Proactiv is worthless

[shep88ner]

ive had practiv solutions now for about 2 weeks. i went to their website and they were saying "no acne in 2-3 weeks" and had all these testimnies about how well it works and how amazing it is.

 

ive been using it exactly as they say to for the past 2 weeks and my acne looks the exact same and all it's doing is drying my face out to the point it's uncomfortable to yawn sometimes cause my skin is like tight as a canvas. i do use lotion all the time but it's just too much dryness.

 

anyone else think proactiv is a waste? the only option i have left is accutane, and seeing as how no medication has ever worked on me ever, i highly doubt that'll work either...i cant wait...

[Kevin T]

Drugs are probably the best way to go. Those creams and whatnot won't work for hormonal acne, which is clearly yours. You're an eighteen year old male, you need something strong to combat the overproduction of oils caused by hormones in your body. Those creams are for women with dietary caused acne, not hormonal acne.

[pinkelephant]

i used proactiv and found that when i came up with my own regime, it worked a lot better.

 

using everything they gave me was too much and ended up getting me MORE acne because it was so drying. i only used their cleanser and then used another lotion. then my acne started to really clear up.

 

but it does seem as though my skin really like benzoic acid (sp?/the working ingredient in proactiv) so maybe yours just aren't compatible. a much cheaper alternative is the same cream prescriped by doctors.

[sophie274]

From what I read in your other post, it sounds like it's actually only been about a week since you got the solution. I would wait it out a bit, and also use it less often so that your skin is not so dry.

[vermilion]

See a dermatologist.

 

Especially if you have VERY inflamed skin- they can inject cortisone into the worst parts of your skin which will INSTANTLY improve your skin.

 

Also, they will give you something you can take in pill form- for some people topical products (such as proactiv) just don't work.

[puff.tm.dragon]

I used proactive, utter crap.

[annie24]

yeah, proactiv didn't work for me either.

 

what did work was going to an aethetician every 2 weeks and she gave me a facial and extractions and a really gross smelling mask (with sulfur to kill bacteria). that worked.

[equinox]

I had aweful spots around my mouth when I was 17 and, like you, I found that thouse creams and face washes did nothing. I went to the doctor and she perscribed me this stuff that I rubbed onto my face at night before bed. It was a liquid that was in a bottle that I rubbed over my skin and it worked by drying out the spots to kill the bacteria inside them. It dryed my skin pretty bad but it cleared off every single spot I can't remember what it was called but apparenly it's quite a common treatment for spots.

[zerohalo]

Some treatments work for some and not for others, it doesn't mean it's worthless. I'm sorry that it's not working for you, but like sophie said, hasn't it been more like a week?

 

I've been using it for 2 weeks, once a day not twice, and it's making a gradual difference. I've looked in the mirror and I've actually done a double take because for a second I don't recognize myself. That's progress.

 

The big thing with Proactiv is find the routine that works for you. Following their directions to the letter doesn't always work. But since I know you've got some pretty serious issues, you still should really try to get to a dermatologist.

[nomoretears4uboo]

My brother only had a few pimples and stuff. That proactive really didnt' do much. For a time he thought it he was getting more. So he used the White Dove Soap bar. And that really helps him out.

[Ellie2006]

Hey there,

 

I tried Proactive on two separate occasions: once it worked and once it didn't. Maybe you should consider giving it a full month, though.

 

I only say this bc switching to different products and overloading your skin w/ multiple products sometimes irritates your skin even further.

 

I also second Pinkelephant's advice above: if you find that your skin is becoming too dry, you may want to consider using it only once a day or on alternate days.

 

It might also help to drink lots of water and regulating your schedule -- like getting up and going to bed regularly, eating right and sleeping well, etc etc.

 

Good luck!

[afonselaca]

I find taking a zinc supplement and 8 glasses of water throughout the day to be beneficial for my skin. I rub tea tree oil on my chest, back, shoulders, neck and face in the morning and that's it.

