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notmyname
New Member
 
Joined: 09 Jul 2011
Posts: 1
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Sat Jul 09, 2011 2:33 pm  |
Newbie signing in with a question that no doubt has been asked before in various other incarnations, although mine is slightly different. I really hope someone can help. Apologies for the novel but there's a hell of a lot of info that I have to include. Thanks in advance to those who can bare with me lol.
Despite being only 27 I feel I look more like early or even mid 40's (although I've never had the courage to ask anyone how old they think I look as I'm terrified they'll confirm my fears). I have considerable acne scars over my entire face (think Danny Trejo, no joke!), in addition to extensive photo damage all over my body thanks to years as a sun worshiper. I am still prone to breakouts and seem to suffer them for any or no reason.
Nearly 2/3 of my life I've been suffering from acne on and off, in which time I've run the gamut of prescription washes creams, topicals, retinoids, antibiotics and drugs only for them not to work at all or my skin adjust to them and ultimately render them useless and the acne to break out again. Even Retin-A has no effect on me now other than maintain a lovely shade of radish lol.
I am mixed race although quite pale and my facial skin is temperamental. Sometimes it's clammy and greasy, other times dry and chapped, irrespective of the weather or other environmental factors that I'm aware. The only constant besides the severe acne scarring, redness and hyperpigmentation, is that it consistently looks dull and malnourished as if I was a heavy smoker and drinker (I am neither) who partied a lot and slept very little (my sleep is indeed temperamental). It's these four things, in addition to the emergence of premature aging (I started getting wrinkles - wrinkles!! - at 24!) that are concerning me most.
In those 3 years, to combat them I've tried various anti-aging, skin regenerating and scar-reducing products (I will list them upon request) and added a variety of vitamins to my diet, but nothing helps. I'm at a loss for what to do now, hence why I've come here. There's so many products and so-called treatments on the market, I don't know where to begin. Dermabrasion? Dermaroller? Glycolic peel? Salicylic acid peel? Jessners? TCA peel? Obagi? Neova? Skin Biology products? Copper peptides? Emu oil? The list goes on!
I hasten to add that I am currently based in England where dermatological knowledge is far inferior to that in the North America, so it's not a case of simply going to a dermatologist and asking their advice. Dermatologists here are extortionately expensive and the ones who are qualified to perform chemical peels or dermabrasion are sparse to the extent that I can't find any. Thus if anyone happens to know of a reputable derm in the UK, especially one who offers chemical peels, I would very much welcome to hear from you.
Again sorry for the huge post, just trying to provide all the necessary info! |
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Sat Jul 09, 2011 3:29 pm |
| I tried the dermaroller and it didn't seem to work for me at all. I would recommend getting a microdermabrasion treatment. The microderm will help with breakouts and it does improve the scars and wrinkles. I am 23 and I have had severe acne, and scars and now forehead lines. I have tried almost everything. The microdermabrasion treatments helped me more than peels. It will however take about 6 treatments to see a visible improvement. I hope that helps. |
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Sat Jul 09, 2011 4:16 pm |
What about your diet? I have a Low- GI diet and I'm convinced it's helped me look younger than I am. Lots of veg )Kale, red peppers) fish, nuts etc.
Are you stressed? Stress makes me look awful- for some reason stress really shows up on my face.
Getting into a proper sleep pattern would be a good change, not just for your face but your life! I suffer from insomnia- acupuncture really helped me solve that. I went to Sen two days on the trot, and the next night I slept like a baby- the best I have in years. I was up the next day at 8 am eating Krispy Kreme Doughnuts....the mind boggles. I love acupuncture, I feel fantastic when I have it done.
As for skincare- I would start out slow- at your age I would go for good antioxidant serums (I like C E Ferulic, PSF Berry Beneficial and Revale Night Cream)- all three are great and I use them all- they will help pack a punch with the dull look you describe.
Look for a good sunscreen. Many at EDS like physical sunscreens; for me, I can't make them work. I like sunscreens containing mexoryl SX and XL- you will find these in Khiels, Vichy, La Roche Posay.
Microdermabrasions are good fix for the skin. I've had peals done at Urban Retreat- they do Mixroderms too. Very pleased with the outcome. But beaware they can make your skin more photosensitive, so a good UVA sunscreen is a must.
