Never felt worse about my skin and I want to cry (photo)

[AcneHelpMe]

I just can’t deal with it anymore. My self esteem is on the floor, I get dry yet oily skin and my skin never ever feels good. I genuinely feel like it’s worse than anyone I know.

I have scarring, redness, acne, horrible bumps all over my face, just horrible texture and huge huge pores.

I’ve tried skincare but nothing is working. I can’t afford microneedling. If someone could help me I’d really appreciate it ☹️

I’m sorry that you’re having these feelings OP. One thing I will say is that we perceive our “flaws” as being 10x more prominent than others around us do. The people around you will see all the things they admire and love about you, and all the good you bring into their life. With regards to practical suggestions, products with salicylic acid in them (including daily cleanser and a baby powder) worked wonders on my skin issue. Granted, mine was on my bum not my face, but when I train intensly (I live in a hot, humid climate), I get really bad bum rash from friction of my shorts against sweaty skin (lovely 😂). But I picked up a couple products with that ingredient in and it disappeared. I’m sending you a big hug 🤗

If the picture is an accurate representation of your skin then it looks the same as mine and I never thought this was considered that bad!

You could use a primer and foundation to even out the colour. Or just ignore it and don't worry. I wouldn't go near microneedling personally

Have you tried Skin and Me? You send them photos and they prescribe a formula to suit you. It's helped my skin massively.

I agree with Salicylic acid products.
Im sorry you’re feeling so unhappy, I went through this for years.
Like you, I have oily and dry skin.
At first, I used too much Salicylic acid which made my skin flake off.
I learnt to layer a thin amount (acnecide can be bought over the counter) and once my skin got that tight feeling after a few minutes, I would then put moisturiser on top. It does take a few weeks though and you might have to experiment.
Have you ever had a full thyroid panel done? I found out my thyroid was under active and once treated, my skin has improved by 90 per cent.
These days I just get the odd hormonal spot or two.
Aside from that, your GP could help.

@AcneHelpMe my close relative is an expert on these things. She is away on holiday at the moment.

If you pm me in a couple of weeks I will ask her what she suggests.

Btw I think you’re beautiful 😊 and you really shouldn’t get yourself down about it x

Hello!

Please don't panic, it's worst in your mind that you think it looks!

Re microneedling, I bought an at home Dr Pen microneedling kit (from Amazon). I'm seeing gradual improvements with my skin. I use it every month and slowly increase the depth. Some great demo videos on YouTube for guidance.

Best of luck.

It’s expensive but a red light mask has improved the condition of my skin enormously. It’s much more even. It’s supposed to improve collagen - I have yet to see signs of that, but for overall skin texture I really rate it. Mine is the Current Body one that looks like a weird Halloween mask.

There are things you can do, acne is a medical problem and you don't have to put up with it.

Firstly, don't waste money on expensive face washes. Many contain harsh chemicals that will dry your skin out, so your skin then over produces oil to compensate which worsens acne. You need a gentle face wash like Simple or Boots own sensitive skin range. Anything that makes your face tingle after use is too harsh for your skin. Also, don't make the mistake of over-washing your face, this also drys the skin out and so makes it over produce oil to compensate. Twice a day is plenty.

You need a moisturiser that contains sacillic acid. The La Roche Possay Effeclar Duo moisturiser is excellent for blemish prone skin. It can also help with reducing the appearance of scarring over time.

Most importantly, go to the GP and ask for oral antibiotics for your acne. Do not be fobbed off with topical solutions, or an antibiotic ointment. For persistent acne that causes scarring you need an oral antibiotic, like Lymecycline, and you will need to take it for several months. It's safe and few people experience troublesome side effects. You should start to notice a difference after a few weeks.

Aw I really feel for you! Don't be upset. If it's any consolation, my complexion looks like the "before" picture in all the advertisements. They can fuck off. This is what my face looks like and I wear it with pride and a big smile.

I see plenty people with skin like that. In all honesty, it's not flawless, glowing skin. But it is absolutely normal and I wouldn't bat an eyelid seeing you irl.

I would look into skin needling, just one session of this will really assist with the problems you describe. But I honestly don't think it's as bad as you think it is 💕

I promise you this isn’t bad. Vitamin c and retinol will help though, and always use sunscreen!

