A
female
age
26-29,
anonymous
writes:Hi. I'm an 18 year old girl who has suffered with quite severe acne since I was 11. I have dry skin, scars on my cheeks from previous acne and the majority of my acne is on my cheeks, chin and jawline. I know that wearing make-up doesn't help atall as it clogs up pores and your skin needs to breathe however I don't feel confident wearing no make up, I have no confidence as it is and having a face covered in acne doesn't help. I have tried every drugstore product and various cream prescribed from my doctors but nothing seems to be working, all they seem to do is make my skin go red and dry which at first I know is what the cream is supposed to do, but months later it was still the same!It's getting me down so much, i have no confidence in anything.What else can I do?
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reader, anonymous, writes (3 March 2013): I think it has to do with age. As you grow older the acne should go as well. Still, you can try using soap with honey in it. And there's this lightening cream called G and G. It really does wonders in making you smooth. Worked for me! But you should give it atleast 3mnths to see the results of using it.
A
female
reader, Daisy_Daisy +, writes (2 March 2013):
 Dear OP
You could go back to your GP and explain that the creams aren't working. During my teens, from about age 14/15, and early twenties I took oral antibiotics and even an oral contraceptive pill (Dianette) to help with my acne. It calmed itself down by mid to late twenties, but I'm guessing you don't want a build up of scarring and pock marks so I suggest going back to the GP. Acne can be controlled with the right medication, whether topical (on the skin) or taken orally, so you don't need to suffer unnecessarily.
All the best.
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female
reader, anonymous, writes (2 March 2013): I put up with this for years as a teenager and well into my twenties until I finally read somewhere that you can go on the contraceptive pill - but it has to be the right one - for curing acne. I went onto one called Dianette - but there are other ones. It was like a miracle cure, I'd strongly recommend that you ask your doctor about it and don't be put off if one of them says "no" - just go to another one because opinions vary amongst doctors about all sorts of things and it's no reflection on you or your needs.
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female
reader, anonymous, writes (2 March 2013): I too suffered with terrible cystic acne, but from the ages of 20-26, and no over the counter treatments or creams/antibiotics from the doctor helped me either. I am 27 now and it only cleared up after I used a combination of the contraceptive pill (marvelon in my case - it worked amazingly for me) and a treatment called roaccutane. Only a dermatologist can prescribe roaccutane though and it is very severe so it's not for everyone, but if you research it and think it would be worth the risk then go to your gp and ask him/her to refer you to a dermatologist. They will probably say no at first but dont take no for an answer! The derm appointment and the treatment is free on the nhs too. In the meantime, or if you don't fancy such a severe method of treatment, then there are lots of other things you can do to help. I had great results with the following, but decided on the above treatments to get completely clear. First of all, use the most sensitive products you can find, NOT acne products like clearasil etc which are too harsh. I use cetaphil face wash and moisturisers which you can get in Boots, but any product labelled 'non-comedogenic' should work just as well. This means it does not contain any ingredients which can clog your pores or irritate your skin. You can get makeup like this too which will help. Stay away from skin scrubs too, and any harsh treatments as these will aggravate your skin and make it worse. There is an excellent website named acne.org which I would 100% recommend. It has so much information on all treatments available too, including reviews from others and a skin care regime created by the website founder which many people have had excellent results with. Others advise following a low GL diet too, and some have had success with the oil cleansing method (google it for more info). Whatever you decide the best option for you is, research and trial and error is the best form of attack. I have now been completely acne free for 8 months, but before that it seemed like an unbeatable battle. If you have any questions please let me know, and have faith that you will get rid of it eventually.
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A
female
reader, chigirl  +, writes (2 March 2013):
 Oh, never mind that "makeup clogs up pores" crap. Yes, it clogs up pores. But so does sweat, so you might as well say no one should ever work out or break a sweat because it "clogs up pores".
Oh no, you just wear make-up without a worry. What's important is that you wash it off before you go to bed, so that you don't have old left-overs on you when you add new make-up.
As for the acne, acne doesn't come from clogged up pores. You get acne because of hormones in your body. That's why mostly teenagers get it, and no amount of cleaning your face will help, because acne isn't caused by anything you add or remove from your face. Hence why you can wear makeup without guilty feelings. Make-up can't make anything better or worse.
Same with different facial cleaning products. Then wont make any difference at all. At best they help to keep things in check. And sometimes, with some people, it helps to drink enough water (and never sodas, or drinks high in sugar), get enough fresh air, and get enough vitamins. And with some people, it helps to get on birth control pills (although for some people, birth control pills can make it worse, and then again there's so many different types of pills...).
