Gaming World Forums
General Category => General Talk => Topic started by: the_hoodie on January 21, 2009, 02:19:45 am
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So my Acne has really been acting up recently and I have no idea why. It was fine up until about Christmas and then it just got crazy and is now covering my cheeks, which is really ugly.
I have Clean and Clear facial scrub, as well as some other product that I can't remember the name of, and neither of them seem to work. In fact, it is just getting worse!
Now I'm sure other members have had similar problems, so what did you guys do to get rid of it? More importantly, what did you to keep it away?
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I have mild to bad acne and I have not come across a solution to it yet. It seems to be not so bad when I just leave it alone (don't pick at it, scrub it, etc). I've tried about a dozen acne treatments... never really for months on end but come on... you'd think you would see at least some improvement after about a week of use.
I've heard Accutane is effective as well as that red/blue laser therapy (moreso the former). I don't have the guts to try the first and don't have the money to try the red/blue laser therapy.
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well the fact that it flared up around christmas means sweets might be to blame, watch your diet. also i just had a break out about a week ago but it's starting to clear up. In case you didn't know, make sure you rinse your face with HOT water before you use any sort of facial scrub and also before you wash your face in the shower. This opens up pored, allowing blah blah blah.
mostly the diet thing. i'm not sure how you're eating but lots of greasy food and sugar is bad for your face.
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your profile says you are fifteen or is that a joke of some sort?
if you're really fifteen then yeah, this is just the beginning.
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your profile says you are fifteen or is that a joke of some sort?
if you're really fifteen then yeah, this is just the beginning.
Unfortunately, yeah :(
I'm 19 and it's about as bad as it was when it started at about late 15.
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Wash yo face.
Just let it run its course; as long as you don't pick at it it should clear up eventually. If it gets bad, talk to your doctor and he might prescribe something or recommend a dermatologist. Don't use over-the-counter stuff; it tends to be either useless or not worth the price tag in most cases.
Oh and try not to touch your face if you can, especially if they aren't entirely clean. I had that bad habit and it tended to make things a lot worse.
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Acne is mostly caused because of anormal hormonal activity, and genetics do play an important role too. It's not hygiene what causes acne directly, but actually the bacteria in the pores, which don't mean bad hygiene at all.
At any costs, clean your face with neutral soap and use exfoliant if possible. Antibiotics and hormonal treatments work nicely, antibiotics are less harsh in comparison of hormonal treatments, so use those.
As for food, eat whatever you want. Until today there's no direct relation between diet and acne, so eat your chocolates. :)
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acne.org (http://acne.org)
Try The Regimen. A lot of people seem to be having success with it. Also browse the forums there or something.
Also Pulits, Zinc is good for the skin and Omega 3 fatty acids help with inflammation.
Also a good exfoliant is baking Soda. Dirt cheap and it works great. Just mix it in some water and make a paste out of it. The crystals are so small and don't aggravate the skin that much. Balance out the pH with some Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with water.
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It could be a diet thing, it could be other things. If you've changed shampoo or conditioner, it might be causing it, either because residue remains or its clogging your pores when you rinse it.
Also, because it's winter, if you're using a facial cleanser together with the dryness of heating, and general winter air, it can dry your skin out. Your skin will respond by producing more oil which will in turn clog your pores and cause you to break out.
You might need to change your sheets
Your hair might be in your face too much
Could be hormones (guys do actually have a biological cycle that's just not as obvious as girls)
Lack of exercise can upset your skin and in some people it can irritate already existing acne.
An allergy can irritate it further.
Any of those sound reasonable?
If it IS dryness, you're best to go to a dermatologist to get a good, mild, hypo-allergenic moisturizer, but if you don't have free health care where you live, you can also try very basic moisturizers from the drug store. Just be careful because some can clog your pores, or they can contain toxins. You can check toxicity by looking up moisturizers (or any cosmetic product) here: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/splash.php?URI=%2Findex.php
ALternatively, when my skin gets dry what I do is crush strawberries with some milk and put it on my face (make sure it's clean and so are your hands). It feels good and it helps ease the dryness.
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I never really had bad acne. I only ever got it if I didn't keep myself clean.
Genes and hormones, man. They're the cause of prolonged acne. Generally acne calms down once you hit the 20s, I hear.
See if this helps, though:
When you take showers, don't over scrub. Believe it or not, hot running water is enough to clean the majority of the body. The only spots you have to really use soap on is your face, pits, your ass, and your credentials. This can keep you from over scrubbing/irritating your skin, and it saves soap.
