what's everyone's acne story ?

donyellemoniquex3
donyellemoniquex3 Posts: 2,384 Member
edited December 17 in Chit-Chat
I started puberty on my 10th birthday but started getting tiny pimples at about 9

I had mild - moderate acne and I tried literally EVERYTHING and nothing worked.

When I was a sophomore in HS I BEGGED AND BEGGED AND BEGGED for my mom to get me proactive and within 3 days of instructed use, my acne was gone... although it stopped working, I've moved on to clearicil stay clear face wash and clean and clear face wash.
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Replies

  • PrincessLou71186
    PrincessLou71186 Posts: 741 Member
    Never had acne (I'm 25), nor did my sister but my cousin got it bad.
  • MDfour
    MDfour Posts: 20
    This is gonna sound like I'm just praising this site or something, but I always had TERRIBLE acne, and NOTHING worked (and I mean nothing) until I started working out and eating clean.

    Now? Skin's clear as bottled water.
  • CaSome11
    CaSome11 Posts: 38 Member
    Never had an acne problem as a teenager, but recently since I've been TTC and went off birth control, my skin has a mind of its own. :ohwell: I figure it has to do with my hormones regulating.
  • wittlelacey
    wittlelacey Posts: 391 Member
    I never had really bad acne, but I had tiny break outs now and then. The only thing that works for me is the neutrogena face mask :)
  • ericgAU
    ericgAU Posts: 271
    Really bad acne as a teen. Then I started on a course of Roaccutane. The side effects are pretty severe but the results after it are fantastic. Never had a reoccurance of acne again.
  • ccbing
    ccbing Posts: 162 Member
    My acne didn't start until I was about 18 and now at 34 I still have issues. Keeping my face clean and drinking more water (NO SODA) and working out really do seem to help with it. I guess I will always the 1 or 2 pimples a month....but I can live with that. I also rarely wear makeup. But that's partly due to laziness ;)
  • chaniray
    chaniray Posts: 83 Member
    never had an acne issue. the only thing i put on my skin is water and sometimes a moisturizer. i also don't wear makeup.

    sometimes my daughter's skin begins to get a bit bumpy. i explain to her the importance of eating better and drinking water. she is just beginning puberty. i would like to see how her diet affects her skin before we head to a dr.
  • sylvuz323
    sylvuz323 Posts: 468 Member
    I'm in my 40's and will still get acne on occassion (due to oily skin), but I do agree that eating healthy has made an improvement. My acne shows up just before TOM.

    When I tried ProActiv it worked for me but now eating healthy I find I don't need anything special to wash my face with.
  • _Timmeh_
    _Timmeh_ Posts: 2,096 Member
    I had it bad enough that a Dermatologist put me on a light medication.
    Unfortunately I passed that on down to my kids, it was bad enough that they had to put them on Accutane. Oldest was getting made fun of because of the acne.
    Cleared them both up and only one slight problem with it coming back, an acti-bacterial cleared that right up.
    It wasn't a bad diet or poor eating, it was hyper active oil glands.
  • HikeRunLift
    HikeRunLift Posts: 70
    I started getting bad acne around 15. Well, it was bad to me of course, but I think other people must have thought it too. Anyways, when I was 18 I got on Accutane. It cleared most of it up in a matter o f weeks. I'm 37 now. I still get pimples and black heads and I have tiny bumps on my forhead but honsestly, I dont even care now.
  • _binary_jester_
    _binary_jester_ Posts: 2,132 Member
    I had this humongous zit on my back the other day. Like size of a Volkswagen bug huge. At night, I swear it whispered to me. Told me things like, "Get out of bed and eat some cereal." Finally it reared it's ugly head. It made a fatal flaw in being within reach of my left hand.
    Summing up all the bravery I could muster, I took on this monster by the head. I squeezed and squeezed. Tears immediately sprang to my eyes. Oh this bad boy would not go quietly. I think I actually whimpered.
    Suddenly...release. Guts spewed forth like...well you know being a male, like something else spewing forth. It shot onto the mirror and when I turned around, it appeared to be all over my face, which made me extremely uncomfortable.
    It was a tough battle, but I claimed victory.
  • badgerbadger1
    badgerbadger1 Posts: 954 Member
    I had this humongous zit on my back the other day. Like size of a Volkswagen bug huge. At night, I swear it whispered to me. Told me things like, "Get out of bed and eat some cereal." Finally it reared it's ugly head. It made a fatal flaw in being within reach of my left hand.
    Summing up all the bravery I could muster, I took on this monster by the head. I squeezed and squeezed. Tears immediately sprang to my eyes. Oh this bad boy would not go quietly. I think I actually whimpered.
    Suddenly...release. Guts spewed forth like...well you know being a male, like something else spewing forth. It shot onto the mirror and when I turned around, it appeared to be all over my face, which made me extremely uncomfortable.
    It was a tough battle, but I claimed victory.

