DJ should have clear skin

[everywomanshero]

How many of you guys that have acne are actually getting it treated? This is no replacement for seeing a dermatologist but I am trying to compile a list of "safe" products for people with acne-prone and sensitive skin.

Laundry Detergent:
1. Cheer Free Powder (not regular)
2. No liqued detergents, drier sheets, etc.

Toothpaste:
1. Baking Soda ToothPaste
2. Nothing with Sodium Laurylsulfate, tatar control, high fluride, mint flavoring, or cinnamon-flavoring (check label for cinnamic *)

Moisturizers:
User a cream as lotions are less effective.
1. Vanicream
2. Neutraderm (not ultra)
3. Cetaphil

Soaps:
1. Cetaphil
2. Purpose
3. Basis
4. Oilatum Unscented

Hair styling Products:
I can't find any that are approved for use by people with skin conditions. Does anyone have any information regarding this?

 

[ApocalypseCow2]

Are you seeing a dermatologist? How much do they cost? Is it worth it? Currently, I use Oxy pads and Clearasil. They work OK (definitely better than nothing), but I still would like to be clearer.

 

[everywomanshero]

Yes

Definitely, definitely go to the dermatologist. Those pads aren't going to prevent scarring and life-lasting damage to your skin. Whatever it costs (around 100$) is a lot cheaper and more effective than corrective surgery later in life.

You'll get an anti-biotic to prevent future outbreaks, an anti-biotic ointment to kill off or greatly reduce the bacteria load permanently, a Vitamin-A skin cream, and probably a big bag full of free samples.
It's a pain in the butt and you won't see any positive changes for 6 weeks but it is absolutely worth it.

 

[qweretyuiopas]

Going to a derma. didnt help me at all

 

[cashc0w]

ill post in here

I have acne, not too bad but its enough to affect my self confidence. I am pretty much clear off the regimen that you can find on acne.org. I find that most women wouldnt care if you had a zit or two, but its better to have a clean looking appearance than to have acne all over.

 

[quest]

I feel as though I'm one of the most qualified here to talk about acne.

I didn't have it as bad as those guys that you see who you just can't help but feel sorry for. My acne was/is most like what you'd see on a clearasil add.

"Its the day before the big party and I have this huge pimple."

Except, instead of getting it the day before the big party, I get a new big pimple every day. Each big pimple takes probably 2 weeks before its gone. So that means i've got 2 weeks of big pimples on my face.

At different ages, they've been in different positions.

Currently they are mainly in my hair, they hurt like hell but I'm thankful that they aren't on my face (too much, theres still a few).

I've done two courses of RoAccutane, and for mine, nothing gets near it.

Back when I was 18-20 I let acne affect me.

"I can't get girls, I have pimples" - i still got girls sometimes.

Then I ran a course of RoAccutane and had probably 6 months without a single pimple.

My girl getting ability improved.

The pimples came back, it was a slow process.

As RoAccutane stops oil being produced in your body when it begins to produce again it produces in a smaller ammount, which will gradually grow back to the bodies natural level.

So my pimples returned, a few at first... and a month later they got worse.. and worse again in another month..

So I was able to pick up with a few pimples coming...

I was still able to pick up with a few more pimples coming..

And I continued picking up while there were many pimples..

Don't let them control you, and you truely will be alright.

But you don't want scarring, and the dermatologist is the only one who can prescribe RoAccutane for you.

In Australia atleast, a GP can prescribe other medications for you.

The cost of GP $40ish, the cost of Dermotologist $100ish.

Try the GP first unless you have REALLY bad acne.

If my pimples continue back onto my face, I'll go to the dermatologist and take my third course of RoAccutane, but as I'm 22 now, and have had pimples for a long time, I really am expecting them to clear up sooner rather then later naturally.. At the moment I have 3 big pimples on my face which are all in recovery mode. A few smaller ones which I just completely ignore, And many in my hair which I also ignore.

 

[Tazman]

Has anyone here with acne ever tried supplementing with vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)? Nothing has helped me more than this stuff. I went from having moderate acne to almost nothing. I recommend for those who are curious to check out thess links.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Approaches-to-Vitamin-B5-Acne-Treatment&id=79291

http://www.naturalacneremedy.com/btf/acne-vitamins.html

There's more thorough info out there but I came across these with a quick search. Absolutely nothing has worked better for me.

 

[S-lemond]

ill make a thread on how to...just remind me..free of cost!!!

 

[cablecow15]

GO OXY PADS!!!!!

 

[Serialized3]

I'd recommend that people with bad skin watch their diets.

Avoid greasy, oily food (especially fast food) and try to eat lean meats, unsaturated fats, and lots of green veggies.

I've heard folk wisdom that pork meat causes pimples...not sure about it because I don't really eat pork...

 

[suikeisuru]

Another thing is to try to sleep on your back.

 

[Smooth Player 056]

Originally posted by Serialized3
I'd recommend that people with bad skin watch their diets.

