Acne... PLEASE HELP ME

chickidee23 · 11-13-2007, 10:09 PM

So... I'm 23. I've had slight acne problems since I was about 18 but now, it's just out of control. It's ALL over my face. And I can't get rid of it. I've been trying everything, EVERYTHING. I'm so embarrassed and self conscious. I don't have money to try really expensive treatments... but I want it to go away. I'm even too embarrassed to let my family see me without makeup. Someone, please, help...
Ideas, thoughts, suggestions... ANYTHING. I am willing to try anything. Thanks guys

Jackieblue · 11-13-2007, 10:17 PM

Hey don't give up so easy, I'm sure there are somethings that will work for you. I had really bad acne when I was younger and tried some remedies that sometimes don't work. But I haven't givin up. Go to the website and see what other remedies that will work for you. Have you tried proactive solutions? I've heard about it on t.v. & tried it out and it works, you just have to keep using it daily and your skin will clear up. I'm sure your a beautifull person anyway acne or no acne

__________________

Caldus · 11-13-2007, 10:19 PM

I recently got on Minocycline (cheaper medication depending on your insurance policy) and it's working like a charm for me. Hardly any blemishes in the last few weeks.

I think with acne different treatments work for different people. Topical medications like those facial cleaner kits never did it for me. It's always been the antibiotics that have helped me out.

One big thing is to not touch your face if you can help it. That's what causes irritation and thus leading to a higher chance of acne.

chickidee23 · 11-13-2007, 10:26 PM

Thanks for the encouragement guys

It's hard stay positive sometimes...

Has anyone ever tried oral treatment? How safe is that?

Caldus · 11-13-2007, 10:35 PM

I have. The medication I mentioned in my last post is an oral treatment and it has been very effective. Of course you need a prescription for it. It is very safe. No side effects (at least for me).

kevinm · 11-13-2007, 10:41 PM

Listerine. Yeah... sounds crazy I know, but Listerine. Just splash some on and then rinse and dry. Make sure you don't get anything in your eyes however as it has a high alcohol content. Your acne will clear in 2 weeks if you do this twice a day.

love4life · 11-13-2007, 10:55 PM

One word: ProActiv.

It works wonders! You'll notice a difference within a day, no joke.

Shiranai · 11-13-2007, 11:37 PM

Proactiv does not work for everyone. It worsened my acne by a LOT.

It's also expensive, so if you're looking for something cheap it's not for you. The company's marketing technique borders scamming, so it's easy to sign up but extremely hard to cancel.

If you must give Proactiv a try, there are imitation proactivs on the market:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

They are a lot cheaper, but they're the exact same thing that's in Proactiv.

----------------------------------------------

This is what worked for me back when my acne skyrocketed (after I used Proactiv! Took me 3 months to get rid of my acne AFTER i used Proactiv for 5 months. Thanks for ruining my year, Proactiv.)

I still based it off what I learned from Proactiv.

I use these twice a day, every day.

1. Get a mild salicylic acid face wash. This is easy to get. A lot of brands have it.

2. Get a toner/astringent containing Glycolic Acid. I used this one:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

3. Get a Benzoyl Peroxide cream, anywhere between 2.5% to 10% will work, but typically the lower the better.

Once a week I also used this:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Daily I use this in the morning:

4. Get a sunscreen that does not block pores, my fav:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

All together, it's not overly expensive, but it's not cheap either.

I found a brand that worked extremely well for me. I hope it works for you too:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

If you really try the above and if it really works, please let me know, so I can recommend it to others too. (It worked for 2 of my friends and myself, but that's as far as I can tell.)

Manco · 11-13-2007, 11:47 PM

Use Clindasol. It's a prescription topical antibiotic cream that should be able to help you. Go see you familly physician and get a prescription.

Acne is formed by blockages of sweat glands on the face by a lipid-rich secretion called the "sebum". The sebum itself does nothing but cause oily skin but when bacteria becomes involved then the process of infection begins.

