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Acne

packrat

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 12, 2008
Messages
10,614
Soooo since all this started, I've had two 8 micron nano peels. I did an Oobagi blue peel-which isn't blue so that was a disappointment. I did a session with an IPL laser light on half my face and then just the super intense heat on the other side of my face, both designed to kill bacteria. Then I did a full face w/the super intense heat a couple weeks after that. I found a cleansing system designed for cystic acne with..I forget what it's called but an acid in it that starts with an M...murolonic or something.

None of this worked. I went back up for my last 8 micron nano peel last night to finish out the package of three I'd bought. She said b/c I was in such bad shape and I have five days off work, she would do a 20 micron and not charge me the difference. It required numbing cream. I still felt it. It hurt. I'm a pain handling fool, I'll take a tattoo for four hours like nobody's business-but 10 minutes of the peel and I was ready to tap out. I don't know HOW people get tattoos on their faces. Or necks. Seriously.

I slept about eleven seconds last night. Buuuuurn oh my lord did it burn like woah. I am red. I took pics to send to a couple coworkers so I will see if there's any that don't show my face so you can see the red b/c let's be honest, I'm pretty fricken self conscious as it is and I fully admit, I look ugly in the pictures. It's very tight right now, hard to talk, eat, smile etc.

So. I went to the Dr. today b/c I've had a horrible cough for over a month. We talked about my face. She is going to call a retired dermatologist she used to work for, and that I used to see, to ask if there's anything she can think of to run for tests or any other medical professionals to see. They took a bunch of blood to test for allergies, those results won't be in till Monday probably but she checks all the time, so if they come in beforehand, she'll call. I'm making an appt with another dermatologist to see if he has any thoughts/ideas where to go, what to try, I want to exhaust everything I possibly can before deciding if I need to do a sixth effing treatment of Accutane. I asked about a referral to an endocrinologist as well. I said I'd like to do what I can to get to the root cause of it b/c it's SO BAD. If there's no underlying cause, if they run everything they can think of and nothing is "wrong" then maybe this is just my lot in life. I don't know. But I want to be aggressive in searching for an answer and a course of action.

(and on top of that my cholesterol is thru the roof and they found a slight heart murmur--my parents and brother all have heart issues so off for an echo I go next Thursday)
 

missy

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jun 8, 2008
Messages
53,980
packrat|1448496936|3954234 said:
Soooo since all this started, I've had two 8 micron nano peels. I did an Oobagi blue peel-which isn't blue so that was a disappointment. I did a session with an IPL laser light on half my face and then just the super intense heat on the other side of my face, both designed to kill bacteria. Then I did a full face w/the super intense heat a couple weeks after that. I found a cleansing system designed for cystic acne with..I forget what it's called but an acid in it that starts with an M...murolonic or something.

None of this worked. I went back up for my last 8 micron nano peel last night to finish out the package of three I'd bought. She said b/c I was in such bad shape and I have five days off work, she would do a 20 micron and not charge me the difference. It required numbing cream. I still felt it. It hurt. I'm a pain handling fool, I'll take a tattoo for four hours like nobody's business-but 10 minutes of the peel and I was ready to tap out. I don't know HOW people get tattoos on their faces. Or necks. Seriously.

I slept about eleven seconds last night. Buuuuurn oh my lord did it burn like woah. I am red. I took pics to send to a couple coworkers so I will see if there's any that don't show my face so you can see the red b/c let's be honest, I'm pretty fricken self conscious as it is and I fully admit, I look ugly in the pictures. It's very tight right now, hard to talk, eat, smile etc.

So. I went to the Dr. today b/c I've had a horrible cough for over a month. We talked about my face. She is going to call a retired dermatologist she used to work for, and that I used to see, to ask if there's anything she can think of to run for tests or any other medical professionals to see. They took a bunch of blood to test for allergies, those results won't be in till Monday probably but she checks all the time, so if they come in beforehand, she'll call. I'm making an appt with another dermatologist to see if he has any thoughts/ideas where to go, what to try, I want to exhaust everything I possibly can before deciding if I need to do a sixth effing treatment of Accutane. I asked about a referral to an endocrinologist as well. I said I'd like to do what I can to get to the root cause of it b/c it's SO BAD. If there's no underlying cause, if they run everything they can think of and nothing is "wrong" then maybe this is just my lot in life. I don't know. But I want to be aggressive in searching for an answer and a course of action.

(and on top of that my cholesterol is thru the roof and they found a slight heart murmur--my parents and brother all have heart issues so off for an echo I go next Thursday)

Hi packrat, I am so sorry these treatments have not worked well for you and I hope you are feeling much better today. I wish I had the answer for you and though our issues are different I get it because I too have skin problems (that only started in my 40's so it was quite the mental hurdle for me always having great skin most of my life). If I was in your position I would probably go the Accutane route again and in fact if my skin starts flaring again I just might though I have less hope Accutane would help my specific issues. However for you it seems that Accutane helped you before so it just might do the trick for you again. Sending lots of clear skin and good health dust your way and (((hugs))) too.
 

Ellen

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 13, 2006
Messages
24,433
Hi packrat. I read this thread when you started it, and really felt for you (but I had no help to offer). I briefly experienced the type of acne you have, years ago when my doctor advised me to start taking Calcium and Vit D for osteoporosis. Upon starting that, my legs started cramping and my gall bladder started hurting (it's full of stones), and my face started breaking out in horrendous, puss filled nodule/cysts. I had never experienced anything like that, nor have I since, after I quickly figured out it must be the supplements and quit taking them. But I have had your "average" acne since my face started breaking out around age 12 (so decades). I finally got an antibiotic cream (prescription) several years ago, and it's helps. But my face is very rarely totally clear.

