Horrible Skin!!

girliegirl

I am seriously getting pi**ed off with my skin lately. I know, i know, everyone's has gone quite bad because of the weather or whatever, but mine is turning into what I like to call "localised acne"

While it isnt everywhere, im having major clusters of spots on my chin and cheeks (ive never got them on my cheeks before). they're even starting to appear just underneath my ear lobe (the dent just at my jaw line). I'm also getting quite a few on my back and chest.

Anyone know anyway of beating this? I'm prepared to put in time, but I really need an answer cuz no amount of water I drink, cleansing I do etc is helping!

At the moment I was my face in the morning with Boots Clean and Clear facial wash (every 2nd or 3rd day I use Skin Wisdom facial scrub... only meant to be used twice a week). I then moisturise with Simple Light Moisturiser.
At night time, i remove my make up with make up wipes and then wash with the boots clean and clear face wash again and use the same moisturiser.

Any tips please before I go mad???!!

watna

I've been noticing little clusters of spots too. I normally have very clear skin. It's driving me mad, it's on my jaw and hairline and around my nose and mouth. it must be air conditiong or the weather or something. It's not pleasant though. They're quite small and not really noticeable unless you're quite close but they don't feel nice.

The only thing that's helping my skin at the moment is using the Clinique 3 step programme. This is not for everyone as it is quite harsh but I get dry patches on my forehead and the Clinique moisturiser is the only thing I've found recently that has made is smooth. Personally, I'm a fan of investing in my skincare and usually do a bit of research and buy in BTs etc. (I used to work there so had loads of samples for a while!). I've noticed if i get lazy and stop using the skincare every evening (I'm nearly always too lazy to do more than moisturise in the morning) that my skin feels worse.

Maybe you should try a new skincare regime? or do you wear a lot of make-up? I find not wearing make-up to work helped too. I'm more of an ugmo, but hey I sit at a desk all day anyway!

girliegirl

I dont wear foundation at all unless i'm going out. During the week I just wear Nivea Visage Tinted Moisturiser and Mascara.

I wish mine were small and not noticeable, unfortunately mine are massive ans scabby. I feel like crying sometimes i get so frustrated.

I head fish and fruit and veg helps so going to stock up in tesco this evening and only eat this stuff for the foreseeable future!!

And yea like you said, maybe a new skincare regime is the way to go. Although i'm broke til pay day so might just stick with what I have for the time being!!

watna

If they're painful and as big as you say it might be worthwhile visiting a dermatologist. It sounds like you eeat well/drink water so you might need to get some proper advice.

As a side note, are you on the pill? That can make you're skin very bad (or the other way for some people). When i was on the pill I looked like a leper.

Lil' Smiler

looked like a leper... ha ha!! sorry!! it sounded funny!!

Are you under any stress OP?? Spots along the jawline, undr the ears etc is an indication of stress.


Could be caused by central heating in the house.
Hormone changes - have you been feeling down?

I empathise with you hugely!! My skin was getting back on track there a while ago but it's getting a little crappy again

Oh and maybe try a night time moisturiser? i know simple light is very liht - i used to use it too.
did you change face wipes? i found that that irritates my skin - can only use the Simple ones!

Pepe LeFrits

http://www.danielkern.com/cart.php?target=help&mode=gel_info

Buy a few of those. Delivery from the US is pricey, so buy a few to last a while. It is absolutely brilliant. Beats all the BP products available in Ireland hands down. I had similar skin to yours, this stuff cleared it completely. Only returns when I get lazy and don't use it.

Lil' Smiler

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

http://www.danielkern.com/cart.php?target=help&mode=gel_info

Buy a few of those. Delivery from the US is pricey, so buy a few to last a while. It is absolutely brilliant. Beats all the BP products available in Ireland hands down. I had similar skin to yours, this stuff cleared it completely. Only returns when I get lazy and don't use it.

Ah that's similar to the product i swear by Danné Montague - King products.
I use 5% BP when my skins grand and 10% when it's crap

Pepe LeFrits

2.5 is milder and causes less skin irritation - I started out using an alternate 2.5% product and it was still so strong that 3 days into using it my whole face went red and it felt like my head was in a furnace - skin was peeling non stop for a week after. Its only use now is as a spot zapper, I imagine 5% and 10% is the same.

The above 2.5 I apply all over daily and it prevents the spots from appearing in the first place, does a decent job on blackheads too.

