Acne getting me down

[Saxman]

I have had acne for seven years and it is pretty grotesque and while it is better than it used to be most of my face has a horrible reddish tinge and close up I have lots of small red pimples. I try to forget about it but it really makes me self-conscious and miserable at times, and makes me feel very unattractive. None of the treatments doctors have prescribes do any good so I am resigned to having it. I am sure other people on here probably have acne, so I was wondering how you cope with it (psychologically)?

 

[remy]

Growing up, I had braces, glasses, and acne, the three worst things that could happen to a teenager. Although acne creams can only do so much, time is the only huge factor.

I suggested in one of your past posts that you should try Klear Action, which isn't expensive and worked well for me.

 

[MusicMelOU]

To be honest, I didn't put up with it; I went straight to the dermatologist and got medicine for it. The best out there is Isotretinoin also known as Accutane. It's been proven to cure acne. What it does is stop the oil production in your skin and shrink your oil glands to the size of a baby's. Once you stop taking it they start producing oil again and get a bit larger but never like before. I know so many people who have been helped by this, including myself

 

[DogBluff]

I had acne that was a lot worse than it had to be. In my senior year of high school I finally figured out that all the medications that I was using were way too harsh and they were just making it worse. Now, grant it, mine was not that bad at all, but I do still have a pimple now and then. (Darn that Lumbee Indian blood!!) But I began to use the medicated Saint Ives Apricot Scrub. It seemed to not irritate my skin and made my complexion clear. I don't have to use it anymore, but I got hooked on how clean it makes your face feel.

 

[twosteppin]

theres a guy I know who has bad acne and he is very attrative and good looking to many girls I know, including me. i randomly break out, when it happens, it's bad. I just learn to live with it when it comes. people don't even care or notice cause almost everyone gets it. I hate using the term "get over it" because it sounds so harsh and cold, but if its something you have to live with, then its the best way to go. I wouldnt worry about it if I were you. but thats easier said then done...

 

[invisiblebabe]

Well Saxman, that makes two of us who are sick of our skin My skin hasn't been perfect since fourth grade.... I've been seeing dermatologists since I was eleven... it hasn't gotten considerably better, and I am almost twenty. I am sick of it already! Makes me feel like I'll never get out of that "adolescent" stage!

I dunno, what's helped me is people outright telling me I'm pretty I've even asked if they thought my skin was *that* bad, and everyone has said that although it isn't perfect, it doesn't scream out "acne." So, maybe yours isn't as bad as you think it is.... or maybe you notice it a whole lot more than other people do.

I try to look at what I like about myself, too.... that helps at least on good days.

As far as the redness goes, maybe you could ask your doctor for a bleaching cream. I use Claripel, and that helps the redness go away a lot faster (I'm really pale, so any breakouts show up quite red).

Oh, and for the record, I think braces and glasses are cool! I had braces when I was fourteen, and though they hurt sometimes, I didn't mind them

 

[Shannonkish]

Tea Tree oil is good..

For oily skin.. the reason it is oily is because you essentially have overactive oil glands... they think that your skin is dry and therefore produce more oil to hydrate it... Using a light moistureizer daily has helped me.. you won't see results immediately.. it takes a few weeks for the oil to go down, but once your glands get used to it.. you skin can "normalize"

Over washing your skin, constantly touching your face, wearing oily makeup-- those are all things that DO NOT help your skin at all.. Bare Essentials is an awesome makeup!

 

[DogBluff]

Bare Essentials really is the best! It's worth the price! Even some of the oil-free makeup would still be shiny after afew hours. And since Bare Essentials is pure minerals, it doesn't clog your pores!

 

[Ceris]

Two things that you can control right now that will help (without any medicine or anything): Sleep and stress. I find that when I don't get enough sleep and/or I'm really stressed I start breaking out like I was fourteen again.

 

[KLLM82]

It's funny, no one mentioned "Eating habits". I guess no one really thinks that a person's eating habits can be a great cause of that too...

~Katia~

 

[Shannonkish]

define eating habits....

 

[Shannonkish]

BTW,

There is NO correlation between diet and acne..

After years of studies, no correlation between diet and acne has been found. Of course science is never a 100% reliable enterprise. But at this point, there is no evidence that chocolate, sugar, oil, milk, seafood, or any other food causes acne. Some people absolutely insist that a certain food causes acne for them. In this case, doctors sometimes recommend that they avoid that food. The bottom line is that changing your diet will most likely not affect your acne, and avoiding foods in order to clear your acne may be a waste of your time.

