Clogged Pores/Chest Acne. Can anyone help?
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Tue Sep 14, 2010 9:17 am

Hi, First thanks to anyone who bares w/me & listens to my problems. All advice is appreciated Smile

I have what are like clogged pores/little inflamed blemishes all over my chest that I've been trying to get rid of for over 8 years. I've spent countless amounts of money with no luck :/ . It's affecting my life as I can't dress normal, don't go swimming, special events, etc.
Sorry if this is too much info: They are tiny red pimples, some with a little white interior that can be easily extracted (white-ish substance that's pus like(70%) or they will be like hard plugs/"oil seeds"(30%)). I sometimes get these on my face as well but it's bad on my chest.
I thought maybe it was folliculitis. The first dermatologist said yeah it was, but then prescribed me retin-a and I said isn't that for acne? And she said it's the same thing. I had a very bad allergic reaction to the Retin-A though I seem to be fine with products that contain some retinol in them.
The second derm was very unsure & said it could possibly be keratosis pilaris. My boyfriend has this on his arms & while our little whitehead/red looking dots look somewhat similar, his are very rough & mine are more smooth/oily like. The urea 40% cream the doctor prescribed didn't help. He did however prescribe Minocycline(oral antibiotic) as he said he thought I had a slight case of perioral dermatitis on my face..after 2 weeks it cleared my skin completely, even my chest. Unfortunately I had the worst allergic reaction of my life so I'm trying to stay away from the oral antibiotics after what happened & what I have read about them long term. I'm not sure if it was the anti-inflammatory properties of this drug that cured me or the bacterial.
The only product that has really made a great improvement was Neutrogena skin smoothing lotion, but they discontinued it years ago. I will list the ingredients at the bottom if anyone's interested. Glytone KP lotion seemed similar but immediately broke me out even in bigger pimples(possibly the mineral oil). Tried Dermadoctor KP duty lotion & Ain't misbehavin cleanser w/no luck either..Countless Salicylic acid products too & these never work or help unless they are in conjunction with things like AHA's & retinol it seems. Also tried lots of benzoyl peroxide products which help a bit for a while, but then it comes back plus it's a hassle w/the bleaching properties of benzoyl on my chest.
Let me also note that I've been on birth control pills which has gotten rid of 95% of cystic acne which mainly used to occur on my face..rarely would I get one on my chest.
I could continue on for a while but I'll stop, sorry this has gotten so long! I can't thank ya'll enough for any help you can provide! Appreciate it!!!

Some other things I've tried off the top of my head:
Wear breathable clothing, change bedsheets, Dye/fragrance free detergent, Md formulations products, Neutrogena body acne wash & scrub, Tea tree oil wash & plain tea tree oil as spot treatment, moisturizing & non moisturizing my skin, shampoo & conditioners- tried sulfate free & silicone free, scrubs, masks, & the list goes on..really stressing me out b/c it consumes me trying to figure it out :/..I just want to wake up & not worry about finding an outfit that covers my chest or what it's going to be like today. I know there are way worst things & I should be grateful I don't have more serious problems, but it's hard to let go in this society. I've seen people make fun of others for chest acne which remains in my head so it's hard to get over Sad

.

Skin smoothing lotion ingredients: Active Ingredients: Octinoxate 7.5%, Octisalate 5%, Oxybenzone 2%
Inactive Ingredients: Water, Sodium Glycolate, Glycerin, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dicetyl Phosphate, Ceteth-10 Phosphate, Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate, Neopentyl Glycol Diisostearate, Dimethicone, Methyl Gluceth-20, Glycolic Acid, Panthenol, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Lauryl Lactate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Matricaria Flower Extract (Chamomilla Recutita), Calcium Pantothenate, BHT, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Bisabolol, Trimethylolpropane Triethylhexanoate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Steareth-21, Steareth-2, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Xanthan Gum, Fragrance

Sat Sep 18, 2010 9:36 am

Sounds frustrating, jbe9387! Have you seen this thread?

