Feeling low due to my bad skin

LegacyUser

Hi,
Im a regular poster so dont want to give my real id.Anyways my problem seems like a cliche but i have a problem with my skin.At this stage im entirely fed up with it all.My face is fairly ok but my neck is real bad, at the moment i can count 12 active spots and thats depressing as hell.I have tried everything, spent thousands on treatments and creams and im back to square one.This has been going on for the last 15 years now and at 26 im sick of it.Im lucky i have an understanding girlfriend who loves me for me and it doesnt bother her at all.Please can anyone help as im in dire straits and with xmas coming around too. I want to get past this!!!

tinkerbell

Get your GP to prescribe you some different prescription.

WhiteWashMan

i take it you are talking about acne and not just 'spots'?

amydublin2

Have you been to the doctor and got some prescribed medication? I was always trying to treat what I thought were "spots" with topical treatments or improving my diet. Nothing ever worked, went to the doctor who diagnosed acne and prescribed me an antibiotic (3 month course) to clear it. Worth going to the doctor I reckon.......... but don't get depressed about it, not worth it.

Zapho

I wouldn't go to a GP I'd go to a dermotolagist (I can't spell!). I've suffered from acne for years now too, and I think I'm finally getting over it. (Although I've got 2 clusters of spots on my back at the moment) Antobiotics do work, but acne is VERY slow to respond. its usually 6 weeks before they start to work, and usually people stay on them for 6 months to a year. Avoid roacatine becuase the side effects are actually worse than acne (as in it can even cause depression). A visit to a dermotologist will probably cost €200 or so, but its worth it. S/he will either perscribe an antibiotic or instead change your diet, or put you on a course of vitamins.
Hope this helps, cuz I'm the same boat!

BolBill

I used to have really bad acne on my back a few years ago. I was advised to totally change my diet as it was maybe something I was eating, well it worked.

Just a cheap suggestion, good luck mate, I mean that.

Blisterman

Does accutane cause depression too?

uum

feeling_bad wrote:

Hi,
Im a regular poster so dont want to give my real id.Anyways my problem seems like a cliche but i have a problem with my skin.At this stage im entirely fed up with it all.My face is fairly ok but my neck is real bad, at the moment i can count 12 active spots and thats depressing as hell.I have tried everything, spent thousands on treatments and creams and im back to square one.This has been going on for the last 15 years now and at 26 im sick of it.Im lucky i have an understanding girlfriend who loves me for me and it doesnt bother her at all.Please can anyone help as im in dire straits and with xmas coming around too. I want to get past this!!!

Im sorry to hear this story and it sounds like you've suffered a lot.
I was in your situation myself. My body is very badly scarred from acne that lasted 7-8 yrs and i would still have to this day until i went to a proper derm (cost me about €1000 in total)

He put me on roaccutane and after 8 months of treatment i was cured. I still get the very odd spot if i eat tons of crap but my acne is cured.

My advice to you is forget about clearasil, or creams or toothpaste or any tales you have heard. Get to a derm, (i went to the best in ireland and can pm you his details) and get it sorted.

Now i know what he will tell you and that is roaccutane. There is no other cure for acne and i dont care what anyone else says.
But it is a terrible drug that will harm you. the extent of this harm varies.You need to be very careful on it.

For me it was dry lips, eyes, nose bleeds and muscle cramps/ degeneration for a year or more. Also my acne got a lot worse before it got better.
The cramps were terrible for me as im heavily involved in sport. I couldnt tell anyone why i was always injured and it cost me a lot but it cured my acne and that is the most important.

A lot of people say that its not worth taking it but my life was so bad at that point in time that anything was worth it.
You are lucky to have a gf who loves you and will help you through it.
i had nothing or no-one and i do believe that my acne scarred me even deeper than my skin. I still have serious paranoia about my looks and can go weeks in the blackest bleakest of moods where i dont make eyecontact with anyone...

Anyway, my advice for what its worth is get to a derm (not a gp, only to get a referral) and get it sorted but be careful

Kêrmêttê

My best mate suffered badly with acne during school and for a few years after we left school. Eventually she lost her patience with her GP and sought the advice of a specialist.
She had a hormone imbalance and was prescribed medication to correct this and has never looked back since. I've no idea what the name of the medication was.
She is still to this day concious about her looks/skin. Acne can scar you mentally as well as physically.
Definately go seek the advice of a specialist. In my experience, GPs are usually overworked, money grabbing quacks.

