adult fecking acne

[mollysmum82]

I can't believe I'm about to turn 30 and I still get zits! I don't get whiteheads/blackheads anymore (well, much) but I just have really horrible red bumps which don't ever seem to go away along my jawline, hairline and chin.

At the moment I'm using benzoyl peroxide twice a day to try and blast them but I'm scared this is going to dry me up and age me beyond recognition. I've tried Liz Earle cleanse and polish (plus the toner) but this hasn't really helped.

Please tell me a miracle cure that I can dab on/wash with/eat that will make me beautiful again (okay well just get rid of the spots then)

Thank you!

I'd see a dermatologist or well-qualified aromatherapist - tea tree oil is good for example but as it can cause a nasty allergy is a very few people (including my dh) it's best to get professional input.

Don't believe any kind of polishing is good as it adds to the redness/scarring.

stop using the benzoyl i had the same problem and my pharmasist recomended that to me i unded up with crocodile skin not good and aging well im 24 and it certainly did me no favours 6 months on and im back to mrmal. Go see your doc, are you using hormoun (cant spell that) based contraceptive? if so it could be that. It was for me, surfice to say my skin came first and dh got the snip!

Roaccutane. I had similar sore red spots to yours and tried loads of things. It has loads of side effects but I stopped taking it September last year after 6 months and haven't had so much as a pimple since!

I now use Clarins orange blossom cleanser and St. Ives blemish control scrub once a week.

I know exactly how you feel, I suffer from cystic acne, which is just horrible. The best thing to do is to not use any oil based products on your face. I use neutrogena visably clear 2 in 1 wash/mask (recommended by my GP), nivea visage oil free moisturising fluid and clinique's anti blemish foundation. As mothersmilk said, some contraceptive pills make it worse (cerazette the mini pill being one) but some combined pills can help (like dianette)... (I like her solution but my DH is having none of it )
Avoiding dairy products can also help.
I still get the occasional one but doing the above has certainly helped me. Oh and don't use any products like the benzoyl that dries you out as your skin will over compensate for the dryness and produce more oil = more spots/boils. Vicious circle! HTH.

Maybe worth getting your hormone levels tested by the GP if the acne is very persistent. I have had persistent acne since I was a teen and it turned out I had high testosterone levels which is a sign of PCOS. I am now taking Dianette which is helping a bit.

I've tried everything for my adult acne, nothing has done anything. the only thing that completely changed my skin and made all my acne desapear was Light treatment,I've had it done in a clinic in London,the nurse was really good.. I always tell her I can't be grateful enough as it was the only thing that brought my confidence back.
Amazing!! I look 10 years younger now...this is they website if you want to have a look

www.pulselightclinic.co.uk

Hope you find them,

I am having light treatment as well and my skin looks amazing...

I suffer from adult acne, partially as a result of PCOS. I use a benzoyl peroxide based wash and cream which has been a life saver. Yes, they can be drying, but the key is to get the right concentration. Start on the 2% wash and cream and see how that goes. This is also very good if you get acne on your chest, neck or back. I found after a few days that my skin did adjust to the strong creams and settled down. I keep a 10% cream in reserve for flare ups but usually use a 5% cream and a 2% wash to keep things ticking over. I also find that sunshine is good - although I'm wary of sun damage, sunshine seems to dry up the spots very nicely. I desperately wish this had been taken seriously when I was a teenager - acne is miserable and I've now got permanent horrible scars, when there is a lot that can be done.

Have you tried sudocrem? Tho.k of the miracles it performs on rash bottoms. Works for my son.

Ahem I mean my teenage son.

Actually a mate of mine said her teens use sudocrem.

I've also read about light treatment in a couple of books, it got rave reviews. I'd forgotten about that entirely.

Can second N-Lite laser treatment. It does not hurt, excellent results just after a few sessions (in my case, 3 over ca. 8 months). No idea how it works (black magic!) but it's good both for preventing breakouts and removing old scars, esp. if combined with microdermabrasion. It is not cheap, but compared to the amount of money I poured over the years into painful facials with extractions, experimenting with various products etc, it's a brilliant value for money!

The clinic where I had N-Lite done also recommended Jan Marini products. I was rather reluctant to buy yet another series of fancy jars and bottles (it felt like a hard sell) but gave it a try and found it was a good fit for my skin. Gradually I went off Jan Marini back to essential oils, but still use the glycolic acid gel if I have an odd spot.

Thanks lots for your replies!

Is the light treatment just for acne rosacea? I didn't think I had this...I just have old blemishes which won't go away, new red spots and very very occasional whiteheads (yuk) I don't have big red patches though. Will book in if you think it will help!

Unfortunately I can't really go down the dianette/roaccutane/zinc route as I'm breastfeeding. Thanks for the ideas though.

I've got PCOS so I do think its hormonal :( I'll have to sweep out the wallet moths and book in with a dermatologist.

Thanks again

I second using zinc and making sure you have removed all make-up before bed.

Definitely stop the benzoyl peroxide and the cleanse and polish. It's hard when you are breastfeeding but I have been using a belli acne cleanser which helps keep my skin clean (and is gentle and suitable for pregnancy so ok for bfeeding too I would think). Also check your multivitamin if you are taking one - I get red lumps if I take one with a high level of iodine.

I've read some helpful advice on www.acne.org.

Thanks again for all the useful info ladies. Sorry for those who have gone through this too.

I've got an appointment booked at the doctors as I can't handle this any more!

I tried to use sudacrem for a while and I really thought it was a miracle worker! But like most things it stopped working after a while. I stopped exfoliating and switched to a non-drying neutrogena face wash.

Unfortunately my skin got horrendous again so it was back to the benzoyl peroxide, which does keep spots at bay... but I agree with what you've all said, its drying, encourages more oil production and I hate using it.

I'm going to print off this thread and ask if I can be prescribed/referred for some of the things you have suggested.

Fingers crossed something works, it sounds so superficial but its making me so low now.