Advice regarding my skin

Phoenix_Rising

This may not be the right forum at all but i couldnt find a more appropriate one.

I have been getting spots on my face for the last year plus. Very unusual for me as i neve had spots as a teenager etc.

I went to my Gp who put me on the pill, which helped alot with the spots and referred me to a dermatologist. I found the dermatologist awful tbh. He barely looked at my skin and pronounced that the pill probably wouldnt work and that i would need to go on Roaccutane. he was very dismissive of my concerns about Roaccutane and told me that it was media hype. He alsoo told me that if i got pregnant while on roacutance i would have to have an abortion, which i thought was in very bad taste.

Anyway, the upshot is that i am not happy to go on something like roaccutane so something as cosmetic as a few spots, but they do bug me.

Just wondering if anyone could recommend a natural solution for spots? Would regular facials be helpful?

I usually only have one spot at a time but they are huge and very unsightly, and very sore.

Any advice would be appreciated.

I know it isnt a big deal in comparison to some PIs, but it dose bug me.

username123

Hi,
Sounds like a nasty experience with the dermatologist, my first suggestion is a referral to a different dermatologist for a second opinion, there are other options to roaccutane and there are certainly dermatologists who would be more willing to listen to your concerns and take on board your reservations.

On a more practical note, how is your diet and health generally? Is there anything you are eating/doing that could be a contributing factor to this problem?
Seeing as the pill helped it could be a hormonal problem? Have you been checked for poly cystic ovaries (just a sugestion, I am not trying to diagnose you here - but its worth investigating).

If I were you Id be keeping a food and cycle diary - as in food you eat daily and where you are in your menstrual cycle and see if there is any link to when you get the spots, if there is a pattern of food then you could cut out or reduce that food, similarly, if there is a pattern with your cycle maybe a different pill might help?

I agree with your concerns re roaccutance, plus its only alleviating the symptoms, its not dealing with the underlying problem.

You might also take a look at what make up/moisturiser/soap etc you use on your face and things that touch your face (like if you cycle does the helmet strap cause friction at any particular areas), and maybe get a new pillow as well in case there is any build up of anything in it that your face is touching on a regular basis.

Basically examine every aspect of what could be touching your face, plus what you are ingesting, plus watch your menstrual cycle.

Hope that helps.

Deediddums

Hi Phoenix, I have just recently found a solution that has worked for my own skin problem that sounds very similar to yours. In my early - mid twenties I started getting horrible ance on my face having breezed through my teenage years scot free. My doctor tried a very similar tack as your own, I was on a number of different pills, tried courses of various antibiotics and nothing worked. Eventually I was referred to a dermatologist who like yours told me roaccutane was the only thing for it.

First things first - the roaccutane did work, to a point. However the side affects can be horrible and they are numerous! After 2 months (I was due to do a 9 month stint) I was away for a month doing volunteer work and came off it for the duration. On my return I talking to a family friend (a nurse) who was concerned to hear that I was going back on it and suggested to me that maybe I should try taking Vitamin A before rushing into it (Roaccutane is a very strong derivative of vit A). This has seriously worked wonders for me. I went to a local health shop and picked up a bottle for 6/7 quid that is Vit A and D together (apparently they absorb more easily in conjunction with each other). I haven't had a serious spot (the odd MINOR blemish here and there) in over 4/5 months. I used to get horrific and painful spots that were technically cysts on my cheeks so I'm delighted! I recommended to my younger cousin who was developing the same problem and she has had the same result.

So basically I'm not giving you medical advice here but if you are looking for a natural remedy that has worked for others then this is worth a shot before you go the roaccutane route. It's also MUCH cheaper 6/7 quid vs 200 euro or thereabouts a month because as a female you'll need to pay for monthly consultations to get your prescription. There are also none of the pregnancy risks that one would associate with roaccutane. Word to the wise though, take the max daily dosage and no more, both vitamins are fat soluble and therefore will be tough on your liver in the long run if you overdo it. Which is far more important than your skin at the end of the day! That's my two cents, hope it's of some help :-)

wexford202

Hi there OP.

I worked in a salon for over 5 years and I would recommend the following due from my expierence:

The Gunit Hydradermoe Facial. this facial is lovely and relaxing. The procedure includes using deep cleansing and healing gels on your skin and then a machine is used which opens your pores the gel goes into the skin and has like a soapy effect and cleanse all your pores out. This is one of the best facials I have evr done and I found it worked a treat for anyone with acne. Many salons around the country uses these products.

