Adult acne? Whats worked for you?

[holyfishnets]

Just wondering if we could share acne treatments? What worked for you?

I visited a nutritionist who recommend I have various hormone balancing things - Eskimo Skin care (fish oils with vit E) and a general woman's multi vitamin. He also recommended I stay away from yeast, citrus and sugar.

On top of this I've also tried to eat more almonds, avercardos, water and have very little coffee or alcohol. I've swapped goats products with cows products also. Also take evening primrose oil, B vitamins and vitamin C.

Yes I still get the odd rare spot but I am so amazed that after years of adult acne, I have quite clear skin now. U'm not sure exactly which of the above helped with the acne so would be interested to know you thoughts.

[Charliefox]

Only thing that works for me is oxytetracyclin from the docs unfortunately.

[itdoesnthurttohavemanners]

Roaccutane - only thing that has ever worked me for sadly. My dermatologist said that cystic acne is not caused at all by what you eat/don't eat/do/don't do.

Proactive skincare is good at keeping things under control..

[JuliaScurr]

quinoderm

[MsKayGee]

Erythromycin, Oxytetracycoine and Fucidin Antibiotic Ointment - a combination of all three at any one time.

[RatherContrary]

I'm intrigued, what goat products have you swapped for cow products? Did he say why you should avoid yeast, citrus and sugar? Thanks.

[FairPhyllis]

I have been through every form of treatment for acne up to and including roaccutane (which did nothing for me, weirdly). My acne is still not totally under control, but it is a lot better than it was. I put this down to:

1. A better version of the pill for me - Dianette did bugger all. When I moved to the US I was put on one of the 3rd generation pills, called Yaz. It worked wonders and I am now highly peed off that it has been linked to blood clots and is probably going to be withdrawn soon. I have been switched to something else and am waiting to see how it goes.
   
   
2. Realising that I have sensitive skin and that normal acne treatments are just too harsh and make me break out. So switching to sensitive skin formulations for cleanser and moisturizer (Boots sensitive skin gentle cleanser, and Peter Thomas Roth skin products).
   
   
3. Vigilance on keeping my face clean - I use fresh flannels to clean my face with every time, and regularly changing pillow cases.
   
   
4. Laser treatment, both for the acne, and for the post-acne hyperpigmentation.
   
   
5. Sunlight. Really, really helps.

[msrisotto]

Diabetes for me. It makes no difference what I eat or wash my face with. Evening primrose made a small difference but with it enough that I keep taking it (it's great for sore boobs too which is what I started taking it for.). Regular exercise also helps. Dianette makes the biggest difference though.

[msrisotto]

Grr, Dianette not diabetes!

[holyfishnets]

Sorry meant I cut cows products and ate only goats/sheep milk/yogurt/cheese.

Nutritionalist thought I had a yeast (candida) problem - so needed to stay away from sugar and yeast. I think staying away from citrus is about balancing the bodys ph levels.

[holyfishnets]

Fairphyllis - please tell me more about the laser treatment. Sounds interesting!

Didn't realise exercise helped with acne. Have just had to google it. I'm much fitter now then I was 10 years ago.

[Mermaidspam]

Only thing that worked for me was Roaccutane.

[FairPhyllis]

msrisotto I was wondering how you go about deliberately acquiring diabetes!

The laser treatments I had for the acne were Isolaz with microdermabrasion, and Smoothbeam (that's not my clinic, by the way). Then I had Vbeam for the hyperpigmentation left over from when active acne heals - it gets rid of the redness (this one is also used to treat rosacea and birthmarks) and has probably been the single most effective thing in improving the look of my skin.

Having the treatments is not painful - just a bit weird - for the Smoothbeam I did have to put on a topical anaesthetic before though, and you have to be v careful with sun exposure afterwards. I think that lasers do not tend to work so well on darker skins because more intense pigmentation somehow blocks the action of the laser.

I shudder to think how expensive these would be in the UK - I had them in the US, where there is a more accepted culture of cosmetic dermatology, and they were not super expensive - about $100 per session.

It drives me absolutely loopy though that NHS dermatologists will not tell you that there are effective cosmetic treatments out there like lasers and chemical peels and just fob you off with topical antibiotics. I know the NHS can't offer all these treatments, but if I'd at least known they existed in my early 20s I could have looked into private treatment and spent a lot less time hating myself and the way I looked - the acne had a huge effect on my self-esteem and my life generally.