Don't touch the acne, because it will cause degranulation of mast cells in your skin and give you a red flush over your face. ESPECIALLY do not touch the acne around your nose. Never ever pop pimples around your nose. There are veins feeding into your face around the nasal area that also supply the contents of the brain case. You can get meningitis from popping pimples around your nose and that is a very serious condition.

Like I said, Clindasol helps to alleviate acne if you use it twice daily after a gentle rinsing with a regular (non-medicated) soap. Go see your doctor and ask him/her what they think. If they have no idea, or it doesn't work then consult a dermatologist. Don't wait for it to improve, it might get better or worse. Usually however, acne tapers off in the age range of 20-25 years, but still see your doctor.

I don't mean to offend anyone, but all these home remedies with listerine and what not are a complete pile of crap. Tea leafs and toothpaste and other such naturopathic solutions simply don't work for real acne intrusions. You need a serious antibiotic treatment to kill the basteria and thus reduce the immune responce to the infection.

Hope you find this useful.

squidX · 11-13-2007, 11:58 PM

Have you tried Clinique products yet?..they're not much more expensive than what you buy in the regular drugstores and have made a world of difference with my complexion. My skin used to be pretty bad and the Clinique products have even helped erase some of the bad scars I've had. I would say the top two products from them I couldn't live without are the Toners/Astringents and the Salycilic Acid spot treatment. Talking with their reps also helped get me into a better daily routine with taking care of my skin. I do still get occasional small breakouts when I'm stressed or it's the hormone time of the month but those are expected. Ultimately though, Clinique really was the only line of products that made a significant difference for me. Hope this helps!

11-13-2007, 10:09 PM	#1
chickidee23 Offline Silver Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Gender: Female Posts: 317	Acne... PLEASE HELP ME So... I'm 23. I've had slight acne problems since I was about 18 but now, it's just out of control. It's ALL over my face. And I can't get rid of it. I've been trying everything, EVERYTHING. I'm so embarrassed and self conscious. I don't have money to try really expensive treatments... but I want it to go away. I'm even too embarrassed to let my family see me without makeup. Someone, please, help... Ideas, thoughts, suggestions... ANYTHING. I am willing to try anything. Thanks guys

11-13-2007, 10:17 PM	#2
Jackieblue Offline Join Date: May 2007 Gender: None Specified Posts: 2	Hey don't give up so easy, I'm sure there are somethings that will work for you. I had really bad acne when I was younger and tried some remedies that sometimes don't work. But I haven't givin up. Go to the website and see what other remedies that will work for you. Have you tried proactive solutions? I've heard about it on t.v. & tried it out and it works, you just have to keep using it daily and your skin will clear up. I'm sure your a beautifull person anyway acne or no acne __________________ Last edited by Jackieblue; 11-18-2007 at 04:48 PM.

11-13-2007, 10:19 PM	#3
Caldus Offline Silver Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Forever a Non-Windows User =D Gender: Male Age: 24 Posts: 2,796	I recently got on Minocycline (cheaper medication depending on your insurance policy) and it's working like a charm for me. Hardly any blemishes in the last few weeks. I think with acne different treatments work for different people. Topical medications like those facial cleaner kits never did it for me. It's always been the antibiotics that have helped me out. One big thing is to not touch your face if you can help it. That's what causes irritation and thus leading to a higher chance of acne. __________________ "Do you want to fix the problem or soundbyte it?" -- Ross Perot during 1992 presidential debate.

11-13-2007, 10:35 PM	#5
Caldus Offline Silver Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Forever a Non-Windows User =D Gender: Male Age: 24 Posts: 2,796	I have. The medication I mentioned in my last post is an oral treatment and it has been very effective. Of course you need a prescription for it. It is very safe. No side effects (at least for me). __________________ "Do you want to fix the problem or soundbyte it?" -- Ross Perot during 1992 presidential debate.

11-13-2007, 10:55 PM	#7
love4life Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Arlington, VA Gender: Female Age: 28 Posts: 1,683	One word: ProActiv. It works wonders! You'll notice a difference within a day, no joke. __________________ "Don't jump FROM something; jump TO something."