Next thing is. I often founf that some people had serious spots on their skin and were doing face masks twice a week, using strong deep cleansin cleansers and products for oily skin.

Please note and be aware of the fact that even if you have a face covered in spots you may not have oily skin. It could be quite possible that you have breakouts due to dehyration which is so common in Ireland due to intense lighting and artifical heat and air conditioning everywhere.

Do your spots actuall have what are called white heads or are they large red and deep in your skin?

Phoenix_Rising

wexford202 wrote: »

Hi there OP.

I worked in a salon for over 5 years and I would recommend the following due from my expierence:

The Gunit Hydradermoe Facial. this facial is lovely and relaxing. The procedure includes using deep cleansing and healing gels on your skin and then a machine is used which opens your pores the gel goes into the skin and has like a soapy effect and cleanse all your pores out. This is one of the best facials I have evr done and I found it worked a treat for anyone with acne. Many salons around the country uses these products.

Next thing is. I often founf that some people had serious spots on their skin and were doing face masks twice a week, using strong deep cleansin cleansers and products for oily skin.

Please note and be aware of the fact that even if you have a face covered in spots you may not have oily skin. It could be quite possible that you have breakouts due to dehyration which is so common in Ireland due to intense lighting and artifical heat and air conditioning everywhere.

Do your spots actuall have what are called white heads or are they large red and deep in your skin?

I will certainly look into that facial.

I def dont have oily skin, my skin is very dry actually. The spots are large and red. They seem to be lumps under my skin if that makes sense?

Deediddums - thanks a million, will certainly try that. Would much prefer vitimans to medication.

wexford202

Phoenix_Rising wrote: »

I will certainly look into that facial.

I def dont have oily skin, my skin is very dry actually. The spots are large and red. They seem to be lumps under my skin if that makes sense?

Deediddums - thanks a million, will certainly try that. Would much prefer vitimans to medication.

Hi Op

I have just read my last reply and my spellings were all wrong due to me typing to fast. The correct spelling is Guinot Hydradermie facial.

You seem to me to have very dehydrated skin. Sometimes if you squeeze the spot sorry for sounding yuck the spot will still stay for days if not weeks under the skin.

With regards to your product use.

When using a face mask do not use the clay ones as they are typically for oily skin.

There is also a huge difference in dry and dehydrated skin. Dry skin lacts oil and dehydrated skin lacks water.

I am not going to name all the products ranges for you to use but when shopping for your creams be sure to pick up the ones with 'hydra' in the name. this will stop your skin from getting blocked pores etc.

Next is exfoliation. This is vital and will def help you on your way.

For a mini home facial step by step
1 Cleanse
2 tone
3. exfoliate rinse and tone again
4. Mask rinse and tone again
5. Blot your skin dry with tissue and moisturise.

No clay masks. Nice creamy ones will be better for you. A clay one once a month is plenty.

You want to pump goodness into your skin and not draw it out of it.

Deediddums

Hi Phoenix, if it's red lumps under the skin as opposed to white heads then it sounds exactly like mine. They would take weeks to come to the surface and were painful throughout that time because of the pressure. I was diagnosed as having cystic acne myself which is why the roaccutane was recommended so definitely give the vitamins a try if you're unhappy about going the meds route.

Feel free to PM me if you want any info or just want to complain about how annoying it is :-)

SuperTyper

Hi there, you could ask your GP about the following (in gel form) which is supposed to be very good for spots/acne. It has to be prescribed by your GP

Tretinoin - marketed as Retin A

mandysmithers

OP, I found that the pill was the only thing that worked for my skin, so I definitely think you should give it a try. It can take a few months to take effect. Dianette is usually the one prescribed for the skin. I tried antibiotics and topical solutions, but only the pill worked. Obviously, everyone is different, but my skin was great on it.

I also use Dermalogica products, and I find them very good, especially the Special Cleansing Gel. Buy them online, as it's cheaper.

Good luck!

wexford202

SuperTyper wrote: »

Hi there, you could ask your GP about the following (in gel form) which is supposed to be very good for spots/acne. It has to be prescribed by your GP

Tretinoin - marketed as Retin A

It can be difficult to get this type of item prescribed by your doctor. It is very strong and should be used as a last option.

kittenkiller

There's a dermatology clinic in Donnybrook that's supposed to work wonders.
http://www.acne.ie/index.php?id=about_us
They're expensive though.
The main doctor is Dr. Wendy Lynch from what I can gather.

