<![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps - Jezebel Comments]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps - Jezebel Comments]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I had a face full of zits, and while working at McDonalds (probably a key cause....) any way a little boy very loudly said 'look mummy that lady had chicken pox!!'. So i asked him if he thought Ronald would let me go home since i had chicken pox. Ah you had to laugh but often having acne was so soul destroying and painful.

Cesybabe

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> Well i have had acne since i was 9 years old, my parents never did anything about it until I was 15 .They took me to the Dermatologist and he told them that i had cystic acne and that if not treated it would scar my face. They never did anything about it , never took me again to the Dermatologist and not because lack of money or insurance(we had the best of the best) i guess they didn't care...
Anyways after all the damage was done , and now that i am an independent adult , and after 2 treatments of Accutane that made me loose my hair , I still have soe breakouts from time to time but nothing serious .But my face is a mess to the point that I stay indoors for months, since people can sometimes be ruthless and cruel ...
Thanks to my loving husband , I am getting laser resurfacing all over my face , the Dermatologist says that it will eliminate 80 % of the scars .

Acne is a very serious condition that sadly could and will destroy a persons self esteem and life , and if it wasn't for my husband i will probably be homeless .

Zzilk

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I am not sure if acne can never be cured, I have been struggling with it for over a decade and discovered that a low-GI (glycemic index) diet is very effective. Has anyone experienced a re-occurrence of acne after maintaining dietary restrictions that helped? My hope is that it will be the "cure."

alicegreene

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> post to sephora spy blog comments This is in response to dingosmom1's comment of 3/5/08 about what is worse: bad skin or a wheelchair. I have had terrible acne for about 15 years. It has caused extreme bouts of depression. These bad feelings stem not just from the fact that my face looks bad no matter what I do, but the fact that I have lost countless hours of my life doing things to my face to get it to look decent enough to leave my house. I have never said this to anyone for fear I would be seen as overly-dramatic or trivializing the problems of others, but... I feel I can liken my experience with acne to having a disability of some sort. Many of the social or lifestyle issues that can be associated with some disabilities can also be linked to chronic acne: 1) social stigma, 2) being forced to be "higher-maintenance", 3) the feeling that I need to "pass" as not having acne, 4) not being able to participate in certain activities (that would expose the real condition of my skin), though self-imposed (see #3), and the biggie: 5) emotional effects (depression). I can't even begin to describe the countless aspects of my lifestyle, psyche, personality, actions, relationships, and self-image that have been impacted--mostly negatively--by having chronic acne. It is a constant emotional rollercoaster! (please excuse the cliché). My fiancé has cerebral palsy, and he employs little tricks in order to appear less disabled. He hates seeing video of himself because he does not like the way he looks. I am constantly inventing new tricks to hide my acne. I'm excited for our wedding, but it just turns my stomach to know that I'll have the same disgusting face on that day as on every other day of my life. I've contemplated forgoing the photographer altogether because I don't think I can bear to see in print how my acne/makeup looks to others. I know I'll probably be able to cover it up enough to be able to walk out of the bathroom, and be able to push it out of my mind enough throughout the day, but actually seeing the condition of my skin documented in front of me on a piece of paper crushes any self-preserving false image I have created in my mind. I also want to mention the permanency factor: You mentioned that acne is probably especially hard on kids. For me, it is MUCH harder as an adult. As a teenager, there was some consolation in the fact that many of my peers also had the same problem and in the idea that it would eventually clear up. Now, as an adult, I see constant confirmation all around me that seemingly I alone suffer this condition and confirmation from my [current] dermatologist that no, this problem is, in fact, not ever going to go away (much like a disability). In conclusion, I'm not saying that I would prefer a physical disability over acne, but simply that acne has significantly impacted my life, in many ways similar, I think, to the way some disabilities impact the lives of others. ____________________________________________________________________________________ You rock. That's why Blockbuster's offering you one month of Blockbuster Total Access, No Cost. http://tc.deals.yahoo.com/tc/blockbuster/text5.com

OralieDentatus

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> Ugh... I got real bad adult cystic acne about 8 1/2 - 9 years ago, out of the blue... fought a noble fight with my dermatologist using antibiotics and getting on the pill... Luckily, it did eventually go away, but I was left with some pock marks, nothing horrific, but still there. I never ended up having flawness smooth skin after that, but I was fairly zit free for a bunch of years.

Then this past December, blammo! It came back, but with a vengeance. I'd continued taking ortho tri-cyclen for years, but after I switched to ortho tri-cyclen lo on a whim (ooh! it's less hormones, it's gotta be better for me!) and it made me a total f'in nutball, I vowed to never take the pill again. Miraculously, my skin stayed ok for about 9 months... and then it came back worse than it'd ever been in my life. I waged another battle long with my dermatologist, tried Differin and Duac (meh), Ziana (it made my face turn into alligator skin), and I've been on Solodyn for a couple of months now. Well, I'm still pimply, and it doesn't really seem to have gotten much better. So what did I do? Just got a scrip to go back on good ol ortho tri-cyclen. Yes, I'm that vain right now. So I'll give up my sanity and sex drive for some decent skin. I know in my heart of hearts that this is going to work.

So now what? After I get back on the pill, I'm going to switch back to my regular regimen of natural oatmeal soap from whole foods (sappho) in the AM and using eucerin cleanser in the PM (I'm 34 but look 24, and I want to keep it that way). All those prescription topicals and stuff didn't do crap for me, so it's back to hormone time!

foodzings

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> It does feel as if I've read everything possible about getting rid of those giant zits. This is what works for me--medication not being an option. I don't like the idea of masking a problem or only treating a symptom. I just want it fixed, period.

I have discovered that what I eat matters. The more sugar, refined carbs, and the less veggies I eat the worse my acne gets. If I take out sugar--even limiting fruit sugars--my acne is almost gone. In addition, if I workout, really sweat regularly, my skin is even better. Keeping my weight down, a natural side affect of all that is above, the zits are gone.

Check this out:

[www.absoluteacneinfo.com]

My conclusion. Modern living is horrible for my skin. But living like a monk is tough. Do I have zits right now, why yes, I do, even though I know exactly how I need to live to get rid of them.

Good luck folks.

sdh87

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @Dizzy8:
How did you decide/figure out that cutting out citric acid would affect acne? I love stuff with citric acid in it, so I think that would be hard. I think with food, how can you tell it is directly tied to that? Has anyone else had medical experience to back up this claim? I'm interested to try it.


Gen_Next

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> Incredibly late to the party, I know, but this is something I've been dying to talk about and everyone thinks I'm absolutely stark raving mad when I do. You all, however, are a captive audience - mwuahahaha!

I had diagnosed persistent cystic acne for 12 years. I suffered through four rounds of Accutane (and all of the nasty side effects that went with it).

I was on oral antibiotics for 10 YEARS.

I used ProActiv. I used Murad. I used Clearasil, I used prescription topicals. (Retin-A, benzoyl peroxide, antibiotics, etc.) I gave up wearing makeup altogether. I was on various forms of hormonal birth control.

