REALLY need help/advice.
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skin Care and Makeup Forum

Tue Sep 19, 2006 5:53 am

Hi! This is my first post here, so sorry for asking a question staright away but I'm really desperate. Sad

I'm 21 years old. I've been having mild acne since the last 2 years. The treatments I have taken include Clindamycin and various other antibiotics. NOTHING has helped me AT ALL. I've seriously lost hope and gotten sick of my skin. Even though it's mild acne, it's still something which really, really bothers me and I'm desperate to make my skin okay. By desperate, I mean D-E-S-P-E-R-A-T-E.

Someone suggested that I take Accutance. I looked up on the internet and even though it seems to cure problems, the side effects seem really harsh.

Now, what I wanna know is (from personal experience, or just general knowledge) if taking Accutance would be the correct thing for me to do, because even though Accutane is meant for severe acne NOTHING has helped me, so I don't know what to do. I don't wanna wait for my skin to get worse either and then take this medicene. If this is something that I have to do then I might as well do it right now when the time is right.

Do you think, keeping my situation in mind, that taken Accutane is the only/correct thing left for me to do? I don't feel like leaving my house at most times. Please help me out. I'm desperate. Sad

free skin care · Tue Sep 19, 2006 6:35 am

Hi XxChampagnexX,

I know how you feel. Acne can be depressing at any age. Sigh!

Other than taking medicine, have you taken any steps to improve your lifestyle? Eat healthier? Drink more water? More fruits and veggies? Going to bed earlier? Exercise regularly?

What products are you currently using? What's your daily cleansing regime?

I personally have not had any experience with Accutane, so I cannot tell you whether it's a viable option. But definitely weight your pros and cons carefully.

free skin care · Tue Sep 19, 2006 6:38 am

Hi champagne! Well, if there's one thing the ladies on this board can sympathize with, it's how crummy acne can make you feel. Trust me--- most of us have had days where we just didn't want to leave the house. I think accutane definitely sounds too harsh for you, and I'm sure we can come up with some better ideas. First of all, though, can you give a little more information? What exactly do you mean by "mild" acne? Do you mean like always have one or two blemishes? Any clogged pores? Any cystic blemishes? What treatments have you tried besides antibiotics? Don't lose hope--- there's light at the end of the tunnel!^-^

free skin care · Tue Sep 19, 2006 6:52 am

There are also 2 schools of thought on the accutane. You do not have to follow the FULL and HEAVY dosage regimine, especially if your acne is mild. You can ask your derm about a low dose course that you take for a few days, once a month for a few months (usually six). That one is actually better because the side effects are very few and it mainly tightens up the pores and lessens the oil production enough to prevent cysts from forming. Accutane is mainly for heavier, cystic acne. Since I am not sure what the symptoms of your minor acne are and what you are trying to accomplish specifically, it would be hard to say if you need accutane. There might be other products that can accomplish the same results. Since anitbiotics can get your body in a spiral of negative symptoms and accutane is pretty harsh (I know because I did 3 courses of it 26 years ago, 2 minor and 1 major), I always recommend trying anything else first. And I also know what it feels like to live with it and be frustrated by it.

free skin care · Tue Sep 19, 2006 7:42 am

If the only topical treatments you have tried are antibiotics then I would recommend that you try some other topical treatments before you even consider Accutane. Have you tried retinoids, salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide? Also, many individuals need to use two different topicals to get their acne under control. Let us know what you have tried besides the antibiotics and maybe we can work something out for you. Smile

Tue Sep 19, 2006 8:29 am

First off, thanks for the replies. I'm glad you people know how I'm feeling.

As for your questions, I'll answer every one of them. Maybe you can help me out better. Sorry for the rushed first post. Smile

First thing, I'm a vegetarian since the last 4-5 years. I really control my diet a lot. I'm completely off dairy products, everything. I avoid oily food as much as I can. All in all, I have a VERY healthy diet. Besides that, I sleep and get up early as well. I have enough water and I also eat enough fruits. I don't excercise though, only a little bit of yoga (2-3 times a week).

Presently I'm applying Clindamycin and before this I was using Erythromycin. I've tried benzoyl peroxide as well. Orally I have been taking Roxithromycin and I've taken some others as well but I don't remember their name.

And what I mean by "mild acne" is that I have 1 or 2 big pimples on each cheek and they keep on coming back on the same spot again and again leaving little red scars which just don't seem to go away. Also, I have some very small pimples on my forehead as well. Sad

Once again, thanks for the replies. I appreciate any help I can get.