Use makeup, good quality high-end make up that actually covers the scars and acne. I recommend Clarins or Dior foundations, liquid foundations that is. They give you the best result when it comes to covering acne and scars. If you've got red spots, use a concealer first (just right where its needed, not on a larger area at once), and then have foundation on top of that. Dab the foundations on with your fingers. Then finish off with light powder (makes all the difference for me at least, as it keeps the face dry and the make-up in place and lasting longer).
And have a GOOD moisturizer. That way your face wont "crack" up during the day, and ruin your makeup.
And, wait until you get out of puberty, it'll get better then. Unless your mother still has bad acne, because if she does then you probably will have it as an adult as well. But if that happens, you can go see your doctor again. They tend to give you the real strong stuff if you've still got acne past the age of 25. My dermatologist gave me Isotretinoin that I used for 8 months, and all the acne disappeared. Now, two years later, I've only had small pimples, very rarely, and they disappear again after just a few hours. So there's still hope if you're still having acne as an adult.
Until then, don't worry about the make-up! It wont make any difference at all if you wear it or not.
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reader, anonymous, writes (2 March 2013): I am sorry you are feeling like this. If you haven't tried it already my doctor sent me to a consultant who presctibed Minocycline which worked really well for me after about 5 days. It is definitely worth trying and works from inside rather than having to put creams on your face. It is strong stuff though and is also prescribed for other causes but I believe it to be highly regarded for acne.
You are also still very young and this will get better as your hormones settle down. My son is 17 and suffers too and is also very upset about the whole thing. He was told it will settle down but may take until he is about 19. I know that might not offer much comfort but it will clear over the following months.
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reader, anonymous, writes (2 March 2013): Are you sure you're not using too much of the creams? You're only suppose to use them in very thin layers before going to bed every day unless your skin gets really dry and red then you're suppose to stop and wait until it heals and use it once a week or every other day so your skin can get use to it before trying every day again.Also something that really does work. NEVER and I mean never touch your face with your hands without washing them with soap first. Even when showering wash your hands with soap before touching your face. Because once you touch your face it's "Game Over".Wash your face with slightly cold water in the morning and before bed. Make sure to dry your face properly without using too much strength and don't use fluffy towels. Before going to bed make sure your hair isn't on your face. Use a clean towel every time. Change your pillow case every 3-5 days. If you're showering don't let the water hit your face directly but left it flow down from the top of your head, move your hair away so it doesn't stick to your face.Don't put on makeup unless you're going out and when you get back don't wait with washing it off.Buy a proper soap. Cleanse your face once every 2-4 days at the start so you don't irritate your skin.Cleanse it by first washing your hands then your face. Soap your face and in circular motions (right hand counter clockwise, left hand clockwise) start massaging the soap in starting around the nose. Even if thats not where most of your acne is it is the place that matters the most and just cleaning that area properly can make you feel better and cleaner in more places than just your face. The 2nd most important area is around your hair line so make sure to massage the soap in there properly too. I usually do this in the shower.I do still get acne sometimes but not much hardly ever now. I feel a lot better and sometimes I'm too lazy to do the above properly but my face is still more or less completely clean.
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female
reader, deirdre  +, writes (2 March 2013):
hello, sorry to hear that your acne is still there. I have had it since I was 13 or 14 and the doctor put me on the pill Yasmin at 16 and it helped a lot. however I have oily skin, it helped with that too. I would advise you ask your doctor about the pill as I think many dont dry your skin out, but would help with acne as many times acne is worsened by your menstrual cycle. good luck and hope you find a solution
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A
female
reader, Seabreezes  +, writes (2 March 2013):
Have you had your hormones checked? Sometimes when acne doesn't respond to prescription medications, it's due to a hormonal imbalance. I would suggest making an appointment with a reproductive endocrinologist, who should test your testosterone, progesterone, estrogen and LH.
You're at an age where hormones are crazy, and sometimes they're "out-of-control crazy. This is why some gynecologists prescribe birth control pills for acne, as it tends to regulate hormones. In very severe case, however, you would need hormone specific medications.
My niece went through this, and that was her problem. I'm not saying this is definitely the cause, but it's worth checking out.
((HUGS))
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A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (2 March 2013): Yes, ask your doctor to put you on accutane. Research this medication on the internet and youtube. Hopefully doctors in the UK can prescribe it. I took it and feel so much better.
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