Professional High Frequency Devices
http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=38630

I think some have found that it has been helping keep their skin clear. Hopefully others will pop in with more suggestions. Good luck and welcome to EDS! Smile

free skin care · Sat Sep 18, 2010 9:52 am

Hi jbe9387!

Have you looked into diet? Just a thought since you don't mention. It *might* be a food allergy or food intolerance. The most mentioned is dairy products.

Welcome to EDS! I hope you figure things out! Very Happy

free skin care · Tue Sep 21, 2010 2:33 am

A-retin products you can have a try.

free skin care · Tue Sep 21, 2010 6:09 am

Have you tried a glycolic acid? I am only familiar with the Obagi Exfoderm but know that there are others out there. The glycolic will help exfoliate and hopefully prevent the pores from getting clogged.

The 'active ingredients' in the skin smoothing lotion you liked are sunscreen ingredients--it's unlikely those ingredients had much if any impact on your bumps. I see that the other ingredients in include glycolic and other acids.

free skin care · Fri Sep 24, 2010 5:50 pm

circus wrote:

Hi jbe9387!

Have you looked into diet? Just a thought since you don't mention. It *might* be a food allergy or food intolerance. The most mentioned is dairy products.

Welcome to EDS! I hope you figure things out! Very Happy

I was about to mention the same thing, It could be your diet. I am an acne sufferer and I do break out on my back and on my chest. My chest has mostly blackheads eww I know but it sounds like you are describing Keratosis pilaris. My lil sister has the same thing but all over her body and I want to say that she is using a lotion, she just told me cocoa butter, but I cant see how that would help. I read another forum where someone was using Alba Botanica Enzyme Cleanser and the Alba Enzyme Scrub and it really helped them. And I just thought of something else, have you tried Kiss my face peach lotion? I think that has AHA's and I think it could help, have you tried Aveeno? I think they have a skin smoothing lotion as well.

But back to diet, I firmly believe based on my own experence and my sisters that diet plays a good role. She was taking A & D supplements with MSM and it helped her a lot. And for me, avoiding sugar has helped clear my acne up. I think you should look into changing your diet, if all else fails. Hope that helps Smile

Sat Dec 29, 2012 8:43 am

Hey,

I have what sounds like exactly the same problem. I am in construction and wear a sports bra 8 hrs a day; same little "angry" red 'pimples' with tiny white pustule in the center... it's definitely not regular acne and it's very persistent and unattractive. I am thinking it's a combination of 2 things; dairy in my diet (I wonder if taking lactase enzyme pills will help with that?), maybe a bit too much sugar (these 2 issues I can fix/adjust), AND sweat/dirt on chest all day clogging pores... Sad

I can't really stop all the time to wipe down my chest/neck with an astringent at work, but may have too... this has been off and on for 2+ years. Benzoyl peroxide products don't help, frequent post-work rubbing alcohol wipe-downs help a little. I have not tried glycolic acid products yet. Any more suggestions/helpful updates now that 3 years have passed since the original post?

PS - I shower 2x daily, morning & after work, use mild soap and a mild body wash as exfolient with my scrubby bath "ploof" (body puff sponge thing)... Smile

Sat Dec 29, 2012 8:54 am

PSS -

jbe9387 wrote:

Some other things I've tried off the top of my head: Wear breathable clothing, change bedsheets, Dye/fragrance free detergent, Md formulations products, Neutrogena body acne wash & scrub, Tea tree oil wash & plain tea tree oil as spot treatment, moisturizing & non moisturizing my skin, shampoo & conditioners- tried sulfate free & silicone free, scrubs, masks, & the list goes on..really stressing me out b/c it consumes me trying to figure it out :/..I just want to wake up & not worry about finding an outfit that covers my chest or what it's going to be like today. I know there are way worst things & I should be grateful I don't have more serious problems, but it's hard to let go in this society. I've seen people make fun of others for chest acne which remains in my head so it's hard to get over Sad

.

