Please help with my acne.

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Please help with my acne.
Topic Started: Mar 31 2009, 11:39 PM (217 Views)
Gaming Freak	Mar 31 2009, 11:39 PM Post #1
Hardcore Gamer Posts: 801 Group: Member Member #112 Joined: November 11, 2007	Allright, so I've had bad acne for a few years now. On my face, it about as bad as in the picture on the right of this image: http://www.skincarephysicians.com/acnenet/images/SevereAcne4types.jpg I'm pretty sure what I have is classified as some type of "severe acne". I also have it bad on my upper arms. In that same image, I have several large pimples there that look like the one is the picture on the left. I've also got a little on my neck, a little on my chest, some on my shoulders and back, and even the occaisonal one on my legs. Fortunitely, it's not as bad as in this picture: http://www.dingbatway.com/acne/acne-b.jpg (and thank god too) But still, I rarely see someone my age that has it as bad as I do and it really lowers my self-esteam and confidance, and hinders my wanting to leave the house and do social things. So yeah, I need some advice on how to clear up my face. I'd like to know the best ways to get rid of it. I'm pretty sure some people here have sufferd like I have, so I've got faith in you guys to be able to help me out. So, I'll list my history with experiminting with acne products, so you will know what didn't work. I started using treatments about a year ago. I start with selycic (sp?) acid, tried it for a couple months and saw no results. Next I tried out some over the counter face wash and it had no effect. Then I used some Neutolgena thing, which made me acne worse i think. After that, I visited a doctor. I begged my mom to take me to a dermitoligest but they forced me to visit the doctor instead. The doctor recommended two items. The first was Retin-A, which did nothing good and I think even ended up making my acne worse. Now, about two months ago I tried out the other recommended item, benzoyl peroxide, and have been using it daily since then. I think it may have helped a little, but in two months nothing really noticable happened. For the last two weeks I tried drinking lemon juice. I read online that in two weeks many people's acne disappeared almost completely, and my parents said it was a great idea. However, it didn't happen for me. I drunk it every day for two weeks now. The first week my acne improved a little. But for the second week it just got worse. I don't know why, but it the past week (mostly the last couple days) I suddenly got a bunch of new pimples. This really sucks, I thought this stupid stuff was supposed to work! Now, I've done other things that are supposed to help acne as well, none of them seem to have like it's been claimed though. - I shower everyday. - I use a gentle soap. - I never pop zits or even touch my face. - I eat a healthy diet. - I drink a lot of water, probably about 3/4 gallon a day. - I change my clothes everday and pillow cases and sheets frequently. - I never sweat, I exercise a little but don't do anything hardcore like a big sport. - I almost never get stressed out, I live a pretty relaxed life. Right now I'm stressed about this stupid acne, and that's the first time I've been stressed for a few weeks now. So yeah, I really want acne to go away and I dream of having a clear face like most people. My face has been getting worse and worse over time and it seems like it's never going to heal. There are pimples that have been on my face for over a month without showing any signs of healing. And I'm starting to develop scars too. I get made fun of about my acne all the time at school and I try to ignore it but can't take it anymore it happens so much. And it makes me feel like crap. You can tell I really as desprate considering how long my post is. To summerize that up, for those who don't want to read a bunch, I really need a good acne cure for someone who has bad acne. Hell, if someone here recommends me an ideathat sucessfully clears up my skin, I'll give them some of my video game stuff for free. That's right, I really want my acne gone that badly. Oh, and please don't recommend acutane. I hear it really will work but I'm holding it off as a last resort, because I hear it has terrible side effects and can cause permanent joint problems or something, it drys the hell out of your lips, among other bad things. Before I get acutane though, I want to see if anyone has an idea for clearing my skin up. Like I said before, if anyone gives me an idea and it works, I'll happily reward them with free gaming stuff. Your help is appreciated!



Nonoke	Apr 1 2009, 10:19 PM Post #2
Advanced Member Posts: 62 Group: Member Member #201 Joined: March 26, 2009	Try relieving stress. It usually works.



Mop_it_up	Apr 2 2009, 03:57 PM Post #3
Dark Birdo Posts: 5,142 Group: Admin Member #24 Joined: August 8, 2006	It sounds to me like your acne may be due to genetics rather than your lifestyle. Have you visited the doctor again to say that the recommended treatment didn't work? You might need a really strong prescription medication, such as Acutane. I know you don't want to take it because it can be harsh, but by the sound of things you have no other option. Your acne is very likely not caused by dirt and oil, and only medication can clear that up I've taken the stuff myself, and I'd say it is well worth the result. You can use lip balm to keep your lips moist. You might get a nose-bleed or two but is that really any worse than having a zit pop and possibly bleeding onto your clothes? You seem desperate to get rid of this acne and this treatment can be very effective. Stop worrying about it and do it. My only other advice would be to try taking a vitamin A supplement, though only if any other medicine you might be taking doesn't contain vitamin A.
	===MISQUOTE OF THE MONTH=== ""I vomited eleven times today, what's your excuse?" -dataDyne