And I finally got sick of it. Utterly, completely, totally fed up with the pills and the lotions and the creams and the gels and the agony.

I am a StumbleUpon junkie.

One night I stumbled on a page about the Oil Cleansing Method. And I said, "What the heck! I'll try it!"

Within 48 hours my surface acne was gone. My most recent eczema flare had subsided. Within 5 days, the deep, painful cysts on my chin and cheekbones were gone. The eczema that I've dealt with my entire life was healing.

Three months later, and my skin is like porcelain - clear, soft, smooth, and gorgeous. My skin care routine, that used to cost me upwards of $60 a week, now costs me less than $10 a month. I have not had a hormonal acne breakout. My eczema is gone. And the only makeup I wear is a touch of lipstick for a night out.

It worked for Cleopatra. And it worked for me. Equal parts extra virgin olive oil and castor oil, with a few drops of tea tree oil until the acne clears - you'll use less than a teaspoon for your face and neck, and about a quarter cup for the whole shebang. The olive oil is cheaper in bulk (yay warehouse stores!), and you can pick up castor oil in bulk off the interwebs. A wee tiny bottle of tea tree oil will last you far longer than you'll ever need it.

Even the deep scarring I've had since I was 15 is starting to fill in and smooth out.

If you're at the end of your rope, you might give it a try.

Nogling

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I have read this entire thread, and I am a little confused about the people who say they have "cystic acne", but it cleared right up from proactiv, or some weird cleaning and moisturizing regimen or lots of water? Have you people actually been diagnosed by a real dermatologist as having cystic acne? Or are you just using that term cause you read it on acne.org? I have a diagnosis of "persistent cystic acne" and i only get real results from prescription antibiotics, topicals, and accutane. Yeah, naturopaths aren't going to work for me.

kaserina

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I've gone through pretty much everything everyone else has.

Had cystic acne since middle school and I've been on just about everything.

The first cycle of accutane was pretty good. Lasted about a year with no breakouts whatsoever.

Started having more and my doctor just gave me steroids and short stints of antibiotics.

That worked for a few times, then that stopped working so he put me on another cycle of accutane. That worked for a few months but not as long as the first cycle.

Then I started going to a dermatologist and she gave me Differin and Benzaclyn along with longer doses of antibiotics.

That's been the most effective so far. I'm 25 now. Still have 2-3 breakouts a year. I use differin at night, and benzaclyn during the day. Pretty much all over my face. It does really dry out my face but I'm a dude so I just use lotion.

Like has been said, for people like me, this will never go away.

It's made me really paranoid about breakouts to the point where I wash my hands a ton, and try and never touch my face with dirty hands.

I also try and keep my general stress level down. I have noticed more than a few times, that 2 weeks after a stressful event, I start having problems. Kind of weird.

Also, cortisone shots are a godsend, after having them, the acne in that spot goes away in like two days ( no shot = probly 4-8 weeks till it goes away). The only problem is getting a dermatologist appointment when you really need it, and not 3 weeks later.

I could write a book about how traumatic this stuff was for me in middle and high school.

Sucks going to class having people ask you what in the world happened to your head. It's so large, that they view you grotesquely especially after you tell them it's acne.

Tibbons

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I had terrible acne in high school and early college years. I think my early treatment really dried out my face and caused oil/bacteria to make a comeback with a vengence. It wasn't until I started shaving that I conquered the acne. The shaving cream I used was not a foam but more of a moisturizing cream and shaving cream in one.

The daily shaving, moisturizing, and cleaning all in one step is still working (knock on wood) and even the scarring is going away gradually. The stuff I shave with now, Edge Active Care, has vitamin E in it as well. So the act of the razor going across the skin has a microdermabrasion effect and the lotion with Vitamin E repairs it over time.

I am looking into getting maybe a chemical peel or a professional microdermabrasion treatment since the scarring is still noticeable (makes me look like I've been in a tanning bed with goggles on).

mobbo

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I had some body piercings done, and they gave me a medical-grade antimicrobial soap to wash them with. I had some acne in that area, and the acne cleared up there. I had an ah-ha moment, and started applying it to my face and other acne-ridden areas, and it started clearing up immediately and stayed that way as long as I used the soap. I think it was called provin or something. I need to get some more myself, but first I have to remember what the stuff is called!

larkknot

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> im a teen still battling regular (not cystic?) acne. I am sad all the time

ilovejohnnythunders

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> Huh. Ortho Tri-Cyclen CAUSED cystic acne for me. Just around my chin and mouth for some reason. Quit the birth control, and my doctor gave me a can of Evoclyn. Cleared most stuff right up. It sucks, though, having it.

AnnieGetYourFun

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> No joke ladies i'm on 24th year going to dermatologists (started when i was 12). let me condense what they have imparted to me (which is what i do)

1-accutane: as long as you know the risks (deformed babies) and that you'll spend a few months with bone dry eyes, nose, and lips no matter what you put on/in them, and it may not last forever (for me it started coming back after about 6 years although not nearly as bad). accutane is big time drugs, not for the faint of heart- but i can tell you yes, it works.

2-retin A -everyday--for the rest of your life: hey ladies ONLY proven wrinkle reducer/preventer other than surgery-so you get the 2 for price of 1! but dont give up after a month. i always did that and it in reality takes about 6 months to really notice how much better your skin looks.

3-benzoyl peroxide for spots- my doc says put it on as often as you can tolerate it. all day if you can.

4-bareminerals makeup

jerriblank

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> Ok, this is a Catch-22 I am intimately familiar with -- my skin has never been awesome but it's certainly much better when I'm on hormone-squelching birth control. Choosing between looking gross (and feeling ashamed) but being horny or looking fuckable but not wanting to fuck AT ALL is not something I would wish on anyone.

polkaparty

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I can't believe that people here consider that accutane (istretinoin) is controversial - almost s if its scary!

Look guys.. lookup nearly any drug on the internet and you'll find a whole host of supposed side-effects... but you know what accuntance has helped tens of millions of people around the world , including myself with no permanent side effects.

The fact is that isotretinoin is chemically nearly identical to Vitamin A - and its by mimicking it's action that it works. Sure is not that great for your liver - because it has to work at breaking it down - but under a doctors supervision and by leading a healthy lifestyle there is no long term effect on the liver.

In terms of suicide/depression - there is no double blind study to prove this. You can also unsurprisingly infer that the demographic that this drug is taken by is naturally more prone to suicide even if they weren't on the drug. Your dealing with teenagers dealing with puberty and the onset of adult hood - with all the emotional dilemmas it usually brings on. Coupled together with acne - it undoubtedly makes the risk of depression worse. Furthermore if your one of the unluckily few who accutane only partially help.. or not at all - the consequence of failing to have the problem resolved might spur on latent depression over the issue. I know it sounds terrible - but you have to consider the obvious.

The real and main side effect of isotretinoin is this: You won't have to worry about getting acne for at least the next six months-year because your body won't even be producing any oil that normally lubricates the skin and also causes acne. The result of this is that your skin is VERY dry and you MUST stay out of the sun.

