients' welfare, the fact of the matter is, they're running a business just like any other and are just as concerned with 'the bottom line'.


Is your face oily? Testosterone makes our skin produce more oil, more oil = more clogged pores, more clogged pores = more acne.
Are you getting cystic acne? The kind that is more under the skin, painful and filled with clear liquid?
If yes, to any of those questions, your acne is likely caused by hormones (testosterone).
If that's the case, I strongly suggest talking to your doctor about getting on a Birth Control pill, that is known to help with acne, such as Ortho Tri-Cyclen. It's the only thing that has helped my skin.


I feel your pain, it sucks :\
 
#11 ·
I'm in the same boat as you--or I was until a couple months ago! I'm 20 as well and have had acne since my teens and NOTHING has worked. Dermatologists are absolutely useless for moderate to severe acne and they'll just prescribe chemicals which eventually your body creates a resistance to over time. A lot of their products are very dangerous and they either seem to fail or cause other health problems, and it's very rare that you'll ever find a cure. Dermatologists are just not very experienced with acne care; acne is hard to understand and cure, so you'll see many different methods of treating it.

I finally was so fed up that I began going to see an acne specialist. I was extremely, extremely skeptical, but she has done WONDERS (you can see her site at Raleigh Acne Treatment - Without A Dermatologist Prescription for Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill and greater Triangle area of North Carolina). My acne is almost completely gone and the hyperpigmentation--the red spots and discoloring on the skin that people commonly mistake for scars--is even clearing up, and by the time I go back to school it'll be gone. I even forget to put on makeup some days and don't mind at all!

Acne is a genetic thing, and you can't "cure" it--if you have a tendency towards it, you'll struggle with it, but the program I'm in keeps it under control and can clear it up completely (it just requires lifetime maintenance).

Diet effects acne a LOT. So if you have moderate to severe, like me, my acne doctor recommends going off dairy for a while. Milk and cheese especially--it helps clog those pores. I have the sheets with the full dietary watch list and what causes acne, so if you want to discuss it with me further, I can send them to you!

The trick to curing acne is being VERY gentle on it. Using washcloths and pads, even soft material such as those, can be abrasive and really make it worse. I recommend only using your fingertips for it--and wash 2x a day. Dermatologists will recommend full strength (around 10%) benzoyl peroxide, but that's far too harsh on skin and will only make things worse. It's best to start out by getting a mild cleanser that's best for sensitive skin, and then following up with 2.5% benzoyl treatment. Believe it or not, moisterizer (the right kind) is very effective in clearing up acne in order to balance your skin and help the medicine to work right.
One of the "miracle" products that I use is a tiny bottle of mandelic serum, but I'm not sure if that's available online, you might have to get it through a skincare specialist.

So, if you want to start that new cleansing treatment, there's a detailed guide over at Acne.org. Besides my skincare esthetician, that's the only legit place I've found--my skincare esthetician's routines that she assigns to me are VERY similar to this regimin, she emphasizes gentle skin care and lower percentages of benzoyl, as well. Also, acne.org has a great forum :)

Please message me or email or anything if you want to talk about it more! I would love to talk to you since I know EXACTLY how you feel, haha, acne is horrible! And having just gone through treatments myself I know what it's like. Best of luck!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top