Secular Elation

Everytime I look in the mirror, I want to smash it. I look so ugly with that acne infesting my face.

It's not horrible, actually. I know some people who have at least 3 separate pimples in every square inch of their face. But I have a ring of acne along my lower cheeks and my upper forehead. It's really bad in those areas.

I've used 10% benzoyl peroxide for some time now. It has reduced the acne, but it is still a bothersome presence. I've heard that Proactive is a very good acne medication, but have never given it a good try.

I've also heard, from a few people, that diet has a significant impact on acne. They say that sweets and sugars, like chocolate and soft drinks, contributes to acne. I don't know if this is true or not, but I must say I do consume a lot of sweets and I drink at least 3 sodas each day.

Anyone here with acne problems? Anyone who formerly has ance problems? How did you combat the ugliness?

ju'iblex

used to, and to sound like an advertisement, now i get complimented on my skin. Honestly. I went on an 8 month course of Roaccutane, and i have stopped for about... 1 year, year and a half now? I've had 3 pimples over the past two years though.

You'd have to get a referral from your GP to a dermatologist, and it's expensive, but it's worth it. My back was covered in them, so much so i couldn't sleep on my back at night, or stretch my shoulderblades apart by rolling over. Hurt like fuck.

and to all the skeptics, I finished taking them before i turned 16, so i did not just naturally grow out of it.

catjerome

I'm almost 25 and I still have this shit. ARRRRRGH. I have a complexion I like to call "cranberries and cream."

I've tried various topical creams and ointments, including Retin-A ... not sure what to try next. It's not violent enough to warrant using Accutane, and I don't want to go on the Pill or take antibiotics as some have suggested (not wanting to pump hormones/chems into the body or use antibiotics frivolously).

At the moment, I'm keeping it somewhat down with a 10% bz-perox face wash and 10% bz-perox cream. It prevents big breakouts, but that still leaves me with a good number of whiteheads and ruddy skin.

Has anyone tried any special diets or any other solutions?

I've heard that getting lots of sleep helps. I have to admit that I've been slack in that department.

pariah

well ppl at medication places tell you that diet has no effect, and maybe for some people it doesnt, but it sure did for me. no sodas, no greasy food, lots of vegetables and fruits...it did seem to help

also prescription creams work really well too. try to get your doctor to get some, odds are ur insurance will pay for it.

callmejay

I tried a few prescriptions which didn't work and finally found one that did. It's a sulfa-based drug, taken orally. Really, you should see a professional. There's no reason you have to live with acne in the 21st century.

Abacus

I used to have acne quite badly. The only thing that worked for me was to see a dermatologist and get a prescription for some antibiotics. It worked wonders.

I have since outgrown the problem and haven't taken any pills for years. Acne free for five years. Yay!

brighid

I have had acne problem for the past 15 years or more. I didn't break out when I was on Orthotricyclen, but I did on other pills. It was determined that I produce too much estrogen and now I take an over the counter supplement called Indolplex with DIM and I rarely get a pimple. Any pimples I do get are relatively minor and can be easily taken care of with some an astringent or topical ointment.

I had tried antibiotics and everything over the counter. Most things worked for only a short time but did nothing to prevent further breakouts. Sometimes the breakouts would be cystic and painful.

I have also found that diet, exercise, adequate rest, water intake and taking my supplement and prescribed vitamins is also part of the equation. However I noticed almost immediate results with the Indolplex.

Brighid

Barney Gumble

Accutane.

Accutane.

Accutane.

Clear enough?

Struggled with acne for ~15 years. I could fill a landfill with all the OTC products I tried during that time, and months with the techniques I tried. It was a constant, frustrating battle - things would work for a period, then my skin would adjust. Had a derm visit when I was in my late teens, given minocyn that helped a little bit, but not much. Even tried the ProActiv solution you see advertised on late-night TV. Worked for a while, then just ravaged my skin - I got the pimples back, with worse skin quality overall.