Wear clean clothes,
Wash your bed sheets once a week to keep em clean [this ][/this]
Don't rub your face in bacon grease.
Hope that helps.
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Accutane works if you have REALLY bad acne. I won't deny that. But I do not recommend it to anyone as it nearly killed my cousin from the side effects, and all the non life threatening ones were really horrible as well.
Acne can also be caused by increased levels of cortisol from stress.
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maybe:
http://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/index.php?showtopic=40431
http://www.acne.org/messageboard/GLUTEN-t110591.html&pid=1288173&st=20
http://www.naturalnews.com/024956.html
It might help you never know.
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your profile says you are fifteen or is that a joke of some sort?
if you're really fifteen then yeah, this is just the beginning.
I've had it since I was about 12. I hit puberty early. And like I said, it's been clear for a while now, and just suddenly came back.
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I've had it since I was about 12. I hit puberty early. And like I said, it's been clear for a while now, and just suddenly came back.
I forgot to mention, it could be the change in weather. Did you mean it came once it got colder, or on christmas specifically?
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If you've changed shampoo or conditioner, it might be causing it, either because residue remains or its clogging your pores when you rinse it.
Also, because it's winter, if you're using a facial cleanser together with the dryness of heating, and general winter air, it can dry your skin out. Your skin will respond by producing more oil which will in turn clog your pores and cause you to break out.
Could be hormones (guys do actually have a biological cycle that's just not as obvious as girls)
These sort of apply. I did change those.
It is winter, but it's gotten warmer rather than colder since this started.
And hormones you can never tell so I don't know.
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acne.org (http://acne.org)
Try The Regimen. A lot of people seem to be having success with it. Also browse the forums there or something.
When I first looked at that site I figured it was probably just another site trying to sell something (and it is) but that regimen shit actually looks pretty effective... especially when looking at their message boards.
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* Apply some Time© on you affected area
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I am the opposite, my skin is horrendously dry and if I don't look after it it just falls off or I get facial eczema or dermatitis. I recently had a change of lifestyle in the respect that I took up running and just general home work-out i.e. working up a sweat.
When you exercise your whole body experiences vasodilation (i.e. blood comes nearer to the surface and you sweat also - it's a cooling mechanism and you are cleansed from the inside). This, for some people is just what they need to knock their skin problems into balance.
If you think about sporty people you know from school or whatever they quite often have a lot better skin than ther nerdy, sit-in-front-of-computer-all-day types like us. I think very few people can get away with sitting on their ass on the internet all the time without negative consequences.
The UV in natural sunlight can kill bacteria as well so it's a possibility that you just need to get outside more.
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If you think about sporty people you know from school or whatever they quite often have a lot better skin than ther nerdy, sit-in-front-of-computer-all-day types like us. I think very few people can get away with sitting on their ass on the internet all the time without negative consequences.
I can vouch for this I have been both of these
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It could be a diet thing, it could be other things. If you've changed shampoo or conditioner, it might be causing it, either because residue remains or its clogging your pores when you rinse it.
Also, because it's winter, if you're using a facial cleanser together with the dryness of heating, and general winter air, it can dry your skin out. Your skin will respond by producing more oil which will in turn clog your pores and cause you to break out.
You might need to change your sheets
Your hair might be in your face too much
Could be hormones (guys do actually have a biological cycle that's just not as obvious as girls)
Lack of exercise can upset your skin and in some people it can irritate already existing acne.
An allergy can irritate it further.
Any of those sound reasonable?
If it IS dryness, you're best to go to a dermatologist to get a good, mild, hypo-allergenic moisturizer, but if you don't have free health care where you live, you can also try very basic moisturizers from the drug store. Just be careful because some can clog your pores, or they can contain toxins. You can check toxicity by looking up moisturizers (or any cosmetic product) here: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/splash.php?URI=%2Findex.php
ALternatively, when my skin gets dry what I do is crush strawberries with some milk and put it on my face (make sure it's clean and so are your hands). It feels good and it helps ease the dryness.
these are all especially good suggestions!! you should see at least SOME improvement of you consider them all.
if you have sensitive skin, you might be better off using NO soap. just hot water to wash until your face doesn't feel greesy, then cold water to rinse. don't scrub. also, touching your face, scrubbing your face, or using products that dry your skin out all make your skin produce more oil. try to avoid that.
another thing is vitamins. things like vitamin d, e and omega 3's might help your skin.
i dunno what would happen if guys took it, but birth control tends to regulate hormones and stop acne. yeah.