Lil' Smiler

depends on your skin i suppose.

yeah i have an Acu Gel that stops the head of a spot coming up, it's fab!! Also has a powder that absorbs any excess oil at night or during the day!

cas_k

ohhh my gawd... I am suffering the exact same kind of skin thing. I am not working at the moment but its so bad I just felt that I had to go to the doctor to find a cure. I get a redness / blotchy spotty thing in my laughter lines and now on my chin. Spots on the chin are supposed to be something to do with hormones. The doctor has said that it could be rosacea... I have googled this tonight and it is a skin condition that occurs usually in women between 30-50 years of age with a celtic type complextion (fair skin, blonde hair). Shes prescribed me creams for this... fingers crossed they work but after reading up on the internet I'm not 100% sure she has diagnosed the right thing for me

girliegirl

Thanks a mil for all your help everyone. I will definitely try one of those creams. I was always hesitant about thing like that in case they irritated it more, but if it works like you all say then it's worth a shot!

LadyE

I had "problem areas" on my skin, mainly at the side of my chin and jawline, I went to the doc, she said she would either put me on a long term antibiotic (I said no, but will review in 6 months) or a sterios cream, the cream I got was called Duac Cream, and was VERY VERY good, I put it on at night, and my skin cleared up in a couple of weeks. I frickin lost the cream tho so am slowly getting them back so have to go for a repeat prescription.

Another thing that sorted me out, was a dermoatolgica facial..they are the bee's knees...serious brilliant. My skin was glowing for about 2 months aftre. Couldnt afford it again, but will go this month..am worth it and all that

Good luck op, I know how much a pain it is...and how you think everyone is noticing.

Oh, a brillo concealer I found was one in House of Fraser, from a company called prescriptives..I got the light pwder and concealer for 70euro...expensive but worth it, for bad days.

Not the ideal solution, I know, but it helps you from feeling so ****ty

pinklady2

I had the same aswell , for a year on and off ,I went to the doc last year was told I had mild adult acne. He did say getting it has noting to do with your diet it is heritary and due to an overactive hormone in the body that produces too much oil in the skin (something along those lines).
I was put on an antibitotic for year but I only used it for three months.
It cleared my skin right up. I also got a roll-on for my skin form the Doc, I still use it for the odd spot , but my skin is very clear now I am so happy that I went to the doc as I put it off for a year.
I find drinking loads of water helps me aswell.

random_banter

Hey Watna, just wanted to ask you about the clinique 3 step programme?

My skin wasnt the best for the last couple of months so I invested in it last week, have been using it since sunday, and now my skin is far worse? Its gone very dry and tight, flaky and the spots have gotten awful, tiny ones popping up where i dont usually get them, bigger acne style ones under the skin, and my skin has gone quite tough too.

I'm wondering if this is a situation where it has to get worse before it gets better or if this system is just not for me?

I had very bad skin when i was younger and have been on every antibiotic known to man for it, eventually Roaactuane was the only thing that cleared it up brilliantly. Hasnt been as bad since and even this isnt as bad.

Anyway, anyone else use the clinique 3 step programme? Im beginning to get quite dissapointed and considering going back to my old routine...

SW81

Dianette worked wonders for me. It was a life saver. But everyone is different. I'd suggest going to a dermatologist too...or else a GP that you know is very good when it comes to skin conditions (cause some aren't great as a lot of people on here probably know) Very best of luck.

Random Banter....it might be the paint stripper stuff in the 3 step programme.
It is actually an exfoliant and your only meant to swipe it lightly across the skin once.
Maybe if you left it out for a few days, you might see a difference.

Black Swan

If serious, see a dematologist.

Had a rather serious operation awhile ago, and my skin dried due to the post-operative conditions (tent, oxygen, etc.). When the dryness first appeared, the nurses used a Johnson & Johnson lotion and it worked quite well.

estebancambias

Same problem here, normally I have baby like skin, now my face looks like its been on fire and put out with a pitch fork.

watna

random_banter wrote: »

Hey Watna, just wanted to ask you about the clinique 3 step programme?

My skin wasnt the best for the last couple of months so I invested in it last week, have been using it since sunday, and now my skin is far worse? Its gone very dry and tight, flaky and the spots have gotten awful, tiny ones popping up where i dont usually get them, bigger acne style ones under the skin, and my skin has gone quite tough too.