Same here, and I couldn't have said it better myself. It's comforting to read your post, and I'm still searching for the skin care routine or product that's going to fix this nasty, embarassing problem...

Thu Feb 21, 2013 3:10 pm

Hi everyone! I’m the original poster. To make things short, I've had the worst time trying to log back in, find my original post, etc. I *finally* came across my original post again on my continual search for an answer to my issues(Yes still Crying or Very sad

) & had a lot of problems setting up a new account, but finally got through. Phew!

Thank you so so SO much to Havana, Circus, Zhoushu, Kristi, Pink, and Emonkee! I appreciate all your advice & support.

I have had a very rough road and no idea where to begin..but sadly still not clear. Minocycline still worked the best in clearing these bumps, but I advise against it at all costs (you can read why later). I’m still trying my best not to give into any antibiotics again.. Though it still seems as my problem is internal as minocycline cleared it & nothing topical really helps. If anyone has any alternatives, please let me know.

As for everything else, I have given my diet A LOT of thought. First, I went for allergy tests and had 56 substances pricked into my skin (16 of those being foods) Corn, wheat, soy, milk, etc. all came back as a 2-3 on a scale of 5. Pork was a 5, but I don’t eat it. The allergist told me if an allergen comes back negative- then it’s truly a negative. But if it shows up as a positive, there’s a 50/50 chance I’m actually allergic to it.. I wish a blood test was done instead of skin, but this is what she recommended. Sadly, I’m unsure about cutting these items out of my diet for a month b/c 1.)They’re in almost everything 2.) I’m a vegetarian & don’t want to compromise my health/not getting enough nutrients –Please note though that I’ve had this issue even before I stopped eating meat completely 3.)I have a hard time being strict. I love food(not overweight though) & have a crazy schedule so it’s difficult for me to put meals together that wouldn’t include these things..Or I end up having to go somewhere & have no choice, but to eat what’s available at the time which ruins it all. That same allergist also wanted to do a skin patch test, but my deductible had been met for the year & no more appointments available until the new year so I went to another doctor to help save. Big mistake & waste of money. He didn’t agree I should have it done, but I pushed through & when he finally did it, he said my back was fine/nothing showed and erased all the numbers off..I got home & my boyfriend pointed out to me all the smaller bumps but there was no way for me to tell what they were from as he cleared my back of the markings. I think he maybe thought they were pimples. There’s a slight chance it could’ve been though as I had to wear the patch on my back for 3 days without washing the area. Depressing.

Now on the same subject as diet… I had previously mentioned I had that allover allergic reaction to Minocycline(which sadly is still the only thing I’ve been able to take into account that’s worked).. Almost right after this, I had severe stomach problems for about 2 years. (Maybe TMI- Severe nausea, bloating, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. at times..Almost immediately after eating) I could not correlate what was going on/causing it & even thought I might have cancer or a severe disease. (This is another reason I got allergy tested- to see if foods were causing it) To make things short, I went through several types of doctors with no answers to my problems until I went to a 2nd colon doctor & they had me do a lactose breath test. I had to drink about 8 oz of milk upon wakening(which I HATE-but loved cheese at the time) & had to wait 2 hours before going to my appt.. I knew RIGHT then and there I was lactose intolerant. I almost couldn’t get to the doctor I was so sick. My lactose breath test ended up coming back very high. I honestly believe this occurred b/c of the antibiotics(Minocycline) messing up my system & killing the good bacteria. From all the research I’ve done, I’ve realized antibiotics should only be a last resort option- if that. They can create more harm than good in the long run. So due to this, I’ve had to cut out dairy or either take a lactose pill to eat it.
For EMonkee- Neither of these options have made a huge difference in my skin(my facial area has cleared a little, but that’s more hormonal), BUT everyone’s body is different so you may take into account avoiding dairy for a month atleast if possible to see. I can recommend a few dairy free products if interested. The colon doctor also had me go take a blood test for gluten intolerance. It came back negative. Anyone know if this is 100% accurate or if glutens could still be causing me problems?