CathyMoran

I am sure that you feel that people notice your skin - the truth is very few do...the sooner you forget about it the better. Two of my close relatives suffered with their skin but it was mainly that they noticed it not anyone else. I am not trying to be harsh and I do understand you situation having seen my close relatives go through it. Feel free to PM me.

galwaydude

Hi again.

I have gone to countless doctors who have come up with so many different theories and i have already been on roaccutane.I dont really want to go back on as i developed a very serious redness due to my acne.It got so bad before that when i was out in the pub at night the slightest difference in temperature and my skin would go really bright red.That was soo embarressing.I suppose i was really lucky too to have found such a supporting gf.Most of the time im great but then a few odd times when my skin flares up i feel like crap.PPL wont understand until they have suffered from severe acne like i did.This has been ongoing now for the last 15 years and at 26 yrs of age i cant let this dictate my life any more.

JackKelly

to coincide with whats said above, drink loads of water.Suprisingly, it seems to work.

galwaydude

can anyone recomment a good dermotologist based in dublin who actually cares about their patients and not just in it for the money like the other two cowboys i have seen in the last few years.

glitter•girl

Dr Paul Collins in St Michael's Hosp in Dun Laoghaire is meant to be excellent, I know someone who went to him. I went to Dr Nicholas Walsh in the Blackrock Clinic myself, he put me on roaccutane for 5 and a half months, I'm off it over a month now and my skin is the best it's ever been in my life. He was good too, but I'd say if it's a more understanding approach you want go for Dr Collins. While roaccutane side effects are horrendous, the results are definitely worth it, see if you can stick to a lower dose for a longer time or something, but give it a chance, maybe at a lower dose you won't get the facial redness thing. Have you ever looked at the boards on acne.org - http://acne.org/messageboard - you may find them helpful, i certainly did. good luck with the process i know how tough it is, but the relief to be finally clear is worth the hardship of going on roaccutane.

ClareBear

I was going to say go to the doctor and get something prescribed as that's what I did a few months ago and it's worked for me....but your case is obviously more severe....hopefully some of the advice people give you on here will help. I'm sorry to hear that it gets you down so much but I understand....I hope you will find a solution soon.

Philbert

galwaydude wrote:

can anyone recomment a good dermotologist based in dublin who actually cares about their patients and not just in it for the money like the other two cowboys i have seen in the last few years.

Dr. Rosemary Coleman in the Charlmount Clinic in Dublin is excellent but expect a 2 month waiting list minimum :eek:

IMO Roaccutane is the only real and permanent solution to this problem. I believe it is a miracle drug and despite all the negative side effects, a nice mild dosage over a longer period of time can have exactly the same results with much less negaive side effects.

Water is also imperative for combating this problem. Drink at least a couple of litres a day.

HTH.

LegacyUser

Try taking (very large doses of) vitamin B5, also known as Pantothenic Acid. Worked for me with absolutely no side effects and I had severe acne. I found out about it on the net, so google it for more info.

Idbatterim

Ok in my opinion your options are 1. Using a Salicylic Acid bodywash on your acne prone area, in my opinion it wouldn cut it. 2. This is the one i would definetly recommend before you go shelling out on a dermatologist and have atleast a 2 month wait anyway. bp or benzoyl peroxide it comes in variying strengths, the neck is a very sensitive area, youd be best off going with a 2.5% bp in my opinion, you can purchase it on acne.org. Also check out the web site, although im sure you have researched it on the web and come across the site. I would leave antibiotics and accutane as a last resort...

LegacyUser

Ok one of my mates had really bad acne. He took this thing called Accutane and his face is actually clearer than anybody elses. He even had it on his chest. I know cos we went on a boat trip and he took his shirt off and it was actually scarring his chest. How did we cop on? We kept asking why he was not drinking any booze at all....he ended up telling us.

One of my other mates also went on it. Not as bad as the guy above but still bad enough to bother the **** out of him. He went on accutane after seeing what it did to your man above. It totally sorted his face out too. He was fed the same **** you are being fed on here about how accutane causes depression. That is bull****. Both did use lip balm and had occasional nose bleeds. But no muscle pains or depression. They had depression i guess from the acne they had before then even though on the second bloke it was not bad and he didn't even need accutane. He is just vein but first bloke had it bad i guess. Accutane saved those guys.

