Help needed. Skin gone crazy!
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skincare Tools & Do-It-Yourself Skincare

Sat Jun 02, 2007 8:47 pm

Hey guys. I'm new to this but I'm hoping you could help me. Recently my face broke out with excessive acne. I mean I used to get a bump here and there but this is crazy! I look like a whole different person! It is really stressing me out. My doctor saw me and gave me a pescription for tetracycline and benzacline. Does this stuff work? And can anyone tell me how do you deal with facing the world when it is hard to look at your own face? Please help. I'm really messed up. Sad

free skin care · Sat Jun 02, 2007 9:21 pm

I used tetracycline a few years ago when I had a bad break out that just wouldn't clear up. It worked pretty good for awhile but then kind of stopped working. My doctor gave me minocin and I found it worked even better. I had really clear skin. I then went off it to get pregnant and I've been lucky enough to not have not had any major problems with acne since.

free skin care · Sat Jun 02, 2007 9:49 pm

Oh, and my 16 year old son has acne on his cheeks so the doctor recently gave him phisohex to wash his face with, then benzaclin to apply at night. This has really helped him. The benzacline leaves a white film on his skin so he won't wear it in the mornings, so I have him apply a thin layer of Dr Hauschka rejuvinating mask in the mornings and this really helps with the redness. I also gave him an aspirin mask which brightened up his skin and I'm going to try and make sure he does it at least once a week. In about 5-6 weeks his one cheek is almost cleared up and the other just has a few stubborn pimples left. I tried my first aspirin mask a couple weeks ago and loved what it did for my skin, but I am still breastfeeding and after doing some research I think I may hold off on applying any salicylic acid until I wean the baby.

Here is the link to carekate's mask that I made. http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?tid=23732 And here is a link to some other aspirin masks. http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?tid=12902 You should really try them, I think they will help. Of course you should probably ask your doctor if it's OK to use the mask at the same time as the benzaclin. My son has only used the mask once and his skin didn't burn off or anything but I guess I should take my own advice and ask the doctor. Smile

And don't feel bad every time you look in the mirror. I remember times when I would have to go to work with a big cystic zit and think "OMG this shouldn't be happening at my age". You have done the right thing by joining this foum because you will learn so much about how to take care of your skin. My problem was that I was using products that were too harsh for my skin and once I found products that worked for me, my skin looks so much better. Of course I am always trying new products, but now I take a closer look at what I use, and I read lots of reviews. You will probably spend many, many hours reading through threads here, so sit down, relax and read away.

free skin care · Sun Jun 03, 2007 7:27 am

beautiless, I posted in "first time no hormonal acne" thread my response to this question. I guess I'm lazy so please check there. I feel your pain Rolling Eyes

Sun Jun 03, 2007 5:33 pm

thanks 2 u all for your advice and kind words.

free skin care · Mon Jun 04, 2007 1:41 pm

I've used both tetracycline and benzacline for acne. Actually, there aren't very many prescription acne products short of Accutane that I haven't used over the years. Be careful with the antibiotics in the sun--some of them can cause extreme sensitivity and you will burn very easily. I can't remember if tetracycline is one of antibiotics that causes the most (tried so many i get them confused), but check the bottle to see if there is a warning about exposure to sun while taking the medication. If there is, pay attention to it!

free skin care · Mon Jun 04, 2007 2:13 pm

Beautiless, if you have very suddenly had severe breakouts, is it possible that something has changed suddenly? Something hormonal perhaps (thinking pregnancy here) or maybe you have undergone a very stressful episode? Worth thinking about.

free skin care · Mon Jun 04, 2007 3:39 pm

beautiless wrote:

Hey guys. I'm new to this but I'm hoping you could help me. Recently my face broke out with excessive acne. I mean I used to get a bump here and there but this is crazy! I look like a whole different person! It is really stressing me out. My doctor saw me and gave me a pescription for tetracycline and benzacline. Does this stuff work? And can anyone tell me how do you deal with facing the world when it is hard to look at your own face? Please help. I'm really messed up. Sad

I feel your pain Beutiless. I'm having the worst breakout in years(probably should change my signature from 'mild acne' to 'full blown acne'. I'm going to the doctor tomorrow to try to sort it out. One thing about the antibiotics is that they kill off your good bacteria too...so once you're done you might want to look into taking probiotics orally. There is more information about good/bad bacteria in the Candida Recovery thread in the Lounge. Best of luck to you!

Tue Jul 03, 2007 12:57 pm

It's not uncommon for women to break out for the first time in their 20s or 30s. This is often related to changes in hormones.

My dermatologist said that a lot of things can cause changes in hormones. Women sometimes get acne after going off of birth control. Excessive production of androgen hormones can be a culprit of acne.

Acne can also be a side effect of certain medications.