For more the sun rays felt like they were almost burning.. not painful but uncomfortable. You must also moistarise EVERY DAY - I used QV Cream and everything was fine... but if you forget to moisterise or go out in the sun - expect your skin to go very red, dry and flaky - like a bad sun burn.

Having said that - you don't need to be locked up inside... you just can't go working outside for hours or go to the beach.

My experience... six months of accutane - nearly six years of being nearly acne free!

Its not a miracle cure... but undoubtedly its the closest thing science has.

Go speak to your doctor - ask to be referred to a dermatologist and speak to them - every case is different and professional knowledge is always better than what you read on the net (even from me!)

Best of luck! :)

celsiusguy

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> Do a little research into the ingredients of all these "skin care" products that are supposed to clear up pimples. Most of them are made from God-knows-what and likely give you more zits than you started with. When you put toxic chemicals on your face, it will probably react. Negatively. Not to mention half the ingredients in skin care products are hormone disruptors that might cause the hormone problems the doctors blame your acne for. Google the EWG Skin Deep report, read it, and try some products that might provide the magical results of un-irritated skin and you not being dead.

lizzie0709

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> My husband did 6 months of Accutane about 10 years ago. It helped him get rid of severe cystic acne. He still has a lot of scarring from before and the occasional blemish, but nothing like before. Plus, he now uses some of the skincare products I use, to help maintain. I'm semi-addicted to skincare, and I read the forums at makeupalley.com regularly (very informative). I have a somewhat involved skincare regime, but I finally have skin that I don't hate.

I use a mineral makeup and concealer which are HG ("Holy Grail") items for me (I have been using coconutbaycosmetics.com mineral makeup for over 2 years, amazing and inexpensive. They also don't make me breakout even though I workout with makeup on 6 days a week). Other HG items -- DHC Cleansing Oil, Joesoef Sulfur Soap/30 SPF Moisturizer/Glycolic Cream, Lumene Energizing Drops, Derma-E Hyaluronic Mist, and Ponds Microdermabrasion.

I'm also cheap, so I try to find the products that work the best for me and cost the least. Sorry I'm gushing. I tend to gush about products I love.

amlb

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @funnyface: you OBVIOUSLY do not have cystic acne.

A Nooner For Nina

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @Cookie Guggleman: i was on accutane. TWICE. i'm still battling this bullshit.

A Nooner For Nina

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> Fuck, I missed out on all the fun.

hamburgerhotdog

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> Is anyone even reading anymore? If Sephora Spy is, I have questions about picking/popping zits.

Should you ever pop them? If so, how?

I will admit that I've popped many a zit, with varying results. When I do it, I always use the ends of two Q-tips instead of my fingers, and then I immediately douse the area with a toner that has salicylic acid. My thinking is that the toner will kill any lingering bacteria and prevent bacteria from spreading and causing more zits. The problem is, with blackheads, I'm left with a huge gaping pore, and with whiteheads, there's usually some redness or bleeding. And sometimes the toner wreaks havoc on the freshly popped ara, causing a scab. So, any suggestions/help?

GoldHoops

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I have had bad skin since I was 12. My mom made me feel awful about myself because of it, so of course, I am very concerned about my skins appearance. I have recently found out that my dads side of the family have terrible skin and they are old ( I didn't know them)
I have been on every retinol (a, differein etc) years of antibiotics, microdermabrasion, peels,otc topical, remember the tinted Clearasil from the 80's...since high school.

I asked my dermie about getting frequent facials like th French do, and she said that they are a waste of money. I followed all of her rules and they might help someone, they were: use cleansers and moisturizers with absolutely no oils in there, natural or chemical, and to exfoliate at least once a week and take multivits. I am bad about taking them, but when I do consistently my skin does look better...
Six years ago I went on Accutane and the joint pain was awful and my moods were vicious, but my skin looked great in the end. The cystic pimples came back a few years ago so I went on Spironolactone, it helped a bit but did not clear up my skin liked I wanted it to.
I got married last year, and some brides obsess about their hair or dress, I obsessed about my skin.
This cycle my skin exploded in pimples when I first started and instead of pure hatred for everyone, I was really weepy, but I lost a ton of weight because I got really nauseous (I have IBS and it upset my tummy a lot). Unfortunately, my skin is bad again so I am on my 30 day prove you are not knocked up waiting period to start again. My dermie told me that each time you take Accutane you reduce the reoccurrence of outbreak by x amount, I forget the quoted formula, so maybe this time it should be about a 95% chance of being cured.
The first round totally cleared up my back acne and drastically reduced my oiliness and that has been a constant.
I have gotten loads of compliments on my skin, but I don't feel comfortable about how it looks, not to others, but to me. I am in my 30's I have been dealing with this for 20 years, it sucks. I know Accutane is a risk, but apparently in Europe it isn't and is prescribed much more liberally. I love products and will always buy new products over a cute top, priorities and issues!
I would be happy to answer questions about meds or products that I have tried or have some experience with.

alsie

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I have to chime in on the Spironolactone -- it's wonderful. I've been taking Yasmin and spiro for two years now and my skin looks the best it has since I hit puberty. It's not perfect, but it's pretty good. The medication may have affected my sex drive, but without it I would probably never leave my room, so I think it's worth it.

As to Accutane: it works really well for some people, but it's a complete horror story for others and can itself leave lasting damage. Plus if it's hormonal acne, it may not fix the underlying problem.

Just my two cents...

AzureEternity

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @J.D.Regent: The Sephora Spy posts are so strange... I don't want to be like a bitch but so far this Jasmine girl does not appear to be very bright. You have bad acne? Go to the dermatologist instead of the wacky Homeopath, and try not to commit petty larceny while you're there, please.

Jezebabe

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @petuniacat: Breaks my heart already when they can you can't use it on the face. If I can't get rid of the stupid recurring under-chin hairs on my neck, what's the point?

So, ya, we need to know which areas of the body it REALLY works on.

Thank you.

In other news, Jasmine, moar plz.

Rooo sez BISH PLZ

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @HotNuttyBrownie: Seriously, self, you're going to start a new page with *that* lame comment? Sigh.

HotNuttyBrownie

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @Klassy: I don't remember discussing it yesterday, but still a cool coincidence!

HotNuttyBrownie

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> My mom kept on trying to get me to use Bare Minerals, and that shit itched so bad I had to take it off immediately and my skin still has not recovered. So I would test it somewhere else before you put it on your face.

I did a round of accutane but my acne returned, and I don't feel like going through accutane hell again. I'm also allergic to sulfa and retinoids. Clearasil Total Control (or whatever the extra strength stuff is) works as a spot treatment, but it bleaches my pillowcases. I just ordered some skin stuff from Lush, since their Dream Cream totally got rid of my terrible eczema, so i'm going to see how that goes.

vanka

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> Darien? I'm amazed she knew it existed. That whole reference just made my day.

skoandco

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> This is a serious hypothetical question, not me being an asshole: Which is worse, a wheelchair or really really bad skin? I use a wheelchair, but always had good skin. (Except now I'm getting old, which sucks because duhhh, I always had good skin.) Your answer doesn't really matter, doesn't change a thing, I just wonder what people think. I sure feel for you people with the skin issues. The visible problems are tough, and must be way more so as young peeps.