Best of luck.

Monkey61

I too had terrible acne and Dianette completely changed my life. Considering the spots were entirely hormone related, all the vitamins in the world on their own weren't going to work. It really is worth a shot if the doctor thinks so. I was on it for a year, possibly two and had perfect skin for years afterwards! Recently my skin has started occasionally getting a bit dodgy again, but only every few months and that was after 8 years of perfect skin, so not bad.

Just a warning though, Dianette can be linked to depression (which I wasn't told when I started taking it), so you do need to watch out for that. I'm not sure if it actually made me depressed or if it was just coincidence and I was depressed anyway - but as long as you are aware of that, you can monitor it.

Also, choosing whether to go on Roaccutane or not is a tricky one. I have seen it work absolute wonders for some people. But I also saw a friend's personality change completely through depression whilst on it. It really is a bit of a gamble. But, once you start taking it, you can always stop if the side effects are horrendous.

Snowman123

Sorry to hear about your skin. I had the same problem for years. The pill did nothing for me! About 2 years ago I found a clay based fash wash from dermalogica and I swear I have never looked back. I found some products were so extreme they made my skin dry and flakey. Dermalogica is quite expensive though, they give you testers to see if it will work for you. I cant recommend it enough.

http://www.dermalogica.com/us/products.html#/products/product-use/cleansers/dermal-clay-cleanser

ncmc

Sorry you had such a bad experience with the dermatologist, imagine hime saying you would need an abortion if you got pregnant on Roacatane, what a terrible thing to put in your mind.

I suffer from a similar thing to you, I get the occasional spot rather than a huge breakout, but the spots I get are always really swollen and painful. I was on Diannette for years, and found it worked but the spots came back when I came off the Dianette. I went to my GP and he put me on Erythrocin (that may be spelled wrong) it is nowhere near as strong as roaccuatane, but I find it brilliant. It cleared up my skin in about a month and I haven't had a spot since I started taking it. It is also safe to take during pregnancy.

I would go back to your GP, I wouldn't trust a GP that would prescribe Roacatane that easily (especially to a woman). There are plenty of other milder drugs that you can try first.

Bear in mind thought that Erythrocin (or any other antibitic) may affect the way your pill works for a couple of weeks, so you may need to use alternative contraception.

quank

Hey OP, from the sounds of it you're probably going to steer away from Roaccutane. Just want to give my two cents on it. In a couple of weeks I'll be finished 6 months on Roaccutane and it worked excellently. I still get spots but nowhere near as bad as before and the only side-effect I endure are dry lips.
But I am male and I'm aware of the risks involved (and costs), especially if you're female. Hope you find something to help your skin!

LegacyUser

Ive had two friends who have used Roaccutane and their skin is like a porcelain doll now, its so beautiful. Both of em. But yea one did have fairly bad side effects, and both had the dry skin, hair and lips going on. Its a tough drug. Not everyone will want to try it. That dermatologist sounds like a idiot tbh.

Ive used Isotrexin Gel in the past and found it quite good at clearing up my skin, I get those nasty red under skin bumps too, and Ive found tea tree oil great for them. Currently using that, my skin is lovely and soft with it.

Take a look at your diet and see if theres anything your eating is triggering the breakouts. I know my skin cant handle coffee, at all!! Some people react to dairy, theres many things can cause it.

If you want lots of info check out the message boards at www.acne.org , its a website set up by a guy who came up with his own skincare routine but any and ever method to tackle bad skin is discussed there from Roaccutane to natural and holistic remedies. Ive found it really helpful.

Phoenix_Rising

Thanks for all the replies.

I have started to take vitamin A supplements and also apple cider vinegar.

Going to give that a few weeks and see how that works.

Will let ye know as if it works it will be a hell of alot easier ( and cheaper!) than perscription meds.

LegacyUser

Hi i suffered greatly with my skin for months and only say from 20 onwards.
Found dermalogia facials and products absoluletly great..

also a freind recommended "Zineryt".. you need to get a prescription for it.. my doc hadn't even heard of it.. but sooo good.. my skin is completely clear now and if i get spot just use zineryt and clears up so quickly.
So yes def try zineryt to clear it up and then maintan with dermalogia products

KilOit

Used Roaccutane when i was 17 and it worked used it again when i was 25 after my acne came back, of course it worked again but wanted to use something a little more gentler,
Im now using the products from acne.org and they have worked wonders you have a cleanser threatment and a moisturizer to be used in the morning and before you go to bed, havn't had a breakout since i've been on it.