Supplement wise I would take some daily tablespoons of hemp oil (to hydrate the skin from inside), perhaps some vitamin c? It all depends on your diet. |
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Sat Jul 09, 2011 8:14 pm |
hi there,
i had adult acne too, despite all the rx's, for about 10 years until i figured out all the triggers. i had a lot of food sensitivities and if you haven't already tried that route, i'd say give it a go. for me, the problems are sugar (easily solved by taking a 300 r-lipoic acid supplement anytime i have something like candy), dairy using rBST (easy to find alternatives these days), soy, and peanut products (again, big hormone bastards). keeping these in control and taking optizinc along with regular r-lipoic has cleared me. i also find msm to improve my texture slightly, both topically and internally. i know you said you've already tried vitamins but figured i'd mention in case you hadn't tried those.
i've read good things about using dermaroller in conjunction with led's but haven't bitten that bullet. i've had improvement with atrophic scars with 25% tca peels and dermabrasions done by a derm who really knows what he's doing. i'm sorry i haven't any clue as to suggestions for uk derms but i can attest to that being helpful if done multiple times.
led's are nice too- i feel like they've improved my texture a little and help heal spots.
most of all, good luck and i hope you find an excellent derm who can help you through this. |
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Sat Jul 09, 2011 8:51 pm |
| semolinapilchard wrote: |
hi there,
i had adult acne too, despite all the rx's, for about 10 years until i figured out all the triggers. i had a lot of food sensitivities and if you haven't already tried that route, i'd say give it a go. for me, the problems are sugar (easily solved by taking a 300 r-lipoic acid supplement anytime i have something like candy), dairy using rBST (easy to find alternatives these days), soy, and peanut products (again, big hormone bastards). keeping these in control and taking optizinc along with regular r-lipoic has cleared me. i also find msm to improve my texture slightly, both topically and internally. i know you said you've already tried vitamins but figured i'd mention in case you hadn't tried those.
i've read good things about using dermaroller in conjunction with led's but haven't bitten that bullet. i've had improvement with atrophic scars with 25% tca peels and dermabrasions done by a derm who really knows what he's doing. i'm sorry i haven't any clue as to suggestions for uk derms but i can attest to that being helpful if done multiple times.
led's are nice too- i feel like they've improved my texture a little and help heal spots.
most of all, good luck and i hope you find an excellent derm who can help you through this. |
By r-lipoic acid, do you mean alpha lipoic acid? |
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Sun Jul 10, 2011 8:32 am |
I'm based in UK and totally understand what you mean with finding a derm. When I was ready to start addressing the issues I had with my skin, I found it difficult to find a dermatologist per se. I found that most dermatology treatments were carried out in plastic surgeries, under the non-surgical procedures/solutions.
I researched many different surgeries and had 3 face-to-face consultations for various types of treatments (peels/microdermabrasion/obagi etc) and 1 telephone consultation for laser treatment.
Many plastic surgeries offer free consultations, although you may have to pay a refundable fee when booking, to ensure you attend (usually around £25-30).
I would advise you to research the treatment that is suggested for you, I decided to go with the obagi, the surgery I went to wanted £750 for a 3 month programme (a full starter set with 3 or 4 tubes of tretinoin) which included 1 appointment with a nurse and then an appointment with a Dr. I purchased my kit online, including a tube of tretinoin, from a reputable vender (they made me fill in a medical online and I had a telephone consultation with their aesthetic nurse) and then ordered 10 tubes of tretinoin cream from alldaychemist for a total cost of £400, huge saving!!! |
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Sun Jul 10, 2011 9:26 am |
Wow, feel I could almost have written that post myself. I'm 30 with extensive sun damage (although mostly under control due to 10 years of antiageing treatments) and acne scars...also rosacea but that's another story...sigh.
Anyway, what has worked for me is a combination of treatments.
I started with glycolic acid creams and peels at age 18. These treatment are very good for brightening up dull skin, helping reduce acne scars and wrinkles, smoothing the appearance of the surface and gradual increase in collagen and elastin in the deeper dermal layers. I've also had deeper peels such as TCA and one session of erbium laser resurfacing in my early 20's.
My new obsession is the dermaroller which I use every 5 days to help thicken my skin and plump up the acne scars.
I've also used Obagi and tretinoin for 8 years. I either mix tretinoin with Obagi Blender (with arbutin not HQ) or Azelaic acid. The combination works much better than tretinoin alone for me (probably because my upper skin had become thickened and it was harder for the tretinoin to penetrate into the deeper dermal layers.