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I used to have really bad acne. The acne was super bad. I remember one time in art class I was nominated as the subject for the portrait thing and everyone in class drew my portrait and they drew all these red dots all over my face and I left the room in tears.
I tried lots of medications and none of them worked (except for accutane and it almost killed me and the results were temporary; it is bad stuff).
So one day I tried this on a whim:
(https://legacy.gamingw.net/etc/www.reliablepaper.com/v/vspfiles/photos/DIA00910-2T.jpeg)
And I have had beautiful skin ever since!
Acne washes and medications usually make your skin worse. It is in the interest of the manufacturer for it to make your skin worse. I would 100% recommend normal antibacterial bar soap. I have had great luck with Dial antibacterial gold. When I have switched away from the soap I have immediately gotten breakouts so it has to work.
If you have sensitive skin, harsh soaps like this will give you a rash. But it will probably clear up your acne.
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i dunno what would happen if guys took it, but birth control tends to regulate hormones and stop acne. yeah.
breasts and mood swings mostly. also higher voice. do not recommend.
also
And I have had beautiful skin ever since!
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If you think about sporty people you know from school or whatever they quite often have a lot better skin than ther nerdy, sit-in-front-of-computer-all-day types like us. I think very few people can get away with sitting on their ass on the internet all the time without negative consequences.
Actually I always sit on my lazy ass surfing on the internet and go to Mc Donald's everyday and I'm the hottest guy in town
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Actually I always sit on my lazy ass surfing on the internet and go to Mc Donald's everyday and I'm the hottest guy in town
LOLZZ JUST AS PLANNEDZZ
I really don't understand tbh, I'm 17 and never had more than like, 5 spots at one time. And its not like i'm the most hygieneic guy in the world :welp:
I think the hormones thing is probably true, I've heard it a few places, so take that advice.
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i have no idea if it is random but i used to have a lot of acne but once i started working out hard it gradually went away. the reason i did it in the first place was because working out during teenage years supposedly helps a lot in stablizing hormones so i figured it'd work. and it might've. i dunno why but a year or so after i started working out seriously i was completely free of acne. just dont respect results after a week or two. nothing works that fast.
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Also isn't it crazy that this is like maybe the first acne thread GW has ever had? I'm sure like nearly everyone here has had acne problems at some point.
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Also isn't it crazy that this is like maybe the first acne thread GW has ever had? I'm sure like nearly everyone here has had acne problems at some point.
Not exactly the first (http://www.gamingw.net/forums/index.php?topic=7870.msg1388927#msg1388927)
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I vaguely recall another acne thread about 1 maybe ~2 years ago.
EDIT: oh maybe that was it Grunthor
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Wow I forgot about that thread.
Still like . . .
I don't know I would expect it to be a more frequent conversation topic I don't know.
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rub avocado on your face i hear this works wonders.
i never had acne and rarely get pimples. kinda strange since i always grease my hair and the oil runs off when i sweat.
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All these crazy ass acne washes are full of shit. Wash your face 2-3 times a day with a mild bar soap. If your face doesnt start to look better within a week then you can shoot me in the face for lying to you. Ill hold my oath to that.
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Yeah when I was having bad breakouts about 3 years ago, I had a tendency to basically SCOUR my face when I washed it and scrub way too hard thinking I was doing myself a favour. That's definitely a huge no-no, just irritates the skin more. I was also working nights and not getting much sleep, when I stopped things got a lot better.
I still have SPLOTCHY complexion, but it runs on my dad's side of the family in the males. I don't get breakouts anymore, but ocassionally I'll get a pimple and I use some Clearasil skin-toned gunk that at least removes a lot of the redness.
I've never had it bad enough to bother with prescription shit or hardcore over the counter solutions though, so I can't comment there. You might want to try cheap and basic stuff first before you go forking over cash for shit that probably won't even do much. But if you're really 15, then yeah, part of this is just par for the course. Sucks balls! If you have a sister, get her to give you some concealer or buy some skin-toned treatments to cover the bad spots. Sleep, wash your face in the morning and before bed, and the rest is up to god.......
I vaguely recall another acne thread about 1 maybe ~2 years ago.
EDIT: oh maybe that was it Grunthor
I posted one like three years ago.