Mrs. DeLesseps To You, Dahling

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @Pterodactyl: Hey!!! That's what happened to me too, with the Proactiv! I just ranted about it on Makeup alley - after I put a hold on receiving any more orders because their product didn't work, they totally sent a purportedly unpaid bill to a bill collector, screwing up my credit! But I had paid for everything I received from them. I mean, you have to pay to receive a product! But when I called the bill collector I'd gotten the letter from to dispute/pay (I was really confused and thought that I must have been mistaken), they couldn't find any record of it. As in, the bill, while still in arrears, paradoxically didn't exist. Fuckers. In all applicable sense of the word, Proactiv is a total scam. I stuck with their routine for 5 months, to no improvement and even some worsening of my severely distressing cystic acne. Fuck Guthy-Renker. They prey on the vulnerable, I think.

mercymercyme

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> Oh, my, how I feel your pain! My cysts are not on my face but instead on my ass and inner thighs. I have tried basically every over the counter acne product since I was 12 to no avail. Luckily, I'm soon to be insured so I'll be hitting up the dermo.

I have literally cried in pain from sitting down too hard on one of those bastards.

I did pick up some of that pink sulfur solution and it seemed to help. Any suggestions?

statickat

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @Ceiling Cat: i got a 'roid from the generic accutane, I remember calling the derm and telling the nurse about my ahem "anal bleeding" and eventual hemorrhoid, but it was worth the pain in my ass and the dryness in the face.

I break out still BUT the zits are half the size they used to get so it doesn't bother me

abagofsand

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> That site they link to references "Your Face Never Lies"--I love that book! I bought that book in college (circa 1997). It really got me to thinking about how my body was telling me I was sick. I used to get cold sores and I learned what area was causing them and figured out what the triggers were and how to avoid them.

copious28

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> One more for the pro-Accutane camp. I took it over 20 years ago, over the space of several months. About a year after stopping, I got pregnant with my first kid, who ended up a National Merit Scholar. So no residual effects.

Knowing what a major effect severe cystic acne had on my psyche -- to this day -- I was ready to testify before Congress if they started making noises about pulling it from the market, when issues arose about it increasing suicidal tendencies. Not to make light, but hey, the idea that a teen with severe acne might already be leaning that way ever occur to them?

After the Accutane, I had maybe two or three cysts in the next 15 years. I'm now on Aldactone (great stuff), and it minimizes any surface stuff I have to fight. I really hate to see people scared away from either one, because it's so difficult, and so painful, to fight this crap for all these years...

tricia_06

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> can you (or anyone else) recommend a specific product with hydroquinone or kojic acid that actually works for dark spots? a quick google search shows you can buy 4% solutions online, by the way. i'm just not keen on shelling out $60 - $90 for something i'm not sure will work.

spectatertot

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I had cystic acne in my mid 20s and tried antibiotics then did 8 months of accutane. It totally dried up my lips, both sets!

My skin is better now but not perfect. I'd consider doing it again if things start going down hill but it is hard to get started on what what with the pregnancy tests. I told the Dr I was celibate the whole time even though I started getting it on half way through.

Cranimal

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I had horrible acne. Oh G_D it was horrible. Went into the realm of cystic. Started at 7th grade and only ended when I turned 25. Took everything short of Accutane b/c the whole liver issue freaked me out AND my dermatologist. Anywhoo it ended after I took some Chinese medicine for 3 months straight --- everything came out and I mean EVERYTHING. It took over a year and a half for the residual acne to go away and heal permanently...the magic ingredient was egg yolk masque on my face, every single day.

arirang

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> The Pill ruined my skin at 17 (ortho-the "skin helping" bc, natch!) At 24, I still have a reddish complexion and pitted cheeks. But at least I found good make up (bare essentials mineral powder) and boy howdy do I have more confidence than my suicidally insecure can't leave the house cystic acne self. God I looked bad in pictures, but you feel like you HAVE to wear insane amounts of concealer. Anyway, I got healed a bit from antibiotics for years, minocyclin, and also I read Accutane had issues with causing suicidal tendencies. (possibly just in already suicidal kids, true, but my doc wouldn't put me on it. My face was depressing, what can I say.)

Tiny-Moves

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @MollyShroom: I was diagnosed with PCOS last year after complaining to my doctor that no matter how well I ate or how much I exercised I still couldn't lose weight, and she did a blood test and I had high levels of testosterone and glucose. I also had cysts on my ovaries during high school, which should have been a clue.

I'm currently on Metformin (a Type 2 Diabetes med to control the hormones) and birth control. For a while I couldn't afford the BC, but the metformin was only $4 a month at Walmart, and my gyno told me that since the metformin helped me to ovulate I had 4x the risk of someone without PCOS of getting pregnant. That pretty much scared me from having sex for a bit. But now I can afford both, which is obviously very good. I just have to have a blood test once a year to have my levels checked.

BoredButNoLongerInNH

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @AndSheWas: dude, fuck proactiv, boooooo, such a fucking racket

Beets.Go.On

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> Dude, use a Clarisonic face brush.

They're expensive as hell ($200!!!!), but so, so worth it. Cleared my cystic acne right up.

MeowKat

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> The regimen @ Acne.org helped me with the acne I have had seriously for 20 years (I am going on 31). It's been a miracle.

rdm

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I second the food allergy post! I am allergic to tomatoes. And I finally figured out that the citric acid in, say, dorito's and apple juice and even Twizzlers, is also found in a tomato. Once I stopped eating anything with that ingredient, the acne went away and never came back. If I ever tell myself, "It's not that bad. I couldn't really be that sensitive..." it comes back right away and I shape up again for another while before temptation strikes again. (But it BITES trying to find food I can eat on the go).

Dizzy8

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @ Balisong, i'd take birth control pills over antibiotics every day of the year. 2 years ago i had such a bad breakout my doctor put me on tons of antibiotics, skin cleared right up... and i ended up in the hospital for a week for a bacterial infection in my colon. it sucked ass.

i've had acne since the fourth grade, and i am now 42. Yaz is really helping, and i use philosophy's "on a clear day" face wash, but as a lotion before bed every night. it's the sulfur in it that does the trick. this, and occasional glycolic peels.

grumpygirl

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @magic1: it's probably different now, because holy cow I can tell you 100s of side effects off the the top of my head after the stuff they made me read. My first time on it, I was tired all the time, had no endurance while running, and had the horrible dryness. 2nd time, hardly any side effects. If you read all that shit about accutane, it is terrifying. I would recommend trying it (if you're up for some annoying bullshit rigmarole)...everyone will react differently.

fashionably-challenged

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @Pleasure:
I know exactly how you feel. My beautiful hair started falling out with the onset of the acne,but every medical test that I took did not show any problems.I was so depressed. As bad as acne is ,it can never compare to a woman losing her hair.It stop falling out like it used to, but I have yet to regain it's fullness.

blue03

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @funnyface: There are more than just cosmetic reasons. When I went on Accutane for the first time it was a big decision because it can fuck with your liver, blood pressure, potential pregnancies etc. However my dermo told me that the bacteria in the cysts could actually get into your bloodstream and cause other problems there.