I still have yet to have one doctor blatantly tell me what I have on my chest.

One derm said it was acne which she stated is the same thing as folliculitis- not true. To not put it so harshly, she was a careless idiot though & really has no place in the dermatology world.

2nd derm said he thinks keratosis pilaris

First Allergist said she thinks it’s some type of dermatitis(contact possibly)

2nd Allergist said he thinks it’s keratosis pilaris as well.

It could possibly be KP, but most things I’ve tried don’t work or make it worse & my boyfriend has 100% has KP on his arms (which clears up some with scrubbing)… What I have on my chest seems a lot different. It’s more oily & liquid substance inside 70% of the time.. Plus not rough at all unless I mess with the bumps. It doesn’t itch either unless I sit in the hot bathtub for long amounts of time.

I have tried many glycolic, lactic, & urea products which has been no help surprisingly. (I can name some if ya’ll would like) It either breaks me out in acne or makes things worse, does nothing, or irritates my skin too much.

Drying out my skin usually helps(like with rubbing alcohol or benzoyl peroxide) until it gets very itchy & then it comes back with a vengeance. I tried witch hazel too which has less alcohol, but it doesn’t help. Witch hazel does help with the little bumps I would sometimes get on my legs as does cocoa/shea butter lotion- but no help on my chest.

Retin A was murder on my skin. Seem to be allergic to that too even in low doses.

Pinknika- I have tried some of the aveeno ones with no results sadly. I may look for that KMF one, but it just seems internal at this point. I really must have purchased over $5,000 in products since this all started with no good results that lasted.

Switching hair products & all that have not made much of a difference & I have been messing with this notion for years. Finally pretty sure it has nothing to do with it.

I have been trying vitamins & supplements too. (which have helped my face only a tiny bit) Took a parasite cleanse pill for about 30 days.. Now on a simple kidney cleanse pill for 30 days..and then I’m going onto liver detox pills which I’m really hoping will help b/c supposedly the liver can cause problems throughout the body, and I used to eat/drink horribly a few years ago. I know through a test I’m low in vitamin D, but supplements haven’t made a difference in my skin..I think they break me out more if anything. I have tried calcium/magnesium, garlic, vit d, flax(breaks me out more), oregano oil, olive leaf(might have helped- may try this again once I buy a new bottle), multi vitamins, grapeseed pills, and the list goes on. I *think* I had taken colloidal silver for a tiny bit a while back which may have helped, but something about it scares me & I don’t want to cause myself any damage or have it come back if I stop. Probiotics have helped my stomach tremendously & possibly my facial skin too..No luck on my chest, BUT a lot of skin issues can be traced back to the gut so I have a little hope left!

Emoknee- I understand how frustrating it can be and I really really hope & pray you find a solution. I know it must be rough considering you aren’t working around the cleanest area & I’m sure the thought of sweat adds to the frustration. Just know that I have an office job, and don’t sweat that much here & I still have it so it could possibly be something else or internal like I’m thinking. Or it could be the type of bra you have on/not allowing your skin breath(they say to wear cotton)? Have you tried not exfoliating the area by chance or changing soaps as it could be an irritation thing too? Can I ask where your bumps are located exactly? Mine are more on the upper parts of my breast/chest and in the middle..None in the bra area usually which is odd. Occasionally I get them on my neck or back or sides of the breast area. I have cut down on sugar significantly too..even leaving fruits out and no help. Sugar is bad for you period though all the way around so good to cut it out as you can. BUT I have a hard time giving up bread/tortillas/flour at times which may not be helping.- especially if this is from candida.