Hope some of this info might be helpful. If not sorry for rambling lol. |
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Sun Jul 10, 2011 9:33 am |
| angelofthenorth wrote: |
I'm based in UK and totally understand what you mean with finding a derm. When I was ready to start addressing the issues I had with my skin, I found it difficult to find a dermatologist per se. I found that most dermatology treatments were carried out in plastic surgeries, under the non-surgical procedures/solutions.
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So very true. I've learned more from these forums than any derm in the UK. It's been mostly trial and error but treatments that 10 years ago I could only imagine a qualified medical professional doing are now something I can do quite easily in the comfort of my own home for a fraction of the price. |
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Sun Jul 10, 2011 3:05 pm |
Dee, I have seen Dermaroller used alot here on the forums. If you don't mind me asking, What brand do you use and where did you purchase it? Is there any chance of it making the skin worse (scars)?
In regards to the initial post, I don't have bad scarring as you have described but I do have small ice pick scarring and Karin Herzogs Oxygen cream has helped out a ton. I also use Bio Oil, Rosehip Oil & think I may incorporate the good ole aloe vera in my regimine. |
_________________
Dry - Combo Skin - added Retin A to my pm skincare regime on March 20, 2015---I have used Rosehip and coconut oil-daily-for over a year and this significally reduced my scarring and evened my skin tone |
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Sun Jul 10, 2011 4:44 pm |
| MentorAmy05 wrote: |
In regards to the initial post, I don't have bad scarring as you have described but I do have small ice pick scarring and Karin Herzogs Oxygen cream has helped out a ton. I also use Bio Oil, Rosehip Oil & think I may incorporate the good ole aloe vera in my regimine. |
MentorAmy05: Please can you tell me how the cream has helped your ice pick scars? TIA |
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Sun Jul 10, 2011 7:50 pm |
| angelofthenorth wrote: |
| MentorAmy05 wrote: |
In regards to the initial post, I don't have bad scarring as you have described but I do have small ice pick scarring and Karin Herzogs Oxygen cream has helped out a ton. I also use Bio Oil, Rosehip Oil & think I may incorporate the good ole aloe vera in my regimine. |
MentorAmy05: Please can you tell me how the cream has helped your ice pick scars? TIA |
Yes, the oxygen has made the ice pick scarring less noticeable and smoother texture, they are not as deep as they previously were, I have more even skin tone and overall better appearance of the scars. The scars have not completely went away, but they definitely have a more smoothed look to them and have minimized. I hope this helps. It is easier seeing than explaining, but hopefully I helped explain what you were asking. |
_________________
Dry - Combo Skin - added Retin A to my pm skincare regime on March 20, 2015---I have used Rosehip and coconut oil-daily-for over a year and this significally reduced my scarring and evened my skin tone |
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Sun Jul 10, 2011 9:08 pm |
| oasisjc wrote: |
| By r-lipoic acid, do you mean alpha lipoic acid? |
it's similar but a bit different. i use the life extension super r-lipoic acid, costs around 26 on amazon.
a little random link about it: http://vitamins.vitanetonline.com/index.php/rla
mentor, that cream sounds interesting- thanks for mentioning. glad you've had improvement from it. |
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Mon Jul 11, 2011 2:33 am |
Thank you MentorAmy05, your explanation has definitely helped  |
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Mon Jul 11, 2011 3:33 am |
MentorAmy, I use the Nova Roller brand with 1.5mm needles!  Just bought some emla cream because I want to push the needles in deeper to get more penetration and hopefully maximum results.
Also have the Leaf and Rusher one (bought ages ago) with 0.2mm needles. Both where purchased through Ebay. I've only been using the longer needles for a few weeks now so can't say for certain how much improvement there is, but at least my scars don't look any worse!  |
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Wed Jul 13, 2011 10:33 am |
| notmyname wrote: |
Newbie signing in with a question that no doubt has been asked before in various other incarnations, although mine is slightly different. I really hope someone can help. Apologies for the novel but there's a hell of a lot of info that I have to include. Thanks in advance to those who can bare with me lol.
Despite being only 27 I feel I look more like early or even mid 40's (although I've never had the courage to ask anyone how old they think I look as I'm terrified they'll confirm my fears). I have considerable acne scars over my entire face (think Danny Trejo, no joke!), in addition to extensive photo damage all over my body thanks to years as a sun worshiper. I am still prone to breakouts and seem to suffer them for any or no reason.
Nearly 2/3 of my life I've been suffering from acne on and off, in which time I've run the gamut of prescription washes creams, topicals, retinoids, antibiotics and drugs only for them not to work at all or my skin adjust to them and ultimately render them useless and the acne to break out again. Even Retin-A has no effect on me now other than maintain a lovely shade of radish lol.