Avoid greasy, oily food (especially fast food) and try to eat lean meats, unsaturated fats, and lots of green veggies.

I've heard folk wisdom that pork meat causes pimples...not sure about it because I don't really eat pork...

Dont be spreading old misguided info.

There is no coorelation between diet and acne, contrary to popular belief.

I had bad ance until I went on acne.org....now I am 99% clear.......and I eat the shiityiest foods ever.

 

[DinoCassanova]

A few things I'd add here from extensive personal experience since my teen years.

Firstly, according to my doctor and all the research I did on the Net when I was a bit younger, the sleeping on the back thing , and the diet thing are not truly factors. Those are more like what they call "old wives' tales" about acne. The reason greasy foods/snacks were originally associated w/acne breakouts was simply because many times people snack on stuff like that and then do not wash their hands prior to touching their face , or going to bed. Going to bed w/hair product in your hair is not that good of an idea. This is the reason alot of girls will get pimples , zits, which they can more easily conceal w/makeup and their longer hair, etc. But they get it because they come home so frequently on weekends and stuff, head full of gel and spray, and just do a basic wash-up and go to bed. That junk gets on your pillow and you wallow around in it, rubbing your face on the pillowcase all night, etc., and you will get a breakout going eventually. Wash your hair before bed when practical. Change pillowcases at least once a week. Wash the others and replace.

Secondly, the oil factor. Lots of guys get "greasy" during the day. Depending on different factors, genetics, and believe it or not ethnicity. Myself , being Italian, I had in high school REALLY bad skin as far as greasiness goes. Basically, the same as the type you see amongst alot of Latino people. Thus the old stereotypical nickname "greaseball". The good news is nowadays you can fight that a hell of a lot more effectively than I was able to in my h.s. years. Back then we only had those OXY or Clearasil or Stridex pads towipe all over our faces and de-grease them. Sure those will de-grease you, very temporarily. Problem w/those is they contain salicylic acid , and that overly dries your skin out , and thus w/in about an hour and a half or so , if that, of application, you are once again looking like a "greaseball" , and even worse this time probably. And the more you keep slapping that OXY on, the worse it gets eventually. I would save the OXY pads, and any other pad like it, for treating solo zits, and apply only to the zit and only at night before bed. For the daily grease, purchase either Biore "cleansing cloths" (the ones WITHOUT the salicylic acid ; it specifies on the boxes which is which) and/or Biore "mens' blotting papers". Both are great for a refresher before going out , or whatever, if you're not in a position to actually shower. For serious zits, try a product called Zapzyt, w/which I've had enormous success (overnight success really). NEVER mess with a zit that does not have some kind of visible "white" head on it. You will make more of a mess out of it than it's worth , and leave a scar sometimes. When you do have one that looks like it's ready to be destroyed, do so, and then put hydrogen peroxide on it. That's a disinfectant and speeds healing. For blackheads, do not squeeze your skin to try to get them out, or if you have to do so very carefully and minimally. You can badly abrade and damage the skin when you do this. The top layer breaks easier than you think. Use for this, again a Biore product (and no I'm not a Biore sales rep) , deep pore cleansing "strips". They'll be located right by the cleansing cloths at your local store. Pulls those blackheads right out for you. As far as a soap, and frequency of usage, for those of you w/oily skin I would recommend (guess which brand) , yes Biore, "shine control" oil-free facial wash. For guys w/non-oily skin , just go with some kind of good brand name facial wash (Biore, Neutrogena). Don't use hand soap or any other type of body wash on your face. For the older guys here, unless you have really really bad acne for whatever reason or are going through a breakout cycle, one good face-washing a day w/this stuff will be very effective. Washing twice a day is more for younger guys , say under 25 or so, who are more prone to the occasional hormonal irregularities, testosterone "spikes" , etc., which help produce the breakouts. You'll notice when you only wash once a day that you produce far less oil during the day. For shaving, try Edge shaving gel for sensitive skin. It actually seems to me to clear up existing pimples when I use it. To help avoid ingrowing hairs, which can also produce post-shaving breakouts, make the pores of your face open first by using a hot cloth. Yes, hot. (That also makes the stubble come off easiest). Then after the shave you use a cold cloth to close the pores up again. If you use any aftershave, alcohol-free is best; less "sticky", doesn't "burn", and plus alcohol also overdries the skin, thus leading to more of that oil production again. If you shave at night before bed, using a little lotion ( make sure it's NON-comedogenic; that is, NOT pore clogging) like Curel for instance, is good as an "aftershave". When you shave it does dry the skin out a bit more than usual, that's why lotion is good for an aftershave. But like I said, I would only use lotion on the face before bed, because some lotions leave you feeling a little too "heavy" or greasy. In general avoid touching the face, running hands over your face, etc etc, if at all possible. It's really best not to. Your hands pick up a lot of potentially pore-clogging oils and dirt particles over the course of a day. Best to just keep them off of your face if you're at all prone to breakouts. Doing things like wearing a baseball cap for a long time and then flipping it around and putting it on backward is also a bad move for the acne-prone. The inside of that cap is resting in the back of your oily (possibly product-laden) hair , and then you flip it around and put it to your forehead. You know what I'm saying? So basically just use some common sense when dealing w/things like that, in my opinion. Good luck.