Plus, you can't discount the horrible effects having a face full of cysts (that are so painful you can barely wash your face) has on your self esteem.

Eloise612 loved her orange tabby kitteh

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> when you are a girl growing up with bad, bad skin, you know exactly how Jasmine feels. My skin was my obsession for years (still kinda is)...didn't want to go out if it looked bad, cried over it, spent thousands on antibiotics, topicals, chemical peels, over-the-counters, and thought that my life would be great if I could just have good skin. It is not just a superficial problem when it totally wrecks your self-image.
I am also on the Accutane train, twice (first time quit before the end b/c of high liver enzymes). It didn't give me a miracle cure, but the cysts are gone and I have good days that I don't need concealer. I am always in complete awe & jealousy of girls who just have naturally clear skin...they will never understand how lucky they are.

fashionably-challenged

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I went on birth control and Proactiv this summer. All I've noticed is that my periods are shorter and pain-free and that my skin is really much smoother and nicer. HOWEVER (and for me, this is a big however), if I pick at my skin AT ALL I immediately have a huge, painful breakout for the rest of the week. Proactiv is a preventative for me. Once I start squeezing my skin or popping my blackheads, my skin goes ballistic and the Proactiv isn't strong enough to stop a full-blown breakout. I'm currently having a good week. I've been leaving my skin alone and using Proactiv twice a day, and it looks great.

I do want to do something about all the little dark areas I have ... aside from taking carcinogenic medicine.

jammiriffic

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @special_boots: Hey, man! Fancy meeting you here. I remember when all the kids were on Accutane! I wanted some sooo bad, but none of my demos thought it was "bad enough." Six years later, still getting the ugly red bumps, now all over my chin and shoulders. I feel like a beast. Still no Accutane.

MissusTufnel

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @Cookie Guggleman: oh man ... I wish I were you. I went on Accutane in my early 20s and it worked for about 10 years then after a while I decided to go on it again and it worked for about 2 years. Now I'm back to trying to find another solution. I'm trying to get pregnant so Accutane for a 3rd time (my dermatologist said sometimes this happens) is not an option.

Eloise612 loved her orange tabby kitteh

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @katastic: Yeah, I'm wearing sunglasses just to read your comments, you're so damn bright!

Political Party Girl

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @exelizabeth: Yes, I remember Dr. Beadner's office very well. He was so mean. I'm also the same as you when it comes to climate. My skin was gorgeous when I lived in SC.

Political Party Girl

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I tried multiple antibiotics and topical treatments and NOTHING worked until I started taking Spironolactone 3 years ago. My acne disappeared immediately!!!

Fishee

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @betteroffred: i'd pondered the cleansing effect of sweating profusely in 120 degree heat, but i didn't know about the wavelengths. thanks!

further evidence that i belong on a tropical island.

noxiousbeast

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> So I'm late to the party, but I had horrible horrible acne from 16 to 25 or so. But I didn't care at all about the acne because at the same time I was loosing the vast majority of my beautiful, thick hair.

Finally, at 25, I was diagnosed with PCOS and got on Yaz, Spironolactone and Metformin. My skin cleared almost immediately (well, except for the scars) and my hair stopped falling. But my hair never grew back either, and too this day I get people asking me if I am balding. I'm 29.

So, Sephora Spy, not to take away from how hard it is for you, but having dealt with both, hair loss is much much harder.

Pleasure

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @Political Party Girl: All my pure thoughts, dontchaknow.

katastic

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I am wondering if birth control would be good for my acne now. I tried it in my teens (ortho tri cyclen) and it took me from moderate acne, maybe one hormonal cyst a month to full-out 8 cysts on your face all the time acne. Im traumatized but wondering now if maybe my hormones have stabilized and would have that bizarro reaction?

LaFemme

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @coodlebump: Maybe you should try something like Yaz, which has lower estrogen?

Pleasure

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @iamtrex: Eh, not that drinking water might not help a little, but I dont know if it is the be all and end all for most acne sufferers. I have been drinking about 5-7 liters of water a day (yeah, sit at my desk with a 1.5 liter bottle I refill all day long) eat fairly healthfully, and have seen absolutely no difference in my breakouts from when I used to survive on caffeine, crappy food and cigarettes. Keeping the acne at bay has really come down to prescriptions in my experience...

LaFemme

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I took spironolactone for a while. My skin really did look fantastic, and I swear I had an actual waist for a while there. Unfortunately, it also caused me to get my period for like, two weeks at a time (super light, but also super annoying), so I had to quit it.

Ortho Tri-Cyclen worked really well for acne, too, but one day I was sitting in the car with my dad and this country music song came on about Alzheimer's Disease, which was mixed up with audio clips of Ronald Reagan, and I burst into tears. Since this is the usually the kind of mawkish crap that makes me sick, I decided it was time to stop refilling the prescription.

I am terrified of Accutane, being an inherently depressive-type person. Which sucks, because I'm pretty sure it would work.

coodlebump

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @wigglepuppy: Definitely try it! I actually started out trying to drink it, but I just couldn't stomach the taste. Too much for me. When you try on your face, though, definitely dilute it. I'm currently at 1/2 ACV, 1/2 water, but other people (see acne.org) use slightly higher or lower proportions of ACV.

bifteck-frites

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> The comments about homeless kids would be interesting and insightful, except they aren't. You're just kind of an elitist jerk.

katekate is squared

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> i knew a few girls who used Accutane + it is truly a miracle drug. they went from pimply, pock-marked + depressed to clear-skinned, confident + happy. but they were required to sign a form saying that they would stay on birth control pills while they used it. can cause scary, scary birth defects.

i've been blessed with clear skin. i get an occasional breakout, so the doctor gave me a prescription for a topical cream. can't remember the name, but it's got an antibiotic in it to fight bacteria. works great.

i also go for regular microdermabrasion to keep the skin looking good. occasional light peel is very good, too. not the hardcore one like Sephora Spy got. just a mild one to remove dead top layers of skin.

LAGirl

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @shiningstar: my doctor also told me it is sometimes used for lessening hair growth in females.

I take it and I continue to hear about different uses for it and that sort of freaks me out.

vamvaki_poulaki

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I'm 23 and I've had acne since I was 8 years old. I remember being diagnosed in the 2nd grade and I can still hear the gasp in my mother's voice when the dermatologist told her what it was.

I've been on 3 courses of Accutane. The first was when I was 12 or 13 in the 8th grade. The second was in the 10th grade, which I had to to cut short because I was admitted to the hospital for reasons relating to depression, a side effect of Accutane. My third course was when I was in the 12th grade. Every time it worked but every time it came back after 6 months to a year.

I've also tried countless prescription medication including tetracyclin, monocyclin, a birth control pill, retin-a, clindimycin, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, and those are just the ones I can remember.