My skin was just like this!

Two things that fixed it for me

1. The Ordinary Salycylic Acid mask
2. Acnecide from Boots

I used one every other day (alternate them) keeps my skin completely clear. Tried prescription retinol and all sorts - and they did nothing

Sorry this is affecting you so much OP.

As much as all the pp have been very helpful in suggesting things, quite honestly you could spend a fortune on items which may not work well for you.

Could you see a dermatologist? Maybe put the funds towards an appointment instead. Then they could prescribe something if they deem it necessary.

My friend had a sudden flare up and could not understand why. Turns out she had a fungal infection and one round of anti-fungal meds sorted it out.

Castor oil, castor oil, castor oil!

Please watch videos of it on YouTube and read he testimonies/comments under the videos.
It heals deep scarring, acne, hyperpigmentation....everything skin related.

Takes about a year of consistent use to work.

This looks like it might be androgenic hormones.

I recently learnt about spearmint tea, it’s supposed to clear this up extraordinarily well. Beware of side effects because it’s so effective at lowering testosterone it can have consequences (like high oestrogen) use sparingly (like twice a week) from what I’ve heard.

Acnenide is great! You go through a period of dryness but if you persevere it works really well to prevent spots and small bumps. I'd also use salicylic acid and a vitamin C serum to help fade scars xx

possibly a slightly random suggestion as these are marketed as aimed at teenaged boys, but these worked really well for my son and when he left home I used the rest of them up and they were very effective in pore reduction/ generally clearing up skin. anything with tea tree oil gets my vote

31st State Overnight Clearing Pads | Ocado

After buying a 10x magnification mirror, I realised I needed to do something for my skin and started following a Tretinoin and Retinoids User group n Facebook after a recommendation on MN and I have learned so much. The admin of the group is a doctor and gives a lot of background and recommendations about when you first start.

Frequently people with much more severe acne post before and after pictures and the results are amazing. However, it often comes with going through a purge of your skin: things often get much worse before they get better, and isn’t a quick fix. There are lots of people who will scare the shit out of you as they swear by lots of different products every day but I don’t believe that is necessary if you get the basics right. You do have to listen to your skin and not barge in with a whole range of new products in one fell swoop as, if you damage your skin, you won’t know what’s caused it.

I always thought I had combination skin but discovered that it was probably just dehydrated. I wonder if your oiliness is caused by using some harsh products that cause your skin to produce more oil as a pp suggested. It’s counter intuitive to use more gentle skincare to reduce the sebum production but it seems to work.

Good luck!

you might not be able to afford micro needling but can you afford to see a dermatologist?

Concrete Sr Skincare. There products are affordable and they are happy to advise if you contact them.

You need regular peels to remove scarring, pigmentation and reduce the appearance of pore size whilst unclogging pores.

You will notice a complete turnaround in only a few weeks.

www.sr-skincare.uk/shop/

Have you not been to doctor about acne? They used to prescribe antibiotics which worked very well.

Another recommendation for skin+me or dermatica, they are pretty much the same service. You upload pics and they give you a months worth of cream personalised to your needs. It’s the only thing that sorted out my cystic hormonal acne. Lots of people do discount codes on Instagram for the first month cheaper. Retinol - particularly adapalene or tretinoin are the best for acne. Would absolutely avoid antibiotics if not necessary!

I would really recommend a good skincare - but not one with 100 different steps. I swear by double cleansing and also skin+me - I’ve noticed SUCH a difference in my skin since using them - I also use their cleanser, serums, moisturiser etc but honestly just the treatment alone every night made my skin look lovely!

@AcneHelpMe

• Go speak to your Dr (regular GP)
• Depending on their view you may be given topical creams *You may get referred to the dermatologist team at the hospital (probably not) *Don't try to change your full skincare routine overnight, you skin will react badly, either getting inflammation or drying out causing more flakiness *Salycylic can be too much for some people's skin, do it very gradually. *Azelaic acid is more gentle to start with They are so many options for you, but please don't try micro needle on yourself, you need to know what you are doing or you can make everything worse. Hopefully you find help and happiness (We all judge ourselves too harshly, if you would not say it to a friend, don't say it to yourself)

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