acne is ruining everything and making me incredibly depressed

[shep88ner]

im a first year college student and up until i came here i really didnt have any acne what so ever. i thought i just got lucky to not have the acne on my face and all this like a lot of other people i knew. but then i came to college and my face exploded. (breaking out is the biggest understatment of my life). it's disgusting. it hurts to lay down sometimes, my whole face is bright red with dots, i have big areas where it's so bad it just turned black, and i have woken up at night with blood on my pillow from my face just randomly bleeding. it's so terribly disgusting.

 

it has completely shot all confidence i once had. i have no friends here in college and ive been here for 3.5 months. i have not one single friend. i eat alone, i walk alone, i study alone. after class i come back to my room and sit onthe computer...all by myself. this is the reason i even have an account on enotalone. i found this place once because i dont have anything else to do any nobody to hang out with or laugh with except you people.

 

yesterday i was on the elavator with 4 girls. just before we got to the bottom one busted out laughing and buried her face in the sholder of her friend. i looked over and her friend was looking at me through the top of her eyes and holding back a laugh. as soon as i looked she looked away. we got off at the same floor and they went the same was as i had to go. they kept sneaking looks behind their sholder to see if i was there so they could talk about it. cause the one friend asked "what's funny?" and the otehr just shook her head like "shut up"....i know they were laughing at my face, IT REALLY IS THAT GROSE!

 

my mom ordered me proactiv on sunday and i was really really excited about it. i came here and ive been checking my mailbox every single day about 50 times a day. but it hasnt come yet and i desperatly want it to come. i got up last night at 4am on accident. i got up, slipped on my flip flops and ran downstairs to check my mail again. KNOWING mail doesnt come any later than say 7pm.

 

im so desperate, i get so depressed and sad whenever i open my mailbox and it's empty. i passed the UPS man earlier when i got back from class and he had like, 20 boxes on this cart. so i gave them 30 minutes incase i had one since they need to fill out little slips and put them in your box if you have a package. i ran down all excited and it was still empty. i honestly almost teared up i was so disapointed.

 

 

i have no confidence, no friends, and i just want to go home and cry. ive never felt so terrible in my life. im so depressed and saddened. i checked the proactiv website today and it said "2-3 weeks" for delivery. i about lost it right then and there. i was expecting it by today at the latest. now it might be another 2 weeks. i cant handle it. and i'll keep checking my mailbox no matter what. even if it is 2-3am on a sunday...i'll be checking...

[rocio]

yesterday i was on the elavator with 4 girls. just before we got to the bottom one busted out laughing and buried her face in the sholder of her friend. i looked over and her friend was looking at me through the top of her eyes and holding back a laugh. as soon as i looked she looked away. we got off at the same floor and they went the same was as i had to go. they kept sneaking looks behind their sholder to see if i was there so they could talk about it. cause the one friend asked "what's funny?" and the otehr just shook her head like "shut up"....i know they were laughing at my face

 

 

Honestly, I feel more sorry for these girls than I do for you.

 

If there's any way you or your parents can afford it, try to see a good cosmetic dermatologist.

 

Also, try taking multivitamins, drinking at least 2 litres of water each day, and applying pure vitamin E to your sores.

 

Don't let this get in the way of making new friends. A few stupid people might be rude, but they are just insecure. There are plenty of girls and guys who still want to be your friend and don't give a crap about your acne.

[dreamingwithabrokenheart]

hey dude, try going to a skin care center for regular facials. estheticians can give you some advice and i think it could help. i know that proactiv works for some and it doesn't work for others so if your on the latter try going to a dermatalogist or something.

 

on a similar note, watch what you eat, i think if you eat greasy food that can make you break out. also, not sure if you touch your face alot but don't touch your face with your hands. thats all i can think of, good luck

[Raiden]

First off, I cannot truly emphasise with what you're experiencing because I only suffered through the most minor bout of acne during my teen years *touches wood*.

A lot of people will tell you it has a lot to do with your diet, general heath et all. So, do you eat healthily? Do you exersise? In conjuction with the dedicated anti-acne remidies you could do a lot to improve your self-esteem by looking after yourself.

 

 

On a side note, are you sure the girls you described were actually laughing at you? They might have been in hysterics about something completely irrelevant to your person. That said, if they were in fact directing their laughter at you then you have the utmost right to consider them shallow ****(s).

 

 

Hope everything works out for you, and good luck

[shep88ner]

i wanted to go to a dermatoligist but i would have to have leprosy before my mom would call them. i heard proactiv is supposed to work, but if it desnt either im gonna turn gay and wear make-up or we're going to the doctor no matter what

[jengh]

aw, im sorry... your freshman year sounds identical to mine, though mine had nothing to do with skin problems. Just other aspects.... I know how much it sucks being alone all the time... But Hazey Amber is dead-on... most people don't give a crap about whether or not you have acne...