So, all that to say I "may" have found something that will help both of us. I recently was turned on to Kefir, pronounced keh fear, and just started drinking it a few days ago (and not much as you should ease your body into it). Have you heard of it? It's a wonderful probiotic. I was planning on just posting about it in here, but then thought it should have its own thread, as all people can benefit from it, not just those that would be inclined to read this thread. So I will be doing a thread later today hopefully. But in the meantime, watch this. :))

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwrdZcUIuT4
 

Ellen

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 13, 2006
Messages
24,433
I came across this gal and her acne cure, which was from drinking bone broth. I realize everyones mileage may very, but it certainly is easy enough to try (plus you may receive other health blessings). Interestingly, I just bought a cookbook recently that was mentioned in the Kefir video I posted in the Kefir thread, and it talks about the healing properties of bone broth.

Here is a quick article on broth.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/12/16/bone-broth-benefits.aspx


Be sure to scroll down, many comments and questions at end of articles.
http://cultivatedwellbeing.com/clear-skin-in-2-weeks-cure-acne/

She has a youtube channel also.

HTH
 

Yimmers

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 29, 2008
Messages
1,144
packrat|1441683072|3924828 said:
I see there are a million different kinds of micellar water. Any recommendations?

I use Bioderma. But I have ultra sensitive dry skin. There is one for oily skin, however. Purchased from Amazon.
 

livannie

Shiny_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jul 10, 2013
Messages
315
I haven't been on this site for a long time but was just looking through and saw this post and felt like I should share something that has worked for my acne troubles. I have had acne since I was 10 and I am 30 now, just had my 3rd baby 4 months ago. I have been on Accutane before and although it helped for a while, my acne eventually came back. I have always had some acne on my face pretty much at all times but right after I had my last baby 4 months ago, my acne went crazy. Huge cystlike acne on the sides of my face, chin, neck, chest and back. It was horrible. It had never been that bad my entire life. It was so depressing for me and embarrassing, I didn't want my husband to look at me at all or anyone else. I tried proactive, benzoyl peroxide, a different birth control to help with hormones, clearasil. I was considering getting back on Accutane because NOTHING worked and it was getting worse and was so painful. About one month ago I was watching a YouTube video and wanted to watch people's stories on acne. I saw this video about this girl who took baths in Epsom salt for body acne. I decided to try it. I put some Epsom salt in my hand a wet it with a couple drops of water and put it on my face where i had the cysts and left it on for a while. I am not kidding you, an hour later, they had shrunk significantly. Everyday I put some on my face and would bathe in it. It has helped so quickly and better than anything I have ever tried besides the Accutane. The cysts are gone. Now I just have red marks from the old acne. I get a couple pimples here and there but nothing like I had. I know different things work for different people but I had no idea Epsom salt would help me. All I wanted to say was that you should try it. I love it!
 

girlyglam

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Apr 13, 2015
Messages
274
It's my first time visiting this board, and I'm fairly new to PS in general, but this thread caught my eye because I've also struggled with acne for most of my life. I'm so sorry you are struggling with this. I know it's cliched, but I really do know how it feels. I remember many days spent crying over my skin. My parents wouldn't take me to a dermatologist and up until about 3 years ago, I spent most of my adult life without insurance, so it always felt like a struggle. I tried Murad, Proactiv, all sort of drugstore products, Lush soaps, indie internet brands, all sorts of Asian brands, and probably just about every over the counter product out there; I tried the milk of magnesia thing; I tried "cult" products like Queen Helene's and the Aztec clay; and I tried all sorts of natural remedies like tea tree oil, apple cider vinegar, manuka honey, jojoba oil, etc. And while I believe that many of those things really do help a lot of people, none of it helped me.

What finally did it for me was a combination of Acanya in the AM and Tazorac in the PM, and for a period of time I was also on Fluconazole. I cleanse with CeraVe foaming facial cleanser and a Clarisonic brush in the AM and PM, but in the PM, I also pre-cleanse with an oil cleanser before the CeraVe (specifically, I use Kose Softymo Deep Cleansing Oil). The only other skin care products I use are sometimes adding in a little bit of CeraVe SA Renewing Lotion when my skin is feeling particularly sensitive in the winter, and Elta MD sunscreen in the morning, after the Acanya. I have a bottle of Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair that I used to use before I started on the prescription topical, and every so often, I sometimes use a little bit of that at night as well, but it's rare that I do. I should also mention that I am on a hormonal BC, although I don't think it has an effect on my skin because I was on it before the topicals. Also, for unrelated reasons I had made an effort to increase my water intake, which may or may not have any sort of effect...but I mention it because the only other period in my life where my skin was kind of OK (not at all perfect but not as bad as it's been either) was a period in my life when I was consciously trying to increase my water intake.

Anyway, the things above have made all the difference in my skin. I still breakout here or there, but it is NOTHING like before. My skin is still super oily, even when it's flakey and sensitive in harsh winters, but I can deal with that too. I don't know what sorts topicals you've tried already (I know you said you tried a lot), but I wanted to mention it just in case. I know how frustrating acne can be because what works for one person may not work for another so you can get stuck in the loop of just trying EVERYTHING, and because of that, this may or may not be helpful information to you. But I think most of us who struggle or have struggled with acne tend to want more information than not so I wanted to chime in with the hopes that maybe, something in there might help. I am really hoping that you find your own magical solution ASAP, and I'm sending you so many positive vibes and well wishes.
 
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