Stressing out over Breaking out

troncancio12 · September 2010

I think I have come to my wits end on trying to find something that can really clear my face up and keep it clear. I can honestly say all through highschool when I was a teenager I never really had issues with acne unless it was that TOM, but ever since I hit 21+ its been ridiculous. I know the wedding isn’t until 2012 but I would love to find a solution now rather than freaking out more the closer the date gets.I realize everyone’s skin is different and will react to different solutions but I swear I think I have tried everything possible from home remedies like hydrogen peroxide to proactive to antibiotic pills and dermatologist prescribed gels and creams. Nothing seems to be working…. Is there anything at all that actually works for oily/highly sensitive/acne prone skin??

dizzinea · September 2010

i'd go to a dermatoligist, and I'd also consider birth controle, this could be a hormonal issue, good luck and if you need to just treat problems as they come up nutregena makes a spot treatment that is amazing

troncancio12 · September 2010

i'm actually going to a derm already, but most of the products he has me on are too harsh for my face. Unfortunately i can't go on any type of pill b/c my body reacts badly to it.

JoyMatt424 · September 2010

I'm sort of in the same place as you - I went to a cosmetic derm who prescribed me a low-grade version of differin (similar to a retin-a). Some dermatologists can see regular day-to-day breakouts as "no big deal" but my cosmetic dermatologist has a no-toleration policy. I have pretty oily yet sometimes dry skin, very sensitive, prone to breakouts, and I cannot go on the pill for health reasons. I would try switching to a soapless cleanser too, like Aveeno soapless bar. Even though it says "Moisturizing" on it, it really helps with oil, I don't know why!

Also, I would stop switching all of your stuff all the time, your face needs time to adjust to stuff and if you have sensitive skin it can't handles all of the switching of products.

amosher20 · October 2010

Definitely go to a dermatologist!

I'm in the same situation! I recently started seeing a dermatologist in order to prepare my skin for my sept 2011 wedding. Being on a long term antibiotic can be harsh to our bodies but there is a new acne pill out there, its just basically a water pill (the name slips my mind right now). Its for patients who suffer from hormanal acne, designed for woman who break out on the chin. Until then, switch to a very mild face wash and stick with it!

rach7779 · October 2010

I feel your pain, except my wedding is in a month! About a month ago I stopped drinking sodas (I was addicted to diet cokes) and I can't even tell you the difference it has made. I also talked to the girls at the MAC makeup counter and have started using their green gel cleanser and it has helped with controling the oil I normally get on my skin. I also agree with the previous posters, stick with whatever you are doing for a little bit to see if its really working before you switch to something else.

staceytaylor0704 · October 2010

I swear by Clinique.. They have tons of products for sensitive skin as well.

TheCranberry · October 2010

I totally understand what you're going through. I have tried pretty much everything over the years (including Accutane when I was in college), and my skin goes back and forth between okay and horrible. There's never really a time when I'm totally not breaking out, but my skin is good right now.

I am taking an oral antibiotic that's not as harsh as others supposedly. I can't remember the name right now. I'm using Tazorac and Clariofoam on my face at night and Benzaclin in the morning. I have also started getting monthly facials, which helps with the clogged pores. I don't know what is helping right now because I have been using these meds for a while (maybe 6 mos) and it's only been for the last month that my skin has been good. I also can't go on BC so that's not an option for me anymore. When I was on BC before my skin was still up and down.

I've pretty much accepted that I will always battle acne. It actually makes me pretty sad. I hope that I don't have breakouts on my wedding day. My plan is to continue this course of treatment, get facials once a month and get cortisone injections if necessary a few days before my wedding. Have you gotten those before? It shrinks pimples down pretty much right away. It's not as swollen within a couple of hours and within 2 days I no longer have evidence of the pimple. It's a great quick fix for flare ups.

serlace · October 2010

I understand how you feel. I did not have any acne problems in high school. However, once I hit my mid twenties - I started breaking out. I'm a Clinique girl. I have oily/sensitive skin. Clinique seems to be the only product line that doesn't break me out. My main point of advice - try something and stick to it. The main problem I ran into was that I would try something for a few weeks and then switch - try that a few weeks and then switch. I do the 3 step clinique program, plus I also do the superdefense moisturizer. Don't be scared of this with your oily skin. Just let the Clinique people know you have oily skin. Stick to it. You won't see immediate results, but with your 2012 date you have plenty of time.

as4119 · October 2010

So I don't know how seriously you want to stop your acne, but if you want something to permanently stop breakouts, you should look into Accutane.