Ask any respected dermatologist like my friends father for example in Ireland and they will tell you all you need to know about accutuane and its effects. If you want your skin sorted, take it and talk to a dermatologist.

galwaydude

im quiete hesitant on going back on roacutane again as i have already been on twice in the last five years and it scarred the **** out of me as well as really bad blushing too whenever the temperature in the room rose.I stopped going to the pub after because it was embaressing, i was like a red tomatoe anytime i exerted pressue or the slightest change in temperature. Im quiete a veteran now at this stage when it comes to my skin as i have been on most tablets and treatments known too mankind. The affects of roaccuatne were much greater than the positives as i suffered from severe blushing, musle pain, dry lips, soreness.Im 26 so i know what im talking about.The worst thing about the roaccuatne was the scarring, i have mild scarring now due to it. I tryed getting rid of the scarring too but nothing worked.I dont think im prepared to go back on roaccuatne and ruin my life again for another year.

Bright Smile

i have a friend who went on roaccutane too and it really does affect you i think. you have to remember that people see beyond spots- i know thats not constructive advice but its true. your diet may be perfect and i know it probably has nothing to do with it but have you heard of the neuron diet??? my cuz went on it to loose weight and without any processsed foods her skin greatly improved....
im great friends with a girl who is around a size 14.(im bigger than her) she exudes confidence and lures in men every single sat night....its all in the walk and the smoothness of the talk man...

Victor

Idbatterim wrote:

in my opinion

Would that be a medical opinion?

Idbatterim wrote:

you can purchase it on acne.org.

Or probably direct from your local pharmacist (where you can also get advice from a real person) for half the delivery cost.

Idbatterim

Just to let you know Victor you get four times as much in the bp gel you buy on acne.org for half the price, just incase your interested...

StupidLikeAFox

Victor wrote:

Or probably direct from your local pharmacist (where you can also get advice from a real person) for half the delivery cost.

To assume makes an ''ass'' outt of ''u'' and ''me''

timamansio

Hi Galwaydude,

I also suffer from (mild) acne and currently use a topical antibiotic (Dalacin-T). It works for me but from your previous posts I understand that it would be unlikely to be of benefit to you.

A female friend of mine recently had laser therapy for her (quite severe) acne (I think the therapy is called N-lite and is available in a few private clinics around Dublin) and it seemed to work well. It's not a permanent solution though and I gather it's quite expensive but it might be worth looking into.

galwaydude

I also had the N lite treatment last xmas, cost me nearly 1000 euro when u add asll the creams as well u have to get.It worked for a while but i didnt see much difference.Im reluctant on going back to that as i cant afford that especially around xmas and also im buying a house in galway with my girlfriend.Thanx anyways for the reply.I suppose im panicking cause im going to the states(my girlfriends american and lives here in dublin) next week to spend it with my gf and her family and i want to look the part i suppose.I might get some of that BP stuff that acne.org recommend as they sell plenty of it in places like walmart.Its nice to know there are people out there that actually care.i suppose the reason why i worry sometimes about my skin is cause i was bullied over a period of 5 years in secondary school all cause of my skin so im kinda wary when i meet new people now.I know that was a long time ago and i should be over it but its little things like when your in the city center and ppl stare at out or make comments.Only happened me a few times as most are really genuine and look beyond my skin.As my gf says my skin isnt as half as bad as i make it out to be.

Blinda

Acne - Recommended treatment.
Seriously clean hair and body.
Don't use any 'smelly' lotions or after-shave stuffs.
Also be aware that hair ends can stab skin at neckline causing reaction if inclined to acne.
Buy LARGE pot of Aqueous Cream BP, (about a fiver).
Apply liberally as a cleanser three times daily.
Take LOW DOSE antibiotic long term as PX by GP.

elivsvonchiaing

galwaydude wrote:

can anyone recomment a good dermotologist based in dublin who actually cares about their patients and not just in it for the money like the other two cowboys i have seen in the last few years.

Dr Gillian Murphy - great help when I was hospitalized with skin condition -was Beaumont - no idea if she's still there.

Dr Cal Condon - follow - up years later on other problems - was Bon Secours Dublin - not sure if he's still there.

I can only recommend these people for my condition - atopic ecxema!

uum

cheesedude wrote:

He even had it on his chest. it was actually scarring his chest.

you are being fed on here about how accutane causes depression. That is bull****.

