Acne... For people with clear skin to think they know best

[MyNameIsABCDE]

So I've recently been suffering with pretty bad acne. AIBU to think that people with annoyingly perfect skin have a right to tell me how to clear it up?

Fair enough people giving advice if they used to have bad acne that's improved, but when people who have always had perfect skin tell me to make sure I wash my face or eat better food it really irritates me. AIBU?

Grrrrr agreed YADNBU. I'm happy to hear any suggestions as my skin is terrible, but not from those gifted with flawless skin.

Wearywithteens using E45 on my skin damaged by heavy ezcema gave me a skin infection. I had to use steroids and antibiotics, it is really a bad advice. In the end, I followed the course of medications, ditched the steroids as soon as possible, then treated my hands with neutrogena hand cream every times I cleaned them, heavy duty rubber gloves for the slightest cleaning session. I have not have a big attack since then, but ezcema is never really cured. It sucks.

I have eczema - "Have you tried Aveeno?"

I'm actually on lifelong immunosuppressants for it and even they haven't completely helped.

I have reasonably good skin and promise not to give out advice but I do find some of the advice on skin threads is incredibly patronising- and useless without seeing the skin in question in the flesh, as it were.

My skin is low maintenace in some ways but not in others. My worst nightmare would be the acne on my right cheek coming back. Painful, confidence sapping and hard to remove.

Guys I had acne for 10 years. Started with zz cream 5 months ago and 1000 times better. Please google it

YANBU. I got a complete stranger (customer at old job) telling me he used to have bad skin and I needed to cut out sweet stuff once, I wanted to cry because at that point I'd come to terms with my shitty skin and just ignored it most days. I told him that I was being medically treated for it and the next step was roaccutane, and he suddenly seemed to realise it was a shitty thing he'd said.

I had dreadful acne as a teenager, in the 1970s people just talked about how it would mean you had better skin once you got into your fifties. Ironically this is now true, but it didn't help me back then.

Go and see your GP, ask for help and explain how the condition saps your self-confidence. Be prepared to attend a private dermatology clinic for help with this. The NHS cannot deal with all minor ailments, but sometimes there is help available at fairly low cost privately.

I used to have very bad skin not a day would go by without a new spot appearing it’s now so much better. I used Silver serum by the skin shop it’s worked wonders for me, just use as a normal moisturiser twice a day.

www.skinshop.co.uk/silver-serum

@Winterberries do you have oily skin by any chance? Mine's quite oily and my DGMs was incredibly oily and aged v well. I get told that mine means I will? I agree it's a very long payoff when you're scarred and miserable. I once had a make-up counter lady in Debenhams swoop on me when I was having a bad time and it showed on my face. Instead of making me feel helped I just felt mortified that my breakout could apparently be seen from space.

YANBU! I suffer with adult acne and I'm fed up of hearing suggestions from people who have never had this problem.

"Are you drinking enough water/eating a healthy diet" gives me the rage. Like that wouldn't be the first thing I'd try.

Well, people I know who have had issues used dirty towels, but I'd never assume that was the case for all.

I know this isn't the point but....

I had terribly painful acne. Tried everything the doctor prescribed and everything anyone mentioned on the off chance. Then I cut out dairy and it completely cleared up. I figured that consuming the milk of a large mammal that is designed to be a whole food for a fast growing calf meant I was getting too many rogue hormones and messing with my own hormone balance?! Honestly, my skin went from needing clinique redness solutions full cleansing routine and MAC foundation and it still flaring to never having a flare up, even during periods. Took a good few months though.

Crap as at the time I loved cheese but great skin now!

It's like the parents with NT children with their helpful parenting advice about dealing with tantrums, whilst scornfully glaring, judgingly at your child in full meltdown mode.

I've noticed that two of the people who's skin I was very envious when I was younger (I really wanted their skin!!!!) now have very wrinkled hides and look much older than the rest of our school year group

I may have to give this benzoyl peroxide a try...

