It sucks. I turn 30 this month and I still have to battle the dreaded little red bumps. Not horrible or chronic, just a pain in the, er, well, face. The last thing that I knew about that worked well was Retin-A gel and that came out over 10 years ago. Have there been any breakthroughs or new stuff to hit the shelves over in the States since I’ve been gone? Any ideas?
Don’t worry Tomcat, there are many people in your situation at your age and I see it every day. I am a Mary Kay Beauty Consultant and help is on the way.
For females I would suggest TimeWise. TimeWise is a two step process consiting of a 3-in-1 cleanser and Age-Fighting Moisturizer.
The 3-1 cleanser Cleanses, Exfoliates, Freshens. Plus, get the antioxidant benefits of vitamin E. The skin-smoothing benefits of refined microbeads. The firming action of Retinyl Palmitate (a vitamin A derivative). The freshening effects of botanicals.
The second step which is the age-fighting moisturizer Firms, Softens, and Reduces the appearance of fine lines. It is also oil-free. It’s formulated with our exclusive patent-pending complex to firm and brighten as it reduces the appearance of fine lines. Plus, you get the benefits of botanicals and a vitamin E derivative for antioxidant benefits. Clinically proven to hydrate for up to 10 hours, Age-Fighting Moisturizer absorbs quickly, infusing the skin with our exclusive hydrating formula to leave it feeling soft, supple and always fresh.
I’m not trying to put on a sales pitch (please no one yell at me), i’m just trying to help. If you are interested, you can visit my web site at http://www.mymk.com/ccline2 and email me privately.
But thanks for the offer. What I want to know is this: Is it more effective than the Retin-a gel I can get prescribed to me? I have a natural fear to Mary Kay products since Bloom County’s “Night of the Mary Kay Kommando’s” and I’d want to see some hard evidence that it works better than what the pro’s use. And I’m a guy- exfoliating means squat to me. What do the products do, and why do they work?
Sorry I didn’t realize you were male. In that case it changes things a bit. I do not have any knowledge of Retin-a gel so I can not compare Retin-a gel to Mary Kay. For the male, Mary Kay does have a skin management program as well. Blemish Control Formual which dries and clears acne and also helps prevent the formation of new ones. I would also recommend a cleansing bar to remove dirt, oil and dead surface cells which is what causes the blemishes.
I’ve been using a Benzomyacin/Retin-A combo. There’s also Acutane if it’s really severe. The Benzo stuff is really drying, but that stopped after a few weeks. I use it at night before bed, and use the Retin during the day.
A girl
Why not seek out a dermatologist? They would know the latest, some of that info might be at webmd.com
Check what foods you eat that may cause it, also cleaning your face. Or grow a beard. Or could be genes, so ask your folks how long they got it.
I hate to break it to you, Tomcat, but I’m 40, and I still get them occasionally. What I do is as soon as one is impending, I hit it with an extra strength Noxema pad, before I go to bed, and in the morning; it doesn’t stand a chance!.
I sometimes get them at the belt line for some bizarre reason; when that happens, I just tuck a pad against it held in place by my briefs waistband, and it goes away pretty quickly.
The only other suggestion I have is to keep your face clean.
Tomcat, there’s a possibility that what you have isn’t simple acne, but is something called “seborrheic dermatitis”, which is a 50 cent phrase that just means “a rash that sometimes makes a slight crust”. Not impetigo, which is caused by staph bacteria, but a whole nother animal. It’s chronic, the same way that acne is, but you use a different approach and different medicine. For one thing, they use tetracycline for it, which works sometimes. It’s the same thing as cradle cap in infants, and the really severe form that you get on your scalp is called “dandruff”.
Also, a dermatologist just told me recently that sometimes they’re using tetracycline for just plain acne with good results. It depends on how old you are and what kind of acne you have. See a good dermatologist (and ask around, don’t just pick one out of the Yellow Pages, that’s what I did once, and got burned by a misdiagnosis.)
There’s tons of acne info on the Web, too.
P.S. My brother is 43 and still has breakouts on his nose when he’s upset. Mom says she can always tell how his work is going by what his nose looks like.