acne

LegacyUser

Hey,

I am a regular poster on boards and i didnt ant to post this under my own username so here goes.
I have moderate acne for the past few years. I am 19 and it really gets me down.
I visit the doctor regularly and each tme i ttry something new. Ive tried every cream and pills there is but at the moment the problem seems to be getting worse rather then better.
I often miss college and work because i am so self conscience about it and find myself not planning much for the future as i am in fear i will have a break out.
I used try and be optimistic about it but now i am getting more and more depressed and it is really effecting my social life and my studies.

The only thing i can think of that i havnt tried is roaccutane and laser treatment. Which one should i try next? I want to bring the problem to an end before i get any more scars.

All help much appreciated.

P.S Im a 19 year old girl

ClareBear

Have you tried Dianette? Sorry to hear it's affecting your life so badly.

OY

Hey,

Roaccutane worked for me real well! I have always had bad skin and i was nervous about trying this becasue of all the press about it.
My doctor told me that he has had almost 100% success with it but that i should be aware of what people are saying about it and do some research online. Just google it and take a look, there is a lot of information out there.
But it did work for me. The main side affect that i had was that my lips got really dry and started peeling a lot... not nice but worth it for me to have clear skin after a few months.

I had a great experience with it and i had bad acne but i know that not everyone had the same and there are even some out there trying to have the drug banned.
Just thought i would share my experience with it! Good luck!

Headshot

what im going to tell you is quite weird but it works so good and its cheap

right here i go

pour water in the kettle and while its getting hot put salt in a cup then when the kettle is done boiling the water, put the water in to the salt. get a spoon and stir the salt and the hot water in the cup then put your fingers in the cup get some salt on your fingers and put the salt up to your face cover all your areas of acne wait 5 mins then wash the salt mask off and boy those it work

mate just try it once its amazing i had bad acne too

im totally serious to about this

LegacyUser

I know exactly what you mean about missing college and the effects of acne on you're social life. Google for info on Vitamin B5 and check out this thread.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=208294&highlight=acne

pigeonbutler

Ouch!!!!!

If someone else is brave enough to try and corroborate this tactic let me know.

ClareBear

I've never once heard of that in my life!

vibrant

I can't imagine how rubbing salt into a pimple could possibly make it better.

Try boiling the kettle of water, pouring it into a large bowl or sink and make a mini-sauna for yourself by putting your face into the steam for as long as you can, and covering the bowl and your head with a towel. I do this regularly (I'm actually off to do it in a few minutes) and it really helps clear out your pores.

OY

I don't know though. I have heard of this salt thing once before. Some guy telling me how he had really bad acne until he took a job at a beach walking the donkey up and down. He said he was walking behind it all the time and it was kicking up the sand into his face and that each day he would have a sand mask that he would wash off.

A month of this and no more acne. Was it the salt?

Headshot

i know its weird just try it i swear by it

Headshot

{(-_-)}HeadShoT** wrote:

what im going to tell you is quite weird but it works so good and its cheap

right here i go

pour water in the kettle and while its getting hot put salt in a cup then when the kettle is done boiling the water, put the water in to the salt. get a spoon and stir the salt and the hot water in the cup then put your fingers in the cup get some salt on your fingers and put the salt up to your face cover all your areas of acne wait 5 mins then wash the salt mask off and boy those it work

mate just try it once its amazing i had bad acne too

im totally serious to about this

i forgot
before you put the salt on your face dip your head in hot water not boiling hot just ok hot

Headshot

nevernev wrote:

I don't know though. I have heard of this salt thing once before. Some guy telling me how he had really bad acne until he took a job at a beach walking the donkey up and down. He said he was walking behind it all the time and it was kicking up the sand into his face and that each day he would have a sand mask that he would wash off.

A month of this and no more acne. Was it the salt?

isnt there salt in sand

ClareBear

That must sting like hell.