I’ve had times where I’ve been quite clear for a week or maybe two at the very most, but unable to pinpoint what it was. My boyfriend thinks I’m a crack head b/c I have my “AHA!” moments think I solved it, but to no avail. I cannot be 100% sure, but I’m pretty positive exercising continuously helps(which I usually stop doing b/c I’m sore or b/c of my schedule, or dealing with wet hair/hair drying out from washing it so much) I think drinking apple cider vinegar may help, but I always stop b/c for 1.) It tastes *absolutely disgusting* to me..I really have the worse time getting it down. It’s almost better to take a shot of it, but I try and mix it with water, etc. b/c it can mess up your tooth enamel & esophagus. I drank some yesterday to start again & my throat is killing me now so hopefully I didn’t cause myself any issues, but I doubt a day could do that much damage & hasn’t caused me issues before. There are also ACV pills, but I don’t think they work as good. I think trying to make the majority of your meals alkaline can help too. Acid forming foods in the stomach can cause A LOT of problems. Ever notice that eastern cultures don’t have as many diseases or skin issues as those in western cultures? What many of us eat is pretty horrible. Many companies are swell at trying to promote their products as being healthy, but they use different terms or serving sizes, etc to mess with us. Learning all of this.. I actually wanted to get into a holistic natural approach type of practice as it interests me so much & I’d like to help people rather than resorting to traditional medicine (which IMO usually just masks issues or can cause so many more problems down the line-such as the minocycline I took), but if I can’t even help myself..What help am I to others :/ ?

I’m still wondering if what I’m dealing with is candida, malessezia/pityrosporum folliculitis, or keratosis pilaris. Wish I could find an alternative to the Minocycline or a knowledgeable dermatologist in my area who would take things seriously. If anyone has any questions, or suggestions- I am all ears Very Happy

!

This got ridiculously long sorry! Thanks for any help previous and current !!

free skin care · Thu Feb 21, 2013 7:40 pm

I'm glad you've come back to post. I too am dealing with the same frustration. I am 28 yrs old and have suffered from acne since I was 12. Although some years my skin looks much better than others, I've always battled congested skin. Currently am going through back acne and face acne. My back is what you've described on your chest. I have a lot of oil seeds and tiny bumps. I've tried countless of products in the past. Retin-a didn't work for me (although you say you had an allergic reaction, are you starting out with a very low dose and gradually working your skin's tolerance?) I've tried clindimycin, glycolic products, OCM, benzoyl peroxide etc. and get this... I work at a dermatologist office. I am now seeking a naturopath. My naturopath says that the skin is a reflection of what is going on inside. At my age, I'm not supposed to break out so hormones definitely play a role in why an adult woman still has acne. I am not on birth control pills but my naturopath has put me on progesterone cream to help regulate my hormones. She also tells me to take flora 20-14 bacteria pills to maintain gut health, pycnogenol as a very strong antioxidant, zinc and B vitamins. I'm also waiting to get a pelvic ultrasound done to make sure I don't have poly cystic ovarian syndrome. Ppl with PCOS experience adult acne since their hormones aren't being released properly via the ovaries.
It's unfortunate you had to go through the aftermath of antibiotics. Try taking probiotics (I take "innate flora 20-14) to those good bacteria back into your system

Sat Feb 23, 2013 4:09 pm

Hi & thank you BCgirl! We seem to be on the same boat. I too have suffered from acne since around 12 & am now 26 yrs old. Some years mine is better than others as well.

My facial acne cleared a good deal originally while on BCP, then I stopped taking it & my face exploded.. I then started again later on, but it wasn't making the biggest difference..It just helped in keeping down the hormonal type cysts. Now I'm off again b/c the cons were outweighing the pros for me almost & I don't feel comfortable putting synthetic hormones into my body anymore. Especially if I want to have kids one day. I've been off them for about 8 months & things haven't been as bad as I imagined. About 3 times I've gotten big flare ups, but I don't know if I'd contribute it to being off the BCP.

I find more is less with my skin..Is yours the same way?