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We can make it an annual event! If we increase awareness of methods of becoming despotty we'll all get out more and GW will go down the plughole just like the rest of the bacteria from our pores!
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All these crazy ass acne washes are full of shit. Wash your face 2-3 times a day with a mild bar soap. If your face doesnt start to look better within a week then you can shoot me in the face for lying to you. Ill hold my oath to that.
Some of us have been there and done that, but simply washing your face with a bar of soap doesn't always do the trick. When I had it bad a few years ago my aunt suggested that and in some cases it made things worse. (dried out the skin, irritated it) Over the counter topical treatments did the job best and eventually I tried proactiv for a few months which worked wonders at which point I then stopped and I rarely have a breakout anymore and if I do, it's very mild. Not everyone is as lucky as you. :< Clear skinned bastard :P
Anyway, I pretty much used the clearasil stuff as it didn't dry out my skin as Proactiv started to, yet still gets the job done. (and costs a hell of a lot less to boot) I thought Mateui had some really good suggestions in the last thread about this stuff, too since he's kind of in a position to offer some more profound advice, I suppose.
By the by, is there any REAL truth to you diet affecting your acne? I mean, to a certain extent I suppose there would be if you simply ate crap (you are what you eat, as the adage goes) but I don't know if having sweets during a certain period like Christmas would really affect it all that much. Then again I've never really gotten a one sided answer on this, some professional derms. suggest that it does, others say it doesn't.
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I used to use a pretty weird home remedy that might be painful for you depending on how bad it is. Still, next time you finish shaving take the razor and nip a little piece off of each inflamed area and then generously apply after shave. It burns like balls but it's pretty effective!
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this gives cutting off your nose despite your face a whole new meaning
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i dunno what would happen if guys took it, but birth control tends to regulate hormones and stop acne. yeah.
Speaking as a chick, I took birth control for almost six years and it did dick squat for acne. It's also worth mentioning that I was on birth control when I got pregnant, so maybe I'm just some sort of a mutant freak.
Moving back onto topic, I'm 26 and I still get break-outs that put most teenagers to shame. Accutane just about killed me and Proactive made me break out in ridiculous rashes. Right now I exfoliate my skin at least once a week, either with a bit of sea salt or with a lufa sponge. I have girly girl facial cleanser and toner from Carol Visage that has really seemed to help, but it does nothing for sudden break-outs so I still get the odd super-zit every now and again.
I was always told to use upward strokes when washing your face. Start at your chin and, in small circles, work your way up your face. When putting your moisturizers or toners on, work in downward strokes.
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Actually it definitely depends on the birth control, because I was on birth control that drastically INCREASED acne, and had to stop taking it because it made my face break out so bad. I tried Proactiv and it made my face far worse, and then I just started washing my face better and the combination of that and changing birth control was what fixed my acne. I don't really get acne anymore though, except when I eat a bunch of greasy food (but pizza is just too delicious, so I can put up with a bump or two on my face for a day).
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Man, I thought you guys were exaggerating the horrors of Accutane so I decided to look it up. Much to my surprise, there's like a million negative customer experiences with this drug. How is this shit still being sold?
Btw, I don't have acne. My face is as smooth as a baby's behind.
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I used to get acne a lot and I couldn't figure out what the cause was until I cut out dairy from my diet - and it worked.
Some other important tips are to keep hair out of your face and change your sheets/pillow cases regularly.
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this gives cutting off your nose despite your face a whole new meaning
well yeah it would be a whole new meaning because that's a new phrase you made up
DESPITE MY FACE, come on rockman. googlebabyy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutting_off_the_nose_to_spite_the_face)
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now mark, people in stone houses shouldn't throw glass
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whats horrible about acutane? I took it like a year ago and haven't had a single breakout since. It was more for my back though than face even though that was pretty bad too.
its expensive as fuck though
the only really negative stuff I've heard about it is that it can fuck your liver up and its really really bad for pregnant women.
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whats horrible about acutane? I took it like a year ago and haven't had a single breakout since. It was more for my back though than face even though that was pretty bad too.
its expensive as fuck though
the only really negative stuff I've heard about it is that it can fuck your liver up and its really really bad for pregnant women.
A lot of people have adverse effects. For example, my cousin's dick basically swelled shut and he couldn't urinate which cause his bladder to fill with litres of urine and almost burst.
EDIT: oh before this he was in bad shape too, he came over for christmas and had to be helped in and out of the car because he was so weak and he couldn't go down the stairs.