Headshot

ClareBear wrote:

That must sting like hell.

no not that bad you wait 1min for the hot water to cool in the cup

ClareBear

I thought the salt would sting like crazy. Especially if you have bad acne.

OY

I am still a little hesitant headshot!

I am not saying that it did not work for you but it may not work for everybody. My skin reacted real bad to all kinds of changes. Temperature, moisture levels, etc. and i would have been wary about putting salt there.

Besides note that my source in the last post was "Some guy"! I have heard this before but not sure if i would have tried it!

How bad was your skin when you did this? Was it acne full blown or was it some pimples or what??

OY

ClareBear wrote:

I thought the salt would sting like crazy. Especially if you have bad acne.

My thoughts exactly!

Headshot

nevernev wrote:

My thoughts exactly!

i was bad enough now

when the salt is put on first its red thats normal goes way in seconds

go on try it

i swear by it

vibrant

Just to clarify: your tip is to dip your face in scalding hot water *then* rub a paste (made with hot water and salt) into the skin. :eek: :eek: :eek:

As an aside: how much did you get for the bridge you sold in Brooklyn? Sheesh....

A$$A$$IN

Benzol Peroxide 5/10% is pretty good for acne worth a shot

Stark

Yeah I use Benzol Peroxide (found in Quinoderm Cream and Panoxyl Cream) and it's the business.

Also, try to avoid imflammatory stuff in your diet. Eg: chocolate and coke will give you spots go leor.

Headshot

vibrant wrote:

Just to clarify: your tip is to dip your face in scalding hot water *then* rub a paste (made with hot water and salt) into the skin. :eek: :eek: :eek:

As an aside: how much did you get for the bridge you sold in Brooklyn? Sheesh....

no no you dont dip your face scalding hot water

:rolleyes:
you should never judge somthing if you never tried it

andrew163

Stark wrote:

Yeah I use Benzol Peroxide (found in Quinoderm Cream and Panoxyl Cream) and it's the business.

Also, try to avoid imflammatory stuff in your diet. Eg: chocolate and coke will give you spots go leor.

Avoid Panoxyl gel like the plague. Its thick, painful and feels like you've got a layer of burning butter on your skin......(and only kills about 30% of the ******s). Haven't tried the cream though..

Oxy BP cream was much better... (killed about 60% to 70% of them...which i was happy with) havent tried quinoderm...on antibiotics atm so not gonna do either. (they do virtually nothing, but had to change on doctor's orders because of big huge (2cm across)...er..dont even know the word for it... Superzit..that needed surgery to get rid of...although he said it wasnt the BP that caused it, so don't see the reason for changing...)

Benzol Peroxide 5/10% is pretty good for acne worth a shot

I used 5%. 10% would be overkill unless it's the thick skin on your back... which isn't a good idea as the stuff bleaches clothes... Since using it i've been reading places... 2.5% is (apparently) just as potent as 5% for facial skin, but less irritating...

Original poster - Sorry to hear....know how it feels

Nasty_Girl

nevernev wrote:

I don't know though. I have heard of this salt thing once before. Some guy telling me how he had really bad acne until he took a job at a beach walking the donkey up and down. He said he was walking behind it all the time and it was kicking up the sand into his face and that each day he would have a sand mask that he would wash off.

A month of this and no more acne. Was it the salt?

when I lived at the beach and went swimmin every night in the sea my skin cleared up!

uum

Lads i had terrible acne for yrs and it left my bad in sh!te. I still have terrible scarring.
I tried everything literally bar the salt thingy yere on about. I doubt if that'll work tbh.
the reason the guy on the beach's acne cleared up is cas of all the sun. its a fact that sunlight improves acne a nice bit. It wont completey clear severe acne though.