I am currently taking a probiotic with 30 billion cfus to try & fix the damage the antibiotic did & it seems to be helping my digestive system a good deal and possibly my facial skin.. Hopefully it'll help with yours too! No luck on my chest though. Maybe I will try the kind you recommend when my bottle is through. I've been taking a vitamin B complex also which may possibly be helping with my skin too.

I tried zinc previously, but it kept making me very nauseous & gave me headaches IIRC.

I get similar back breakouts from time to time and washing with dial antibacterial soap, then rubbing my back down with rubbing alcohol after the shower helps a great deal.(after a while I can forgo the alcohol) I imagine you may have tried that already, but if not you may wanna try.

Recently I've started to get swollen bumps on my scalp and around my neck too(which I've never had before & different from all my other acne. Think it may be from my hairstylist not cleaning her tools or boyfriend scratching my head). I'm trying head and shoulders which is helping some. 3 days ago I started putting a bit on my chest too to see if it helps (many people say this cleared them online-face, back, chest), but the little bumps on my chest are now coming to a yellowish head(ew!) and swollen..Which I'm not sure is good thing or not. I may stop- especially with summer COMING, but you know how sometimes they say "things get worse, before they get better". Though that has never really been the case with my skin! It either gets better from the get go or continuously gets worse..

As for the Retin-A.. I did try it like that and even mixed with water and lotion previously, but sadly it still broke me out in a itchy rash with whiteheads all over. It seems to be a miracle for most people though.

Does your dermatologist office have a good success rate with other patients? I'm just in shock that you work there & even they cannot figure it out. Definitely sounds like it's internal at this point then. What have they diagnosed you with along the way?

I think a naturopath is a good route to take though. Sadly there's not many in my area due to no naturopath schools around here/certification that I'm not sure if I even wanna take my chances/waste more money with the 2 that are in town(holistic practices), or drive 2 hours away to one(which would be difficult for future visits), or try a dermatologist again. I've been trying to be my own "naturopath" through online research. I was clear at one small point, but was taking & trying SO many things all at once that I'm not sure what it was & went through some issues in my life where I just stopped everything.

I do believe I may have PCOS as well. I'm not overweight, but have dealt with acne & crazy hormones forever + lots of hair on my body & weird pains in one of my ovaries sometimes. Both times I went to check, I got stuck with incompetent nurse practitioners rather than the specialized doctors I originally made an appointment to see..One of them scheduled me for an ultrasound.. Unfortunately the girls at the front desk told me to fill myself up with as much water as I could prior to it.. But when I got to my appointment the ultrasound lady told me my bladder was supposed to be completely empty & I shouldn't have drank all that water. I couldn't even use the bathroom after that b/c I was so anxious, angry, disappointed, etc. all in one. So who knows if the results were even accurate. At the second gynecologist appointment, they lied about everything(turns out the MD PCOS specialist left the practice) & I got put with the RUDEST nurse practitioner who ended up knowing nothing & said I could see a doctor about my hormones *NEXT TIME*. She did schedule me to run blood work on my hormones & vitamin D levels b/c I kept pushing her to, and apparently my hormones were fine(though apparently there are specific times you're only supposed to get tested in the month due to hormone fluctuations which I found out later). My Vitamin D was low. Regardless, I've pretty much given up on most general practices.

Can I ask what the progesterone cream does exactly & how is it applied? Have you looked into vitex or evening primrose oil? Supposedly both of those can help with hormones, but don't take my word for it & check with your naturopath first.. May not be a good long-term solution.