[PoppyWearer]

Only thing that has ever worked for me was getting pregnant and breastfeeding. Hormone levels sorted!

A good second-best was Retin-A gel from a dermatologist, but strictly a no-no if you are ttc or pregnant r bf'ing.

[optionalintegration]

I'm interested to hear about the cutting out of yeast, sugar, caffeine. My acne is not severe but it's moderate enough and has been since I was about 14 (am now 29). I would just love, love love to one day wake up and see a smooth face in the mirror. Dianette worked for me very well in my late teens/early 20s but I wouldn't go back on it. I'm breastfeeding now and haven't noticed a huge improvement.

Currently doing the oil cleansing method, it gets skin nice and clean but I'm not sure it's helped dramatically. Any cleanser with hot cloth is so much better than harsh face washes or scrubs though.

I do feel that going completely caffeine-and dairy-free would make a big difference to my skin, but I have terrible willpower. Going to try very hard to give it a go for month or so and see how I get on.

[bonzo77]

Roaccutane.

[Polyethyl]

Diet, cleanliness, sincare routine, cream and pills from the doctor.... all useless. I managed to finally get rid of acne at the age of 28, by doing a six month tour of duty in Iraq, in the desert summer. My skin's been clear ever since.

[kikidee]

Hi holyfishnets, I'm very interested to hear about the impact of your diet on your skin. I was really fed up about mine. I'm almost 40 and it's been pretty rubbish through my teens, improved for a while in my twenties due to Roaccutane and then not good again in my thirties. Anyway, I did some reading and tried to cut down on sugar and fruit juice. I really think it's the removal of the fruit juice that's made the difference. I can't believe how much better it is. I now only really get spots if I'm premenstrual or also sometimes when stressed. The dairy thing is interesting as I think I eat a reasonable amount of dairy although not much milk. I think the impact of diet is much underplayed.

[kikidee]

Also I started running about 6 months ago and I think that's had an impact too.

[YouBrokeMySmoulder]

Dianette. Nothing else, though microdermabrasion was good on top. Oh and pregnancy, that worked too.

[lurkingaround]

Roaccutane. Did wonders, after 20 years of putting up with crap. Great result. Various topical antibiotics, oral antibiotics etc worked, but only while i was on them. Dianette worked while I was on it (years) but when I came off it to have babies, bingo, return of acne. So roaccutane was it. Dermatologist did advise me that my acne may return, and I may, in another few years need another short course of it - it's not unusual to get a relapse. While persuading me to go on it at the ripe old age of 40, she mentioned that she has treated women in their 60's, yes 60s, for acne. Sometimes, age doesn't sort it out.

She did advise me to cut down/out dairy products, I've linked this before, makes interesting reading here, and cut down/out fruits, something to do with fruit acids being pro-inflammatory.

[tara0202]

Roaccutane here too. After years of acne, one treatment worked for me and now I hardly ever get a spot :)

[Obergene]

Dianette works for me but only when I am on it. I would not go near Roaccutane after it destroyed a close friend's life.

Since I have had children my acne is usually under control on my face but sadly I still have problems on my back. I can stop it being terrible with evening primrose oil, jogging, drinking loads of water and eating heathily bit I fear it will never go entirely. My mother died ager 64 and even then she still suffered from acne.

[CaveMum]

My skin problems are hormonal - Polycystic Ovaries - but it took till I was 29 to get diagnosed! It's definitely better now but I'm not sure whether that is down to a change in skin care products (use La Roche Posay face wash/toner/moisturiser for oily skin), make up (Bare Essentials all the way), diet (advised to keep to a more or less GI diet, but I'm not strict) or fertility treatment (currently taking Clomid). I'm still very oily though, but far fewer spots.

[naturelover]

I never had severe acne but I'd always had a few spots until I gave up dairy while bf a dairy-allergic baby. My skin was flawless! I now limit dairy esp when I have PMS. If my skin is bad I realise it's usually because I've been eating too much cheese etc.

I find my skin benefits from a diet rich in nuts, avocadoes, fish, fruit & veg, flaxseed oil.... the usual healthy stuff plus plenty of water and sleep. Boring but true!

[msrisotto]

Obergene Would you mind telling us about your friends experience with Roaccutane? After all the posts on here saying how it did so well, it has made me consider it as an option for when I come off Dianette.