    But did you post it to youtube?
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    When I drink plenty of water, my skin is clear. When I don't, I get pimples.
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
    When I drink plenty of water, my skin is clear. When I don't, I get pimples.


    This, and then I usually have one or two small hormonal pimples along my jaw line once a month.
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
    I'm allergic to benzoyl peroxide (main ingredient in Proactiv and all the other acne creams that work) so I have had acne problems nonstop for the last ten years. If anyone has a solution, I'd love to hear it.
  • Jellyphant
    Jellyphant Posts: 1,400 Member
    I always grew a huge red pimple on the very tip of my nose, and my friends called me rudolph. D:
  • red01angel
    red01angel Posts: 806 Member
    I broke out like a normal teenager and Differin gel took good care of it...and still get the occasional pimple (usually coinciding with my period), but when I get regular facials, I don't usually have a problem.
  • HelloSweetie4
    HelloSweetie4 Posts: 1,214 Member
    This is gonna sound like I'm just praising this site or something, but I always had TERRIBLE acne, and NOTHING worked (and I mean nothing) until I started working out and eating clean.

    Now? Skin's clear as bottled water.

    Actually I have been noticing the same thing with me! I've had issues with acne since 6th grade and I tried everything, even proactive, which worked at first and then didn't. My sister used to lock me in the bathroom and pop them, which hurt like a mofo! (Now I realize she's crazy and that's why she did it lol) My bad breakout areas have changed as I've gotten older, but i was still getting breakouts (especially around when AF was coming to town). Within the 2 weeks I've been on MFP, I notice my skin it a lot more clear. I still have a lot of scars, but atleast my skin is semi-smooth now!
  • BondBomb
    BondBomb Posts: 1,781 Member
    I have the greatest acne solution ever.

    The main thing is salicylic acid peels. I was having them done once a week by a derm. Then a friend told me to just order the peel solution from amazon.com. I totally thought she was kidding but they really do have it! The same stuff my doc uses. I started with 20% peel once a week. First time I left it on for 2 mins. Then worked my way up to 5 mins.
    Follow this up with aveeno moisturizer. Its the only one that has never broken me out or irritated my sensitive skin.
    Then for a cleanser I use the St Ives apricot scrub. This also has salicylic acid. I gently wash for a full 60 secs in the shower.
    Edit to add don't use the scrub on peel days. Use something like cetaphil to remove the peel solution. The scrub is for the other days as your daily cleanser.

    My skin looks incredible. I just started this routine on my brother and his skin is looking amazing as well.
    I promise you it works.
  • ashleynicoleb
    ashleynicoleb Posts: 376 Member
    I had the WORST case of acne ever. And it started when I was in 6th grade and went through middle school. It was such an awful thing to go through- especially in that stage of my life. I was prescribed Accutane, which was the most powerful medicine they had at the time. I was on it for 6 months and luckily it cleared up and never came back in such a severe way. Lots of side effects came with taking Accutane :\ It was worth it though...
  • skierxjes
    skierxjes Posts: 926 Member
    I'd get the occasional pimple and my sister pushed apricot scrub at me, which made me into pizza face. My brother told me to quit washing my face and since then, I get the VERY occasional pimple. The only soap to hit my face in the last, oh I don't know, 7-8 years has been shampoo suds that ran down onto it.