 

It's a really small thing, but it works wonders for me: Crabtree and Evelyn makes this glycerine-based soap called Rosewater... I use it twice a day and it seriously clears my face right up. I have no idea what's in it that makes it do that, maybe the rose extract. But, it couldn't hurt to try, right? You can order it online.

 

Other than that, diet has a huge effect on your skin, like the others have posted... I know dorm food is god-awful... everything is deep-fried... If possible, try eating as much fresh produce as possible and avoid grease at all costs.

 

I've battled with acne since 5th grade. I know how it can kill self confidence. Try seeing a dermatologist. They have pills you can take that really can help.

[gfein347]

I just wanted to add something-

 

I've heard quite a bit that stress can cause acne, and moving away to college can certainly be stressful. If you feel like you're under a lot of stress, some relaxation techniques or meditation might help. It's not for everybody, but I'm in my first year at college, and something similar happened to me (although not as severe), and taking more time out of the day just to relax has seemed to help. Best of luck!

[Scout]

I think you need to go to the dermatoligist ASAP. This could be something else, based on the severity of the symptoms you are experiencing. Call your mother and tell her you are in pain, you are bleeding all over your pillows, and you are really worried. I'm sure she will be, too, and will set up an appointment for you.

 

You don't even know if ProActive is the right thing to take for such a severe problem, you should have gone to a dermatoligist immediately as soon as this happened. Especially since you don't have a prior history of acne. Good grief, get to the doctor!

[rms8]

I agree that the best thing to do is go to the dermatologist. I had horrible acne like you described as well. It's painful, physically and emotionally. If your mother won't take you to the doctor's is there any way you could do that yourself? You'll have to pay for the appointment as it usually isn't covered by insurance and any medication they give you should be covered. Don't let them tell you it's not because you are over 18. There are many generic meds you can get that are covered. But the best advice I can give you is to see a doctor and make sure you know that it takes SEVERAL months for acne to go away and that's only if you get the medication right the first thing around. It often takes tries at a few different medications before you'll get clear. But don't lose hope because the dermatologist won't give up!

[Siriana]

The only thing you need to do is see a good dermatologist. He'll give you pills for acne and a cream. In 6 months (minimum) they will disappear. I am talking from my experience. I was having acne on my back - a lot and it was awfull.

Don't buy stuff you can see on comercials. Get to the doctor ASAP, a dermatologist! Acne can and need to be cured.

[LostInMyThoughts]

Hey brother, when it rains it pours.

 

Right now I've suffering through some acne problems, and it really sucks. I know how much your looks can effect yourself confidence.

 

While you're waiting for your proactive, I can give you a little bit of knowledge about how it work's, why it's generally successful, and how you can go about approximating it.

 

Proactiv is a 3 part system.

 

1) A cleanser

2) A 2.5% Benzol Peroxide Toner

3) A "repair" lotion and moisturerizer contain 2.5% Benzol Peroxide.

 

First the cleanser removes excess dirt, oil and dead sking from the skins surface. After that, the toner goes to work on killing the bacteria in the pores and near the pores surface. Finally, and this is the one thing that most people neglect, the moisturizer rehydrates the skin. When skin gets dry, it compensates by producing more oil, which in turn tends to block pores, which in turn causes more acne.

 

So what can you do to while you wait do all three things with stuff you can find at a grocery story? Well take a trip to your local grocery store and pick up a few products.

 

First a nice exfoliating face scrub. Something to help scrub away skin, but isn't too harsh. Clear and Clean Blackhead Remover Face Scrub is my personal choice, but I also love PHisoderm's heating face scrub.

 

For toner, they're are plenty of options out there, but sadly I don't think many of them use 2.5% Benzol Peroxide. Instead they tend to use a 10% Salic Acid solution to kill the bacteria. While its not as effective, it works pretty well. I use PHisoderms Face Toner. Finally for moisturizers, you want something that is non-comogenic (sp). That is, something that doesn't clog pores. Cetophil is top rated, but it's expensive. I use Lubriderm, which is cheaper. To approximate the benzol peroxide, I add a little droplet of Oxy 10 into the moisturizer and apply to my face.

 

You might find products with 10% benzol peroxide, but I recall reading that 2.5% is the most effective strength. Anything more just dries out skin.

 

 

The key to proactiv and approxmiations is consistency. Doing this twice a day, will yeild good results for many people. It worked for me.