If you want your skin sorted, take it and talk to a dermatologist.

I respect your opinion but roaccutane is a f*cked up drug that no one understands. It affects a lot of people differently.

My acne was terrible and like your friend my body is riddled with scars and after huge doses (relatively) the stuff cured me but it f*cked me up big time and im serious about that. Do not spin this drug as being like paracetamol because its not. I hope you never have to take it because im off it almost 2 years now and every now and again i get totally unexplained bouts of depression that last weeks. Sometimes i didnt get out of bed for a week. Lost jobs and friends over it that im only just getting back now.

But do go to a derm. mine was Dr. Walls in Blackrock Clinic. Sound charismatic man tbh. I was on first name terms with him near the end and hes great to sort out any raised keloid scars too. Expensive and long waiting list though.

Zapho

I agree with uum, I've never taken the stuff myself but I've seen the effects on my bro and my friend. It did clear up their acne, but they sure paid for it with a very unpleasant few years. I've been trying vitamins, water, creams and stuff like that, and its finally beginning to work. Every so often I get a bad break out on my back, once every 3 months or so. I think its more hormone related then anything else.

LegacyUser

Help wrote:

Try taking (very large doses of) vitamin B5, also known as Pantothenic Acid. Worked for me with absolutely no side effects and I had severe acne. I found out about it on the net, so google it for more info.

Could you please give us more information on the B5 vitamin and the whole course of it, how long did it take to cure your acne??

LegacyUser

Go into one of those Holland & Barret vitamin shops and get a 100 tablet container of Pantothenic Acid. The tablets are 500 mg each. I took 10 a day, spread out over the course of a day, until my acne cleared and I still take 3 or 4 a day just to be sure. It works fairly fast, I started noticing a difference after a few weeks.
1 500mg taglet contains 8,000% of the RDA daily allowance of B5, so you really are taking massive doses.
I was in a very bad way and I didn't want to have to take Roaccutane and wait 6 months for an improvement, so this was like a miracle cure for me.
Anyway it's well documented if you want to read up on it......

Google:
http://www.google.ie/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=acne+vitamin+B5&meta=

Here's the science behind it:
http://www.pantothenic-acid.com/acne_vulgaris.html

Blisterman

That can't be good for you.

LegacyUser

Blisterman wrote:

That can't be good for you.

That was the dose being recommended on forums on the net when I started taking it. Acne was f*cking up my whole live, I really was at the end of the line.
So I have absolutely no regrets about taking it, I'd probably wouldn't be around if I hadn't.

demosi

This is a long post but I have a lot to say and I sincerely hope that whatever insights I have can improve the life of a fellow sufferer.

I found bp gel very tough on my skin. I've found the following solution seems to miraculously work. Take about 2-3 grammes of vitamin B5 every day and use the teatree oil based skin cream called activclear (http://www.activclear.com ) this doesn't dry out your skin and seems to help improve it's quality and tone, making it softer and helping remove red marks and scars. I've been through the full gamut of treatments from light treatment (dermalux) through antibiotics and rooaccutane. I can only speak of my own experiences but they were mixed:
- strong antibiotics are good for clearing up a bad infection relatively quickly. If you've got a real problem and need to deal with it fast, take them and don't ask too many questions. It's better than scarring..
- However, the combination of sustained use of antibiotics and a wheat allergy has left me with a serious yeast intolerance. I avoid bread,pasta & beer at all costs. This isn't common to every antib taker but prolonged use of antib's can create excess candida albicans symptoms in susceptible people. These often include skin boils so the cure can become a cause.
- Most creams are complete rubbish. All topical antib's were useless for me. I've found that Kolorex makes an antifungal treatment with Vitamin E and Tea Tree oil that's good and so is the ActivClear treatment I mentioned earlier. These improve skin quality and helped fight infections without scarring. I can't recommend either of these products enough.
- Roaccutane was a very strange experience. Originally it seemed to be improving matters but left me tired and drowsy at times. I put this down to stress but when my acne started to get worse after a few months I abandoned it. I also experienced red blush marks that you spoke of. Roaccutane DID make me feel depressed and definitely affected my ability to do my work. I didn't quite believe it at the time but when I looked through records of work that I'd done at the time it was clear to me that I'd been agitated and unfocused during the period. I know that it's a miracle drug for some but for others, it can have a devastating effect on their lives. I still haven't fully recovered from the effects of taking that drug which manifested themselves as attention lapses and mood swings. Also, it left me with some scarring which is now healing thanks to the creams I mentioned earlier AND...
- Vitamin B5 really does work. I've found that not only does it improve my skin but I feel more alert and generally sleep better. I can't promise you that you'll have the same experience but if you do you'll think it's nothing short of miraculous.
Try http://www.b5supplements.com as their products definitely work.

