How did you get rid of your acne?

[eh613c]

Originally Posted by rprav8r

I went to a dermatologist and got all kinds of wonderful prescription meds. I highly recommend it.

A dermatologist will give you a regimen to clean your skin and also meds (if needed). Plus, he/she may determine what might be causing it.

[hoodlims]

I used to go to a derm to get treatments, but after I started using mineral makeup, my skin cleared up on its own. I still have acne scars, but no new pimples, so I am pretty happy.

[jennilynn]

Originally Posted by AnnieW625

I stopped eating a lot of wheat when I was 27 and I pretty much never looked back. Now I limit my wheat intake to one specific brand or bread at home (or sourdough if I am not at home and a sandwich is likely my only option), tortillas, or an occaisional cookie or piece of pie. I used to be on antibiotics for my acne twice daily and within a month I was off of them. It's been 7 yrs. now and I have very little acne problems. I also started using Kiehl's Blue Herbal Gel Cleanser about the same time and that stuff is magic. I also found that once I eliminated any topical OTC benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid cream that it made my skin a lot better. The only BP cream that really worked for me was Benzaclin which is RX only.

This is really interesting Annie! I started eating gluten free at the suggestion of my esthetician a few weeks ago and it's starting to look like it's helping. Another thing that really helped me was finally discovering that I have sensitive skin, not oily/combination/acne prone skin, so using products that are gentle and moisturizing actually helps. I love Ecco Bella products and Everyday Minerals makeup. Antibiotics worked for me but I wasn't comfortable being on them long-term. I saw a dermatologist a few weeks ago and he was so unhelpful. He wasn't at all willing to try to figure out the cause, just wrote me a prescription and gave me some creams. He told me I'm stuck with it until I "outgrow" it. I hate that attitude and strongly believe there is a cause or a trigger and I just have to discover mine.

[artvandalay]

Where is your acne located? Hormonal acne is usually on the jawline or chin. It's also really hard to treat topically.

If it is hormonal, oral BCP and spironolactone are good bets. Not everyone wants to be on bcp, though. Spironolactone is actually used to treat high blood pressure, so if you have low blood pressure you can't use it. You also can't be on it if you think you might want to get pregnant - I think it might be category X or one of the bad ones.

[SoloMelody]

Originally Posted by AnnieW625

I stopped eating a lot of wheat when I was 27 and I pretty much never looked back. Now I limit my wheat intake to one specific brand or bread at home (or sourdough if I am not at home and a sandwich is likely my only option), tortillas, or an occaisional cookie or piece of pie. I used to be on antibiotics for my acne twice daily and within a month I was off of them. It's been 7 yrs. now and I have very little acne problems.

I recently learned from my endocrinologist after talking to him about skin, hair,nails issues and a missed period that I am sensitive to carbs. I also described the past 2-3 months of lifestyle to him which included a vacation back home where I ate a lot of carbs and continued eating desserts I bought back for a month. I missed my period, acne/breakouts, chest size increase, hair loss etc...a lot of pregnancy type symptoms.

To cut the long story short....I ate too many carbs and eventually bad skin, hair, weight gain etc. So as long as I watch my carbs/eliminate it...I have beautiful glowing skin and I feel great, so now I am a firm believer of what you put into your body is what shows on your skin.

[babybell]

Originally Posted by artvandalay

Where is your acne located? Hormonal acne is usually on the jawline or chin. It's also really hard to treat topically.

If it is hormonal, oral BCP and spironolactone are good bets. Not everyone wants to be on bcp, though. Spironolactone is actually used to treat high blood pressure, so if you have low blood pressure you can't use it. You also can't be on it if you think you might want to get pregnant - I think it might be category X or one of the bad ones.

I did not know that certain kinds of acne were located in different places on the face. Mine is mainly on my cheeks with some on the jawline. I'm currently not on any BC but am considering the pill because it might clear up my acne... still not sure I want to be on it, though.

[artvandalay]

Originally Posted by babybell

I did not know that certain kinds of acne were located in different places on the face. Mine is mainly on my cheeks with some on the jawline. I'm currently not on any BC but am considering the pill because it might clear up my acne... still not sure I want to be on it, though.

Have you changed cosmetics or cleansers? It could be blush, bronzer or foundation.

You can still get hormonal acne on cheeks, but it being on the jawline is sort of the hallmark symptom. If you think of where a man gets a beard, if you break out in those areas, that is typically hormonal. Also sometimes you can even get deeper, cyst like pimples under your jawline, that is usually hormonal as well.

I've been struggling with hormonal acne for years. The only thing that kept me clear was Ortho Tri Cyclen and pregnancy. I can't take oral BCP anymore, and I'm not a candidate for spironolactone. I actually just saw my derm for hormonal acne. She originally gave me antibiotics but they didn't agree with me. Now she is trying Duac (topical - clindamycin plus benzoyl peroxide) on my jawline in the morning, and Retin A Micro (topical) at night. I pretty much only break out along my jaw. Hopefully this will work.

I've also had success with BHA's and AHA's. I'd really recommend seeing a dermatologist, if nothing else to get some of your questions answered.

[artvandalay]

Originally Posted by babybell

That's the funny thing about acne, I've discovered.... some people swear by salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide, and others say it doesn't work.!

Ok I must have missed this. Have you ever actually tried BHA's (salycilic acid) or benzoyl peroxide?

[mikala]

Originally Posted by babybell

I am admittedly overwhelmed by all these responses, so the suggestion to go to a dermatologist is honestly the most enticing. I feel like going through tons of different washes, toners, moisturizers, etc will be expensive and time-consuming to find the right combination for me.

IMHO I think this is the most frustrating part of acne treatment. The causes and thus effective treatments vary quite a bit from person to person and over time so a lot of trial and error is often necessary. Hormones vary as we go through pregnancy and age and the effects of products vary with the seasons. For some people water intake and diet makes a huge impact.

While a doctor's visit may help you get it under control quickly I think it's at least worth a try to look at lifestyle changes that can help instead of or in addition to the prescription meds. Medications can work wonders but it is awfully nice to get to a place where you can manage it without doctor's visits, co-pays and extra strong chemicals. Long term antiobiotic usage definitely has side effects and Accutane is a total no-no if there is any chance you may become pregnant for a period of time after treatment.

For me fabric softener is a definite trigger so that might be an easy thing to stop using on your clothes, sheets and bath towels.