Acne anyone???

>RunninTeach, I don't want to go back on Accutane for several
>reasons. One is that my acne really isn't bad enough for it -
>no ethical dermatologist would prescribe it to me at this
>point - the risks outweigh the benefit. Also, I refuse to go
>back on hormonal birth control, so I would not be a candidate
>for Accutane for that reason (they pretty much require that
>you be on the pill).

Oh yeah, I understood that completely from your initial post. :) Was just sharing my experience - that I liked Paula's Choice and think it's a good product, but in my case, nothing worked like the Accutane. I think when the acne's caused by hormones, it's very tricky to treat.

[font face="garamond" font color=deeppink size=+2]~Cathy [/font face]http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/emoticons7/4.gif

"Out on the roads there is fitness and self-discovery and the persons we were destined to be." -George
 
Emily:

I am so sorry to hear about your struggle with ACNE...YUCK!! Doesn't it seem like we should be past these issues after the age of 20? x(

I know from my experiences, my acne outbreaks were also hormonal. I actually was foolish enough to get an IUD placed about 1 year ago that only has progesterone in it. Let me say, that I spent lots and lots of money on treatments that just did not work to clear up hormonal acne. There were only about 1-2 days of the month that my skin was ok. Finally, I paid about $500 to get the darn thing taken out...and I think it orginally cost around $1500 to get it in! BIG learning experience. I do NOT recommend those darn IUDs for that main reason. There is a copper IUD that is not hormone based, but I understand that your "bleeding" and cramping is much more severe on it.

Within 6 days of having my IUD removed, my skin was beautiful! I was constantly looking in the mirror like a teenager and asking my husband to admire my clear skin!

I also discovered that my "stress" levels...like every other woman probably didn't help either. I am still working on this one...Oh I had a very nice pimple as a result of the Cathe RT stress when I got home...I am just glad it came AFTER the RT! Seriously, I am trying to meditate more and allow myself to give my problems to God...this is also helping me.

My esthetician, Michel, HATES Proactiv. She says it only dries the surface layer of the skin and she can go on and on about this one...she will almost beat you up if she knows you are using it! She owns www.sparoma.com She currently has me addicted to Innovative Skincare (aka IS Clinical), Decleor, and MD Formulations. You can get pretty good buys on Decleor and MD Formulations through www.skinstore.com Sometimes they have 20% off everything in the store there.

I am in LOVE with and could take a bath in IS Clinical's Active Serum...you put it on at nighttime after you wash and it is so invirgorating and clean feeling...yummy! :9 I usually put Decleor's Essential Balm over top, which feels like Vaseline, but it isn't and it will not clog your pores, and it smells yummy.

MD Formulations actually has a complete line for acne and you can get a boxed set for a good price. Their Daily Peel Pads are devine too.

My husband even uses my products now & some that are specifically for men...of course, this was only after years of abuse with a bar of dial soap, no sunscreen, and working in the harsh weather.

xoxo, Denise
PS I also think it is really good karma to tell yourself how beautiful your skin is (even if it isn't right now)...the power of attraction! :p Have faith, it will come!
 
I thought I'd throw in my experience. I have been battling acne for the last 6 years, but really bad acne since my son was born 3 years ago. I tried everything over the counter, plus Retin-a with no success. I refuse to take any antibiotics as we were hoping to have another child. So I started laser resurfacing tx 6 weeks ago. I am about to have my third tx, and wow, its gone. It is very expensive, about $400 a tx and it takes at least 3, but for me it is worth every penny. If this is an option, I would look into it.
 
Hi,

I've had acne to some degree my entire adult life. It got much better when I was on the pill but still flares up from time to time. I've never tried Proactiv or any of the expensive stuff but I have tried every kind of scrub/cleanser/mask with little improvement. The only thing that works for me is actually really cheap. I usually just alternate a 10% benzoyl peroxide cream with a 2% or more salicylic acid gel treatment. You can buy both almost anywhere for a few dollars. The only drawback is that the combo may make your skin a bit drier than you might like, at least initially (of course, if you have really oily skin like me that may not always be such a bad thing). Just something you might want to consider- if it doesn't work you can always try something else and at least you won't have gone broke in the process.

good luck,
cristina
 
Ann, thank you so much for posting this website. I checked it out and had my teenage son use this regimen and his skin has improved so much. :D :D He was using Proactiv before and wasn't getting any results from it. He started this regimen a few weeks ago and looks so much better!

Thanks again!

Erica
 
Hi.
I had clear skin until 39, and then wham, to my horror, acne developed. I'm talking deep, large, painful nodes of it--not the kind you can squeeze and watch wither in a day. It was purely hormonal (or perimenopausal as many experts told me). I tried everything. Moreover, I have been a clean eater for the past 20 years (everything I eat is a whole food and no sugar, ever). Nothing worked. No topicals, no days at the spa, no alternative treatments, etc. For some reason, my testosterone was in overdrive and my skin was unresponsive to treatment. Anyhow, at 42, I'm 7 months pregnant, and you know what? For the first time in 3 years, my skin is radiant, flawless, clear, calm, smooth, etc. etc. Starting in the second trimester, pregancy worked miracles on my skin. Frankly it makes me want to stay pregnant forever.