Finally near my 30th birthday, I decided to reign in my male ego and not treat the dermatologist like your local Clinique counter in a shopping mall. That's the irony of acne - your rational mind knows that in relation to many other life-altering conditions, it's "not that serious", and you're told that by your parents, peers and even some doctors ("you'll grow out of it").

But to get up everyday and wonder "Just how awful am I going to look today - especially when you're approaching 30 and in a position of some authority - gets extremely difficult. Will a zit erupt in the middle of a meeting/date?" is a very strenuous thought process that occupies your mind. I had to face the fact that regardless of what your peers or the medical community regards it as, for my life it was a "serious" medical issue, and it was affecting my personality to a dangerous degree.

So, on my first visit I was the one who suggested Accutane. My facial acne wasn't that bad, but I had cystic acne on my shoulders/upper back. The doc took one look at that, and agreed to put me on RoAccutane. I had dry skin before the drug so I was anxious at it can really dry you out (and I started right at the top of your typical Canadian winter!), but aside from having to apply moisturizer at night the side effects were quite minor. Within 2 months my acne was completely eliminated - everywhere.

It's been 3 years since my course. While I still get some very small pimples on my forehead at times, I truly don't have "acne" any more - the slight whiteheads I may get on my face are incredibly tiny and usually caused by shaving irritation. My back has never seen a pimple since the course.

I'd like to be able to shrug the condition off knowing what true medical horrors beset many individuals on this planet - if I was given a choice between cancer and Acne, obviously I'd choose Acne. But for me, I couldn't shake the depression (and the pain - some cystic pimples I would get near my lips made it difficult to smile, as if I needed less encouragement). I'd say Accutane was probably one of the best self-improvement decisions I've made in my life so far.

Bear in mind it's expensive if your insurance doesn't cover it. If it doesn't, Roche will actually pay for your course if you can convince the dermatologist that you're unable to afford it, I saw many reports on alt.skincare.acne where patients were able to achieve coverage this way that would otherwise not be able to afford it.

ieyeasu

Accutane has also been linked with a spike in suicide rates.

Sorry, I'll stick to having acne and obsessively washing my face--at least, with my mental history.

Barney Gumble

The "link" at this point is akin to a thread holding onto an anvil; by any respectable scientific measure no such link has been established. More research has to be done, but the problem is that narrowing depression down to the use of a single drug when that drug is largely targeting a group that is prone to depression and suicide in the first place, is extremely difficult.

Not to mention:

- When a suicide occurs in a young teen, parents will always want to "find a cause". Few people will take "existing brain chemistry" or a poor social environment as an acceptable answer. Being able to point to a single cause - like a drug from an uncaring corporation - can serve as a coping mechanism.
- Were those who were "depressed" on Accutane happy with the results Accutane gave them, or did it not work as advertised? As Accutane is routinely referred to as the "Atomic Weapon" of acne regiments, I could understand how someone who hoped it would finally solve their problem could sink into a deep depression when it wasn't working. I probably would have if it didn't work for me.
- The common reason I hear given towards those who commit suicide while on Accutane is that they "did not exhibit any previous suicidal tendencies". Anyone who has studied suicides to the slightest degree should know that this reaction from the victims peers and immediately family is extremely common - suicide often comes as a complete shock.

http://reason.com/hod/mf012302.shtml

http://www.skepticism.net/articles/2000/000009.html

http://www.dermadoctor.com/pages/new...002B330452B%7D

The last article makes the point that I observed some years ago when this article surfaced, the numbers were quite telling:



My "mental history" wasn't great before Accutane, it got significantly better during and after Accutane for me. If you believe you're susceptible to depression, and acne isn't the cause, then by all means be cautious of introducing a new drug into your system. But I'll repeat that the connection between Accutane & suicide is incredibly tenuous at this point and just isn't born out by the data, you would be far better advised towards directing your apprehension to possible joint pain and severe dryness as more likely side-effects.

And I might add that "washing your face obsessively" can be one of the worst things you can do to combat acne. Excessively drying out the face - which frequent washing will invariably do - will likely cause you skin to fight back with increased oil production.