Can't recomment acne.org more, the message boards there are far better than this site for your skin problem.

Certi Layla!!

Hiya OP, i had acne when i was in my teens as like you i tried everything so then i to turned to the natural substance... every night before id go to bed id plaster my face in SUDOCREAM, in the morning it would have dryed in or whatever but anyway long story short... after awhile my acne completely went and never came back it might be worth a shot!

pepsi1234

Just came to post about Sudocrem but the poster above beat me to it! I put a thin layer of it on all affected layers at night and a lot of it had either dried in or wiped off itself during the night. I then use clean and clear cleanser with a cotton wool pad to wipe off the excess.
Then I moisturize and my skin is really nice and clear for the day.

OP, do you use moisturizer?
I do get spots on my chest and neck from time to time. If I moisturize the areas I don't seem to get spots there at all.
So basically sudocrem and moisturizer work well for me

wexford202

pepsi1234 wrote: »

Just came to post about Sudocrem but the poster above beat me to it! I put a thin layer of it on all affected layers at night and a lot of it had either dried in or wiped off itself during the night. I then use clean and clear cleanser with a cotton wool pad to wipe off the excess.
Then I moisturize and my skin is really nice and clear for the day.

OP, do you use moisturizer?
I do get spots on my chest and neck from time to time. If I moisturize the areas I don't seem to get spots there at all.
So basically sudocrem and moisturizer work well for me

Sudocream is also known as a barrier cream. It blocks other substances from entering your skin for the time it is on your skin.

When used on a child it revents pee from resting on and damaging the skin and when on yor face stops you touching your skin during the night hence preventing any salts bacteria etc entering your skin for tht period.

That is why most people believe in it. You are however when using it blocking ai and oxyegen from getting to your skin and you skin will dry and age quicker.

You can purchase over night masks specifically for allowing your skin to breath during the night.

Sudocream has no really benefit to your skin

Phoenix_Rising

Phoenix_Rising wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies.

I have started to take vitamin A supplements and also apple cider vinegar.

Going to give that a few weeks and see how that works.

Will let ye know as if it works it will be a hell of alot easier ( and cheaper!) than perscription meds.

Just a quick update.

I have been taking vitamins and cider vinegar for a month now and i have noticed a real improvement in my skin. Skin still isnt clear but i have much fewer spots and they seem less vicious when i do get them.

Also gave up smoking, just over a month ago now - which i think is helping alot too.

I would recommend anyone to try it for a few weeks - though the vinegar is disgusting to drink!

Papad

I was amazed that after years of getting acne, I found that eliminating milk from my diet also led to completely clear skin.

Tried everything under the sun (the sun actually helped a great deal, but had obvious consequences) to cure this problem. I made a food chart just in case some type of food was causing the acne. Milk fell under the radar because I thought I had completely stopped using it by itself, but I use to drink milk-based concoctions every day e.g. lattes, milk shake, ICE CREAM, and even tea with milk. Yes, even the milk with tea was causing the problem. Skim milk is the worse culprit.

Now, you may ask why is this the case? Google is your friend (search milk and acne), but it has to do with the hormones in milk and your over-production of sebum. It may not work for everyone but after YEARS of experience with acne, try taking milk completely out of your diet (I know, it sucks) and see what happens.

If only I had known about this years ago, so I am passing this information on to whoever wants it as it can lead to a major quality of life improvement.

LegacyUser

I have only discovered in the past month or so that I MILK was causing my acne problem. I though it was meat and have since discovered that Milk is worse that meat ever was. So, I have stopped drinking milk, stopped eating meat (UNLESS Organic) and my skin is finally good. Its been 2+ years of jaw and neck acne. I haev been drinking rice milk adn I haev to say Yummie, no wonder kids like it. As padpad said, stop drinking milk...

Papad

Another quick point: it may take time (many months) for the acne to completely disappear, but even small amounts can aggravate it again. Have the feeling that I will introducing goodies like ice cream (maybe yogurt ice cream) back into the diet to see what happens. Might be able to get away with infrequent doses of it, but it will be a trial and error effort.

Phoenix_Rising

The other thing i meant to post was that i started using Dettol antibactorial sanatiser on my hands as i was ( and am) terribly for touching me face during the day.

Obviously it alone doesnt help to clear your skin, but it seems to have helped.