ACNE. Can I get help?

[Catail]

I've had acne since I was 11. I've literally tried everything. Why do I deserve this? I had a three year period with clear skin on bc and an antibiotic until it quit working. I gently wash my face twice a day. I use creams everyday. I won't quit wearing makeup though!! What should I do? I have hard water so now I'm trying using bottled water to wash my face and see no difference. I even sanitize my clarisonic before I use it.

[loofah]

-Do you see a dermatologist regularly? Have you been prescribed accutane? Do you use a vitamin A derivative drug like atralin or retinA?
-What is your skin type? Oily, dry, combination?
-Do you try any natural remedies? Ingredients like tea tree oil, aloe vera, honey, turmeric, lemon juice, dead sea clay, aztec clay, etc
-Have you tried The Body Shop products? They worked wonders for me and my friends and siblings. Especially the tea tree line is praised. Seaweed line is great as well.
-What is your regimen? Do you cleanse, then tone, then apply your products in the correct order?
-Do you drink enough water? Do you sleep enough? How is your diet? Does anything diet related trigger your acne? For example, dairy or chocolate?
-Have you considered getting a silk anti-aging pillowcase? It helps with acne and sensitive skin as well. Also, wash your pillowcases and towels twice a week if possible and use hand sanitizer before applying any product to your face. Makeup brushes need to be washed regularly as well, though I assume you do that since you santize your clarisonic too.
-What brush head do you use for your clarisonic? How often do you use it? I would not recommend more than 1x daily.
-Do you have enlarged pores?
-Do you exfoliate? How often? What exfoliator do you use?
-Gels are better than creams, FYI.
-Do you have acne scarring? If so is it just hyperpigmentation, hypertrophic, and/or pitted? Do you have redness?
-Have you gotten chemical peels or facials or microdermabrasian done?
-Does your acne flare up around your period? If so, are those pimples localized on your jawline or lower cheeks and are they tender?

As you can see, I have a lot of questions... because there are lots of things out there to try. Unfortunately, acne is a problem that has no cure but it can be managed. Some of us just gotta work harder than others to have presentable skin. It sucks, but it's worth it experimenting and exploring.

[Catail]

I've been told I'm not an accutane candidate. I have combination skin, I have mild scarring, I use my clarisonic every few days, i use products in the correct order, my face is EVERYWHERE when I sleep so changing my pillow cases would only do so much, and my pimples are everywhere.

[Catail]

I think I should try tea tree oil

[loofah]

Yes! I highly recommend tea tree oil stuff. I have also had acne since age 11 and I am now almost 27 and my skin is so much more manageable now... I could cry lol. Okay, I would recommend trying The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Skin Clearing Face Wash (Body Shop. com has 50% off and free shipping going on right now) and the tea tree toner as well. If tea tree oil works for you, I would recommend buying organic aloe vera spray and pure tea tree oil with a dropper... add 4 drops of tea tree oil per ounce of aloe vera spray and spray that on your face one morning, once night.

I would also ask for atralin from the dermatologist. Seriously consider the silk pillow then if you sleep like a movement maniac like me lol I wake up with a rosy cheeked clear face, and I think the pillow plays a huge role in that. Try the sensitive skin brush head for the clarisonic or the deep pore cleansing if you haven't already.
Do you do any masks weekly?

[Catail]

No I don't

[XNicholeMariex3]

... sigh...
I know what you are going through...
I had bad acne ever since the age of 12. It finally cleared up immensily when I was 18/19 when I decided to do nothing but wash my face with plain dove soap. It did come back a little but it wasn't anything that really bothered me. But at 20 years old I stupidly went off birth control thinking that because I was on it for 7 years straight due to acne that it would make it so I couldn't have children (but I was wrong, later after I got off it I looked it up, it has no effect of fertility).
I ended up breaking out really bad in severe cystic acne. It was the worse I have ever been. I dealt with this for awhile... Nothing fucking worked on me, nothing.
I ended up having to go on accutane and I am currently in my 3rd month.

If you have tried everything under the sun and nothing truly works for you, I'd mention accutane to your dermatologist... but I'm telling you... it's not cheap and it is NOT a walk in the park... but I have cleared up SO much in only being in the 3rd month (and I have to take it for 6 months.

[XNicholeMariex3]

Also, I am truly sorry that you are dealing with this... I know it can kill a persons self esteem... I know it did that to me.

[Catail]

Thank you!!!

[XNicholeMariex3]

I know it isn't what you wanted to hear. I have random natural remedies that helped a little throughout those terrible years but they all stopped working on me as usual.

[normalguy1]

I have recently cured two decades of this problem.
1. start every day with a tall glass of water with several teaspoons of lemon juice in it
2. take vitamin a and beta carotene along with fish oil and folic acid
3. use water down tea tree oil to treat spots that are breaking out
4. change your pillowcase every two nights
5. eliminate possible culprits from your diet then slowly reintroduce them one at a time to see which one causes a reaction ( dairy, gluten, chocolate, eggs)

[I_am_repulsive]

Sometimes there isn't much you can do. Have you tried going to a dermatologist?

[Catail]

Yeah they've prescribed many things

[I_am_repulsive]

And nothing works right?

[Catail]

Nope not really

[quinoaflakes]

You might have hormonal issues. Many cause's for acne is something inside the body isn't " balanced ". Go to your doctor and get a blood test to see if anything is not right or if you have any allergies.

[Anonymous]

sometimes there's just nothing you can do cuz bad genetics. i had pretty moderate acne as a teen but then i started sleeping with a clean towel on my pillow and started eating healthier and now it's light. makeup definitely isn't helping your case though.

[sean1234]

You might be allergic to something, what that is... who knows.

[Lindseytay]

Adjust your diet and drink more water