I WANT FLAWLESS SKIN

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  • leejayem
    leejayem Posts: 120 Member
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    Hi there,

    I am 37 years old & have had acne since I was 10!!!! 27 years of bad skin - no fun. Retin- A was OK for a while but it made my skin very dry so I didn't want to keep using it. I was on Roaccutane (maybe that's the Australian name for it??) when I was about 15 & I ended up with SEVERE depression. All I remember about that time in my life was that it was "black" & morbid. Sure the stuff cleared my skin but only while I was on it!! Once I came off it the acne came back fairly quickly. I have since heard so many reports of Roaccutane causing depression & I would not recommend it to anyone. The only times in my life (since age 10) I have had good skin has been when I've been pregnant - must be all those lovely pregnancy hormones. But no doctor is about to prescribe pregnancy as the cure for poor skin!! These days I accept that this is me because I've yet to find something that works but I'd love to try Pro-Active cos it sure looks appealing...but maybe just great marketing????!!! Good luck with it all & don't forget you have immense beauty regardless of your acne. :flowerforyou:
  • addaline22
    addaline22 Posts: 114
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    I have terrible skin, extra sensitive and allergic to about everything. When I was younger there were days I could not go to school cause my acne was so bad my face hurt. some simple changes worked for me. Note, at 36 I still get them, but only once a month and not to bad. :)
    1. 3 day pillow case changes. invest in two good 100% cotton cases and change them religiously.
    2. long hair? braid it back losely while you sleep. it will keep from spreading oil around.
    3. more protien, less processed food, and most importantly, GET YOUR VITAMINS!! make sure you are getting enough, A, D, and zinc, and calcium.
    4. dont pick! I know, its hard. if you squeeze and bleed, get a q-tip and some witch hazel and gently dab the area. for face wash, try olay 7 signs for acne, and a very light moisterizer with sunscreen.

    these changes will make life and your skin much better :) it takes about 2 weeks to kick in. Stay off the meds, they dont work.
  • addaline22
    addaline22 Posts: 114
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    These days I accept that this is me because I've yet to find something that works but I'd love to try Pro-Active cos it sure looks appealing...but maybe just great marketing????!!! Good luck with it all & don't forget you have immense beauty regardless of your acne. :flowerforyou:

    my skin sounds like yours, and so do the reactions I had. just so you know, proactiv peeled my skin off.
  • jd5351
    jd5351 Posts: 116 Member
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    Accutane is a last resort treatment...Mood changes are common and it also PERMANENTLY thins your skin. It's dangerous to even get your eyebrows waxed after using it, because your skin could actually come off.
  • Karen918
    Karen918 Posts: 47 Member
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    I have struggled with this off and on my entire life, I turn 40 later this month. They put me on a low dose birth control about 10 years ago and that cleared most of it up, but in March of this year my doctor decided I was too old and overweight for birthcontrol and took me off of it. My skin went nuts and I had to go to the dermatologist. I am alergic to tetracycline I get itchy all over. I bought Proactive but I was allergic to it as well (my eye lids and around my eyes swelled) it was very scary.

    Dermatologist has me using a soap called "Purpose" which is relatively inexpensive and I use Sea Breeze for sensitive skin also. It is better but I still have some issues.
  • HurricaneElaine
    HurricaneElaine Posts: 984 Member
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    I want flawless skin too, but it ain't gonna happen. I've had acne since I was a young teenager, and because of my own fault, now have a face pocked with tiny 'icepick' scars (mostly on my cheeks). Now I'm almost 52, and for some strange reason, my acne has flared up again. Must be the hormones having their final hurrah before going bye-bye.. I'm thinking I should go back to Proactive - it really worked wonders when I used it about ten years ago.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
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    do you swim in a chlorinated pool? if you have access to a swimming pool, its great exercise and the chlorine dries out your acne
  • nzseries1
    nzseries1 Posts: 4 Member
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    Couldn't help but give my two pence.

    I went on accutane at 15, and although I had every single side effect listed in the book, I still feel like in the end it was worth it, it cleared everything up amazingly.

    I did have to go on and off it for a few years to clear everything up, but after the first two years I moved to a much lower dose which reduced the side effects a lot.
  • erinfog
    erinfog Posts: 95 Member
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    i've been through the same issues. on different pills and creams/gels/etc. this is what finally started working for me:

    1) clarisonic with a mild soap - i use the tretinx soap (which comes with my prescription cream) but when i run out, cetaphil works also.
    2) cup of hot water with lemon in the morning
    3) tretinx for blackheads and aczone for cystic pimples
    4) wash pillow cases every week

    good luck to you, i know how rough it is.
  • MamaWannaRun
    MamaWannaRun Posts: 273 Member
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    Well, the sad news is that I am 47 and still deal with the same issue.