I'm wondering if this is a situation where it has to get worse before it gets better or if this system is just not for me?

I had very bad skin when i was younger and have been on every antibiotic known to man for it, eventually Roaactuane was the only thing that cleared it up brilliantly. Hasnt been as bad since and even this isnt as bad.

Anyway, anyone else use the clinique 3 step programme? Im beginning to get quite dissapointed and considering going back to my old routine...

I've been using it for a good while so I can't really remember if that happened when I started using it, I don't think so though. My skin isn't that bad though, when I say it's bad I mean it's not as smooth and I have small bumps (spots under the skin) but only I can really see them. The Clinique stuff makes my skin very smooth and moisturised. My untreated skin is dry and flaky on the forehead but with Clinique it stops that so I can wear make up ok etc. Saying that, it is very harsh. I don't like using it permanently. I go back to it when I feel my skin is bad. Maybe give it a few days and if you don't see an improvement try something else. Maybe with you, it will be bad at first, then get better but I don't think that happened to me.

Do you have dryish skin? Are you using number 2 in the Clinique system?

Other skincare I liked is Yves Saint Laurent (moisturiser is fab and they have a cleansing and toning water that is great for dry, flaky skin) and I've also used
La Prairie (I was working there!) which wasn't as great as you'd expect for 100s of euro! You could also try Lancome. I used to work in the cosmetic industry and was told by a senior person in lancome that lancome and loreal are made in the same factory (they're both owned by the loreal corporation) and loreal skincare is as good as lancome but half the price. They also do good skincare sets in the airport etc.

Maybe if you want to try a new brand ask for samples first. It's very annoying to pay so much for skincare for it not to suit you.

lizzyvera

What age are you? If you're in your teens, you might be stuck with it for a long time so be patient. I know treatments seem very harsh and drastic for a few spots but it's important to do something about it quickly because acne scars are very long lasting.

Start with over the counter creams and maybe oral antibiotics, whatever the dr says really. The pill and roaccutane are faaaar to much considering you haven't tried anything else yet. If you were considering going on the pill anyway though, might as well kill two birds with one stone. Unfortunately, Dianette has common side effects but they usually go away when you stop taking it.

ACNE ISN'T CAUSED BY BEING DIRTY so don't expect cleaning thoroughly to clear up your skin. Actually, dermatologists and doctors rarely recommend expensive creams etc because they are not as effective as prescription preparations, and even then, topical medication only treats spots that are there and rarely prevents them.

Meanwhile, get a nice foundation, lash tint or whatever makes you feel better about it.

random_banter

Hey guys just a lil update on my situation with the clinique products for future reference! Thanks to all of you who gave advice!

I am lucky enough to have a pharmacist who really knows her stuff about all these products and their effects, she took one look at me and reccomended la roche-posay products for skin that has been made fragile by over drying skincare... have only used it last night and this morning and already my face looks and feels better! She said the clinique must have been much to harsh for me and the over drying and over exfoliating that it was doing was stimulating my skin to produce more spots and flare up while being dry tight and flaky.

My skin is generally not that oily in fact it can be quite dry and I normally have to lob the moisturiser on. I still get quite a few blackheads and some spots though. The dryness has stayed with me since I was on Roaacutane four years ago and while its not as dry as it was then it still needs a good moisturiser.

Well anyway thanks guys for that. I might update and let you know how i get on with these products after a few days.

Also might I reccomend to the OP the Dr Hauska products... a few frends of mine with problem skin swear by the stuff. I will also be investing in it once I heal my skin heals up a bit.

Villaricos

aw skin problems, damn acne to hell I say!

noticed Dan Kerns stuff being linked here, visit the forums at his site www.acne.org for all the skin advice you could possibly need. they dont just talk about his stuff, every method concieved is discussed there!

OP if your current stuff aint makin a dent you gotta try something else, but remember you gotta give it up to three months to really know if its working. And be prepared for Initial Breakouts if you go to a doc or derm and get medicated stuff.

Niamho!

if its really PiSSing you off go see your GP. i was on anti-biotics for about a year and now im on the Dianette Pill. I rarely get a spot now its great. not even on my back and my back was always very bad.

LouLou1

I'vve been having the same problem for the last month, and last saturday had enough. I rang my beauticians and booked in for a facial, (never been for one before). She did a Glyconic facial and two days later spots are clearing up....... might be the way to go.