I feel your pain OP. My acne is 100% hormonal - horrible big cysts on my chin when I ovulate which then magically clear up when my period starts. The only thing that's stopped it has been pregnancy/postpartum. I just KNOW it's coming back when my periods return!

Nothing more annoying than people's suggestions to drink more water....🙄

I do think when people ask for suggestions on how to improve skin the people who respond already have decent skin themselves. So they say things like drink water, eat veg, oily fish etc.

Improving good skin is one thing, clearing up acne is another.

Pickled turnip....I was going to write that post. I had acne, then gave up dairy and was very careful to look at all labels so I avoided milk powder too which is less obvious than cheese and milk etc. My skin changed with in month!

I've had terrible acne this year, so many people said have you tried this, that, drink water, eat more vegetables, yes yes and yes, but of course it didn't help. The unsolicited advice made me more self conscious about it. I went to a dermatologist and am taking medication and using their prescription only creams for it, it's improved quite a bit. It's an infection and no amount of raw plant food is going to get rid of it!!

I have psoriasis on my face as well as my body. I've had it for all of my 57yrs. I actually don't mind the "OMG I found this fab stuff and it seems to work, you should maybe try it out" sort of stuff, but really hate the pitying, patronising comments from people who know about it because their mothers sisters aunts daughter has it and she tried (whatever) and it cleared immediately".

But I smile and nod because I know they are only trying to be helpful. They just don't know the emotional stress behind the actual problem.

And I admit to being less than empathetic at times myself when someone is moaning about spots and I want to say "you have spots, really? Is that all? And you are telling me, who is stood here with sore, broken red skin with white flaking patches all over my face and body and you think I care that you have a few spots?" I don't of course say that, I simply smile and nod and say that I'm lucky enough? Not to have a spot problem.

No-one knows what anyone is feeling about their one spot, their acne, or their severe skin condition . My having psoriasis doesn't negate their upset about their spots so I try to remember that if someone is passing on information it's because they really think it's helpful, no matter how inane it seems to me.

YANBU OP..

It's also pretty rude to suggest these 'cures' as they are commenting on your skin without being asked.

I have had acne of varying severity since teenage years - I'm now approaching menopause. I've heard all the remedies- water, veg, no chocolate, regular bowel movements, wash my hair less often ?

My skin is pretty good, as a teen I got a lot of spots but no acne, and I’m pretty religious about my skin care regime, but I’m fully aware that it’s down to luck.

People love to comment on things like this though. I love it when people tell me that acupuncture will cure my incurable illness, because ‘they’re pretty sure that’s what their bils aunts friends sisters sons teacher had’

I’ve been getting this for 35 bloody years. I don’t know which is worse, the patronising asses who suggest soap and water or the pyramid scene idiots who try to sell me essential oils that’ll ‘cure’ it.

My old friend Acne. Stuck by me through all of life’s ups and downs for 40 years. Tried everything a dermatologist could throw at it and ignored non medical advice. I’ve just had to accept I have a skin condition. For me the worse thing about it was being told by my Consultant Dermatologist that my sons would most likely also suffer with it. 2 out of 3 do, they also had all the treatments...... still have acne though.
To the pp who mentioned dirty towels... yes dear we all have acne because we are dirty people. Do one.

Yep. I'm under a dermatologist and for the first time in ten years it's under control, but people are always telling you their miracle cures. I've given up trying to explain that there's nothing I haven't tried, I think people think you've just not even made an attempt to tackle it. They've no clue of the hours spent doing skincare routines or the money spent on various things that promise to work or the emotional turmoil when nothing does and you still feel hideous.

Acne has a hell of a lot to answer for.

Same here Pickledturnip. Cutting out dairy made a massive difference. Awful cystic acne from a teen (late 30s now). Nothing worked. GP, dermatologists. I literally tried everything except roaccutane.
Cut out dairy and after a few months, what a difference. I also use very light products (serums, no creams whatsoever). Double cleanse (with an oil-based cleanser) when wearing make up. I do get the occasional hormonal spot, but they are small and disappear quickly. No horrible painful cystic Belisha beacons anymore.