It's just quite frustrating. I don't even have terrible acne, just very very persistent acne.

I don't know what else to do. I can't imaging going on another course of Accutane. I know it works, but I can't go through doing it again if it'll only work for a few months.

KatiC

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> ACCUTANE FOR THE WIN! I suffered with acne for over ten years when I tried it. The first week, my face felt like it was on fire and my lips burned, but after that it was a breeze. I think I was on it for 2 - 3 months and the before and after difference was AMAZING. I get compliments on my skin all the time, and that's something I never thought would happen.

MissPeacock

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> i never had cystic acne, but i did have terrible bacne for a while, and good old fashioned bad skin. acne, yes, but also rosecea, random flaky patches, and a general dullness.

dr hauschka products CHANGED MY LIFE. i had been on a bunch of prescription topicals, drugstore stuff, fancy stuff, the whole nine. fucking la mer, even!

the thing that is drastically different about the good dr. is that you let your skin breathe at night. just cleansing and toning.

the cleansing cream--i could write an epic poem about my love for it. it's a manual exfoliant that you can use every day and leaves my skin so soft.

there are two spray on toners, one that's for oily skin and one for normal-dry. they're both sprays that you press in to your skin. no freaking out b/c you don't have a cotton ball.

and then, there is quince day cream. i do not even know what quince is. the shit just WORKS. there are other creams and lotions in the line, but this one is my soulmate. i put this on, and not only is my skin perfectly moisturized, i truly glow. i put a little glob of it on when i'm going out at night INSTEAD OF FOUNDATION because the system as a whole works so well that i no longer need any kind of face makeup other than undereye concealer and due to the moisturizer specifically.

i know i sound like a crazed zealot. i just know that no matter how badly life is sucking, having skin that you like, nay, love, is a bright spot. oof, no pun intended.

rwr

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @iamtrex: I don't know about that. My brother drinks insane amounts of water and he still has cystic acne. He could still tweak his diet to see what that does, so the internal adjustments may help. Everyone is different. Also, how can you say it cured your acne if you still get one cyst a month? If took something that cured my asthma but I still had one attack per month, I wouldn't say I was cured. Just sayin.

I've never had cystic acne myself but I did have mild acne that was persistent. I use that damn Clarisonic brush and a dichroic blue flood light and that has worked better than anything given to me by my annoying dermatologist. There are also people that swear by that homeopathic Acne Cure stuff for the cystic kind.

Elevendy

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> The best treatment I've ever used to treat acne is the simplest, uncoated aspirin. I've had REALLY gnarly acne on my body since puberty, and I tried everything the dermatologist gave me, but an aspirin scrubs is by far the best treatment, you pretty much see results immediately. God bless makeupalley.com and their reviews, or else I never would have thought to try it.

Uncoated aspirin is the key, or it will give you MORE acne.

tigertrap

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @TwiceShy:

PCOS (or PCOD) = Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome/ Disorder

MollyShroom

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @bifteck-frites: i take a couple of tablespoonfuls of organic apple cider vinager in the morning, but i haven't tried it on my skin--i'll have to give it a try!

wigglepuppy

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @blackbirdfly: I have heard this from other people. And it doesn't get cakey which is great. Cakey is never a good look. I have rosecea (sp?) around my nose and one thing I have learned is that you should never try to cover everything completely. Unnatural flawless skin (and you can tell) is a little creepy.

I don't get listening to a sephora sales associate for anything other than a question about something on the reciept. I would not go to a SA for advice on a skin condition. Please see your doctor for skin conditions especially if they have popped out of nowhere.

thelushie

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I was on Accutane for five months. I hated every single day of it. However, I got rid of the worst cystic acnee in the world (I had it everywhere, including my back and my bottocks and looked like the plague had hit me...)...
Accutane had no side effects while I was taking it (other than the really dry skin), but about six months after I was done with the treatment, my joints started to crack and have cracked ever since.

I think Accutane really works.

I forgot to mention that before going on Accutane I tried at least three diferent treatments (and I was already on the pill) and none of them worked.


fluffy_alligator

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> Our spy already said she doesn't like Clinique, but their skincare line is working really well for me. I mostly just use the "moisturizing lotion" (aka toner) (I use the pink flavor) and the gel lotion (which I'm obsessed with), and since Christmas I've been using the dramatic turnaround concentrate, which makes my skin SO INCREDIBLY smooth and soft. I can wear powder over it without getting that gross powder-y look. I love it. It makes me excited to wash my face in the mornings and evenings. I'm not kidding.

sequined

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> My general care doctor was absolutely obsessed with doing something about my acne. I had pretty much given up on anything working, but he set me up with some minocycline. The acne was gone in a flash and my skin even looks better overall. Makes me a little dizzy after taking it but took care of that by taking it at night instead of in the morning. I don't know why all the extreme procedures in this article but no mention of simpler things like antibiotics. I realize antibiotics don't work for everyone of course, but why did Jasmine jump straight to birth control?

Balisong

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @Twilly: Me too, and they hurt. [sad face]

@MollyShroom: What is PCOS?

@FullSpeedLohan: I want that bathroom.

TwiceShy

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I think this could be the most amusing contributor to Jezebel, ever. Can we make her a writer, please?

And off topic, but my screen name was a lot less stupid before "Cashmere Mafia" came out.

Dingaling

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> The first time I got a deep cyst was in junior high. This mean girl at school (may she rot in hell) thwacked it really hard with her fingernail. Besides hurting like hell, it immediately got infected and basically stayed on my face, festering, for months. I still have a scar there.

Thank god antibiotics and retin-a helped in high school. My sister had it worse than me, nothing seemed to help her acne.

oeditrix

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I'm surprised that no one has mentioned drinking water and staying hydrated. That has been the key to curing (not treating, curing) my cystic acne. Water, water, water, water. Drink at least a liter a day, more if you can. Now I get maybe one nasty cystic zit a month, which beats the hell out of six a day.

All cosmetic treatments have failed me. Everything works at first, but then the amount of dead, overdried skin cells they make by scorching the surface skin with benzoyl peroxide or salycilic acid and the panicked jets of oil your skin squirts out in response to the moisture crises you're creating all just makes food for the bacteria and you break out again.

You can really only treat acne from the inside and that starts with water.

iamtrex

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I did Accutane in my 20s, and drank, and never had any liver problems. I wasn't a lush, but again, I was in my 20s, so drinks were had.

I didn't have the intense dryness issues, but it was nice being able to go days without having to wash my hair (no oil in the scalp)! However my side effects included depression, and the inability to walk for more than an hour at time (intense musle and joint pain) which is pretty fucked up. But after years of antibiotic treatment, and Retin-A (which only worked a little) I was willing to deal with the side-effects for clear skin. I took it for about a year, and my skin defintely cleared up.

I'm now in my 30s and my skin isn't perfect, not by a long shot, and I still don't feel comfortable going out without make-up on, but the cystic aspect of the acne is pretty much gone, so the Accutane worked on that front, I guess, but I'm still a little pissed it didn't work the miracles on my face that it has seemed to on others...