Tue Sep 19, 2006 8:33 am

Oh and as for my clensing regime, I use Orange and Aloe Vera herbal facewash. I use this twice a day. I never use make-up, or if I do it's a rare occassion. I avoid going out in the sun a lot.

free skin care · Tue Sep 19, 2006 12:11 pm

I think that you have a lot of experimenting with topicals to try before you even consider Accutane! Since you are using antibiotics I assume you have been seeing a dermatologist. How long have you been using antibiotics to treat your acne? Also how did your skin react to benzoyl peroxide and what percentage did you use? The only problem I see with long term use of antibiotics is the acne causing bacteria could develop a resistance to them. They are also much more effective when used with benzoyl peroxide in products such as Duac or Benzaclin.
You may want to discuss adding an additional topical with your dermatologist but salicylic acid may be a good place to start especially since your acne is mild. You don't need a prescription but if you decide to try this perhaps one of our other members can help you with percentages, etc. I personally cannot tolerate SA at all so I don't know much about it's usage directions.
If pigmentation marks are an issue Azalex (20% azaleic acid) may be an option. This attacks several of the causes of acne and you may even be able to go without an antibiotic if you use this. You may even want to consider retinoids such as RetinA, Differin or Tazorac. The Azalex and retinoids would be prescription. There are non-prescription retinol/retinaldehyde products available which may be gentler than the prescription ones if you would rather go that route.
As you can see there are so many options available to chose from and I haven't even listed all of them! Your dermatologist may be able to help you choose whether to add a topical or to replace your antibiotic with a topical.
How does your skin feel in general and especially after you wash your face? Do you use any moisturizers or sunscreen?
I am personally not too keen on using antibiotics or benzoyl peroxide to treat my acne and gave up using both of them. I still use Differin and will be adding Mandelic Acid since the Differin by itself is not enough to keep my acne under control.
It is hard to do but sometimes getting your acne treatment right just takes time. You really need to be patient as you add new actives and spend a month or two seeing if they will work. I have been there and still deal with it and know all too well how rough it is. Don't give up hope on this, there is so much that you haven't tried and chances are very good that you will find something to work without resorting to Accutane!

Tue Sep 19, 2006 3:08 pm

Hi,

I can relate to your problem very much, this is similer to the type of acne I have/had mild stubborn acne. it is very frustrating as people think it is not a big issue but it really gets you down. I am currently having reasonable success with an oral antibiotic but if my acne comes back after this I will ask to try Accutance. I have know several people who had really bad acne and it totally cleared up never to return after a course of Accutance.
Of course if you don't feel right about it don't do it but as long as you are well monitored while on it and take care of yourself you should be fine.

Apart from that I found Dr Hauschka products soothing for acne and a low percentage B.P. cream is also good. My spots did clear up well when I followed the program proscribed in the book "The Acne Cure" however as I am a bit older now (29 almost) I have other issues I need to work on as well so it suits me to use the antibiotic.

Hope this is of some use.

Willow.

free skin care · Tue Sep 19, 2006 3:27 pm

I totally totally understand how you feel. I've been battling acne, blackheads and oily skin for the last 13 years (I'm now 26) with no real success. I've tried all the topical products available and several courses of antibiotics and various different contraceptive pills. I've recently been to see a Dermatologist at my local hospital. I've got one more course of antibiotics to take, then when I go back in March the possibility is that I'll try roaccutane. I know there are a lot of negative reports about it, but when you feel that way that acne makes you feel you'll try anything. While I'm waiting to go back in March I'm trying to take a more natural approach to skincare. I'm going to try some DIY recipes (going shopping for ingredients tomorrow!)and have been looking at some Decleor products. I'm also on a health kick and generally doing everything I can so that I know I've been down every avenue prior to taking more medication.
I know you say that you don't wear make up but if you felt you wanted to try some mineral make up in a good bet for people with oily/problem skin as it doesn't clog pores or cause outbreaks. Other than that I can't really give you any advice as I haven't found anything that truly works yet! One thing to remember is that however bad you feel, your skin always looks worse to you and other people don't notice all the little imperfections we notice. And also remember, however bad you feel, things could always be worse! Hope this helps a little bit!

Automatic Message

If this is your first visit to the EDS Forums please take the time to register. Registration is required for you to post on the forums. Registration will also give you the ability to track messages of interest, send private messages to other users, participate in Gift Certificates draws and enjoy automatic discounts for shopping at our online store. Registration is free and takes just a few seconds to complete.

Click Here to join our community.

If you are already a registered member on the forums, please login to gain full access to the site.