adult acne

i too have always suffered from acne...

i started selling arbonne products last year and have learned a great many things about acne...

Katherine & the others I think are on the right track with the foods - I keep hearing that when you eat poorly, it comes out through your skin...definitely something worth looking into. In addition to what you are eating, maybe a supplement to help with digestion would help. a good idea is to ask your health foods store about these - if you get one, you want to be sure it's high quality.

Are you using any products on your skin containing mineral oil? this can clog up your pores.

How about hair products? Is it possible these are getting onto your face?

Here's a tip that I think has really helped me - change your pillow case every other day. On the days you don't change it, flip it over. This helps with keeping the bacteria in check. Also the tip about the phone that someone mentioned - I am constantly wiping mine down after using - it gets NASTY! love the headphones with my cell.

Finally - is it possible you have a hormonal imbalance? I'm not sure any amount of skin care, good eating, etc would take care of acne cause by hormone issues. You can get tested - perhaps your gyne or family doc. You may know about natural progesterone cream - this has really helped me out. I can tell the difference esp. around my period. Dr. John Lee's site is excellent for info on this, if you're interested. http://www.johnleemd.com/

good luck & best wishes!!!
Kelli
 
For the past 3 months I have had a "patch" of bumps under my left jaw. The bumps itch, burn, and throb. They are hard and I can get solid matter out of them if I press hard enough but the bump doesn't go away and is full within a few days. I have never had trouble with acne with the exception of what comes along w/ TTOM. I always used Mary Kay until last summer when I switched to Nichole Miller b/c it is supposed to be better. It does a good job every where else but what is up with this patch?

~Reece~
 
That sounds like a sebaceous cysts. Usually you have to surgically remove the sac so that they don't come back.

Marla
 
I battled it for 22 years. I had the cystic kind(2 or 3 'boil' type cysts all the time). I would've taken Accutane in a heartbeat had I known about it in high school.
I took 1 treatment of Accutane when I was 34. It was a Godsend for me. The only side effect I experienced was dry skin(I controlled that with Cetaphil and decided to 'test' the drug further and only washed my face once a day). I felt a little achey when I first got out of bed, but I think that was due to just having had a baby a few months prior and I was pushing myself too hard to get back in shape.

Good luck deciding.
 
Should I see a dermatoligist about it? I noticed I'm getting scars from it. Its the hardes thing to keep from picking them. I thought I'd always have flawless skin. I guess that isn't going to happen.

~Reece~
 
Aye! Skin is such a pain! Literally sometimes lol. When I turned 19, my skin started freaking out. I'm 22 now.

I've done the dermatologist thing- Differin specifically, 2 different times. I don’t think it worked better than any OTC. As far as tretinoin products like Differin, Retin-A, and Renova, I believe Renova is best for dryer skin. It’s basically the same as Retin-A but in a moisturizing base. I also had Cleocin-T pads from the derm, and they were awful- kind of like a really harsh oxy pad. I actually held my breath while using them because they had an overwhelming rubbing alcohol smell.

I always end up going to ProActiv, although it doesn’t clear up my skin completely. I haven’t found anything that does. I know that if I ate better and was on BC pills, my skin would be better. While I don’t believe that there is a direct correlation between the foods you eat and how your skin looks, I do think that eating healthy foods helps your body function better. When your body functions better, your skin functions better.

Being ingredient conscious helps. This site has a list of “good” and “bad” ingredients: http://www.zerozits.com/Articles/article6.htm As someone else mentioned, changing your pillowcase frequently is also a good thing.

If you can’t use benzoyl peroxide, look for products with salicylic acid. DDF has some good stuff: http://www.ddfskin.com The aspirin mask is also a clever thing that works- as long as you don’t have any problems with aspirin. Here’s a “recipe” from Makeup Alley (http://www.makeupalley.com)

Aspirin Mask!

Overall: First off this mask is worth it any way you slice it, if it doesent fade acne scars or help acne it is still an amazing scrub, the best ive tried next to baking powder (soda?)

Side Note: I would suggest you not use this with anything as acidic as vinegar or anything citrus because it could counter act the salicylic acid in this mask, Water is the best carrier for the aspirin mask.

Where to buy: The aspirins that work best are non-coated.