Accutane is a pill primarily given to people with severe acne breakouts over their faces, chests, and back. But, I only had mild breakouts on my face and my dermatologist prescribed it to me. It is taken for a course of 6 months, and by the end your face is completely clear. It has some side effects, such as moderate dry skin and lips, mild aches and pains, and it decreases your liver function, so you're not really supposed to drink while you're using it. Also, it can cause severe birth defects in fetuses, so you have to be using to different types of birth control while you're on it. It requires monthly visits to the dermatologist for blood tests and pregnancy tests, just to make sure you're not reacting adversely to it.

All that being said though, I LOVED it. I've been off it for some time now, and have gotten one pimple since. It's the only drug that's proven to eliminate acne for the long term, so I'd heavily recommend looking into it!

thorne2010 · October 2010

Hi, I'm not one to post, but I had to chime in.

I had deep, rather horrid acne. Most recently on my cheeks and side of my face, but in the last 15 years, it's been EVERYWHERE. I had scarring, redness, SUPER dry skin, etc. Can't leave the house without makeup.

7 months before my wedding, I started going to a medical spa. I ended up dropping around 2500-3000 total...but for me it has been worth it. I got IPL laser and an acne-treating laser, in addition to chemical peels. In addition, they put me on a retinol product, tretinoin (sp?) to help tame breakouts. After 6 months, while I still wear makeup to look nice, I don't feel strange about leaving the house without it. My skin looks pretty much normal, and I only get one or two big zits during that time of month and they die down really fast.

This was expensive, but FULLY worth it to me. I only wish I had started earlier...I would have been much happier with myself overall.

Things they also told me to do were to STOP using scrubbing acne products--I was just making my skin both drier AND more prone to breakout. I rinse my face in the shower in the morning and immediately upon exiting, while it is still wet, put thick cream cetophil lotion on it and let it soak it. Sounds counterintuitive for oily skin, right? Well, it basically tricks your face into thinking it is already oily. When you scrub it, you remove the natural oil so your face goes into overproduction trying to replace it. This way, you are moisturized and not oil-producing. At night, I was my face with olay regenerist facewash, dry it thouroughly and use the retinol product on it, which inhibits acne and promotes cell turnover (makes yer face peel). If my face gets too dry, I dab hyrdocortisone cream on it. All per my derm's directions.

sister2groom · October 2010

I vote for going to the dermatologist and explaining you want clear skin for your wedding. I'm probably overly into doctors, but I much prefer a licensed physician to someone trying to sell products, and you can insurance to cover part of prescriptions.

Linz10882 · October 2010

I hear ya!! My wedding is less than a month away and I have a nice, big, red pimple on my chin right now. Lovely. Just when I thought everything was nice and clear....BAM! Super frustrating. I see a dermatologist and am on birth control, Differin & Benzaclin, and still have problems here and there. If anything comes up right before the wedding, I plan on doing a cortisone injection from the dermatologist. Best of luck to you....acne sucks!!!

marissa_claire · October 2010

Has he put you on a pill in addition to topical creams? I have had it bad for a while but finally broke down and went to the dermatologist and explained that the only thing that's ever worked is a medication in pill form that is intended to keep bacteria off your skin. I've tried minocycline, ampicillin, doxycycline. If you haven't tried those, I would highly recommend.

leanne_richelle · October 2010

I, too, tried many other meds, creams antibiotics, without much luck. For me, the only thing that REALLY worked was ACCUTANE. It is a pain in the a** to get, but in my opinion it was well worth it. My face has cleared up 100%, and I can rest assured that it will stay that way for my wedding You should consider it, it really is the most effective medicine out there for this problem.

Stressing out over Breaking out

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