    I have been on Accutane 3 different times in my life and it finally cleared me up. Yes, there are side effects. Each dose gave me about 10 years of clear skin.. then, I had to go back again. Now, I'm on Nicomide..

    I would ask your doctor about Nicomide.. it's not a total cure, but it is helping.

    Bottom line.. YOUR DOCTOR is your best choice here.. Talk to him/her and be persistent. Do not give up until you find something that works for you.. No one else can do more for you.. good luck!
  • Erisad
    Erisad Posts: 1,580
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    I'm 23 and I struggle with acne too. I find it comes from eating too much dairy product. I cut back and my skin is better but around that TOM, my face still breaks out. I think it'll get better as I get older as the hormones get more in control. I use Philosophy's On A Clear Day and Clearasil acne pads. Oh and Philosophy's Purity to take makeup off. And now I use Argon Oil based makeup to make myself look nice whenever I go out. It helps my complexion and keeps my skin soft without being too oily. Caring for one's skin is a full time job. Drink plenty of water too! :)
  • magnolia_ah
    magnolia_ah Posts: 161 Member
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    i tried accutane and roccutanne last year .. my acne is gone but my mood was easyly being sad.. people though that i was drama queen ..i get mad easily too ... until now i get hair loss and dry lips ...
  • ladytinkerbell99
    ladytinkerbell99 Posts: 970 Member
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    This is the best NATURAL product to use for acne. I have told many friends about it and they love it.

    BAKING SODA BLACKHEAD REMOVER
    » Why It Works: This gentle, quick facial uses baking soda’s acid-neutralizing alkalinity and milk’s lactic acid to clear out pores and lightly exfoliate.
    » You’ve Been Warned: After years of store-bought lotions and potions, this seemed almost too simple to work — but it did.
    » You’ll Need:
    - 1 tbsp baking soda
    - 1/4 cup milk
    » What to Do: Mix all the ingredients together. Rub into blackhead-prone areas using a soft makeup sponge. Rinse and repeat if needed.
    Source: “Return to Beauty” ($25, Atria Books) by Narine Mikogosian

    Edit: Please if you do go to a doctor or specialist. Go to someone you feel comfortable with to ask them the side effects in the short term and long term. Also, do your own research.
  • 1sophiesophie
    1sophiesophie Posts: 67 Member
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    Liz Earle Skincare -seriously saved my skin! that and drinking water by the bathful ... no kidding ! :smile:

    Sho3girl, you are a great advert for Liz Earle skincare....your skin looks great in your picture!
  • Illona88
    Illona88 Posts: 903 Member
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    I used to have very severe acne and I went to an acne specialist.

    Here's what the clinic recommended:

    take birth control
    get an allergy test done
    don't use anything containing alcohol on your skin
    preferably only use hypo allergenic products on your skin.


    morning routine:

    a gentle cleanser containing salicylic acid
    non comedogenic moisturizer
    non comedogenic sunscreen SPF25+.


    evening routine:

    a gentle cleanser containing glycolic acid
    benzoyl peroxide 5%
    moisturizer containing retinol A.


    also have a black mud mask or exfoliating mask once a week (do not scrub if you still have pimples, they could burst open from the scrub and then you will end up rubbing the bacteria all over your face).


    I only have about one pimple a month now and I have gone from a face full of it.
  • Whitezombiegirl
    Whitezombiegirl Posts: 1,042 Member
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    I have an oily T-zone and have very small porse which bloclk easily. This is what has previously worked for me:

    Birth control (though I'm against hormonal treatments now)
    MD Formulatiosn glycolic acid products (though they gave me hyperpigmentation)


    This is what i do now:

    Clarisonic with Clarins Cottonseed facewash cream
    Clarins Brightrning toner on gfreasy patches (AHA gel-liquid which really works)
    Clarins blemich pen (alcahol based but works too)
    Swimming in a chlorinated pool
    Clariins SPF 50 lotion

    I have just started doing facial peels- I did a TCA one from MUAC yesterday and within 10 mins every blemish I had had dried up or come to a head and could be extracted (I use a Tweeserman skin extractor). My skin looks perfect today and should start to peel soon hopefully.

    I'm doing the peel to lessen fine lines, decrease pigmentation and refine the texture of the skin on the T-zone where some pores are stretched.

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