Rain

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> Thank you sweet, sweet Sephora Spy. So, I have a question, or situation, rather:
I know what it is to have seriously morale-lowering acne, but it comes, it goes. Anyway, it's been on the rise as of late, so I went and got a facial last week, and my skin looks and feels like fairy fluff. I'm wondering if $80 facials are the answer (that's right! 80 bucks! I live in the Southeast, bitches!)
Also, what about those electric zappy things the facialists use? I see them for sale sometimes and I've always been skeptical.

Jeffersonia

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @DCI Gene Hunt: I am now in love with you because of your name and avatar. That is all.

Cthulhah Bankhead

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> accutane is the answer! it changed my life. it was amazing. within 5 month I had clear skin. I have been off it for 2 months and nothing, not one blemish. accutane seriously works miracles... that is if you don't mind ridiculously dry skin (not just your face-- especially lips) and having to get blood tests every month to make sure that you're not in liver failure or pregnant. trust me though, its worth all that.

44percentmoreninjas

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @zahava: Dude! Is Tazorac the new Differin? I'm pretty happy with differin but I;m always on the lookout for something cheaper, at least until the patent runs out. Hello generic!

MyrtleWilloughby

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @MollyShroom: really? I just started on this, 25mg a day, I hope it works.

ZombieApocalypse

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> Regarding scars, it's weird-- I have very pale skin, but I get hyper-pigmentation, too. For a few weeks, sometimes even months, after a pimple has healed, there's a darker spot visible on my skin where it was.
Could this have to do with the fact that, while pale, I'm not entirely melanin deficient-- I have mixed Euro/Latino ancestry, and I tan quite well-- or am I just, uh, lucky?

Cthulhah Bankhead

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> Late to the party, but here are my two cents: I've been battling acne since at least 5th grade. The only thing that has EVER worked for me: Dessert Essence Thoroughly Clean Face Wash and 100% pure shea butter. Kinda funny that I never would have used this stuff before I went vegan; it might be a combination of the no-animal diet and the no-animal skin care. Who knows? But it was unexpected magic when I slathered my face and hands with shea butter one night (after a particularly cold and windy day) and woke up with really soft, healed skin. This is a minor miracle for me after spending almost a decade fighting with my skin, going through prescription and OTC drugs, creams, soaps, cleansers, lotions, astringents, everything. Granted it's not cystic acne, but at least there might be some hope for people with "regular" acne. You can get the Face Wash at Trader Joe's for pretty cheap, and most hippie/treehugger/health nut stores carry shea butter. You have to leave it in a sink of hot water to soften the solid shea butter but it's totally worth it. My heart goes out to all fellow acne sufferers; we must take up arms and stay strong!

andromache

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @BDizzy: Holy shiza! I'm not sure I'd be able to keep up with that pill regimen! I have to watch out with oranges. I used to have reactions too. Right now I'm applying cortaid frequently. It's been helping. I've been able to add back my engagement ring because it's lighter than my band, so my skin is exposed to more oxygen.

I just need to remember to use lotion every day. It's usually not a problem when my skin is nourished. After 28 years of dealing with it, I should be much smarter than I am.

Thanks for the tips though! I'm investing in new vitamins soon so I may pick up some of your suggestions.

Motown

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> did accutane about 6 years ago. i was zit-free for about 2 years, then they came back. i finally have found a regimen that works: alternate tazorac and ziana at night (ziana is basically a blend of retin a and clindamycin), rosula wash in the morning (this is prescription, too), and DDF's acne pumice scrub at night.

zahava

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> i am ashamed to say i was honestly DEVASTATED when i got this affliction at age 23 (never having suffered that badly as a teen) on moving to NYC (last thing you need when your trying to live out a misguided sex and the city fantasy) needless to say over 2 yrs on i have tamed the beast - I luckily have pretty resilliant skin on the whole so the scars have nearly gone but the trick for me was the old mineral makeup - I know many people dont buy the infomercial stuff they do but it eventually really worked for me as well as a decent - NOT harsh or stripping cleanser and the clinique on the spot treatment. I am aware this makes me a lot luckier than most but thought id throw my two cents in

nothanks

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> My mom works at a medispa so I get to be the guinea pig for a lot of the new treatments. Glycolic acid is great; an intense microdermabrasion is great, but don't combine the two! I had to walk around looking like I'd been mauled by a stray puma.

sarita

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @ginger_t: Preach it. It's all about what works for you.

That said, I'm starting to be a firm believer in the less, the better. Up until a few weeks ago, I was doing at-home glycolic peels, using salicylic acid, Alpha Hydrox cream from Walgreens, and AquaGlycolic toner. And moisturizer. And face wash. And sometimes erythromycin. And concealer.

Then I cut back to just my face wash (Ducray Keracynl, available in any corner drugstore in Paris - love it!) and erythromycin. Twice a day. Nothing more. Concealer if absolutely necessary, maybe some sunscreen around the eyes, but that's it. And my skin looks gorgeous because of it.

I've had acne since I was fifteen, and I'm currently swearing by less-is-more.

chasingpavements

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I have chronic health problems that stop me working...but if you offered me good health or clear, smooth acne free skin in a pact with the Devil, I'd take the latter in a heartbeat...

Shallow? Probably. But then again no one has ever insulted me to my face or bullied me about being ill...

gherkinfiend

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> i've tried the spironolactone and while i was on it there were little results. plus it made me really dehydrated and fatigued.

ginseng_you_sing

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @perphiction: it's actually not the chocolate--it's the refined sugar in the chocolate. eating too much sugar throws your body's pH out of whack--that's why eating too much causes the yeasties.

i am seeing a lot of proactive hate on here, but my experience with it has been good. i have been using it for about a year for mild/moderate adult acne. i love the oil free moisturizer. i don't use it twice a day though--i use it at night and either splash my face with warm water or use cetaphil in the morning. i am also on ortho-tri cyclen. it was awful for the first month or so--i was moody, nauseous and my skin broke out worse than ever, but now i am totally used to it. my skin was flawless until i was about 19, and the trauma that the breakouts caused was worse than the side effects of any medications.

wigglepuppy

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> Those battling acne MIGHT find some relief with time in an infared sauna.

AGreenEyeDevil

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @fummyknuckles: You REALLY shouldn't drink when on accutane. The reason you're not supposed to is Accutane can eff with your liver major, and if you drink your cholesterol can go through the roof.

Mine did sans drinking (hard for a senior in college). Drinking can make it way worse.

skittlbrau

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @HotNuttyBrownie: Hey! Were we talking olive oil yesterday too? Same for me. Olive oil and the asprin mask - finally have good skin for the first time in my life.

LittleBlackFly

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> A few years ago I was living in Amsterdam. I ran out of my American face wash and decided to brave the drug store to find some Dutch stuff. Unfortunately I forgot my Dutch/English dictionary and bought some stuff on a whim, praying to god it was in face intended for a face. It ended up being the BEST stuff I have ever used!! It was this simple tea tree wash from the drug store and I wish I could find it online now, but no such luck. I was also living with a nutritionist at the time, so I'm sure that helped.. .

