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Started 3 years ago by areniets89
Latest reply from SpoCom2nr
I am an 18 year old female. I have suffered from severe acne since before my first period - at 11 years old. When over-the-counter products weren’t working, my parents sent me to many different dermatologists. I was put on many prescription drugs including tetracycline, Differin, Benzaclin, Retin-A, Retin-A Micro, and of course Accutane. I followed my doctor's instructions religiously. None of these treatments had any noticeably positive effect.
Two years ago, I begged my mother to send me to a gynecologist because my periods were very difficult to deal with. I had extremely painful cramps. For someone who even as a child didn't mind needles, I was in a lot of pain. The gynecologist had blood work done in order to assess my hormone levels. Wouldn't you know they were WAY off from what is considered “normal.†My gynecologist diagnosed me with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) even though my only symptom was my hormone levels. I was placed on birth control (Yasmin) to treat the condition.
After about four months of taking birth control, the severity of my acne decreased about 50%. This was more of an improvement than any dermatologist had on my skin. I highly recommend if you are a woman and you suffer from acne, to have your hormone levels checked during different times during your cycle. I was very happy with the decrease in acne on my skin. I always took care of my skin. I washed my face 2-3 times per day, taking note of how each over-the-counter medication affected my skin.
Now, my acne has decreased about 90% since I have changed my lifestyle. I will give you a detailed description of how I keep my face as clear as it can be.
Being on birth control has aided my quest for clear skin. That is my first step in my acne regimen. My second step is keeping my face as clean as possible without irritating the skin. After years of being on harsh prescriptions, my skin can handle much more than the majority of my peers. Thirdly, I have to make sure I do skip any of the steps, or go to sleep without completing my regimen.
I begin by washing my hands with Ivory soap. I then gently wash my face with the Ivory soap, taking off as much dirt as possible. I then use St. Ives Apricot Scrub – Blackhead and Blemish Control (2.5% salicylic acid). Secondly, I use the Proactiv Solution Renewing Cleanser (2.5% benzoyl peroxide). Thirdly, I use Neutrogena’s Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Power-Clear Scrub (2.5% salicylic acid). After drying my face with a clean towel, I apply Neutrogena’s On-The-Spot Acne Treatment (2.5% benzoyl peroxide) over every part of my face except around the eyes. Also, every other day I apply thickly Queen Helene Masque – The Original Mint Julep Mask.
This regimen may be harsh for some people to follow, but it has made my face much clearer. Now I am about to add something to my regimen. Lately, I’ve been hearing about the effects of adding a daily zinc supplement to the diet for the improvement of acne. I am glad to share with you that today I am going to start taking 50-mg of zinc. I am curious as to whether or not it will make any difference. I am going to take the supplement every day for 30 days. I will keep every one of you updated with my results! Good luck to you all! -
Congratulations. =)
I'm a guy, 19 years old. My acne was out of control too. I only tried a few over the counter things... Tried the alcohol pads... Found that wasn't working and wasn't good for the skin. I also tried Apricot facial scrub... Didn't work wasn't good for the skin. Just recnetly I tried Proactiv... It's ok, but I don't see the hype... It help a little but I still had a of acne...
I read somewhere online, after doing a lot of reasearch of course, that acne is a critical message your body is sending to you that something is wrong...
Well what I found out is that even 19 year olds have to go one diets. Lol. While many acne medication companies, like pro active, claim that the way you eat doesn't have to deal with acne, I found they were wrong... I started eating right...
I now eat about 4 fruits a day, and try to drink nearly 8 glasses of water... I started doing this three days ago, and my acne is almost gone! Of course I combine the pro active still, because I know it's just good to clense your skin... Some things I eat include:
Carrots
Banannas
Apples
High grain cereal (it can taste good too!): Cheerios, Cocoa puffs... etc...But I think a lot of people were like me... You can expect a product to work by itself... It has to team with a new lifestyle. One that takes time getting used to and can get annoying, but is worth it when you see the acne start to dissapear.
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