Did you ever try minocycline or any antibiotics while under the care of your office? Minocycline can't clear fungal/yeast/candida infections can it? I ask because what I have looks similar to some people's photos of malessezia folliculitis(you can do a search in google), but that's treated with anti fungals or things like head & shoulders, but apparently from what I've read antibiotics can make that worse. I wish there was a healthy alternative to minocycline I could take. Unless that clearness was just caused by my body about to go into that full on allergic reaction.. (It was so bad I even went to the gynecologist b/c I thought I had a yeast infection or something due to the itch! What a mess. Turns out it was just the minocycline!) lol

My posts always get so long..I do apologize. But please keep my updated on how you're doing! Wishing you all clear skin! And Thanks!!! Very Happy

Sat Feb 23, 2013 4:24 pm

Not pleasant photos(view at your own choice), but here's some pictures I took a long time ago of my chest to compare.. It literally doesn't do it justice though & much worse in person..(The camera failed to pick it all up & it wasn't too too bad at this time). But notice the blackhead/weird texture of my skin along with the pink little bumps.. Maybe TMI!!!: Some have a tiny whitehead center(can't see in the photo) which can easily be popped(white liquid substance) or are filled with hard sebum/oil seeds that can be pushed out. My bumps aren't rough like my boyfriends KP on his arms either unless I mess with them.
I need to get more recent better quality photos, but now that I've been trying that head & shoulders thing out, it looks a lot worse/different so I'm going to wait.

Won't let me link/post photos on the forum so you can go to the website FLICKR & type in my user name (LMJ3773) if you'd like to see. Four photos posted.

free skin care · Sat Feb 23, 2013 10:45 pm

I've tried head & shoulders in the past too. Did nothing for me
I too have been on birth control pills for a very long time. I've decided to get off the pill because felt uneasy about all the synthetic hormones. It's been a year since I've been off the pill and noticed my hormones getting out of wack lately. So I seemed out a naturopath who has prescribed me on progesterone cream to balance out my hormones. She thinks that due to all those years of taking synthetic birth controls, my natural hormones are paying a price and she sees many patients having difficulties getting pregnant afterwards due to birth control pills.

I'm also taking vitex (has been 3 months) although haven't seen any improvements

I'm going next week for a blood test to get my hormones tested. Best time to do it is 19-21 days after the first day of your menstral cycle.

free skin care · Sat Feb 23, 2013 10:51 pm

As for antibiotics, I've never taken them because I don't like the idea. I've used topical clydamycin for acne. Clindamycin is a antibiotic. Over time it stopped working as well. With antibiotics your body will become immune to it.

Wed Jul 09, 2014 2:14 pm

I have the same issue. My chest gets irritated especially in the summer but year round I deal with concealing my chest because of this skin condition. Thank goodness for Pinterest and curiosity. After going down the wormhole for hours I came back with a few new, natural approaches to combating this. 1. Apple cider vinegar. Make a solution of one part acv and four parts distiller water and use like a toner. 2. Rose water. Spray onto inflamed area at night before bed. 3. Raw honey. Use to cleanse area and rinse off with warm water and soft cloth. Give it a try - I have been to hell and back w the skin conditions and treatments and have been burned time and time again. Cutting out sugar and fermented foods was a good start but I feel this new regimen can only be described as awesome.
Best of luck to you!

free skin care · Sat Jul 12, 2014 6:23 am

When acne products don't work on body breakouts and rashy acne, then it's probably fungal in nature. I'm very SD-prone, so dealing with fungus is a consistent battle, from head to toes. My personal favorite body cleanser is ol' timey Dial soap (the gold one). I fear it may be in the process of being reformulated, so I've been hoarding bars.

I'd suggest using a zinc shampoo as body wash and leaving the lather on for several minutes. Theraneem gel (the unscented version) is wonderfully anti-fungal in addition to being anti-bacterial. It's aloe based and very light. I use it after shaving my legs since I'm so prone to rashy dermatitis on my legs.

You may also need to revisit your hair products. SO many are way too emollient and they leave a residue when rinsed off. And if your breakouts are fungal, these emollients "feed" the fungus. Of course, washing your hair and then pinning it up off your body prior to bathing is very helpful.

free skin care · Sun Jul 13, 2014 1:41 am

It may be time to look at laser treatments,don't you think?

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