    Clear skin since I quit washing it.
  • determinedbutlazy
    determinedbutlazy Posts: 1,941 Member
    I'm allergic to benzoyl peroxide (main ingredient in Proactiv and all the other acne creams that work) so I have had acne problems nonstop for the last ten years. If anyone has a solution, I'd love to hear it.

    salicylic acid is the alternative, and if you dont want to spend money testing out, get some CHEAP asprin (non coated), grind it up with a little water into a paste and massage onto a damp face. It acts like a mild exfoliator and contains salicylic acid. I scrub it for a minute then leave it to dry on my face for 10 minutes, then rinse and cleanse with a mild facewash.
    Make sure to moisturise after, it can really dry you out.
  • sparklefly74
    sparklefly74 Posts: 40 Member
    I always had clear skin as a teen. I washed my face with baking soda (which I still do on occasion, love it!). About a year ago (age 37) I started breaking out terribly around the lower part of my cheeks/chin/starting down my neck (probably stress related). I was going to pick up some Proactive, but I found that Wal-mart makes it in the Equate brand, so I spent about 1/3 the money and it cleared my skin right up.
  • sylvuz323
    sylvuz323 Posts: 468 Member
    I'd get the occasional pimple and my sister pushed apricot scrub at me, which made me into pizza face. My brother told me to quit washing my face and since then, I get the VERY occasional pimple. The only soap to hit my face in the last, oh I don't know, 7-8 years has been shampoo suds that ran down onto it.

    Clear skin since I quit washing it.

    I was told that using the scrubs when you have acne usually just spreads the bacteria which in turn causes more breakouts. The scrubs are not recommended on a daily basis, maybe once a week. I'll use the scrub but maybe a couple of times a month, none currently since I'm all out.
  • Tree72
    Tree72 Posts: 942 Member
    I've had acne of varying degrees since I was about nine. Eating healthier (less sugary junk) and regular exercise definitely help the most.

    As far as products go, I really like the Very Clear line by Derma-e (http://www.dermae.com/fc_portals/cgi-bin/fccgi.exe?w3exec=dfc.portal&CMD=DEI.DPRODUCTS&SESSIONID=1616656345A&PN=3700ea&WHICH=fc_cl). My skin is both very sensitive and quite oily. Benzoyl Peroxide and Salicylic Acid often cause me as many problems as they fix. The main active ingredient in these products is Tea Tree Oil. I find it to be a very effective anti-bacterial without causing me other issues (dry, flaky, irritated skin) that I can get with many other products.
  • christine24t
    christine24t Posts: 6,063 Member


    I was told that using the scrubs when you have acne usually just spreads the bacteria which in turn causes more breakouts. The scrubs are not recommended on a daily basis, maybe once a week. I'll use the scrub but maybe a couple of times a month, none currently since I'm all out.

    I definitely have to agree with this. I was using a scrub every day and it cause my skin to get so dry I had eczema like patches. I cut back to once a week if that. I just use the neutrogena makeup wipes and wipe my whole face. I also use Bare Minerals makeup, and now I have very little acne, just a few small bumps on my chin.
  • DietingMommy08
    DietingMommy08 Posts: 1,345 Member
    I only break out during TOM. :grumble:
  • sandrinamsilva
    sandrinamsilva Posts: 651 Member
    I had this humongous zit on my back the other day. Like size of a Volkswagen bug huge. At night, I swear it whispered to me. Told me things like, "Get out of bed and eat some cereal." Finally it reared it's ugly head. It made a fatal flaw in being within reach of my left hand.
    Summing up all the bravery I could muster, I took on this monster by the head. I squeezed and squeezed. Tears immediately sprang to my eyes. Oh this bad boy would not go quietly. I think I actually whimpered.
    Suddenly...release. Guts spewed forth like...well you know being a male, like something else spewing forth. It shot onto the mirror and when I turned around, it appeared to be all over my face, which made me extremely uncomfortable.
    It was a tough battle, but I claimed victory.

    You painted such a vivid picture in my head. I saw it happening while I was reading. :wink:
  • sandrinamsilva
    sandrinamsilva Posts: 651 Member
    Every month one or two on my chin :grumble:
  • MandaJean83
    MandaJean83 Posts: 675 Member
    I've struggled with acne since early puberty, and have seen a dermatologist since I was 12! LOL I've been on tons of antibiotics and topicals, and after many years they tried accutane treatment. The first time i tried accutane, it was a very low dose...so it worked, but only for about 2 years. Then the acne came back. About 2 years ago I went on a second course at a higher dose, and since then my cystic acne issues have pretty much resolved (except for maybe a few big zits a year).

    I do believe that cleaning up my diet has helped as well! :)
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