This quote as well as many other myths revealed comes from: http://www.acne.org/myths.html

 

[sparrow1029]

Yeah, sadly, I know all about the acne issue Mine has gotten a lot better since I was a teenager, but its embarrassing to be 24 years old and still get breakouts! My skin is very sensitive, so most of the traditional stuff (benzyl peroxide, tee tree oil) just irritates me and makes me break out more. I've heard awesome stuff about accutane, but I can't afford it right now. The only thing thats really worked on both the redness and the breakouts is Aromaleigh's Acne Spot Treatment and their hydrating toner--the stuff is amazing. Aromaleigh makes mineral makeup, but they also have line of skin care products that are awesome. They only sell online at Aromaleigh.com.

 

[Saxman]

Mmm. I think diet does make a bit of a difference. I find if my diet is persistently poor over a period of time (very few fruits and vegetables, too much pizza and icecream etc) I do see a worsening of my acne.

invisible babe, it is weird, in some mirrors it looks really bad and in others it looks OK, so maybe the mirror isn't necessarily a true reflection of what my acne is like. I am also very self-conscious about how I look so I probably focus on it more than other people. On holidays when I tan and my acne tends to improve I almost look good looking, but for most of the year I have a really blotchy, reddish complexion which really does ruin my appearance.

I am also of the opinion that the medicines especially antibiotics make it more virulent, but whenever I mention it to my doctors they say that is just a sign they are working (yeah right)

 

[KLLM82]

By eating habits I mean the way you eat and what you eat. Everybody's body is different and each react differently to whatever they intake. A lot of scientific or medical researches are based on facts... and facts changes. Just because most think that acne has nothing to do with diet means that it's true? No way...

Can acne occur if you eat things that your body doesn't tolerate? Yes for quiet a few people. In some cases, it is usually a sign that they need to change their diet because they've been eating something their body doesn't like. Do you think if you feed your body the foods that it tolerates, it will give you any signs that something is wrong? not unless something is indeed wrong. Some people's body are more sensitive to what they eat and they need to carefully select what they eat so that they can see how each food affect their body (at least those who care about their body will do so).

Anyway, in general everyone should watch what they eat because those who's body doesn't really send them external signals and they eat a lot of unhealthy foods, a lot is happening internally which later on cause them to have an illness in the long run.

When teens get acne during their puberty years, it's a sign that their body is going through some changes...but after that stage, it's not normal for them to continuously have acne. It does indicate that the body is having a negative reaction to something and most of the times, it's often because of a person's diet/eating habits if it's not due to other factors like stress, etc...

Nutrition plays a great part in us being healthy and I personally think it's something that more people should learn about. When you study more about nutrition, you'll indeed learn that it plays a big role in remaining healthy and avoid developing sickness/illnesses.

~Katia~

 

[Shannonkish]

I hate to burst your bubbles, however Diet is not the cause of Acne....

http://www.skincarephysicians.com/acnenet/myths.html

Myth #2: Acne is caused by diet. Extensive scientific studies have not found a connection between diet and acne. In other words, food does not cause acne. Not chocolate. Not french fries. Not pizza. Nonetheless, some people insist that certain foods affect their acne. In that case, avoid those foods. Besides, eating a balanced diet always makes sense. However, according to the scientific evidence, if acne is being treated properly, there's no need to worry about food affecting the acne.​

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http://www.retinamicro.com/myths.asp

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Myth #1: Eating chocolate and greasy foods-like French fries-causes breakouts.


The facts: Dermatologists say there's no evidence that sugary or fried snacks affect your skin. If, however, you find that you tend to break out more after eating a certain food (for example, some people find that the iodine in foods like shellfish and sushi causes breakouts), eliminate that food from your diet and see if your skin clears up. Also keep in mind that while junk food can't be directly blamed for breakouts, healthy skin (not to mention a healthy body) requires nutrition from a well-balanced diet.

http://acne-treatment.zenmedonline.com/articles/2003/myths.htm

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[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Myth #2: Eating fried foods or chocolate can cause acne.

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Fact: Nope - that candy bar you had last night or that slice of pizza at last week's sleepover isn't responsible for the pimple that showed up on your face today. What you eat isn't the cause of acne, but that doesn't mean you should pig out on junk food. Eating lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products (as described in the Food Guide Pyramid) will make you feel good and keep the rest of your body healthy and strong.