Gaming Freak	Apr 2 2009, 06:24 PM Post #4
Hardcore Gamer Posts: 801 Group: Member Member #112 Joined: November 11, 2007	Yeah, you're right, I think I'm going to go with acutane. I've seen pictures of people, before their faces looked like in the second picture, and in 6 months their face turned perfectly clear with no scarring. Btw, can the acutane remove scars, or a pimple that's beginning to form into a scar? Also, I eat a lot of carrots, so I don't think I'll have to worry about the vitamin A thing. But first, I'm going to experiment with one other thing before I start acutane. I was doing research and came across a site that showed a benzoyl peroxide regimen that works for many people. Although I said before that benzoyl peroxide wasn't working, it turns out I wasn't using enough so it wasn't doing anything. Now I'll use more, and do the other things the regimen said to do. I plan to try this until the end of the school year, if I don't get good results by then I'll start on acutane. I really don't want to take it but I guess the nasty side effects will be worth it in the long run, as I'll finish out with a perfectly clear face (hopefully). Yeah, I really hope this benzoyl peroxide experiment ends up working though.



dagoss	Apr 2 2009, 08:05 PM Post #5
Level 1 Scholar / Level 10 Wizard Posts: 2,851 Group: Member Member #29 Joined: September 20, 2006	I did benzac twice a day, along with a pill, a cream, and a gel and all it did was reduce the symptoms. Chances are if you have bad acne, it will be a life-long problem unless you take acutane, which I did. I regret not taking it soon -- my confidence in high school might have been a lot different.
	Honest Gamers Ubuntu Linux


Bill	Apr 2 2009, 09:22 PM Post #6
Member Posts: 41 Group: Member Member #175 Joined: December 8, 2008	Gaming Freak Mar 31 2009, 11:39 PM http://www.dingbatway.com/acne/acne-b.jpg that cannot be acne! it must be... something else.



Mop_it_up	Apr 2 2009, 09:54 PM Post #7
Dark Birdo Posts: 5,142 Group: Admin Member #24 Joined: August 8, 2006	Unfortunately anything that is a scar or will become a scar is going to leave a mark, Acutane doesn't affect that. You can try looking for some sort of cream that lessons the discolouration of scarring, though I wouldn't recommend you do this until after you are finished with the Acutane treatment. If I were you, I would not wait any longer than you have to before you start on Acutane. Judging by your lifestyle and the remedies you've already tried, nothing else is going to work. I agree with Dagoss: if you are insecure about your acne, you need to get rid of it as soon as you can. One of the ingredients of Acutane is a high concentration of vitamin A, so you should avoid foods with vitamin A in them, such as carrots. If you're worried about the serious side-effects, your doctor could probably tell you what your risk-factor is. In my case, I had really dry lips and would get a lot of nose-bleeds, so I had to lower the dosage to one pill a day instead of two. After that, I was fine. Therefore, if you face a problem then you could just lower the dosage and you too should be fine. You'll also have really dry skin, but that's just a sign that the medicine is working. You should drink a lot of fluids (water is best) and maybe get some skin moisturizer, or else your skin could begin to crack. Here's a photo of my hand before I started with the moisturizer: http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j82/Mop_it_up/Bucket%20of%20Randomism/TheHand.jpg Bill that cannot be acne! it must be... something else. Unfortunately that is very real. If I hadn't treated mine, it might have turned into something like that.
	===MISQUOTE OF THE MONTH=== ""I vomited eleven times today, what's your excuse?" -dataDyne


Neptune	Apr 2 2009, 11:07 PM Post #8
Member Posts: 23 Group: Member Member #195 Joined: February 11, 2009	Oh yeah, well my skin disease can beat up your skin disease! I used to deal with a severe case of This. Consider yourself lucky that yours is treated with a cream, and not excision with skin grafts. Pay close attention to the areas that are affected, and where I said "severe case" then say to yourself "excision with skin grafts." Don't fear, my pizza-faced friends, if acne is what your worried about, life is currently treating you very well



Gaming Freak	Apr 3 2009, 10:51 PM Post #9
Hardcore Gamer Posts: 801 Group: Member Member #112 Joined: November 11, 2007	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVKv0noHAZ8&feature=related This video scared the hell out of me, and reading the comments was even worse. Yeah, I'm having second thoughts about accutane. I hate having acne but is it really worth losing your hair, becoming suicidal, lips very dry, and other nasty side effects.