The thing that cured me was roaccutane. after about a year and E1000 it was all gone. i still get some spots but mainly if i dont shave regularly. It f*cked me up though. i got seriuosly depressed and for about 3 months my acne was terrible. Whether i was depressed over the acne or the roacc is debatable. My muscles and tendons on my legs went to water and i picked up some bad injuries. again i dont know if the roacc caused this.

If you want my opinion then if your acne is bad then go to a derm abd get it ssorted. I would only recommend it if you are bad though. Pm me for an excellent derm in dublin

Bottle_of_Smoke

Roaccutane worked great for me, v.little if any depression.

If your doctor offers i think you should refuse minocin at all costs, all it does is make your skin good for a while then the acne comes back worse.

Eating healthily\steaming your face etc i really think is too much hassle, don't trust beauty therapists either they're just trying to get commission on products.

D

As for the salt technique it works just like any other exfoliater. Warm water to open the pores and the salt exfoliates and soaksup excess oil.

omnicorp

have you noticed that mediterranean people tend to have less acne?
It's because fo the nutrients provided by the sun.
I suggest getting out into the sun a bit more. Thisi might help.

Headshot

D wrote:

As for the salt technique it works just like any other exfoliater. Warm water to open the pores and the salt exfoliates and soaksup excess oil.

thank you

put that in your pipe vibrant and smoke it

Jonny Arson

bump wrote:

Hey,

I am a regular poster on boards and i didnt ant to post this under my own username so here goes.
I have moderate acne for the past few years. I am 19 and it really gets me down.
I visit the doctor regularly and each tme i ttry something new. Ive tried every cream and pills there is but at the moment the problem seems to be getting worse rather then better.
I often miss college and work because i am so self conscience about it and find myself not planning much for the future as i am in fear i will have a break out.
I used try and be optimistic about it but now i am getting more and more depressed and it is really effecting my social life and my studies.

The only thing i can think of that i havnt tried is roaccutane and laser treatment. Which one should i try next? I want to bring the problem to an end before i get any more scars.

All help much appreciated.

P.S Im a 19 year old girl

Hi, have you ever tried these tablets called Minocin?

I use to have acne and it was quite moderate. My doctor prescribed me Minocin and when I started taking these tablets when I was 16 I found a huge improvement in my skin. It took about 4-5 months after starting taking them for the effects to kick in and since the effects kicked in my skin has been almost perfect since despite the odd occasional spot that comes up now and again.

Another question is do you have any older brothers or sisters? I'm asking this because if they had acne you will more than likely have same type of patterns in terms of when the acne will stop.

Another reason why your skin may not be so good is because you seem to be deeply unhappy about it. If you are feeling really down this can actually make your skin worse. I know it would get most people down having bad acne (it got me down at times) and this is easier said than done but I encourage you to do your best to try to keep your chin up. Go to work, go to college, live your life normally and have a good time. Part of the reason you are afraid of being seen with spots is other people's reactions. I can assure you that so many of the people you encounter every day have had acne, know what it is like to have it and they don't even notice it most of the time. If your worried about looking good infront of the blokes don't worry. I know a few girls around your age who also have acne and honestly I find them pretty fine.

Keep the chin up and I know for a fact those evil spots WILL go away.

Headshot

another reason is are you eating alot of sweets and if you are its bad for acne and do not drink fizzy drink like coke its very bad for acne

sailorboy

i was riddled with it as a youth
but i found that brewers yeast did the trick.terrible thing growing up.i remember not wanting to go outside the door somtimes.that bad..

.on the lighter side see below.

LegacyUser

Thanks for the advice all.

Some people mentioned minocin.. That was one of the first things i tried and it didnt work for me.

Somebody mentioned dianette too, I am reluctant to go on this as ive been researching online about it and it seems that its effects are often not seen for upto 10months. I couldnt keep going the way i am for another 10months without the situation improving.

As for Panoxyl & the likes.. Didnt work for me either. It was fine when i used get the odd pimple here and there it would dry them out. But things are worse now. The stuff is quite drying and stingy on the skin also.