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yeah I'd be pretty pissed off if any of that happened.
I was actually drinking on it and wondering if my liver would blow up because the box said avoid alcohol but I was pretty much ok. My skin got kind of dry some times but that was the only side effect I got from it.
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Man, I thought you guys were exaggerating the horrors of Accutane so I decided to look it up. Much to my surprise, there's like a million negative customer experiences with this drug. How is this shit still being sold?
Btw, I don't have acne. My face is as smooth as a baby's behind.
It's being sold cause it really works. Like my friend tried hundreds of types of antibiotics prescribed by the doctor, none of that shit worked, it would maybe make it a little bit better but not do much for him really. He used to get massive red lumps on his face and ugh it was bad, then he went on Accutane. He said he had a lot of side effects, like seriously his skin dried out so so much, and it seemed to get worse before it got better imo, but I don't think he got any of the bad side effects like DEPRESSION/LIVER FAILURE or whatever they are though. Anyway after like half a year or whatever he was totally clear and hasn't had any problems since. Some people react badly to it though I guess. I don't know how it is everywhere else but over here you have to take blood tests every month while you're on it and it's really closely monitored, as soon as you have some really shit side effect they take you off it.
I also have acne but it's not really that bad I guess, I get big ones sometimes but I can live with it. I think my problem is working in such a dirty environment!
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Yeah, from what I know of it accutane is the kind of thing that is EXCELLENT for some people but a large number of people have problems with it. It's just one of those "not for everyone" things, and is only really for people who have severe problems with acne and have tried everything else. It's not the first thing you go for!
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Yeah, Isotretinoin (Accutane) is the last-line of treatment for acne in most cases. The treatment algorithm is:
OTC stuff - acetylsalicylic acid 2% (stuff like Oxy, Clearasil, etc) twice a day, or benzoyl peroxide 5% twice a day. Benzoyl peroxide is by far the best over-the-counter option for acne.
If nothing OTC helps that's when you should go in to see a doctor and they'll prescribe a facial medication. There are a lot of options out there and different doctors have different favourites. There are combination antibiotics with benzoyl peroxide in them and combination antibiotics with tretinoin - what works for one person may not work for another, so generally it's just going to be trial and error. Nothing works over night, and in fact it'll take somewhere between 4-6 weeks to see effect. Anything with a vitamin A derivative in it (tretinoin or isotretinoin) will actually worsen your acne at first before it gets better. That's really important to be aware of. These also tend to dry out your skin and many burn upon application. The burning will subside over time as your skin gets used to the formulation. Of course, if your skin is very sensitive there are non-alcohol containing medications which won't burn as much, but with the downside being that the antibiotic won't be absorbed as much. So yeah, generally you should be on the prescription cream/lotion for at least 1 or 2 months before you can determine whether it's working for you.
If you find it doesn't help that much, go back to see your doctor and they may switch you to another topical preparation, OR move on to an oral antibiotic such as minocycline. These are more effective, but come with more side effects such as nausea and dizziness, and potential for GI upset. Once again it'll take 4-6 weeks to see an effect.
FINALLY, if the oral antibiotic doesn't work either, that's when the doctor will move on to using isotretinoin (Accutane). (If your acne is classified to being severe, nodular, or recalcitrant then you can start therapy with it instead of going through the other options first). It is by far the most effective acne medication out there. It tackles a variety of processes in the pathophysiology of acne instead of just one or two like the other medications do. However, there are a lot of side effects with it. Being a vitamin A derivative it will cause dry skin, sun sensitivity, birth defects should a women become pregnant on it. Here's a brief list of the percentages of patients experiencing side effects with it from its product monograph: (stuff in brackets is my definition in case you're not familiar with medical terminology).
The most common side effects are mucocutaneous or dermatologic. The common side effects include: cheilitis (96%) [swelling of the lips], facial erythema/dermatitis (55%) [red, inflamed skin], dry nose (51%), desquamation (50%) [shedding of the outer layers of the skin], pruritus (30%) [itchiness], dry skin (22%), conjunctivitis (19%) [red eye], alopecia (13%) [hair loss], irritation of the eyes (11%), rash (<10%). Dryness of the nasal mucosa and pharynx may be associated with mild epistaxis [nose bleeds] and hoarseness, respectively. Mild to moderate conjunctivitis may be alleviated by use of an ophthalmic ointment. In rare cases, hair loss persisted after treatment was completed.