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http://www.acnecanbecured.com.au/fup_myths.htm

• Acne is not caused by snacking on chips, chocolate or other junk food​

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http://www.acne-blemish-control.com/The foods you eat do not cause acne problems. Sugary foods such as chocolate or candy or oily foods like potato chips or french fries likewise do not contribute the development of acne conditions. Lack of exercise or obesity are likewise not causes of acne. Dispelling these myths and embracing the truth about acne problems is your first step to clearer skin.

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Now that I have shown you several reliable websites that prove this.. let's talk about what does cause acne...

http://www.dermalogica.com
Acne is a genetically-inherited disease, which is the result of several factors occurring in the skin. Aside from excess oil secreted by the sebaceous glands, there is a proliferation of cells that clog the pores, trapping oil in the follicle. Bacteria inhabit the follicle and digest the oils, generating waste products which then cause the irritation to the skin. Oilier skin conditions tend to experience more acne breakouts because they provide more food for the bacteria. Teenagers’ hormonal changes increase oil production, in turn increasing acne breakouts.

There are some people whose skin is irritated by certain foods, I am not suggesting that diet doesn't play a part in your skin health... I am however, saying that Diet does NOT cause acne... it most certianly can affect your hormones however, which begins a huge cycle that can eventually wind up at the point of acne.. however, Hormones are one of the major causes of acne, not the foods you eat. [/font]

 

[KLLM82]

Girl, you didn't "burst my bubble" and you won't . Have you ever studied nutrition? Perhaps you should go to site instead ---> http://www.acne-advice.com/articles/link_between_diet_acne.shtml

Do you know any good nutritionist? I'm sure they'll be able to tell you more about the link between acne and diet if you need to further understand how it works. Don't depend on dermatologists or other certain other doctors because their studies were not on nutrition.

~Katia~

 

[Shannonkish]

Okay, really, this isn't worth arguing about...

You are absolutely right, we should trust or listen to dermatologists... or doctors that are concerned with the physiology and pathology of the skin. For that matter, don't listen to anyone that spent 12 years out of high school to study medicine with at least 2-4 of those years in their specialty.

I happen to have a dermatologist in my family..but apparently he doesn't know anything, according to you at least....

I wonder, don't you only have to have a master's to be a nutritionist? Or could it be just your Bachelor's? That's right, a BS degree and some are required to get a licensure. Hardly a doctorate degree..which means they must know MUCH more than actual doctors. (note the sarcasm)

Now, let's use the same website you wanted to use to prove me wrong...

http://www.acne-advice.com/facts/causes_of_acne.shtml
A diet high in foods that can aggravate acne

Notice it say AGGREVATE... not cause... but aggrevate.. If you read my post above you would see that I agreed with that...

I am done.

 

[Shannonkish]

Also note,

That the author of acne-advice.com has NO creditinals at all. She is simply someone who created a website with some information. Good soure, really. Especially since she is such a credible person.

Thanks for the information!

dermalogica.com- the creators were also the creators of the International Dermal Institute.

http://acne-treatment.zenmedonline.com/articles/2003/myths.htm- Website of the creators of Derma Cleanse a product used/recommended by some dermatologists.

http://www.retinamicro.com/myths.asp- The creators/developers of Retin A- one of the leading acne medicines on the market. The developers have their MD.

http://www.skincarephysicians.com- home of the American Academy of Dermatology.

 

[KLLM82]

PS. Do you know every ingredients that are in the foods you eat?

Yogurt, frozen dinners, some milk, some juices, etc....do you think they're naturally made? A lot of "unknown" ingredients are added to them so they can be preserved.

Foods in cans = bad for health. Why? Cans are made of aluminum...when food is stored in them, some aluminum goes into it and in your body.

It's best to cook using glassware..why? pots and pans are made out of aluminum...again, it goes into your food.

Microwave...using microwave to heat up food = very unsafe; especially using plastic containers....the rays penetrate the plastic easily and goes more into the food. It's harder for the heat to penetrate the glasswares therefore it causes the heat to mostly remain outside of the container and it warms up the food faster but still, it's much better to use an oven or toaster over.

There's soooooooo much to learn from studying nutrition...and yes, a lot of what we eat are leading causes to many illnesses/diseases.

~Katia~