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ACNE EMERGENCY

emilyoliveremilyoliver member
First Comment
in Wedding Hair, Makeup, & Beauty Forums

I am 3 weeks away from my wedding and my skin has never been worse. I've gotten 3 facials in the last few months, and am using Aveda's acne-prone system Outer Peace as recommended by the spa where I had my last facial. The pimples are really painful and quickly develop into whiteheads. I'm getting desperate because the wedding is so close and I don't want to change the routine in fear the situation will be worse or if I just stick with it, things will improve. I'm wondering what a dermatologist would even be able to do with such little time (if I could even get an appointment) and or if there is some sort of laser treatment at a med spa that would be worth trying. Please help me! 

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Re: ACNE EMERGENCY

  • future-mrsfuture-mrs member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    Some good articles that might help:

    http://www.medicinenet.com/acne/article.htm

    http://www.acne.com/
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  • fallbride1109fallbride1109 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    edited July 2010
    I would first consult with a dermatologist. 

    You might want to try a glycolic peel.  I went through a period of painful cystic acne on my chin and went to an esthetician and she treated my chin with some kind of serum that had Vitamin A in it.  It cleared it up and it never came back.  They would also need to extract the whiteheads.

    Normally I would never advise doing anything like this so close to the wedding so please carefully consider this advice.  When I got that first peel I was pretty dry for over a month on an area close to my nose that peeled.  When I did one before my wedding, I did it 2 months before.  Your best bet may be to just do nothing else at this point and hope that it improves.
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  • pooh8402pooh8402
    Combo Breaker First Comment
    another thing to try: CALM DOWN. stress makes acne worse.

    ditto stephie that seeing a dermatologist would be your best bet.
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  • Jillibeans11681Jillibeans11681 member
    First Comment
    Aveda products can often be very harsh. It's important to remember that acne is a form of skin SENSITIVITY. I would recommend consulting with a licensed esthetician in your area. A dermatologist is going to give you something that is just going to medicate your problem, but not necessarily take care of your skin. I'm a licensed esthetician in Mass., and if you're looking for more in depth info, certainly PM me. But the WORST thing you can do for an acne prone skin is use something harsh (the essential oils in Aveda products are what can often cause the problem), the skin becomes aggravated and often times you'll find more papules (the painful pimples) and pustules because your skin is giving you an "angry" response. The most important thing with acne is to think "Soothing" not "aggresive." TRUE acne is governed by hormones. More often than not, when people are experiencing breakouts it's your body responding to androgenic hormones, which cause a histamine reaction. Look for PROFESSIONAL products, NOT OTC, that are specifically for sensitve skin. Use a moisturizer with at least 10% glycolic/salicylic acid combo. Let me know if you need recommendations.
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  • thinkingpink2010thinkingpink2010 member
    First Comment
    If you are having this type of reaction with what you are using now, I would stop using it today. I would highly recommend to go see a dermatologist or even just your primary care doc ASAP and get a prescription for oral antibiotics such as tetracyline or doxycyline. These will dramatically help clear your skin and stop the bacteria causing the acne.

    At this point is it probably very risky to try a new topical medication prescription or OTC. I suspect that something you are using has seriously irritated your skin and you may want to consider giving your skin a break from any harsh topicals including harsh facial washes or scrubs. Maybe try switching to  a gentle cleanser like cetaphil or aveno and using only twice a day.

    Peels in general do help with acne, but in this case I am concerned your skin has just had "too much" and needs a break and a combination of oral antibiotics and gentle cleansers may be the way to go. Good luck!!!
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  • thinkingpink2010thinkingpink2010 member
    First Comment
    ps- antibiotics are especially good for deep cystic acne and your primary care doc should be able to help you out :) 
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  • JoyMatt424JoyMatt424
    First Comment
    YES I agree with what everyone said. 1. hands off 2. I have never had acne prone skin but then I tried Aveda and it was AWFUL. The Aveda products were SO harsh on my face. IF you have sensitive skin stop using that product. Also, go see a derm and if you can't get an appointment with a derm go see an MD. Worse come to worse -- get a RX for Benzaclin. That was a quick fix for me (but careful, it will make you red the first few times you use it). Calm down. Stress is so bad for acne so take some extra time to take lots of naps, drink tea, and cuddle up before the big day.
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  • knj92107knj92107
    First Comment
    If you are only 3 weeks away from your wedding, see a dermatologist ASAP.  Stop using the products you're using and don't go messing around with other OTC stuff now.  3 weeks is not enough time for trial and error - no matter what anyone recommends here, the fact is that everyone's skin reacts differently and what works for someone else, may not work for you - you need to make a derm appointment as soon as you can.
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  • kpwedkkkpwedkk member
    Combo Breaker First Comment
    Go see a dermotologist as soon as you can. Calm down, listen to chillout music, and drink a lot of water. (yes it'll make you go pee, but it's well worth it to remove toxins from your skin!)

    "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart." ~ Miss K ~
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  • emilyoliveremilyoliver member
    First Comment
    Thanks for all of the great advice! I saw a dermatologist today and she prescribed both an oral and topical antibiotic as well as a clearing gel and face wash. Lets hope it works! I'll also try hydrating and stress management too. :-)

    Thanks again! 
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  • acpiper5acpiper5 member
    First Comment
    I have terrible acne as well. Get to a doctor! Mine prescribed me minocylcine, and antibiotic, and retin a.  The retin a will cause dryness and slight redness until your skin adjusts. but I just switched over slowly. I used the retin a once a day every other day for a few days then bumped it up to once a day then so on.  It will work.  She also put me on obagi skin care line, its a face wash, toner and lotion.  it has helped so much!  My skit felt tight and burned the first day, but now, a week later, it feels great, and my breakouts have decreased alot! My skin is def smoother and more even looking. Rember to take time to relax and remeber that this isnt a project that you have to get finished, but its the fun planning toward you new life with yout FH! Good luck. You will be beautiful.He is marrying you, not you for your skin.  And hes the only one you need to worry about. I hopes this was helpfuls!
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