I understand everything you're going through and then some. I've had intermittently very pale but clear skin marked (literally) with outbreaks of cystic acne and boils. I've lost at least 2 relationships because of it and it's effects have cost me dearly personally and professionally. I've as good as lost 10 years of my life, which is proving difficult to come to terms with. Mostly due to depression and embarassment. Adult acne is a truely terrible affliction as the sufferer has no control over it and needs to make daily adjustments to how good/bad they look. It robs the sufferer of a basic human need, "peace of mind", and has been the scourge of much of my adult life. The mental scars are even worse than the physical ones. I know, for example, that an ex gf ditched me for this reason and this alone. I'm not angry with her but christ does it hurt as I know that others have judged similiarly. That's why I urge anybody who's suffering from this problem to try the treatment that I recommend as I know that getting over this illness is like being given a 2nd chance in life.

elivsvonchiaing

demosi wrote:

I understand everything you're going through and then some. I've had intermittently very pale but clear skin marked (literally) with outbreaks of cystic acne and boils. I've lost at least 2 relationships because of it and it's effects have cost me dearly personally and professionally. I've as good as lost 10 years of my life, which is proving difficult to come to terms with. Mostly due to depression and embarassment. Adult acne is a truely terrible affliction as the sufferer has no control over it and needs to make daily adjustments to how good/bad they look. It robs the sufferer of a basic human need, "peace of mind", and has been the scourge of much of my adult life. The mental scars are even worse than the physical ones. I know, for example, that an ex gf ditched me for this reason and this alone. I'm not angry with her but christ does it hurt as I know that others have judged similiarly. That's why I urge anybody who's suffering from this problem to try the treatment that I recommend as I know that getting over this illness is like being given a 2nd chance in life.

This is really an acne thread - but I feel eczema can be just as bad on the self esteem. I had no sense of self worth until I asserted "fúck this for a game of soldiers!" - I am ME - women won't give a fúck if they like me even if I look like the abomonable snowman. And it worked! Many times - single right now though - Ladies (fans of singing detective) Apply to PO box 555555

barbie girl

Try cod liver oil It worked 4 me as i had bad acne but after taking cod liver oil supplememnts my skin has improved noticably Good Luck

demosi

Another long post, my apologies....
I agree with you up until a point. Still, I can't help but feel that life would have been so much easier without this problem. I guess having such normally pale skin and the intermittent clearness means that I got to observe how people behaved when I had clear skin and when it was decidedly pustular. I'm sure this affected my own personality and how I project myself when I'm socialising but on a "clear day" I find the level of female interest is normally very high and it lessens considerably on very spotty days. Not too many surprises there but it's such an obvious difference that it's left me with a rather dim view of the level of superficiality of most people. I'm going to risk unpopularity here (shock-horror) and say that I've had much better experiences generally with foreign women who seem much more understanding and more inclined to consider other qualities than just looks. Please don't flame me for this remark but it's been observed over a period of over 11 years so there may be some truth in it! My experience is that many foreign women like a guy to look beautiful but it doesn't seal the deal (charisma, compassion, intelligence???) whereas many Irish women seem to view a good looking guy as the ultimate/only status symbol. Anyway, this is all beside the point. I can only be me and my attitude is that anybody who doesn't like me can F*ck off! As "me" has lots of friends who genuinely care about me then I must be doing something right! Life is very much what you make of it...

On the plus side of acne I find that I'm able to deal with most issues in life much more calmly and rationally than many of my more smooth-skinned friends. I believe that the daily adjustment to changing looks that I spoke of has led to this development of a "thick hide" and a no-nonsense attitude to the small things in life that seem to drive many people wild. However, all things being equal, I would have preferred if I'd never had acne... Also, life IS tough and will always throw surprises (good and bad) your way whether you have a skin problem or not. You're probably better to weed out the large collection of fairweather friends and partners from the start ..
Anyway try the b5 supplements, they really work!