Approximately 13% of patients experience joint pain during treatment.
Peeling of palms and soles, skin infections, increased susceptibility to sunburn, nonspecific urogenital symptoms, nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms, headache, fatigue occured in approximately 5% of patients.
Yeah, there are a lot of potential side effects, but since the drug works wonders for a lot of people due to its effectiveness it's still around and will be for a long time to come. If you do go on it you'll need to have regular blood tests as it can affect your liver function. Most doctors will require you to have a monthly test before you can get your refill for the next 30 days.
Umm, I don't know what else to say. If you do have any particular questions about any medication or acne itself, feel free to ask... that's part of my job. :)
OH, I think somebody asked about diet and acne. As far as I'm aware, the evidence does not support the notion that food worsens acne. Diet may have an influence in certain individuals, in which case dietary modification can be attempted, but for the most part according to the trials diet doesn't play a major role. (Not even surface dirt either. Acne problems come from the root of hair follicles, which facial dirt cannot even get to or obstruct so it doesn't really matter. Of course, good facial hygiene shouldn't be neglected, but it's not going to help much. In fact, overusing soaps can irritate the skin and worsen acne.)
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I have my own methods of acne control, I break out badly usually during both the winter and summer and am fine during the remaining two seasons.
I use a combination of things when it gets super bad, like hot salty lemon water. It is a good cleanser and is 100% natural, you can even exchange the regular table salt for epsom salt (large grain salt) and that should double as an exfoliator.
Another thing you can use is uncooked potatoes, I find cutting them into coins and putting them on your face with a wet hot towel does a good job too.
But try out whatever you can, there is always something for someone that works.
I hear the ProActiv treatment works for most... I would suggest it but you have adolescent skin and that could possibly change the pH and make it worse.
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I hear the ProActiv treatment works for most... I would suggest it but you have adolescent skin and that could possibly change the pH and make it worse.
This is far from SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE but not only did it complete attack my skin and make things worse, but out of the three other people I knew that tried it, only one of them had it NOT do that.
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yeah I used it when I was in HS and it didn't work worth a shit.
I suggest going to a dermatologist if you're going to spend money on this shit and do it right.
fuck proactive and fuck jessica simpson's lying ass
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FINALLY, if the oral antibiotic doesn't work either, that's when the doctor will move on to using isotretinoin (Accutane). (If your acne is classified to being severe, nodular, or recalcitrant then you can start therapy with it instead of going through the other options first). It is by far the most effective acne medication out there. It tackles a variety of processes in the pathophysiology of acne instead of just one or two like the other medications do. However, there are a lot of side effects with it. Being a vitamin A derivative it will cause dry skin, sun sensitivity, birth defects should a women become pregnant on it. Here's a brief list of the percentages of patients experiencing side effects with it from its product monograph: (stuff in brackets is my definition in case you're not familiar with medical terminology).
There's also empirical evidence linking isotretinoin to depression. Whether there's a causality is unknown at this time, but from what I know the correlation is strong enough for you to have to know about it.
I had a few Accutane treatments and responded very well to them. It was the only thing that worked for me. Sure, my skin would be dry, my cheeks became a little red and I got random nose bleeds, but it really worked better than anything else I had tried, and I suggest you ask for your doctor's opinion on taking it.
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I don't know if this is really a method of healing acne either or anything but its kind of interesting. When I was on my last ship before I got the treatment they used bromine to make freshwater and that actually helped dry out my skin quite a bit. But that probably also meant that some dumbass was putting too much bromine in the water.
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Stop drinking coca-cola and wash more often. :>
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There's also empirical evidence linking isotretinoin to depression. Whether there's a causality is unknown at this time, but from what I know the correlation is strong enough for you to have to know about it.
Yeah there are numerous case reports linking isotretinoin to depression, suicidal ideation and suicide, but there isn't a clear proof of an association. Like you said it's hard to know whether it's directly attributed to isotretinoin itself, the degree of acne and its psychological comorbidities, or something else altogether. I don't think people should avoid using it because of this. This is something that we tell people about when they start Accutane - that if they notice any changes in their mood and have thoughts of hurting themselves then they should stop taking it and contact the pharmacy or their physician. It's also something that should be monitored at the monthly visit to the doctor as well as the pharmacy when getting the refill.
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Funny thing is I didn't know that until long after I took it. Only some other guy who had also been on the stuff told me "it makes you really depressed" but he was a VERY STRANGE GUY so I never really took heed of his words.