11-13-2007, 10:26 PM	#4
chickidee23 Offline Silver Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Gender: Female Posts: 317	Thanks for the encouragement guys It's hard stay positive sometimes... Has anyone ever tried oral treatment? How safe is that?

11-13-2007, 10:41 PM	#6
kevinm Offline Gold Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 881	Listerine. Yeah... sounds crazy I know, but Listerine. Just splash some on and then rinse and dry. Make sure you don't get anything in your eyes however as it has a high alcohol content. Your acne will clear in 2 weeks if you do this twice a day.

11-13-2007, 11:37 PM	#8
Shiranai Offline Silver Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 429	Proactiv does not work for everyone. It worsened my acne by a LOT. It's also expensive, so if you're looking for something cheap it's not for you. The company's marketing technique borders scamming, so it's easy to sign up but extremely hard to cancel. If you must give Proactiv a try, there are imitation proactivs on the market: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] They are a lot cheaper, but they're the exact same thing that's in Proactiv. ---------------------------------------------- This is what worked for me back when my acne skyrocketed (after I used Proactiv! Took me 3 months to get rid of my acne AFTER i used Proactiv for 5 months. Thanks for ruining my year, Proactiv.) I still based it off what I learned from Proactiv. I use these twice a day, every day. 1. Get a mild salicylic acid face wash. This is easy to get. A lot of brands have it. 2. Get a toner/astringent containing Glycolic Acid. I used this one: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] 3. Get a Benzoyl Peroxide cream, anywhere between 2.5% to 10% will work, but typically the lower the better. Once a week I also used this: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] Daily I use this in the morning: 4. Get a sunscreen that does not block pores, my fav: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] All together, it's not overly expensive, but it's not cheap either. I found a brand that worked extremely well for me. I hope it works for you too: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] If you really try the above and if it really works, please let me know, so I can recommend it to others too. (It worked for 2 of my friends and myself, but that's as far as I can tell.)

11-13-2007, 11:47 PM	#9
Manco Offline Bronze Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Gender: Male Age: 22 Posts: 129	Use Clindasol. It's a prescription topical antibiotic cream that should be able to help you. Go see you familly physician and get a prescription. Acne is formed by blockages of sweat glands on the face by a lipid-rich secretion called the "sebum". The sebum itself does nothing but cause oily skin but when bacteria becomes involved then the process of infection begins. Don't touch the acne, because it will cause degranulation of mast cells in your skin and give you a red flush over your face. ESPECIALLY do not touch the acne around your nose. Never ever pop pimples around your nose. There are veins feeding into your face around the nasal area that also supply the contents of the brain case. You can get meningitis from popping pimples around your nose and that is a very serious condition. Like I said, Clindasol helps to alleviate acne if you use it twice daily after a gentle rinsing with a regular (non-medicated) soap. Go see your doctor and ask him/her what they think. If they have no idea, or it doesn't work then consult a dermatologist. Don't wait for it to improve, it might get better or worse. Usually however, acne tapers off in the age range of 20-25 years, but still see your doctor. I don't mean to offend anyone, but all these home remedies with listerine and what not are a complete pile of crap. Tea leafs and toothpaste and other such naturopathic solutions simply don't work for real acne intrusions. You need a serious antibiotic treatment to kill the basteria and thus reduce the immune responce to the infection. Hope you find this useful. Last edited by Manco; 11-13-2007 at 11:51 PM.

11-13-2007, 11:58 PM	#10
squidX Offline Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Gender: Female Age: 29 Posts: 19	Have you tried Clinique products yet?..they're not much more expensive than what you buy in the regular drugstores and have made a world of difference with my complexion. My skin used to be pretty bad and the Clinique products have even helped erase some of the bad scars I've had. I would say the top two products from them I couldn't live without are the Toners/Astringents and the Salycilic Acid spot treatment. Talking with their reps also helped get me into a better daily routine with taking care of my skin. I do still get occasional small breakouts when I'm stressed or it's the hormone time of the month but those are expected. Ultimately though, Clinique really was the only line of products that made a significant difference for me. Hope this helps! __________________ Hurtz Donut?