Is1ldur

Don't know if I can be any help. I always had a bit of a problem with my skin, mainly sebaceous cysts and some big spots on my face, particularly when under pressure, tired, etc. Eventually my GP put me on Minox 50, and I have not looked back. Originally 3 tablets a day, but now I am just on 1 a day. I have not had a spot on my face since (except when I forget to take it for a few days). Anyway, not really sure if my problem is actually acne or something different, from recollection, the GP did say touch of acne.
Just my .02c.

Zapho

Help wrote:

Go into one of those Holland & Barret vitamin shops and get a 100 tablet container of Pantothenic Acid. The tablets are 500 mg each. I took 10 a day, spread out over the course of a day, until my acne cleared and I still take 3 or 4 a day just to be sure. It works fairly fast, I started noticing a difference after a few weeks.
1 500mg taglet contains 8,000% of the RDA daily allowance of B5, so you really are taking massive doses.
I was in a very bad way and I didn't want to have to take Roaccutane and wait 6 months for an improvement, so this was like a miracle cure for me.
Anyway it's well documented if you want to read up on it......

Google:
http://www.google.ie/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=acne+vitamin+B5&meta=

Here's the science behind it:
http://www.pantothenic-acid.com/acne_vulgaris.html

I did a bit of reading into this Vit B5 treatment, and it looks really promising. The only group that claim it doesn't work are involved in selling their own products to help beat acne. Link Here But in fairness in the link in the quote above (which is just one page of several on google) the doctor has done very good research and which different groups of acne sufferers with really good results!
So Guest did you just walk into a Chemist, buy any type of Pantothenic Acid you could find or was a certain type recommended to you?

Milkman

there hasn't really been much mention of diet in the is thread, it all seems to come back to drugs, which surprises me.
Yes certain people will always be suceptible to acne, but as someone who suffered bad acne for several years I found the best thing was a serious look at my diet at the time, and lots of water. I mean lots and lots. 2/3 pints a day drank gradually through the day not all together a dinner time.

Vitamin C, like any vitamin is best taken in its natural form not a synthetic tablet.
Have a look at your diet, do you eat much chocolate/coke/ pizza's etc well reducing them and increasing your fresh fruit and veg intake will make a difference. Get a juicer, and in 5 minutes you can have a pint of natural goodness, all those fresh veg you don't like blended with fruit that you do... mmmhh ,mhhh

I'm not saying don't go to a doc or don't take medication, but surely before putting yout liver and body through some chemical bashing, try the fresh fruit/good diet/ loads of water for a few weeks and see if it makes a difference.

Best of luck with what you decide.
M.

LegacyUser

There has never been any evidence that diet plays a role in servere acne.
And drinking water doesn't really help either. It that was the case all overweight people you see would suffer from terrible acne but if you look around the ratio of fat people with acne compared to normal people is the same. (Actually, I always thought it seemed that fat people are less likely to have acne).
I also know this from experience because I avoided all crips, chocolates, junk food and drank pints of water for ages to clear my acne and it did nothing. (Was doing a lot of exercise at the tim too, so I would have been quite healthy).
Now, since I found B5, I eat whatever I want and I have no acne whatsoever.

Milkman wrote:

there hasn't really been much mention of diet in the is thread, it all seems to come back to drugs, which surprises me.
Yes certain people will always be suceptible to acne, but as someone who suffered bad acne for several years I found the best thing was a serious look at my diet at the time, and lots of water. I mean lots and lots. 2/3 pints a day drank gradually through the day not all together a dinner time.

Vitamin C, like any vitamin is best taken in its natural form not a synthetic tablet.
Have a look at your diet, do you eat much chocolate/coke/ pizza's etc well reducing them and increasing your fresh fruit and veg intake will make a difference. Get a juicer, and in 5 minutes you can have a pint of natural goodness, all those fresh veg you don't like blended with fruit that you do... mmmhh ,mhhh

I'm not saying don't go to a doc or don't take medication, but surely before putting yout liver and body through some chemical bashing, try the fresh fruit/good diet/ loads of water for a few weeks and see if it makes a difference.