One last thing, a UV lamp or sunbath , better known here as "tanning beds" , is a good thing to do maybe once a week if you can. DEFINITELY helps prevent acne breakouts when used like that. In fact, dermatologists used to give people w/severe acne UV light treatment as part of their cure. So it's known to help. Avoid "spray tanners" or any kinds of fake do it yourself tanners. Not only do they (usually) look somewhat fake , but those things clog the pores and, you guessed it, will lead to a few pimples sometimes.

 

[Tazman]

As far as diet goes, I believe it can play a significant role in breakouts. For an entire week I ate atleast one chocolate candy bar a day and my breakouts were the worst they've ever been. My mother even commented on it. I didn't know why they were getting worse all of a sudden until I realized the only thing I was doing differently was eating candy bars everyday. Once I stopped, my complexion returned to normal (I still had acne though because I hadn't found out about vitamin B5).

I did an experiment for a couple weeks where I avoided eating any sugary/fatty foods and my skin started to clear up with no new pimples. I didn't keep it up because it's very difficult to avoid these kinds of food as everyone has a different "sensitivity" to them. I'm pretty sensitive so I had to eliminate a lot of it. Then I found information about a study done on B5 and I've never looked back. Diet has a huge effect on acne because I can trigger a really nasty breakout by eating fast food and by stopping my B5 supplements.

 

[TheRelic]

What's worked fairly well for me:

A healthy bit of sun

2 showers daily, with non-comodogenic soap

Shave daily

Eat lots of vegetables, meat, eggs

No sugar

No Saturated fats

No preservatives

Minimum milk, simple carbs

Face wash twice daily, applying BP all over in morning and/or night. Give the skin a rest every few days.

It is usually fine now, so I chugg down on saturated fat crap and sugars every now and again. I just keep on top of the showers/BP application though.

Given that for the last 5 years, including now, my skin is VERY acne prone, to have it virtually clear is great. Just gotta put in that bit of extra effort.

 

[everywomanshero]

Self_Treatment

I don't think self treatment is a good idea. I doubt anyone here is a clinical researcher or is terribly likely to be able to interpret his own results in any sort of meaningful manner. Putting on tons of drying agents without a proper moisturizer and oitments to prevent scarring isn't a very good idea, IMHO.

For acne to occur, there must be an infection. Unless you get an anti-biotic ointment (and no, over the counter products won't even come close) in places like your belly button, inside your nose, and behind your ears, then you'll just get recolonized in short order.

Changes that would affect acne take place over a period of weeks. It is not like brewing coffee and any "instant" changes are likely to be coincidence.

If food places any role in acne the American Academy of Dermatology remains ignorant of it. The only real link I've seen involved low fat dairy products. This lone study will have to be replicated before any medical advisers will act on it.

You must stay on the treatment as prescribed. It doesn't work to only do it "most of the time". You have to be serious and detailed about this, especailly for the first few months.

 

[Stag]

Yes diet can help a lot.
I read in this herbal medicine book that acne is due to poor liver functioning. I.e. when your liver cannot get rid of toxins, the next best thing is to send them out of the body through the skin.
So try not to eat spicy, oily, too sour foods because they put burden on the liver.
Also the only thing that has worked for me is herbs.
Dandelion root
Licorice root
Huang Lian (chinese herb)
White peony root

You take eual parts and mix them, then make 2-3 cups of tea with 2-3 tsp. and drink that in a DAY. You will see changes in a week.
Also it tasted like ****, licorice being the sweetest herb ever and white peony being probably the bitterest.

 

[everywomanshero]

O NO

No offense, but I don't put a whole lot of faith in 'alternative' medicine. Alternative usually means based on heresay or unreplicatable, industry sponsored studies. Such studies have found all kinds of amazing links. However, they are often refuted by further research. Also, many of these studies take place in parts of Europe that do not adhere to the same quality control standards as American Universities.

Conventional medicine and the official opinion of the AAD is that there is no experimentally proven link between diet and acne. Grabbing a bunch of weeds out of the nearest vacant is not a sound way to approach medicine. Until studies confirm a herb's useful properties, I think it is wise to avoid their use as it may just be delaying you from seeking serious help that you need.

 

[Aaron B]

My skin completely cleared up when I made a committment to a healthy lifestyle. Little to no sugar, very limited fried foods, regular exercise, absolutely no sodas, and I drink plenty of water.

BTW, I never wash my face. It gets wet in the shower but I don't put any soap on it.

YMMV

 

[bob52]

diet affects my skin quite a bit, especially chocolate, i went weeks without eating any junk foods but gave in one day and had a chocolate yoghurt, chocolate biscuits, chocolate milkshake and just regular chocolate, over the next few days my skin went the worst id seen for months and it took about 2 weeks to get back to the way it was