I’m 32 and have the skin of a teenager, which sucks.
I’ve been to a dermatologist, and was on a 6-month course Accutane a few years back because my skin didn’t respond to any other prescriptions. The Accutane worked, but I may need a shorter 3-month course to clear my skin up again. However, Accutane is quite a harsh drug and I was wondering if anyone on the SDMB has tried an over the counter remedy that worked well for them.
I’ve tried Proactiv Solution, which worked for a little while. Has anyone tried Oxzit or Murad? What else has anyone tried anything that worked really well for them? I’m just curious…
I’m getting pretty good results with several products containing Tea Tree Oil that I get at The Body Shop (the facial wash and body bar), along with pure tea trea oil that I get at Target (the Body Shop product that claims to be tea tree oil actually contains alcohol, while the Target product lists only tea tree oil as an ingredient). YMMV and the like.
One of my friends swears by some product - I’ll send her an e-mail and see if she’ll pass the name to me again. She suggested it to me, but I wanted to try the tea tree oil first - it’s a bit cheaper than the product she uses, and funds have been tight lately.
Have you been tested for any hormonal imbalances and stuff? I’ve had cystic acne for 10 years and just got diagnosed with PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) one of the hallmarks of which is acne. I’ve been on Glucophage for about 2 weeks for the PCOS and my husband looked at me the other day and said, “Wow, your skin is really clearing up!” I have noticed a difference.
I’ve also used ProActiv and again, it works for a while, but then I get a major breakout about once a month.
I’m not sure of the gender of the OP, but a hormonal screening might not be a bad idea.
Lsura, if you could find out the name of the stuff from your friend, I’d appreciate it, thank you!
DaisyFace, I’ve never been tested for that, but it’s something to keep in mind. OrthoTriCyclen helped keep it under control when I was on it a couple of years back, but the hormone dosages seemed too high for me.
It depends if you want to get rid of it or manage it I guess. Accutane or hormone balancing should effectively eliminate it (if that’s the cause). Stuff like ProActive and other topicals usually only keeps it under control while you keep slathering the stuff on which means you have to stay on it.
I got prescribed Accutane about 5 years ago and it cleared it up really well but the last 2 years it’s got worse again. I’m going to get a blood test for underactive thyroid cos I’ve heard that can cause it. Worth a try mate.
I use a generic brand wash that contains salicylic acid twice a day (Neutrogena makes one also). At night I use a wash that contains benzoyl peroxide (currently using Oxy brand) plus a benzoyl peroxide gel. That keeps things under control most of the time. Most of the time, I say.
I participate in another 'net message board which is more fashion/beauty-centered, and some of the women there swear by the regiment outlined at www.acne.org which uses all OTC supplies.
I’ve recently taken up exactly the same regimen as Dung Beetle after mumbly-mum years, and it definitely works. I’m even older than DB and the spots have just never gone away.
I’ve used something like the acne.org routine of using a ton of benzoyl peroxide and then managing the irritation by using moisturizer. It definitely works for breakouts but it is still irritating if you have sensitive skin. For a long time I would do it, clear things up, then want to stop because of expense and bother, then I would break out again and have to start over. It’s hard to stick with it when you aren’t breaking out.
I have a question for adult acne sufferers though. As you get older, do you scar more easily? I’ve been noticing that just about any time I get a cyst, I get a scar now. Not only that, but it seems like pitted scars are forming in places I haven’t broken out in recent memory. I have this feeling that there were times when I was younger when I didn’t get an apparent scar, but maybe there was tissue damage, and that now that I am getting older and my colagen is getting older, it can’t hold up and so any areas of old damage are turning into pits. It’s disturbing, but I guess not disturbing enought to get me to a dermatologist. I’m starting to think it’s time to go, but I wonder if it is common for scars to show up later in life?
I’m 27, I notice more pitted scars now too. They suck. Currently I’m on antobiotics which are helping to keep things OK, I use Retin-A cream as well. Next week I’m getting a blood test to see if I’ve got an underactive thyroid, my sister and my mum both do, and my sister has been reading a book which links an underactive thyroid to loads of things including acne and depression.
A news piece on TV this week indicated that some Acne was caused by a bacterium that was highly resistant to conventiional treatments.
This treatment involves a chemical agent that bond to to bacterium and a flash of a high power light source destroys the bonded bacterium.
Yep, adult acne sucks. When I was a teenager, I’d get about one whitehead a month, which would pop in a satisfying manner and then disappear without a trace. When I hit about 28, the cystic acne started. No fun. It was so bad for a while that I was taking antibiotics daily, but that was damaging my liver, so I had to stop. (Be aware of this if you’re still on daily antibiotics, ** The Griffin**-- it caused me no small amount of distress). I’m back on Retin-A for now and it manages the problem without solving it completely.
Does anyone else here have cystic acne? I get about one cyst a month now (used to be 3-4 at once). The problem is, they take over a month to resolve themselves, and will pop, scab over, and then need to pop numerous more times before they go away. Why is that? Seems like the pore gets clogged deep down and until the blockage is cleared, it won’t go away. This never happened in my teens; my zits then were straightforward and easily fixed.
And yes, they do scar more easily. I’m not getting pits so much as these red marks that take over 6 months to fade. I really feel for teens with bad acne now; what a pain in the ass.
Underactive thyroid is a possibility. If you also have dry skin, irregular periods, and your hair has been falling out, go get a blood test now.
My stepson was on Accutane for a while. He quit taking it when he lived with us. I put him on a routine of rinsing his face with very warm water, cleaning with astringent, then splashing with cold water, and changing his pillowcase daily. Worked better than drugs, and it’s cheap.
Rubystreak, I’m very aware of the cystic acne hell. I got zits as a teen, sure, but they were the little surface ones.
Now, I get fewer, but the ones I get are thes awful cystic ones that hurt like hell and take forever to resolve. Ouch. But the tea tree oil is definitely helping - and the few I’ve gotten since I started that don’t seem as deep or like they take so long to finish their cycle.
bittersweet, I’m still waiting for an answer from my friend…I swear I haven’t forgotten!
I’m 57. I 've had acne all my life. a dermatologist told me that some people do have acne all their lives - it’s not that uncommon (although even people with adult acne generally had worse acne when they were teenagers.)
hey, people, use any cream with BENZOYL PEROXIDE in it. Works very well. That chemical hads an overload of oxygen in it (the “peroxide”) and that abundance of oxygen kills acne germs. In my country, Benzoyl Peroxide-containing creams and gels are sold over-the-counter. Even if you need a prescription for it in the States (if you do) it’s worth it.
