How to defeat the acne monster

~xMorbid-Heartx Jul 29, 2012

Okay so I'm nearly twenty and I've had awful acne ever since middle school. I've tried prescription medications, special face washes, scrubs, etc. and nothing seems to do the trick. Please give me some advice on what to do about this aggravating issue.

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*Fleur-dRae Aug 1, 2012 Student Interface Designer

I'm 20 myself and have struggled with acne since middle school as well. I've tried all manner of Clean & Clear products, Neutrogena, Proactiv, and prescription medication. The first and second would work for a while but it seemed like my body would just get used to it and the acne would come right back. Proactiv worked great but it eventually dried out my skin to the point it itched beyond belief, even with the moisturizer. But I ran into something else about a year or so ago called Noxzema Deep Cleansing Cream Plus Moisturizer and it's worked wonders when I'm consistent with it every night. I just spread it on my face - dry not wet, let it set for maybe 10 15 minutes and then rise it off. I haven't felt any type of after or side effects with it and I can already tell a difference in my skin by the next morning. I have yet to see it not being as effective as it first was. If you haven't tried that I'd say it's worth a shot

~xMorbid-Heartx Aug 11, 2012

I kow it's been forever since you've made this post but thank you! I'm using the product now and so far it's working like a charm. My skin feels and looks so much better!

*Fleur-dRae Aug 11, 2012 Student Interface Designer

Great! I'm glad it's working for you too

*daisyshock Aug 1, 2012 Hobbyist General Artist

For me worked an emulsion creme that dries the spots and makes the skin peel off after a few days. It has iron dioxide etc. But I went to a chemical peel on my face after I got them no more.. to get rid of the scars.
I read somewhere acne is a sign of malnutrition or not getting the vitamins you need and also low body fat; you know thinness..

It is a self-help product made in Switzerland and is called Wicne

~plantashes Aug 1, 2012

i had very bad acne in middle school, and though it cleared up significantly in high school, i still have scarring and hyperpigmentation. you should take my advice with a grain of salt, since my acne was never extremely severe--if your acne is cystic, then my words won't really matter. my pimples were small but numerous, and not cystic in the least.

i'm not going to bore you with the whole 'drink more water' or 'eat healthily' or 'change your pillowcase often' thing, but those habits did help. i use prescription acne meds, namely an antibiotic cream and a retinoid. i'm using a lot less of each now, so things are looking up. but what i learned i was doing wrong was that i was using too many products. the products you use might be much too harsh for your skin, and if you're using benzoyl peroxide in 10% dilution, that is way too much. seriously, reevaluate your face routine, and opt for a very gentle cleanser like the cetaphil cleanser. something that is very basic and very very gentle. have some treatment cream/gel for morning and night (separate) and use a noncomedogenic moisturizer. do not use scrubs more than once a week. i'm serious here.

the last thing i can say is that bio-oil really helped. at $12 for 60mL, it may seem expensive, but i've used mine for the past eight months twice a day without fail and it isn't even halfway done. bio-oil really helps with scarring, and removes the dead skin and blackheads and cebum without the harshness of an exfoliator.

~Dhr-Bosch Jul 31, 2012

i've been told that tea-tree oil works wonders, but to be honest i've never really had such terrible acne that i've been motivated to try out for myself.

~Fzang Jul 31, 2012 Hobbyist

I've tried tons of things too, and ended up on accutane. It really sucked and only made it worse for me (although it seems to help most people, it's a very powerful hit/miss that requires a special prescription).

Then, after ditching the dermatologist (because he was an idiot) I went to another place where they suggested daily strong doses of tetracycline (antibiotic). So I've been taking tetracycline every day for about 5 months. The side-effects are almost non-existent, and you can eat, drink and do whatever you want while being on it. It really cleared up my acne, and now I only get a few spots sometimes, rather than the massive outbreaks I used to have. I would definitely recommend talking to a doctor/dermatologist about this option.

~usernamedesired Jul 30, 2012

The solution depends on what is causing the acne so this may not be super helpful for you, but here is what I did. My skin used to be terrible and I needed prescription shit, but now I have stopped using the prescriptions and my skin is adequate.

The main problem for me is that I'm a greasy hormonal fuck. Using face washes that contain benzoyl peroxide has REALLY helped, because it dries out your skin a ton. I wash my face with some generic version of this [link] twice a day (once in the morning and once before I go to bed). Between those two, I wash my face a couple times a day with warm water to get all the grossness that accumulates on my face off. I don't use the face wash every time because that will dry the skin out too much, which would do more harm than good.

Going on birth control appears to have helped cut down on the amount I get as well, but I don't know if all birth controls do that.

Lately I have also been using tea tree oil twice a day, after I use my face wash. Basically, I take a very small amount on a Q-tip and apply it to each individual spot. Tea tree oil dries out the spots more (which is necessary for me), and it also kills the bacteria inside each spot or something awesome like that. It seems to be working very well, I haven't been using it long and my face already looks better.

Also, I know everybody says this and it gets old, but avoid touching your face or picking at the acne. It really does make the acne worse. Avoiding greasy food is a good idea too. Seeing a different dermatologist and getting a second opinion also wouldn't hurt if nothing is helping.

Um, yeah. Hopefully that was vaguely helpful. GODSPEED. Acne is a total pain in the ass.

~runawayscar Jul 30, 2012 Student General Artist

ive had acne for since i was about 12 (16 now) and at first the dermatologist just gave me fairly standard pills. Then when they weren't working she put me on roaccatane (probalby spelt it wrong) which is supposed to clear everything up so if you havn't tried that yet ask to have it. There is a long list of horrible side effects but i didnt get any. It definetely made the acne a lot better but i still get spots and theres still some scars.
I'd recommend changing the products you wash your face with quite often. Like whenever you finish one bottle try a different brand cos sometimes your skin can become used to the product and it doesnt work as well. I was using the same clearasil products for ages cos they worked really great when i first used them but after a year of just using them, they weren't helping at all. I'm using Lush at the moment and i'd definetely recommend them. They're made from fresh natural ingedients (i sound like a sales pitch...) and they do leave your skin clean and soft.

~xMorbid-Heartx Jul 30, 2012

Can Lush be found in regular stores? And I think I might have tried the product you mentioned earlier, most of the topical creams I tried from the doctor gave m really bad dark spots :/

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