Fri Jul 06, 2007 1:15 pm

beautiful, I don't have a reciepe for acne but i had that change in 21 for sixth month after having perfect skin for 21 years.That was a big change. Then my skin got good again but sensitive . This is a change. And I am greedy to have perfect skin again.
So
Cheer up n calm down,Cheer up n relax,Cheer up n b contended. U had a perfect skin. Then u had these acne. This a change. U have terrible acne n then u 'll cure n have perfect skin as another change.
so
*plz don't call urself beautiless,u r beautiful whether u have acne or not.
**remember when applying any -cin product which I think will work, I used simply terrmaycin ,then. tell ur self i'm happy, i'm contended, this is a little change n I will overcome it in few days.
***Your high spirits Wink

will influence ur skin notably.
Good luck,beautiful Smile

free skin care · Sat Jul 07, 2007 10:40 am

beautiless wrote:

Hey guys. I'm new to this but I'm hoping you could help me. Recently my face broke out with excessive acne. I mean I used to get a bump here and there but this is crazy! I look like a whole different person! It is really stressing me out. My doctor saw me and gave me a pescription for tetracycline and benzacline. Does this stuff work? And can anyone tell me how do you deal with facing the world when it is hard to look at your own face? Please help. I'm really messed up. Sad

Hi beautiless --- I'm sorry this is happening to you, I know what it's like to be afraid to look in the mirror or go out into the world feeling like your face is a mess.

First, calling yourself beautiless doesn't help! You are so much more than your skin.

Next, Sundew's suggestion that if you're taking antibiotics, you should also take probiotics is a good one. You don't want a yeast infection on top of everything else.

If you're using BCP, antibiotics will reduce the effectiveness a great deal, be sure to use additional protection.

I had to quite taking BCP in my mid-thirties because I smoked. Within 6 months my face broke out horribly it was a mess. Crying or Very sad

Since then, I found I could no longer tolerate the same harsh acne control products found in the drugstore.

At that time I tried Murad, Proactive, then finally went back to Murad and it calmed my skin down quite a bit but I also supplemented it with a lot of less expensive products.

In my 40's, my skin actually looks better than it did in my 20's. I believe it's because I've simplified and found product with fewer ingredients.

Some of the best boosts for breakouts:

1. Drink lots of water and green tea
2. Take good vitamin supplements, preferably food based.[ I take New Chapter, despite the expense] Be sure to include Omega 3.6.9 [I like Nordic naturals] and plenty of anti-oxidants like Vitamin C, E, goji berry and acai
3. Homemade mud/yogurt mask is VERY effective. Yogurt provides lactic acid and prevents mud from overdrying your skin, which is the LAST thing you want. To make this mask, mix 1 heaping teaspoon with bentonite clay [You can find this at many healthfood and some grocery stores. I use the one called Aztec Secrets. It'll last you a loooong time! ] with 1 heaping teaspoon of plain yogurt. Leave on until it dries, then rinse off gently.
4. Remove makeup with a 50/50 mixture of castor oil and jojoba oil. There are many ladies here who swear by the OCM [oil cleansing method] and you can find countless threads on this. Personally, I only use oils to remove makeup, then I follow up with either Murad Clarifying cleanser or PSF papaya cleanser. The murad is a little harsher, but I do like the tingly feeling I get when I use it.
5. What kind of makeup do you use? I found mineral makeup to be much better at keeping breakouts at bay than conventional makeup and will never go back!
6. Keep your pillowplace extremely clean and use a different washcloth for your face every single time!
7. For controlling oil during the day, avoid blotting papers with lots of "stuff" in them, stick to the ones with the most simple ingredients. For me, the papers with rice powder or cornstarch tend to contribute to clogged pores, so I stick with flax paper. Others on this forum swear by Clean and Clear blotting papers.

Keep searching and learning from this site, sweetie! Since I joined EDS forum my skin just keeps getting better and better. My goal of never having to wear makeup at all is getting closer.... Laughing

free skin care · Sat Jul 07, 2007 11:18 am

Everyone has contributed lots of valuable information. I just wanted to add that maybe worthwhile to visit your dermatologist. Some of them could provide you blue light laser therapy which works fast to control your breakout and heals any scar and marks.

free skin care · Mon Jul 09, 2007 4:50 am

Hi beautiless! Sorry to hear about your skin trauma Crying or Very sad

, sudden acne is so hard to deal with.

Alot of good advice has been given to you, so I don't need to repeat it.

However I would also add Hazelnut Oil to your list. I love it! It is absorbed really quickly into my skin, it smells nice, it doesn't aggravate the acne, it is astringent and reduces oil production. I am using this and (Mary's) Silken Pearl cream to reduce persistent whiteheads. The pearl cream also seems to help my acne to heal better.

Most likely this will get shouted down by people, but I also like to use my antiseptic earring spray as a toner. I tell myself it is gentler than alcohol and it kills germs which can aggravate the acne.

Sun Jul 29, 2007 12:42 pm

I know this sounds like something your mother would tell you, but I think the best advice is don't pick, don't touch and try not to think about it. Drink plenty of water, this really helps. I would recommend a using cetaphil as a face wash and try to stay away from oily foundations. I would also recommend trying an astringent for sensitive skin, but only use it once a day (at night). Best of luck.

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