My skin looks like the surface of the moon ...

vacherin

No, not luminous and glowing, but rough and full of craters and bumps. I'm 6 weeks into a booze ban, and one very nasty side effect is terrible acne of the type that I haven't had since I was a teenager! I understand that this could be part of the cleansing process, but I expected it to last a week or two at the most - certainly not 6! And the acne seems to be getting progressively worse, not better.

I'm doing what I believe to be all the right things with my diet, and I've been drinking nothing but tea (mainly green - never with milk), juice and water. I've been exercising regularly, and I always clean every scrap of make-up off every night (not that I wear make-up every day - and when I do, it's an organic brand). Yet I'm so spotty that I make dalmatians jealous. And it's not just the physical appearance that worries me - some of my spots hurt like hell. They are huge, stubborn, painful and just won't go away.

If anyone can offer any advice, I would be very grateful indeed!

xxx

yesthistime

Do you typically have oily or dry skin?

kaylammurphy

Vitamin B! Also consider going to a dermatologist, explain the situation, and see if there is a "best choice" of a cleanser, topicals, maybe even an antibiotic like minocyclene. A good doc will try to keep you off of antibiotics, but they will also try to help you pick the best products (RX or OTC) for you and your skin.

marquesajen

You might want to try doing a gentle face scrub with just some warm water and baking soda. It's a lot more gentle than doing a sugar scrub and will help stimulate new cell growth and should help clear your face up. Also, try dabbing with tea tree oil, but test a little bit first, some people are allergic. Don't use a harsh soap and don't over wash, because then you'll have stripped all the oils from it which will cause your skin to create an excessive amount of oil. You may know all this, but I hope it helps

Lesa_Sass

This very well could be a side effect of the stress brought on by post acute withdraw syndrome.

You may want to consult a doctor if this persists.

AnninStPaul

This very well could be a side effect of the stress brought on by post acute withdraw syndrome.

You may want to consult a doctor if this persists.

what she said - but congratulations on improving your diet! it will pay off!

FoodAllergyQueen

I had the same problem when I started eating healthier...more veggies etc. My face started breaking out but I just kept up with my Neutrogena Acne Kit and it has since improved. Still have the occasional breakout but make sure you drink TONS of water. That seemed to be the trick for me (knock on wood)

ashleynicol3

My skin is not too bad, but I was starting to get all these bumps on my forehead and temples. My grandfather said - You need Proactiv! LOL and he bought me some. I just started using it this past week and I can truly say that it has almost completely cleared it up - so I would recommend that. I don't know of any natural ways to clear it up, or I would have tried it myself!

vacherin

Hmmm. I did stop dead rather than gradually cutting down, although it's too late to do anything about that now!

My skin is usually combination - oily in some areas with drier patches. Strangely, the worst spots are actually in the least oily area (the left side of my neck). I can't even begin to describe how much they hurt! Is there something I'm doing wrong? Does 6 weeks seem like a long time to have progressively-worsening skin - should I have started looking and feeling better by now?

Picola1984

Proactive seems a popular choice on here

I would suggest a good morning/night routine. Using a lotion instead of thick moisturizer (I use Clinique).

Also go to the doctors, I have my 3rd appointment booked to request antibiotics after trying various creams (which just make my skin sore, thin and red)

gazerofthestars

Acne has always been a massive problem for me. When I started MFP I gave up drinking all soda and had several breakouts but over time, with more exercising they've gotten not so frequent but I still have large pores all over my face. I try to eat more clean foods. Raw veggies and fruits are best.

Try using this facial mask: combine 1 tsp honey + 1 tsp lemon juice. Apply it on your entire face and wash it off (preferably using lemon water - use a soft soap if you may) within 15 minutes. Do this every day, you'll see the effects within a couple of weeks.

questhaven

I have had this problem and it's the worst!! Make sure you wash your face twice a day, try not to touch your face with your fingers unless you are washing it, and try taking some extra Vitamin A capsules (I take two a day when my skin is bad, in addition to my daily vitamin). Also, you should seriously up your water intake to flush out your system - drink as much as you possibly can. You might also want to try an exfoliating scrub (I use Ayur-medic Anti-Bacterial Wash with Exfoliating Beads twice a day - my skin is very oily) and possibly an Vitamin A, C and E serum (I use iS Clinical Pro-Heal Serum, twice a day) which will help heal the breakouts you've got and keep anything new to a minimum. Good luck!

yesthistime

I use an apricot scrub (the Target Up & Up brand is around $2 and works great) daily. I also use 50% alcohol or witch hazel with cotton balls to make sure my pores are clean before going to bed.

pinuplove

Hmmm. I did stop dead rather than gradually cutting down, although it's too late to do anything about that now!

My skin is usually combination - oily in some areas with drier patches. Strangely, the worst spots are actually in the least oily area (the left side of my neck). I can't even begin to describe how much they hurt! Is there something I'm doing wrong? Does 6 weeks seem like a long time to have progressively-worsening skin - should I have started looking and feeling better by now?

Cystic (deep, red, very inflamed) acne around the chin and neck is often related to hormonal imbalance. Just something else to consider. My skin went CRAZY after the birth of my first baby. My doctor gave me a topical antibiotic for it, and it gradually got better as my hormones settled down.

vacherin

Thanks so much for the responses! Proactive seems to be a popular choice but I've not heard of it before - is it a US thing?

I was hoping to try a herbal product which has worked well for me in the past, but they have taken it off the shelves due to the stupid new licensing laws for herbal medicines - BOO!

Caitlin_M

Hello, when you do change your diet or lifestyle dramatically, you are going to have a purging period but this should last about a month or so. I would suggest you see your doctor and see what they say too.

Are you currently using anything for the acne? Go gently on your skin, don't over wash. You could look into Murad products, I know so many people who swear by that. Acne happens when the body over produces the natural oils called sebum, and dead skin cells fall into pores, mix with the oils and effectively block them. Exfoliating 2-3 times a week with help remove the dead skin cells. Using products with Salicylic Acid will help remove any bacteria on the skin surface. Make sure you moisturise, this is very important! You don't want your skin to get dry and flaky!

Make sure you are eating lot's of fruit and veg - the jucier the better! This will hydrate your cells (working from the inside out!).

I hope this helps anyway,

Caitlin