Best of luck with what you decide.
M.

demosi

Good assessment. I found that not eating some foods was beneficial but it was the difference between getting chronic acne breakouts and getting acne breakouts. Diet definitely played a part in the severity of the breakout but at various stages I had a diet that was extremely healthy and it did nothing. I have to admit that several pieces of advice really pissed me off over the years....
1) don't eat chocolate, cakes, chips, pizza. Fair enough, I removed all these things from my diet and this reduced the effect and severity but not the frequency of acne. Diet is only part of the solution and most acne sufferer could live on brown rice and raw fish and still get acne breakouts.
2) wash your face regularly. I can feel my blood boil (pardon the pun) whenever I think of this advice... It's been shown in so manystudies that most acne sufferers won't benefit by washing their faces more regularly. Use BP gel by all means but frequent washing just irritates the skin even more.
These 2 points made me feel like there was something I was doing wrong and perhaps it was partially my fault. This is dreadfully unfair and most acne sufferers that I've talked to identified this kind of well-meaning but flawed advice as something they found personally devastating.
After several years I figured out that there was absolutely nothing that I could do to combat this problem without turning to some kind of drug. Roaccutane originally and then vitamin B5. Unfortunately for some of us the only resort is a chemical bashing. Also, the results of this chemical bashing are uncertain. Even relatively modest amounts of roaccutance had a bad effect on me but b5&b6 made me feel happier aswell as clearing acne. Remember that double nobel prize winner Linus Pauling consumed huge amounts of vitamin C every day for many years and lived to the ripe old age of 93 (http://www.wic.org/bio/lpauling.htm)

preytec

here feeling_bad
i had a problem like that too, i found that "deepheat" will kill any spots, don't know if it's just me but it dose the trick, do it at night coz your eyes will water. it has on the back that you shouldn't put it on broken skin this has never been a problem for me, also drink around a 1lt of water a day too, pure water not tea coz tea dosn't work the same as water, if i was you i'd try it on a small part of the problem and see if it gets better or worse, but for me i can get rid of my spots in 3 days
i've tried a few things even went to a skin doc about it, he gave me this soap, oil and cream and it did kind of work, but i got an injury in the gym and used deepheat, and i seen that my shoulder cleared up allmost over night, within a week i was spot free

fightin irish

Wow ppl here are truely kind and honest. I too was a very bad acne sufferer. Biggest thing i ever did was went to a dermo in the Mater...took a few blood samples put me on all sorts of 'try out' drugs, they worked okish until one day while waiting on my dermo to come into my curtain/bed thingy...

remember i was stripped from the waist up.....he brings in FIVE Dermo students to have a look at me (all just one or two years older than me at the time) and 3 were female, i ran like ****, omg the horror. Any way thats my little piece.

Just a quick point, you mentiones going to the states etc etc, PPL will prolly bawl me out for this, BUT a good course of sunbeds has or at least for me had a huge effect.

They tended to take the nastiness out of my acne, Any time i had a wedding, BIG social event etc, i would do a week of these and they really worked...now i know the dangers, but they were a great stop gap, and gave me the confidence that i so badly lacked with Acne.

Thankfully and i mean thankfully after 12/13 years they have finall y gone for good, funny thing though most of mt friends and fiance would always sya that they don't remember me with BAD ACNE....Jesus the condition nearly ruined me!!

I know it's not the best advice but it can be a quick fix

Milkman

yeah, I hear what you'r saying, diet can be over -exagerated, but whether we know it, most of us have some form of allergy to something that we eat that manefests itselfs in all kinds of odd ways. Tiredness, skin irritations etc etc.
I didn't really explain properly what I meant about diet, basically most all of us need/ should look at our daily diet, do we get our 6 fruit and veg, slow release carbs,fibre, low fat etc the old pyramid structure. With our modern lifestyle, and processed foods, its actually quite hard to achieve this on a regular daily basis.
I'm not talking about completly cutting 'suspect foods' out caus that 's what the books say. Persoanlly I suffer from cronic migraines and in general the Dr's say "don't eat chocolate /coffee ect" which is nonsence, except for a tiny minority of migraine sufferers. Its the easy answer for a Dr.
But eating a balanced healthy diet with as much fresh produce as you can, will only help your physical and mental health. By trying to get your B5 or vit C or whatever from natural sources rather than tablets is absolutly the best way to go.

It may not cure acne, but its a good way to start, and will make a difference to improving general health. Personally, taking powerful drugs, that appart from the benefits can be doing all kinds of damage to liver etc should always be a last resort.

I hope this hasn't come across as another person telling you what to do, but more as a , 'we should all be doing this anyway'!