Mop_it_up	Apr 4 2009, 01:54 PM Post #10
Dark Birdo Posts: 5,142 Group: Admin Member #24 Joined: August 8, 2006	Gaming Freak Apr 3 2009, 10:51 PM I hate having acne but is it really worth losing your hair, becoming suicidal, lips very dry, and other nasty side effects. You're talking about the worst case scenario, which is extremely unlikely to happen to you. The pill would not be on the market if it were dangerous. Since you clearly don't want to take Acutane you are now looking for any lame excuse not to. There's always a reason not to do something, so you should focus on the reasons why you should do it. You know what you need in order to clear up your acne, so accept it and do it, or stop complaining about it. Any side-effect you might experience is temporary, but your clear skin will last. Neptune Consider yourself lucky that yours is treated with a cream, and not excision with skin grafts. Creams don't work, we need a pill which can be pretty harsh on the skin. Did you see the picture of my hand that I posted? My father has had a couple of those HS thingies before, so I wonder if I'll get any when I get older. My family has a history of poor skin so I have a predisposition to such things.
	===MISQUOTE OF THE MONTH=== ""I vomited eleven times today, what's your excuse?" -dataDyne


Gaming Freak	Apr 4 2009, 03:05 PM Post #11
Hardcore Gamer Posts: 801 Group: Member Member #112 Joined: November 11, 2007	Many people say they used acutane several years ago and now claim to suffer from horrible effects that are permanent. This simply isn't worth it. Meanwhile, my acne is getting worse and worse, despite the fact that I dedicate 3 hours each day doing things to care for it. Maybe I'll just commit suicide, things seem so hopeless...



Mop_it_up	Apr 5 2009, 12:56 PM Post #12
Dark Birdo Posts: 5,142 Group: Admin Member #24 Joined: August 8, 2006	Quit being a drama queen. There are far more people who have had success with Acutane than those who had problems. Some people who did experience problems it's probably because they did something they weren't supposed to do, so if you're paying attention then you'll be fine. You know what I find funny? In your first post you seem so desperate to rid yourself of your acne, yet you are unwilling to try the one thing that is practically guaranteed to work. I am starting to think that you don't really want to clear up your acne as then you'll have nothing to complain about and create drama with.
	===MISQUOTE OF THE MONTH=== ""I vomited eleven times today, what's your excuse?" -dataDyne


Arch Evil	Apr 5 2009, 02:42 PM Post #13
Old School Phantom Posts: 779 Group: Member Member #124 Joined: February 15, 2008	You know, my brother used Acutane. He indeed had several of mentioned side-effects. But after he stopped using, ALL those side-effects were gone. And so was his acne. Those side-effects don't last forever, and it WILL cure your acne, so... what are you afraid of? Your acne cured, GUARANTEED, with only a very low possibility of permanent side-effects. I'd take my chances if I were you
	Music makes the world go round


Neptune	Apr 5 2009, 10:03 PM Post #14
Member Posts: 23 Group: Member Member #195 Joined: February 11, 2009	After reading a complete list of possible adverse effects of acutane, I can say that I would never take that stuff... ever! I don't care how small the chances are, I'd rather live with a bad case of acne than buy a ticket to that lottery. If you're actually contemplating death as an alternative to acne, you have my pity. But consider, if you have nothing to lose, you may as well try the acutane first.



Mop_it_up	Apr 10 2009, 08:26 PM Post #15
Dark Birdo Posts: 5,142 Group: Admin Member #24 Joined: August 8, 2006	Neptune Apr 5 2009, 10:03 PM After reading a complete list of possible adverse effects of acutane, I can say that I would never take that stuff... ever! I don't care how small the chances are, I'd rather live with a bad case of acne than buy a ticket to that lottery. Spoken like somebody who has never had a bad case of acne. Every prescription medication has some risk of serious side-effects, even things like allergy medicine can cause blood clot, heart attack, stroke, etc. Even over-the-counter medicine has caused serious side-effects in rare cases. It's a risk involved with any medication, so you should learn about the pills you're popping and what to avoid whilst taking it. If you pay attention, take care of yourself, and look for warning signs then you'll be fine.
	===MISQUOTE OF THE MONTH=== ""I vomited eleven times today, what's your excuse?" -dataDyne


Neptune	Apr 11 2009, 03:20 PM Post #16
Member Posts: 23 Group: Member Member #195 Joined: February 11, 2009	You're right, I've never had a bad case of acne, but I've lived with much worse. Forget all the other nasty side effects, I can say for certain that I'd rather live with it than risk a permanent decrease in dark adaptation, such a thing would be like a death sentence for me.



Yoshi64	Aug 2 2009, 01:53 AM Post #17
Veteran Member Posts: 113 Group: Restricted Member #194 Joined: January 29, 2009	If you have doubts about Accutane that means if something does go wrong you are not prepared for it. I would never take that stuff. Don't listen to people on here telling you to take it, if you feel uncomfortable taking it then don't. You should avoid it at all costs. Try sweating more, it clears the toxins out of your body. Hopefully time will clear your acne up, it should not be a HUGE concern, I know you feel bad about it, but a lot of people are also dealing with this problem. Also, let sun hit your face more often, heat kills bacteria. If you are inside all day in the air condition at around 75 it is prime conditions for bacteria to grow around you and on you. Don't get sunburned though, just 30 minutes in the sun should be enough possibly 45, or two sessions of 30 min. a day. Good luck, and don't feel rushed into a situation you are uncomfortable with. Also, you may want to lighten up on the care for you skin, let it relax and return to it's normal state, for me my acne cleared up after I stopped caring so much for it and just leave it alone. don't give up hope, some people are missing legs and arms and they still manage to get up in the morning and continue life. Edited by Yoshi64, Aug 2 2009, 01:55 AM.


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