Please help me with my acne

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Hi,

Posting here for traffic...

I'm a 22, and have been suffering with acne since I was 12. I have been on all the medication under the sun for the last 10 years and have also been on roaccutane 4 times. I paid for private treatment last year for skin peels that didn't work.

Please please please can I have your suggestions on how I can combat my hideous skin?

I work in a job where I am customer facing and I'm incredibly embarrassed by my dreadful skin. I'm starting to reject social occasions due to my skin being bad, it's slowly starting to ruin my confidence...

I'm currently taking lymecycline and due a review at the doctors within the next 2 weeks.

Any help would be gratefully received

Op I don’t know if you have tried the retinoid gel? You can probably use that with the antibiotics?

Any dermatologist I have ever met never recommend anything complicated with skin care products. Usually cetaphil. Yours looks different to mine almost like an allergy? My hormonal acne was huge deep clear fluid filled pockets under the chin and all on my jaw line (unsqueezable)

Spironolactone is worth trying, and if you haven’t already try following a low gi/carb diet (cut out sugar) as it’s helpful for some pcos sufferers

Dr Anjali Mahto is a dermatologist I recommend following on instagram - evidence based no bs advice, plus she can relate to having acne as she’s been on Roaccutane over 6 times and still struggles. Also, I really liked her articles about food shaming and acne

Good luck OP! I’ve had acne for a decade, and it’s more manageable now but I don’t think I’ll ever be cured sigh

Duac cleared my son's acne up and is controlling mine too. I'm 42!

Have. you been to the Dr to rule out polysistic ovaries?

I've had acne and still get the odd breakout (I'm in my 40s)

Cut out all dairy
Take make-up off as soon as u can
Cleanse twice a day
Drink lots of water to flush out impuraties
Cut out alcohol and smoking
Check out environ skincare
Ensure you hair is tied off ur face at night
Only touch it skin with clean hands

Hths x

I did the acne.org regime so cleanse, acnecide cream, moisturise
It dried my skin out a lot but it's the only thing that works for me when my acne flares up
Some people say spearmint capsules are meant to help, and omega 3 etc
Check if you take a multi vit - high levels of B vitamins can cause my skin to flare, I'm fine with B12 but B6 = instant breakouts so I avoid energy drinks with it in too

There have been posts on Mumsnet about various cleansing cloths such as these which deep cleanse and exfoliate?

face cloths

The Dermalogica MediBac range worked wonders for me. I also used their Daily resurfacer as an exfoliant - can’t say enough good things about it! Check it out

Dermatica. It's a prescription acne/antiaging service online. Online consultation, you upload pics and are then given a choice of treatment once the doctor has reviewed your stuff, they call too. I pay £20 a month for my retin-a (tretinoin), you get a month's supply in a little pump bottle. 20 year old son has a mix of tretinoin, an antibiotic and something else in gel (possibly azelaic acid or niacinamide, I can't remember), and they adjust percentages to get the treatment right.

Cut sugar and dairy
Drink a ton of water everyday
Simple spotless triple action face wash
Probiotics
Don’t squeeze or touch
Acnecide cream used sparingly only on severe break out patches
Last resort go on the pill

NLite laser did it for me. 3 goes at around £180 a time. Depending on how your skin is you may need to return once a year perhaps.

Good luck.

Honestly research demodex mites. I used soolantra which contains an ingredient that kills the mites that cause acne.

It's all still being researched but from my experience I am certain that is a major cause of acne. I was very careful to keep my face clean and I actually threw away my pillows and bought new ones. I also change the pillow cases much more frequently.

I do think diet can affect the skin. I think eating lots of sugar either feeds the mites or the bacteria that decompose the mites.

But honestly look at the treatments for mites.

My skin is similar to yours. I've started going for facials every month and definitely seen an improvement. The one I go for uses microdermabrasion and afterwards she spends ages picking out all the bad stuff - she collects it on a tissue and how much she gets out is amazing/disgusting! I also got some face wash and creams from the facial place but they don't have much in them other than witch hazel and tea tree.

You say you've tried peels but how about regular facials? For me they've been effective where antibiotic creams, benzyl peroxide etc. haven't made a difference.

Where are you based? If you're in London I can recommend a facialist to you (not cheap but worth it imo).

Feel your pain OP I’ve suffered with acne as long as I can remember, over the years I’ve tried all sorts of creams and tablets from the doctor to no avail, I get it on my face and back, and my back ends up with really big sore spots. I never wear backless tops it’s too embarrassing. I can’t go on the pill as I’m at high risk of blood clots due to most of my dads family having clots/stroke. I haven’t found a cure by any means but something that has without a doubt helped my face acne by 90% is soap and glory’s facial wash. I was bought a gift set for Christmas which included it so thought I would give it a go and within a few days I noticed a massive difference on my face. It’s called vitamin c 3 in 1 facial wash. It’s £8.00 and using it every other day a bottle lasts me about 5 months. It’s the best result I have had out of everything I have used!! Deffo worth a try!! Good luck x

Have you tried the pill. If you research roaccutane online, a lot of the women who have acne caused by androgens, the acne comes back after a while. Most of these women go back on the pill as it is the only way to get clear skin for them.

I’ve made some suggestions below but my biggest suggestion is to get your iron levels checked.. I was severely anemic and I suspect this was what caused my acne breakout. I’ve since had an iron infusion (just iron in an IV line). I’ve read a lot from other people with skin problems who have reported that when they started taking iron supplements their skin cleared up.

I started getting really bad acne a few months back, I went on a course of antibiotics straight away and was prescribed an antibiotics/benzoyl peroxide cream.
You use the cream at night and nothing much happens. Over the next couple of days the pimple just dries out and disappears. It stops the lesions and the resulting scarring. Your skin peels for the first two weeks and it hurts, but feels better after long term use. Your skin just gets used to it.

I’ve also used a salicylic acid (regular acne wash). This dries your skin out as well, but in the long term it can work (unless you have a full blown acne attack - in which case it does nothing).

If I’m using the prescription cream I’ll just use a cetaphil and a tea tree face foam.

If I get acne on other parts of my body I’ll use chlorexedine (which is a surgical wash).

In the past I have also used retin-a which is like a topical roaccutane. It worked and would shrivel pimples and I will likely go back on it in the future (you can’t use it you’re pregnant or breastfeeding though).

Evening all,

Sorry for the radio silence, since my post I've been so hectic with moving house and life in general.

Anyway I wanted to share a slightly happier update with you all, my skin has improved significantly!! I was taking lymecycline for my acne but came to the end of my course about two months ago. The doctors wouldn't prescribe me any more tablets due to my frequent use of them.

Since I posted I've been religiously using the Aldi Q10 moisturiser and have seen such an improvement! Pic included ☺️

I'm also on the pill and have been since I first started with my acne (around 10 years ago). I have had roaccutane 4 times so cannot be prescribed that any longer.

Thank you all for your recommendations!

You have a very pretty face by the way

Oh my darling, I'm so glad it's clearing up for you. Your skin looks great. I had terrible cystic acne in my early 20s and it destroyed my confidence. Thank goodness you've found a regime that works for you.

You look lovely !

Thank you for your kind words! It really means a lot ☺️