Best of luck,
M.

demosi

Milkman: I wasn't attacking you or anything like it for your comments. I know there's truth in what you say but I was was reacting badly to "improve your diet" comments that I heard in the past. It's never the whole solution and I'm more worried about people developing eating disorders around foods that may cause spots which does happen

Milkman

Demosi,
its cool, I didn't feel like I was being pounced on!
Was just clarifing what I meant!



M.

elivsvonchiaing

Milkman wrote:

yeah, I hear what you'r saying, diet can be over -exagerated, but whether we know it, most of us have some form of allergy to something that we eat that manefests itselfs in all kinds of odd ways. Tiredness, skin irritations etc etc.
I didn't really explain properly what I meant about diet, basically most all of us need/ should look at our daily diet, do we get our 6 fruit and veg, slow release carbs,fibre, low fat etc the old pyramid structure. With our modern lifestyle, and processed foods, its actually quite hard to achieve this on a regular daily basis.
I'm not talking about completly cutting 'suspect foods' out caus that 's what the books say. Persoanlly I suffer from cronic migraines and in general the Dr's say "don't eat chocolate /coffee ect" which is nonsence, except for a tiny minority of migraine sufferers. Its the easy answer for a Dr.
But eating a balanced healthy diet with as much fresh produce as you can, will only help your physical and mental health. By trying to get your B5 or vit C or whatever from natural sources rather than tablets is absolutly the best way to go.

It may not cure acne, but its a good way to start, and will make a difference to improving general health. Personally, taking powerful drugs, that appart from the benefits can be doing all kinds of damage to liver etc should always be a last resort.

I hope this hasn't come across as another person telling you what to do, but more as a , 'we should all be doing this anyway'!

Best of luck,
M.

Applauds! This has to be food for thought for everyone!

LegacyUser

galwaydude wrote:

I also had the N lite treatment last xmas, cost me nearly 1000 euro when u add asll the creams as well u have to get.It worked for a while but i didnt see much difference.Im reluctant on going back to that as i cant afford that especially around xmas and also im buying a house in galway with my girlfriend.Thanx anyways for the reply.I suppose im panicking cause im going to the states(my girlfriends american and lives here in dublin) next week to spend it with my gf and her family and i want to look the part i suppose.I might get some of that BP stuff that acne.org recommend as they sell plenty of it in places like walmart.Its nice to know there are people out there that actually care.i suppose the reason why i worry sometimes about my skin is cause i was bullied over a period of 5 years in secondary school all cause of my skin so im kinda wary when i meet new people now.I know that was a long time ago and i should be over it but its little things like when your in the city center and ppl stare at out or make comments.Only happened me a few times as most are really genuine and look beyond my skin.As my gf says my skin isnt as half as bad as i make it out to be.

Hi All,

Am really enjoying reading these comments as its something I've been trying to get informed on for some time.

I was (still am) an acne suffer for most of my (now) early adult life. While the outbreaks could not have been described as chronic I did develop cysts on my face which have resulted in the skin on both cheeks being scarred. These scars are not of the raised or red variety but rather give the skin a very uneven appearence under light. Basically what I'm trying to ascertain is whether anyone knows of a skin treatment available that could restore the eveness of the skin and reverse the skin depressions which exist.

By the way I completly sympathise with everything thats been said on the site as regards the mental affects of acne. We all have our good days and bad days but my gut feeling has always been that people do treat you differntly especially in a social context and it certainly does affect the way I deal with meeting new people. Unfortunate though that might be. That said it always always seems worse to the sufferer. Scant consilation though I hear you all say!!!!

galwaydude

Hi grumble,

I was in the states for the xmas and got some medics for my skin, a good cleanser and acne lotion. Was really cheap, only 20 dollars compared too 60 euro buying a similar product here.Im going to try it and see what happens.Like you i have my good days and bad days.Mine is worst around the edges of my neck where i always seem to get one or two large cysts.The social side of thing have been the worst side affect as you think are people starring at you due to your skin.Anyways im thankfull i have such an understanding gf who saw past my skin.Best of luck in the future.On another note im not sure if there are any other treatments left out there that actually work as from past experience i have tryed most things from the lazer clinic in blackrock to the n lite treatment center in wicklow street.Cost me a fortune and put me into debt, not worth it really as the results werent great even though they promise the earth when you start your treatment.