I told a a friend of mine, who has beautiful baby skin, this story and she suggested tea tree oil. She puts it on a cotton ball and rubs over her face as if it is a toner. I've used it for a few days now and my skin feels like it is on the road to recovery!

gold_gato

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I had the Mirena IUD inserted in October (most painful experience of my young life, incidentally) and they said any and all side effects would come and go by the end of the third month. LIES!! My skin hasn't been perfect since I was sixteen, but dayum! The cystic acne on my chin and forehead is epidemic. It's amazing how much something that once seemed so superficial can change the quality of your life...

EstherGreenwood

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> The whole "giving up dairy" thing -- I want to know how much of it is cows being given hormones, and how much of it is actually just the way your body reacts to something in the makeup of the product itself.

Because I only drink organic milk & eat organic yogurt, but I'm sure that a lot of the cheese and other dairy products I eat are not made from organic milk.

bifteck-frites

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @katastic:
Awesome. Why didn't I think of that before? I might love you.


Pterodactyl

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @special_boots: Amen to that. Maybe someday my liver will just conk out, but the suicidally low self-esteem I had in high school before I took Accutane wasn't doing me any favors, either. Trust.

cultureslug

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @Jaguares: It's prescription. Hopefully one day....

CHOCOLATECOFFEEBEANS

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> Oh and I gave up dairy...but I did that years ago.

Cuntlovin

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @pickflick:

OMG you are telling me my life...I got acne at about age 9 (which blows) and still fight with it (Im 21, thats 11 years of acne fighting)...and I have been on every freaking treatment on the planet, Accutane, the pill, Retin A, detoxing you name. December I took my Sephora gift certificate and got Bare Minerals...and my skin started changing, and then in January I caved to Proactive...and its working!!!! Only thing is I had to buy a heavy duty eyecream because the Proactive dries out the skin around my eyes :(

Cuntlovin

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @all_year_round:

Noted, but that's the first I've heard. Considering my dose isn't very high, and how much cystic acne sucks, I'll take my chances for now. I go off spiro for a month at a time every once in a while, and the acne comes back. I won't stay on it for years though...hopefully. I figure if the gods have stripped me of my fertility, then I can at least be vain about my face. If the cancer risk was huge, wouldn't they ban the stuff?

MollyShroom

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I love talking about acne!

I sound like a shill for the stuff by Differin worked like a miracle for me. (And I have the scarring from the old cystic a to prove that it fixed more than just a pre menstrual flare-up.) I've tried Clindomycin, Doxicycline, chinese herbs, the pill, benzoyl peroxide, fancy DDF stuff from Sephora, and bless them it was the retinoids that did finally the trick. I first heard of Differin from a male model friend wih perfect skin, and it really is a wonder drug as far as I'm concerned. Other people have suggested Retin A which is similar, and possibly cheaper. (Or you can just buy it from Canada. Shhh. ) Retinoids are much gentler than peels but are similar in that they prevent acne by exfoliating, so Jasmine, if the glycolic peel was good, you might have similar results with retinoids. They require a prescription, and generally aren't covered by insurance but for me a $100 tube lasts 6-8 months and is so worth it.

I also hear that Accutane can give miraculous results but when my college boyfriend was on it he had to stop taking it because of the roid rage. And as the "no baby" symbol on the packaging indicates it causes major birth defects.

MyrtleWilloughby

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @brendastarlet: Yes I've already bought my warm weather floppy straw hat. Any good sunscreen suggestions? I have a couple now but I haven't found one I love yet.

sumac

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> Well, folks, this has been totes educating and not unlike being bombarded with 84,000 commercials in Times Square all at the same time, but I think I'll just focus on my inner beauty right now. Kthxbai.

buggeroff

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @esmemurphy: Just to double check, can you get Metronidazole over the counter or do you need prescription?

Jaguares

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I have been battling acne for two decades and I've learned that, in my case at least, it's really not necessary to resort to all the antibiotics and accutane and other extreme exfoliation treatments. What works for me is a combination of clay masks and gentle exfoliants--try dermalogica's gentle cream exfoliant or daily microfoliant. These products clear away all the debris and dead skin and leave your skin glowing! The first time I used one of these, it exposed several long-standing deep-festering zits and all the yucky white stuff just popped right out! Sorry, that's gross, but any acne sufferrer knows what I mean.

fashionistagrrrl

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @RosePetalPlace: I will look into that! Thanks!

BadenBaden

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> Three things:

1. Stop drinking milk.
2. Use mineral powder makeup -- no liquid makeups.
3. Obagi ([www.obagi.com]) makes a really nice product line.

I'm so glad people are talking about this. Acne can cause serious pyschological side effects and no one addresses its seriousness.



BeSarcastic

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @sumac: I can't stress it enough: wear sunscreen! I took tetracycline in high school, and it cleared up my skin, but the sunburns I got made me swear off tanning for the rest of my life. Retin-A (the A stands for "acid") also makes your skin very sensitive, so that's double the reason to coat yourself before you go out.

brendastarlet

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> spirolactone is great. Cleared up my horrible acne in three weeks. That + retin A is amazing. If you want my doctor's name, just let me know.

The Fresh line is also very good for clearing away dead skin.

Entonces is ironing your dumb ass

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @noxiousbeast: The red and blue wavelengths in sunlight have been proven to kill acne bacteria and reduce inflammation. Also sweating helps cleanse the pore.

betteroffred

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I didn't realize that ortho can impact your libido (I'm on it for my skin, and they never told me that at the dermatologist)
hmmm, maybe I'm just really lucky, but I'm on ortho and I still crave sex at least twice a day. I better get it too, or I'll get bitchy ;)


chicajusta

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @TheGuvnah: Yeah, that shit is itchy as HELL.

zivah

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @BadenBaden: My mineral makeup, Everyday Minerals (you can Google it), has NO bismuth oxychloride and no talc, so it can work better for people with sensitive skin. It's seriously inexpensive, it looks great, and I think it makes a huge difference in keeping my skin clear. I loooove it.

RosePetalPlace

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> I must have some crazy strong hormones, because Ortho-tricyclen hasn't done anything to my sex drive. I kinda wish it would dampen it a bit because I'm not remotely close to getting any. But it did help with the acne! I still get pimples sometimes, but my face is definitely better. I'm currently testing a low sugar lifestyle to see if it will also have a positive effect on my skin. I love sweets so this is a major lifestyle change but I'm a firm believer that acne can be a result of your diet, no matter what dermatologists say.

betteroffred

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]> @Motown: Guuurl, I had my excema on my ring finger too! I'm not a doctor but this is what mine had me do:

avoid synthetic materials (polyester, etc.)
avoid citrus, (I was eating an orange day- boo!) caffeine, and tomatoes

take an acidolphulus pill 30 mins. before breakfast
take a licorice pill before bed
take a flaxseed oil pill at every meal

She had more advice but that regimen took care of it for me. Good luck!




BDizzy

]]> <![CDATA[How I Conquered My Cystic Acne, In (Just!) 17 Painful Steps]]>