[Siriana]

Never use a scrub on acne!

[Mythical_Suicide]

While Proactive works wonders for many people it does have side effects. I tried it a few years back and it burned my face really bad so instead of acne I have red marks sporadically on my face where i had such a bad reaction to it.I say you need to get to the dermatologist and be seen before you start using random stuff especially if your skin is as "sensitive" as it seems with you breaking out so bad.

[LostInMyThoughts]

Never use a scrub on acne!

 

Really? The cleanser that comes with Proactiv is a exfoliating scrub.

[rms8]

Really? The cleanser that comes with Proactiv is a exfoliating scrub.

 

Proactiv is for mild acne. Not for severe acne where there are open sores and painful blisters, etc. Using a scrub on severe acne isn't a good idea as it will aggravate the sores. A scrub is good for mild acne and can remove dead skin cells that clog pores and cause acne. I wouldn't suggest a scrub in this case! She has a very severe case and needs to see a dermatologist.

[shep88ner]

ive just come to the conclusion that there must not be a god. what kind of god would let one of his creations feel so terrible and do nothing to help?

 

sure sounds like a god i want to worship and devote my life to....

[SuperDave71]

ACUTANE!!!

 

 

Its a beast but MAN DOES IT WORK!!!

 

 

 

-SUperDave71

[Hope75]

Shep,

 

You should see a dermatologist. You are 18, you don't need your mom to call one for you.

 

Do you have insurance through home or at school?

 

If it's through home, call and schedule an appt with your PCP and they can then refer you to the Derm. If it's through school they have PCP's on campus usually and they can see you and then refer you.

 

I'm sorry that those girls treated you like that. I think that is just rotten. I had acne when I was in high school and through my early 20's, and I still get a breakout every once in awhile, so I know how awful it can make you feel.

 

People can be cruel and heartless.

[daredevil]

ACUTANE!!!

 

 

Its a beast but MAN DOES IT WORK!!!

 

 

 

-SUperDave71

 

LOL ... where have u been dude,

[chai714]

If you're not already washing your face 2 - 3 times a day with a facial wash such as Neutrogena, then I would do that while waiting for your Proactiv solution to arrive.

 

My cousin tried Proactiv, which helped him some with his acne (he's 18, male too). Moreso, I recommend washing your face in the morning, at lunch, and before bed. Get into a habit.

[GalaxyC]

You're 18. You don't need your mother to call the doctor for you. Get to one yourself. There must be one on campus. This is a severe case and needs to be treated medically not commercially.

[Scout]

This is a severe case and needs to be treated medically not commercially.

 

I second that! Reading the symptoms you described, well...washing your face isn't going to cut it, and I doubt proactive will, either. Like Galaxy says, this is severe. And the fact that it just hit you fairly suddenly with no history in highschool of having acne causes me extra concern. Get yourself to a doctor ASAP!

[Ellie2006]

Hey there,

 

I am sure that you can see a dermatologist via the health center at your uni; we had one at ours, although he only came in once every month so the wait was a bit long. Things might be different at your school, though.

 

In the meantime, if you have severe acne, it's best to use a gentle cleanser, something that will not irritate your skin any further. Also, try not to overwash your face as it will dry out your skin and may aggravate your skin further.

 

These things may also help:

 

Try not to touch your face too much (which includes popping your acne). Also always wash your hands before you touch your face.

Try to change your pillow case often.

Drink lots of water, eat fresh fruits and veggies and cut down on intake of greasy food.

Get enough sleep; keeping to a regular schedule (re: when you get up, sleep, eat, etc etc) sometimes helps.

I hear tea tree oil helps but you might want to stick to one type of topical medicine as trying different type of regimen can irritate your skin further.

 

Good luck!

[Hope75]

If you're not already washing your face 2 - 3 times a day with a facial wash such as Neutrogena, then I would do that while waiting for your Proactiv solution to arrive.

 

My cousin tried Proactiv, which helped him some with his acne (he's 18, male too). Moreso, I recommend washing your face in the morning, at lunch, and before bed. Get into a habit.

 

I would actually not wash your face this often. At most, you should be washing with a gentle facial soap (preferably scent free, dye free, etc) 2 times a day. When you wash your face too often, you actually accelerate the production of oils in your sebacious glands because your face becomes dried out by too much washing. Then they get clogged even worse, and your acne problem gets worse.

[shikashika]

where do you live? Dermatologists aren't neccesarily expensive, 9tis mroe the treatments) they don't cost anything to see one in Canada, but you usually do have to make an appointment with your family doctor and they will refer you... Some times it can take ages to see a specialist...