Ok.. vitamin B5.Ive been taking this for about the last 5 weeks and the situation has disimproved if anything. Is the acne supposed to get worse before it gets better?

I've been back to the doc and he's arranging an appointment with a skin specialist as he cannot prescibe me roaccutane himself. Basically the doc said he has prescibed me everything he possibly can and the only thing left is roaccutane.

Somebody also mentioned my family members and wondered if they had acne. My brother did/has acne but it doesnt bother him at all. But this isnt very significant as we are not blood related. (adopted)

Stayed at home for most of my easter break from college as i felt i couldnt face anyone.. which meant not wearing make up most days but that still hasnt seemed to help. I got fired from my job for ringing in sick so much, but i couldnt explain the real reason why i couldnt come into work as i find it some what embarressing.

Has anyone tried laser treatment?

Thank you all.

pixie_student

Hope you get it sorted soon.

Bri

I took Roacutaine (sp?) as a teenager, having held out in a similar style to your own. It's a rough ol' drug but did the trick. Main effect was huge amounts of dryness on face/scalp/generally. But I'd have to say you shouldn't go near it unless:

a) You've decided you've given most other options a reasonable check. By your age I'm guessing you have.
b) Your prepared for the side effects. I stocked up on recommended heavy-duty moisturising cream and stuff and had no problem walking about with a little dryness showing. Big one for you might the be potential depression. A professional put it concisely: If your not already prone to bad depression, then a small amount should be handled ok, especially if your aware of it. But if you feel your already vunerable to it (you sound it tbh) then think long and hard. You'd want to let more than just your family in on the fact your taking it and have them looking out for you. I don't think the depression thing should be taken lightly as I noticed its effects. On a side note, when you stop taking the drug you may have persistant effects for some time after. I still suffer from small dryness in patchs (on my head) a number of years later. IMO it's worth it!
c) You've at least google'd for a reasonable amount of time and read people's comments. You'll come across some stories like people losing friends and blaming the drug. Others rave about it. It's your decision. Ultimatley remember it may not clear up all you want.

I'm no doctor but laser surgery would strike me as a better option for post-acne clearing up...I thought I'd get it too but decided I was happy enough with what roacutaine did.

Helpful products I used with roacutaine (mostly recommended):
Ceralip for healing your lips, just just protecting them.
Roc products for washing face
Emulave moisturising cream

Still use all 3!

It should be a major boost in confidence but you should deliberatley help things along by being proactive in dealing with your embrassment. I don't have many ideas except gritting your teeth and taking things slowly.

All the best.

The Fitz

roaccutane

Headshot

bump.... wrote:

Thanks for the advice all.

Some people mentioned minocin.. That was one of the first things i tried and it didnt work for me.

Somebody mentioned dianette too, I am reluctant to go on this as ive been researching online about it and it seems that its effects are often not seen for upto 10months. I couldnt keep going the way i am for another 10months without the situation improving.

As for Panoxyl & the likes.. Didnt work for me either. It was fine when i used get the odd pimple here and there it would dry them out. But things are worse now. The stuff is quite drying and stingy on the skin also.

Ok.. vitamin B5.Ive been taking this for about the last 5 weeks and the situation has disimproved if anything. Is the acne supposed to get worse before it gets better?

I've been back to the doc and he's arranging an appointment with a skin specialist as he cannot prescibe me roaccutane himself. Basically the doc said he has prescibed me everything he possibly can and the only thing left is roaccutane.

Somebody also mentioned my family members and wondered if they had acne. My brother did/has acne but it doesnt bother him at all. But this isnt very significant as we are not blood related. (adopted)

Stayed at home for most of my easter break from college as i felt i couldnt face anyone.. which meant not wearing make up most days but that still hasnt seemed to help. I got fired from my job for ringing in sick so much, but i couldnt explain the real reason why i couldnt come into work as i find it some what embarressing.