I am mixed race although quite pale and my facial skin is temperamental. Sometimes it's clammy and greasy, other times dry and chapped, irrespective of the weather or other environmental factors that I'm aware. The only constant besides the severe acne scarring, redness and hyperpigmentation, is that it consistently looks dull and malnourished as if I was a heavy smoker and drinker (I am neither) who partied a lot and slept very little (my sleep is indeed temperamental). It's these four things, in addition to the emergence of premature aging (I started getting wrinkles - wrinkles!! - at 24!) that are concerning me most.
In those 3 years, to combat them I've tried various anti-aging, skin regenerating and scar-reducing products (I will list them upon request) and added a variety of vitamins to my diet, but nothing helps. I'm at a loss for what to do now, hence why I've come here. There's so many products and so-called treatments on the market, I don't know where to begin. Dermabrasion? Dermaroller? Glycolic peel? Salicylic acid peel? Jessners? TCA peel? Obagi? Neova? Skin Biology products? Copper peptides? Emu oil? The list goes on!
I hasten to add that I am currently based in England where dermatological knowledge is far inferior to that in the North America, so it's not a case of simply going to a dermatologist and asking their advice. Dermatologists here are extortionately expensive and the ones who are qualified to perform chemical peels or dermabrasion are sparse to the extent that I can't find any. Thus if anyone happens to know of a reputable derm in the UK, especially one who offers chemical peels, I would very much welcome to hear from you.
Again sorry for the huge post, just trying to provide all the necessary info! |
You sound similar to me...and I'm very sure you don't look 40. Our skin problems always seem much worse to ourselves than they do to others.
Sorry to hear about your UK derm experiences. I have never had the opportunity to visit one as I saw a GP for all my acne issues when I lived there.
Anyway...please start with the simple things first.
The things I would recommend are:
1. Good cleanser which doesn't strip your skin. I used to use just any old cheap thing...it makes a world of a difference to find one- EVEN if you have acne- which doesn't strip it. You want cleansed, not tight and dry.
2. Sunscreen. As you live in the UK, the sun is not too strong for most of the year. SPF30 should be fine. Find a non-greasy one which works for you- I love physical ones personally.
3. Vitamin C serum. I've found the ones I've ordered from EDS have been fresh.
4. I would try nia 24. It has evened my skin tone a lot. You can buy it on EDS. It is supposedly proven to also repair skin damage through consistent use.
5. Fish oil supplements. Do a google search for what you should be taking in.
Finally, please don't stress about the acne. I too, suffer from the odd breakout, but so long as it's nothing like it was when I had hormonal breakouts when I was 15-19, I'm OK. I've not yet worked out what causes mine, but I'm thinking too many skin products/too many new products plus possibly sweat (gym/exercise), lack of sleep, that time of the month..or something I'm eating/not eating. My sister had really severe acne and swears by her very clean organic diet and simple organic skin products as the only thing which cleared it up.
As for retin A, the Nia 24 helps your skin to tolerate it apparently, and additionally, you may want to back off, let your skin heal and then try again. I'd go for using it every 3 days for a month, then every 2, then every dsy if you can...and follow up with the Nia 24 or Emu oil/some other very moisturing cream (I like Avene).
Good luck. |
_________________
Mid/late 20s...acne prone combination skin, slight pitted acne scarring on cheek, freckles, sun spots, severe dark circles, broken capillaries around my nose, blackheads on nose...yeah, I'm a skin mess. |
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Thu Jul 14, 2011 4:49 am |
Hi,
I didn't have acne as a teenager but I did start getting spots a few years ago which i think are caused by the hair regrowth after laser hair removal. I also thought the micodermabrasion made it all worse. As I'm Asian, i wouldn't have a chemical peel as I've heard it can scar Asian skins.
I have found something that works for lots of skin problems I have, Argan and cactus seed oil. I have used it for a while now and the scars from childhood are fading- I always wore foundation and blusher to hide them and now don't need to. I also found my skin looks soft and younger, the pigmentation is fading, and my lines are going. My skin is firmer and softer. I have now moved on the the Intensive version by going natural and it sinks in to the skin really well, so I use it morning and night- quite a lot at night and rub it in. They are a UK company based in Oxford. It has the added benefit of being natural and organic if that matters to you. You know something works when those around you want to know what you are using. I hope this is helpful.R |
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