Of course, I realize pregnancy is not an option for most women, but it does underscore the idea that acne in 30+ women usually has to do with hormones and not diet. Good luck. I know how aggravating it can be. I'm praying that I don't have an outbreak of it after I deliver the baby. Maybe breasfeeding will continue to keep it in check. We'll see. My mother told me she suffered acne in her early 40's as well, so there seems to be an underlying genetic/hormonal condition.
Manmohini
 
Hi

I hear you!!

I have used Proactive but I don't see noticeable improvement. Perhaps I am expecting a bit much? I still get break outs and certainly did not clear me up as the infomericals implied.


At any rate, I found this site http://www.makeupartistschoice.com/

They have a bunch of treatment (home kits) for acne prone skin. Stronger formulation than what you will find in the drug stores. I bought 15% salicylic acid peel and applied with a q tip all over the face, left it on for about a min and wash it off. Next day, I noticed that most of my acne had dried up. They sell sample bottles to try out.
You do have to be careful with the acid peels as they are very strong.

Hope this helps.

Penny
 
Hi Yen, I have Olive Toned Skin, I have been told that darker complected people have problems with Microdermabrasion.
Causing brown spots or discolored skin.
So I do not know if I should ever do this etc.?
Does anyone have any experience with this, that has darker skin tones?
Also I mentioned that I use pro-active, and I like Susan Lucci's Youthful Essence. My skin looks so polished after I use it.
Thanks.
Rocky
 
Here's what I've tried:

Proactiv- terrible
Murad- Terrible
Clinique 3 step: so-so
Pill: the worst

Lush: Coal face soap bar -works pretty good
Dermatoligist prescription for Evoclin: the best

Other things to consider: Many products you use like conditioner run off on your face. I generally break out from that and also touching my face all the time. It's still a bad habit when I'm working, but the less I do it, much improvement. I'd also look into your diet. I know that cheese and eggs cause me to break out the next day. I've tried and tested this.
 
>Alright, I know we've had posts on this topic before - I did
>a search, and found lots of stuff from over a year ago. And
>lots of stuff on the virtues of Proactiv. I'm hoping for
>something more. Proactiv did not work for me - it made my
>acne worse (everyone on the Road Trip can probably attest to
>this - my face looked like crap thanks to Proactiv). I've
>tried Clinique. I've tried the L'Oreal Adult Acne kits (those
>worked the best of anything I've tried thus far, but I still
>have issues). I need more suggestions.
>
>What I will NOT do: I will not go back on the pill. I
>will not take oral antibiotics (been there, done that). I
>will not take Accutane again (frankly, my acne isn't bad
>enough to warrant the use of Accutane again).
>
>I have been looking at Paula's Choice stuff
>http://paulaschoice.com/shop/product.asp?CODE=PC406&PAGETYPE=S
>But man, it's expensive!
>
>So, anyone have any suggestions? :)
I am 37 with oily/acne prone skin. Since I've used Paula's Choice my skin is 99.99% better. I've used everything you've listed and more. I cannot say enough about Paula's Choice skin care. I tried everything and I don't even remember what made me finally break down and try Paula's Choice but I went for it. I've been using it for at least 2 or 3 years now. I researched and read about the different acne kits/products then bought what I felt my skin needed based on breakouts, oiliness, etc. I wish you the best of luck and I KNOW how frustrating this can be. I lived with it for many, many years.

Angela
 
My skin started breaking out when I was 14 and pretty much never stopped! So I know how frustrating this problem can be.

When I was in my early 20s I went to a dermatologist and tried tetracycline (didn't agree with me) and retin-A (horrible red, dry skin...and still broke out!). I tried birth control pills and went into a hideous hormonal cyclone, so had to stop that. I also vowed never to try any of those products again.

I tried ProActiv, Loreal, AcneFree, pretty much everything you can get over-the-counter. Nothing made any difference at all -- I think if you're still getting breakouts when you're over 25 or so, it's probably hormonal. I finally got so frustrated that I DID go back to the dermatologist. I wasn't a good candidate for Accutane. They put me on a blend of topical antibiotics and Retin-A micro, which made a HUGE difference. Also, we tried different birth control pills until we found the right combination for ME-- which has also made a huge difference. Later, I tried a different oral antibiotic - this was the trifecta! My skin is almost totally clear.

I use Paula's Choice skin balancing cleanser because it is an excellent cruelty-free alternative to CetaPhil. It's gentle and effective and I really, really like it. I also use St. Ives blemish-clearing cleanser, which has the standard 2% Salicylic Acid, which I think helps a little bit.

Anyway, I would suggest saving your money when it comes to over-the-counter products -- they all have the same active ingredients, and if you have really stubborn acne in your 30s, I just don't think there's an over-the-counter solution that will make much difference. The dermatologist might have something that will work for you, even within the limitations you describe.

Don't give up! And good luck!
 
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