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?

I’m just about to go get my prescription for Skinoren. I stopped roaccutane about a month ago, skin is not doing so well. It’s not awful currently but I know it so well. I’m going to go back and ask for Spiro next time

Skinoren is partly for my scarring

I have psoriasis so I often get advice the current one is child’s farm moisturizer because it cured someone in an article on the daily mail. People are well meaning but it’s really annoying. I got asked at a work meeting recently if I had something infectious? Yeh I have bubonic plague and I came in to work to share it with you all.

Yes, I used to get loads of helpful advice . Had terrible skin for years, it seemed to be getting worse in my 40s, not better.

I now have clear, smooth skin, the best I've ever had. It's only since I got diagnosed with hypothyroidism and been treated that it's happened, but the difference is incredible. None of the helpful people suggested that was the issue, funnily enough. Because not everyone's acne is caused by the same thing.

One of the things I found to really help was to ditch everything. All masks, lotions, creams etc. I'd tie my hair back and keep it off my face.

I'd use only a muslim cloth and hot water for my face and get outside for a walk every day and swimming in a chlorine pool 2-3 times a week. I'd crush aspirins and mix with water. I'd dab this on the worst areas.

This never completely sorted my skin out but seemed to help when my skin was really bad. When it was starting to look better I'd use very gentle cleansers only.

Slapping concealer and foundation on top always seemed to make it worse.

My skin has always been good but i occasionally will offer advice...

I have worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 30 years and spent 10 of those working with a chinese herbal medicine specialist. Not a practitioner but someone who investigated the efficacy and what not.

Her findings on skin problems were impressive. So much so i think everyone in our building with acne/excema/psoriasis etc would ask for her practioner recommendation. Parcels of herbs would arrive constantly and everyone swore by it. Some even had their animals treated.

So yes, if it came up i might mention i can recommend a dr who runs a specialist chm skin clinic...

The only thing that keeps it properly under control is Dianette. My skin is mostly clear, although I do have scars, I do often get a few big cysts around the time of my period, and I wouldn't be able to go to work without make up without looking pretty terrible. Luckily I don't have any side effects from the Dianette, but I've been on it for 14 years and dread ever having to come off it as it quite literally changed my life. I took a different pill (think it was Yasmin) for a year once and it was right back to square one.

I have been on Dianette for 27 years apart from two breaks to have and breastfeed DC, and god did I look a mess then. I found that Doctors spent most of my 30's trying to persuade me to come off of it, I could go on another pill/coil for contraception, but they all have side effects of causing spots and other side effects such as break through bleeding if you are unlucky and I could have spot cream/anti biotics and try Roaccutane for the acne. So I would say you want me to be on three different things to do the thing that one contraceptive pill does with absolutely for me no side effects or issues. Then they would re-issue my usual prescription and I would be on my way.

The last few years they haven't ever said a word just check my blood pressure and weight and re-issue the pill. But it has changed from Diannette to Co-cyprindiol which is an unbranded version of Dianette so much cheaper.

@TeddybearBaby the Ordinary has honestly changed my life, but I am aware that I sound like an infomercial when I talk about it do I try and shut up unless someone actually asks

*so

YANBU, I have clear skin, you know how? Luck!

It’s the same for everything though, and I notice it happens to women a hell of a lot more than men. People like to tell you how to be better at everything, whether it’s healthy eating or parenting or pregnancy or whatever shit they want to patronise you about so they feel superior.

One of the few things that has helped me prevent breakouts (apart from the pill)is buying an electric facebrush and using it most days.

The other problem is that kids have no filter, so will say things like,
"What's wrong with your face?"
"Do you have chickenpox?"
"Why do you have so many spots?"
"Why is your face so red?"
And you can't tell them to fuck off or just burst into tears. I always think they're saying the things that everyone else is thinking.
Bye bye self esteem.....

Yanbu it's agrivating as shit.

Just say oh I'm sorry when did you get your dermatology degree?

And the have you tried x,y,z? Why no, I haven't tried anything at all