Acne Agony

...but prepare for a very long wait on the NHS. My child has been taking antibiotics for over 2 years and is now on a 1 year waiting list to be triaged onto the proper waiting list for this medication.

Oh 😅😂

Hi, 'if' it is spots/acne then the only advice I have ever been given is a good skin care routine, and that I passed onto my sons and seems to work.

The obvious is always to cleanse/tone every single evening. Then after a shower I tone only every single morning. Was always told to avoid spot creams that dry the spot out (clearisil etc). This can help in the very short term if you have an occasion to attend but in the long term it just makes your skin produce more oil to compensate for the dryness. Drink lots of water - not so much milk too! I hope that helps x

Sorry, I didn't realise we were disagreeing! 😂

What I'm disagreeing with is that you stated that dermodex is only a contributing factor. What I'm saying is that it may not be acne at all. It may be soley Demodicosis. So when you said dermodex doesn't cause acne, it was an irrelevant statement

Yup, two separate conditions that can both be present at the same time, making treatment more complicated.

But that's often the way with chronic acne, there is normally more than one factor combined that makes the condition so difficult to treat. For each person those factors will be different, and may be many, which is why some might say they were 'cured' by x, but for another person it does absolutely nothing.

Late to the party but I feel like acne is my specialty. I've had it now for 20 years (!) So have tried literally everything, including accutane three times. I'm currently on topical spironolactone and a tretinoin x azelaic acid cream from online dermatologist City Skin Clinic. They are london based but they post out their prescriptions and everything is remote. It's been really good but took an age to work. I have just accepted ill never have perfect Skin but I definitely know its hormone-driven hence the spiro is working. Good luck! Acne is awful and feels like such a losing battle sometimes.

While acne vulgaris is a distinct condition, demodicosis, or overgrowth of Demodex mites, can present with similar symptoms.

I have also struggled with acne around my chin. I have been using skin and me and I really like it (as opposed to some other people on this thread). But the thing that made a massive difference to me was to stop drinking (cow's) milk and soya milk. Like a light switch my acne is gone.

Yes, the two conditions can be co-existent. It's more common to find a dermodex issue along side rosecea, but it can be an aggravating factor in acne sufferers too. People with sensitive skin in particular should be aware of inflammation from skin mites as they are more susceptible.

Actually dermodex can cause a very similar skin problem to acne and it responds to different treatment.

Skin mites can't cause acne, but they can make the inflammation worse. Dermodex are a common aggravating factor in roseacea as well. You can treat them with a prescription from the gp, and the natural way is with tea tree (which you will see in a lot of acne products).

I use a tea tree cleanser every day to keep skin mites under control, although they were never a factor in my acne, it's just another thing you can do to mitigate possible causes of inflammation.

Skin and me made my skin terrible too

There's a school of thought that thinks that acne that doesn't respond to normal medication is actually caused by Dermodex - I believe the treatment is different. Check it out online x

I had typical teenage spots then it developed into a painful cystic type in my early 20s. I was sharing a flat with a medical student (this was pre-Google so hard to find info) who told me to ask the GP for Dianette. It was brilliant and completely sorted it (I used Brenda in Australia while travelling).

Interestingly, the only stuff I ever put on my face that I think made any difference (to an extent) was Lush's Fresh Farmacy soap. They still make it and I now buy it for my teenage dcs who also think it helps when they have breakouts.

Before I discovered that, my main strategy that used to help me was only washing my face once a day in the shower with plain soap (apart from taking make up off on the very odd occasions I wore any). I'm a great believer in sorting the hormones and leaving the face alone (plus pinning back fringes at night).

Try Salcura skincare

If you can afford to (i know not everyone can) go to a private dermatologist. I did 3 years ago I went to sk!n, it was a £25 deposit for appointment which could be used towards treatments.
I had a course of salicylic acid skin peels, recommended medik8 products which I still use now. Along with aknicare cream. One of the products was medik8 retinal which I'm ngl takes time to see the benefits. I would say about a year and I'm using the highest strength now, but every time I did move up a strength my skin would break out for a couple months during adjustment.
Now you could go to the private dermatologist and just get the products they recommend after they thoroughly assess your skin.
Things like retinal there are products you shouldn't use alongside them for example, and it's not something you can just grab and use every day at first. There is a system to follow.
I am 35 now and have suffered acne since I can remember, I have used countless products from clinical, dermalogica, cleanziderm, eve lom, duac gel ect...... my skin is better than it has been in a long time and that is thanks to medik8.
Also drink plenty of water, introduce things like kefir into your diet.
But honestly if you can go to a skin clinic, they would be able to give you the best advise

Just to jump on, I'm interested in the tea link please?

My sympathies. Acne is a horrible thing to deal with. It's hormonal so if you can some kind of hormonal contraceptive should help. I used to find a warm cloth over my face helped the pain. Also important to stay moisturised even though that might feel like the last thing your skin needs.

I was referred to an NHS community dermatology department. The wait wasn’t long at all. I now take spironalactone which has made a massive difference. Maybe ask your GP to refer you?

Roaccutane changed my life. The effect it had on my mental health was wholly positive. I’ve never had bad acne since.

A trip to Thailand sorted my acne...

Changing my diet and massively improving my gut health was the only thing that cured my acne after 30 years. Probiotics and a lot of pre-biotic food. It disappeared within a week and my skin has now completely healed.

I have tried A LOT over the last 30 years and finally the thing that has worked for me is the following...
Eating lots of seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, linseeds)
Taking zinc supplements
Reducing dairy
Drinking Green tea and washing face with the used teabag (might sound gross but is soothing)
and the best thing has been Acnecide. Available from Boots etc. I'm so cross I've only discovered it recently. It could have saved me years of feeling hideous.

Everything any GP prescribed failed to make a dent in any of the spots.

Good luck! I feel your pain x

Google low-dosage roaccutane. I struggled with adult acne for decades, this sorted it in a couple of months.