Has anyone tried laser treatment?

Thank you all.

did you even try my way

for **** sake just try it ,you only live once

sionnach

{(-_-)}HeadShoT** wrote:

did you even try my way

for **** sake just try it ,you only live once

panoxyl works roughly the same way, just a hell of a lot stronger. If that didnt work for her as she said it didn't then there's not much point in trying your way. Roaccutane seems to be the only path left for her

I was the same way, started off on minocin(didn't work) topical lotion, (didn't work), panoxyl 5 & 10(didn't work) then i was moved on to roaccutane for a few months and it disappeared. I have had near perfect skin ever since. Only side effect i had on roaccutane was dry lips. My brother's hair went curly when he used it

I say give roaccutane a try but if you start feeling truly depressed, stop right away.

jimi_t

Roaccutane and copious amounts of it! I was on 80mg a day for months and it finally shifted it. I had tried all possible creams, lotions and pills (Stymicin, Clynimicin, Vibramycin, Vitiman B5, Vitamin A, Quinoderm etc...) up to then, and roaccutane was a reluctant option to take. Side effects were hugely irregular sleep patterns, *unbeliveable* dry lips (painful as hell - don't lick them, it only drys them out :mad: ) and a lot of cramps and growing pains. All said though, it was worth it.
Off it 8 months and all is reasonably well atm - the Dermalogica products (esp. the Dermal Clay Cleanser) are fantastic for up-keep and not too expensive but *not* too be used during the course. My advice would be to go for Coal-Tar soap (orange packet) and warm water two or three times a day while on roaccutane. Anything more severe will cause your skin to dry up, which will produce more oil, which will produce more spots, which will make you wash it more, which will produce more oil, which will... Vicious circle

See a doctor and get roaccutane NOW. Contrary to popular belief, a doctor can prescribe roaccutane without refferal to a dermatologist or blood test etc.. so save yourself some money and heckle him into it. Also, the longer you wait the more scarring you'll get - you'll regret it later.

sionnach

jimi_t wrote:

Contrary to popular belief, a doctor can prescribe roaccutane without refferal to a dermatologist or blood test etc.. so save yourself some money and heckle him into it.

don't give out "advice" which could lead to serious illness please.

Roaccutane can adversely affect the liver, you have to get a blood test before going on roaccutane and have blood tests at regular intervals while on it to make sure your liver functioning is not being affected, as any good doctor should know.

Ignore jimi and see a dermatologist about it.

aodh_rua

I'm 25 and I've been on roaccutane twice most recently 18 months ago. It did clear up the acne on my back, but I still get mild acne on my neck. The side-effects are well publicised but the only noticeable problem I found was the dryness. It also took a few months for my liver to return to normal. I would say that in my experience nothing has worked 100%, so I just ignore it. That said I'm lucky that I don't have any facial scarring and most of the time my face proper is fine.

I'm a guy, so I can't offer a woman's perspective, but my gp says it's just a hormonal thing and while keeping the affected areas clean and what-not will help, nothing (diet and so on) can really stop the blighters appearing.

Bri

Sorry yeah I forgot about the strong back-pain I used to get at the end of the night when lying down; as if you'd been carrying a huge bag all day.

Do not try and skip the consultant.

Jonny Arson

bump.... wrote:

Stayed at home for most of my easter break from college as i felt i couldnt face anyone.. which meant not wearing make up most days but that still hasnt seemed to help. I got fired from my job for ringing in sick so much, but i couldnt explain the real reason why i couldnt come into work as i find it some what embarressing.

I know its easier said than done but please for your own sake try not to be embarrased about your acne. I can assure you that most people don't even notice it. I myself have had a bit of a breakout on my forehead and yes it looks sh*t but unlike a few years ago I would have got stressed out about it I've gone out and faced people. Please don't let the spots ruin your life. Go out and have your head held high and keep trying this. You will gain more confidence in yourself by trying this.