 

It took me a long time to figure this combination out through trial and error and lots of $$$ on fancy product lines. Hopefully you'll find your magic combo soon but give the proactiv a shot for a bit longer to be sure.

[Redemption]

ive had practiv solutions now for about 2 weeks. i went to their website and they were saying "no acne in 2-3 weeks" and had all these testimnies about how well it works and how amazing it is.

 

ive been using it exactly as they say to for the past 2 weeks and my acne looks the exact same and all it's doing is drying my face out to the point it's uncomfortable to yawn sometimes cause my skin is like tight as a canvas. i do use lotion all the time but it's just too much dryness.

 

anyone else think proactiv is a waste? the only option i have left is accutane, and seeing as how no medication has ever worked on me ever, i highly doubt that'll work either...i cant wait...

 

I agree.

I was on pro-activ for 2 months and didnt see a change

my face just got really dry and peely which made my bumps shiny. yay.

 

but im starting my accutane treatment this week

[would have done it earlier if it didnt freak my hippie father out]

and im soooooooo excited. i gotta clear this crap up before spring.

good luck with ur treatment!

[Adzy]

@equinox

 

what did you use? I'm interested. I have mild acne, but it's ongoing and very annoying.

 

Id love any good suggestions, as I was considering proactiv, but have changed my mind from this thread

[StarLily]

ive had practiv solutions now for about 2 weeks. i went to their website and they were saying "no acne in 2-3 weeks" and had all these testimnies about how well it works and how amazing it is.

 

ive been using it exactly as they say to for the past 2 weeks and my acne looks the exact same and all it's doing is drying my face out to the point it's uncomfortable to yawn sometimes cause my skin is like tight as a canvas. i do use lotion all the time but it's just too much dryness.

 

anyone else think proactiv is a waste? the only option i have left is accutane, and seeing as how no medication has ever worked on me ever, i highly doubt that'll work either...i cant wait...

 

I used proactiv once. It didn't do a thing. Then I bought something generic to proactiv. Didn't do a thing. Then I just used all the same ingridients proactiv has. Didn't do a thing.

I used antibiotics and birth control (you're a guy so that's not an option for you). Nothing worked. In fact, my skin became much worse from antibiotics. My dermatologist prescribed accutane and it worked like magic in like 2 - 3 months! I was on a 6 month course. Six months after I finished it, my acne started coming back. I went back to see my dermatologist but she wasn't working there anymore! So they gave me someone else. The ****** said that my case wasn't bad enough for another course of accutane, but I kept telling him that in a few months it will be! And then my skin will be horrible and you will prescribe accutane. He was like "No, I will give you antibiotics" and I was like "NO they make my skin worse!" and he was like "Well sorry, no accutane". So, I just got up and left his office. The idiot did not understand what my skin was doing to me.

 

Luckily, birth control worked after accutane. But you can't use it. Just remember that not everyone's acne come back, and accutane definitely works and worth taking. Good Luck!

[ytterp]

Proactiv doesn't work...acne is caused from the inside. No cream you use will help, you have to clear the toxins from your system.

 

You have to cut sugar from your diet, I know you think what the...but it works. I have put together a few steps for you to take if you follow them your acne will get better.

 

1) Look at all labels when you buy things, make sure no presevatives or artifical flavours

 

2) Eat as many apples as you can in a day

 

3) Drink water at least 2 litres a day

 

4) Avoid anything sweet, if you have a craving for choclate eat a piece of fruit.

 

5) MOST IMPORTANT: Drink green tea (3 cups a day)

 

6) Eat as much yoghurt as you can for the good bacteria (unsweetened)

 

7) Eat garlick as much as possible, if you don't like it get it in pill form

 

Make sure you have a anti bacterial wash, and wash your hands frequently. Also you can rub garlick on the spots and they will naturally heal.

 

I hope this helps! X

[Adzy]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

Does that really work? any bits i could skip out on?