Directions: The number of aspirin you use is up to you, I like to use about 10 to get a nice thin coverage over my whole face or about as much aspirin as a half teaspoon...The put in about a half teaspoon of water then let it mix and dissolve completely then apply in a thin layer over your entire face avoiding eyes (It stings if you get it into your eyes!) and apply slightly thicker over problem areas...There’s no need to apply this thickly all over it works just as good the key is to apply it evenly. I like to apply mine with just my fingers so I can get it exactly where I want it, you would also want to scrub the aspirin in small circles ass you apply it so you really open those pores...then let it sit (Don't move around too much, just go on Mua :p) Let it all sit until it is fully dry and when it is fully dry let it sit for another 5 minutes or so then take a wash cloth and dampen it with tepid water and pat it (don’t scrub yet) all over your face as if you were drying your face) this is so when you go to scrub you aren’t getting flakes everywhere and you get maximum scrubbing power! (Notice if you don’t want a lot of exfoliation just rinse the aspirin off your face as you usually would with anything else) Now take your damp washcloth and scrub in small circles all over (Not too hard now!) And then rinse your face with warm water and pat dry...I wouldn’t put any creams or anything on your face until it is completely dry so the pores have a chance to settle down.

Best of luck to you, and definitely share if you come across that miracle product lol…
 
Reece, I have seen patients with severe custic acne get put on Accutane & within a few months they dramatically approve. What the drug does is "kill" the overproductive gland that's producing sebum. The sebum accumulates under the skin & that's what that bump is.

You do have to make sure you don't get pregnant & you'll have a liver function test every month to make sure it's not causing you any damage. Yes it's a dangerous drug, but ending up with scars the rest of your live is pretty serious. In fact, my daughter's father, uncle & grandmother have deep scars from their acne days & that's one thing I told myself I'd watch out for my daughter. I would definitely put her on Accutane if I ever see her developing this. before she end up like them.

Marla
 
>Kathryn: ot, but does acupuncture hurt alot? i have never
>known anyone who has had it to ask.
>
>jes

Not "a lot," though some of it is a bit uncomfortable. When he first did it (more shallow needles on the front of my body), I didn't even know when he put the needles in. Something about them not being hollow, so they don't break the tissues. Now that he's moved on to the back of my body, it sometimes pinches or pokes when he puts them in, sometimes like getting a shot, (and he actually uses my slight flinching to judge what that level is) because he's trying to get to the level of facia that the problems are located in. And one day, he showed me the size of the needles he's putting in my butt and rear legs: he puts them in about 2-3" deep! It certainly doesn't feel like that!

He then clamps some electical wires on them for electrical stimulation (to mimic the traditional technique of spinning the needles at a certain speed and intensity) and that is kind of like a tingly feeling (I control how much of that I can take, and I try to go with as much as I can stand!).
 
I've been using ProActiv for about 4 years, and while it clears my skin more than if I don't use it, I still have problems. Another thing I notice is sweat. For instance...the harder I sweat (like during KPC last night) the more I remembered to keep the sweat off my face and wash it right afterwards...

This is common sense, but during some workouts I sweat harder }( so I am always aware and have a sweat towel handy.
 
My dr told me that acne is caused by sensitive skin. The more you rub it and use harsh cleansers the more you may break out. So, I switched to Dove sensitive face wash and use retin A as well now. And my skin looks much better, but I still break out a little at that time of the month. The dr also told me that health insurance will cover retin A only up to a certain age because it helps out wrinkles.
I would consult with your Physician and see what he or she thinks is best.

Kathy
 
I have been on antibiotics... I have used Proactive, Cetaphil, Biomedic, the list goes on... I've had peels and microdermabrasion... but the most dramatic results were achieved with Somme products. I wish I would have taken before and after photos.

I was using Biomedic and having regular peels before I began using Somme. The products are a little pricey, so I told my DH that there had to be noticeable results to justify purchasing the products. I has been disappointed to many times before. Within a few weeks, people were complimenting me on my skin. My aesthetician said my skin looked better than ever, so I confessed I had discontinued the Biomedic and was using the Somme.

I just restarted using the products (had discontinued b/c of pregnancy & breastfeeding), my skin was smoother within days. Love, love, love these products. But, everyone responds differently and they are pricey. I'd hate for you to spend the money and not be happy with the products.

Reece, IMO, you should visit a dermatologist to prevent further scarring. Microdermabrasion and peels improved my scarring, but again, individual results vary (I sound like a commercial :)).

Autumn

http://www.sommeinstitute.com/
 
Wow, those Somme products ARE pretty pricey! The before and after pics are impressive though. Thanks for the link :)

I've taken a combination of advice from everyone. I've been changing my pillow case every two days, I changed my tooth paste to Tom's (should've realized that the peroxide in my whitening Sensodyne toothpaste would be irritating on my chin), and I've been TRYING to avoid excess sugar. I also realized that I tend to rest my chin on my hand, especially when I'm at the computer, so I've stopped that as well. No new break outs so far although I'm going off of the pill in the next week so it should be interesting to see how it affects my skin.

Thanks again for all the great advice!!
 
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