<p>yes. the ever so annoying topic. i don't really have bad acne, just bad acne scarring. it got worse this summer. i'm not sure why. before i go to college next year, i want to at least try to get rid of it now so that its not all i think about. i was never really self conscious about it before but then i realized it got worse. that i can't stand. </p>
<p>my t-zone is pretty greasy but i don't really get zits there. i get zits on my cheeks. i use clearasil--it seems to be the only thing that keeps it under control. i usually wash my face twice a day and don't use anything else except that tinted zit zapper stuff from them too.</p>
<p>i'm looking for something that can remove the scarring thats not a waste of my money. i read online about neutrogena acne mark fading peel-- has anyone used this effectively? is it just for mild acne? or will it work on some heavy duty scarring?</p>
<p>and NO i'm not going to the dermatologist. they are such a joke. they give you the greatest stuff and then you have to pay more and more for it everytime you want more. </p>
<p>Have u tried Proactiv? I had the same thing back when i was in high school. All those brown dots on your forehead and red zits n all. Proactiv helped alot in cleaning parts of my face in about a week.</p>
<p>though you say you won't, i HIGHLY suggest you go to a dermatologist. or go to your doctor, like i did. i was put on accutane for 5 months, and now my skin is 95% clear. it is wonderful stuff. this was about one year ago and i havent had any relapses. also, i dont put any medication on my face, i just wash my face with olay face wash. please ask your doctor about accutane!</p>
<p>neutrogena acne mark fading peel does not work....ive heard that theres medication that u can get from a dermatologist that can get rid of scarring....i need some of that stuff as well...</p>
<p>Im Danish so my skin is perfect ,except u dont really have a great tan, its weird how that works..
lol okai thats really mean but true and I just had this random impulse to say that im sorry</p>
<p>you are really annoying and that post was very arrogant. i don't even see why you would write a post like that. we're all tryin to help out here and you're bragging about your perfect fair danish skin. lame.</p>
<p>I take an antibiotic called Amoxicillin that works very well on my face. My face isn't completely clear but it gets rid of moderate and heavy acne very easily. However, I still have a problem with body acne (not noticable unless I am walking without a shirt in public) and it's quite annoying as nothing works on it. Ah well just got to keep trying different things.</p>
<p>My sister had BAD acne and really bad scarring, nothing worked for her (not even proactiv).. she finally went to a dermatologist last year & was put on accutane (she's 23 now).. very very few new zits. To reduce the scaring appearance she used some of that Mederma (over the counter cream that reduces appearance of scars - Just be sure to wash your face well so your pores aren't clogged), with makup on you can't really tell how bad it used to be.</p>
<p>For me, acne has never been a big problem, usually just 1-2 zits at a time. Using products with Salicylic Acid was too drying for my skin (it's the most common active ingredient though).. had to search a long time before I found an over the counter face wash with Benzoyl Peroxide (same as what proactiv uses). I like Benzoyl Peroxide so much better than Salicylic Acid</p>
<p>Adconard: YOu must have pretty bad acne since you only use antibiotics in extreme cases. I thought my moderate (has become pretty clear now) was bad, I can't imagine what it is for you.</p>
<p>Smile, I recommend differin. It is a non-bleach (unlike Benzoyl Peroxide... unless you mind having white spotted sheets and white spotted clothes) and it doesn't dry that much (unless it is in excessive use)</p>
<p>I too used accutane when I was in high school and it did an amazing job at clearing up my acne, although I still hard scarring from my pre-accutane days. My doctor was hesitant to prescribe it since my acne wasn't very severe. Of all the medicines I had tried, accutane was the only one that showed results. I stopped taking accutane in 2001 and my skin was pretty clear up until 2003 or so. Ever since then I break out now and again, but nowhere near the level I did before. My acne will never fully go away. The other problem I deal with is scarring from razor bumps.</p>
<p>I use LUSH products on my face. Most of you would probably think its weird if you just looked at some of the products, but it's worked AMAZINGLY for me! For cleansing I use Fresh Farmacy or Coalface, Tea Tree Water toner, and a different moisturizer because Lush isn't cheap and most of the moisturizers have cocca butter in it (usually bad for acne!)</p>
<p>Proactiv didn't work on my face either. Honestly, I used the facewash from the Mary Kay Cosmetics line, and my face has never been in better shape (still the occassional rough spot yes, mostly when I get lazy and don't wash my face for 2 days in a row). Where do you live, because that could have something to do with it? I used to live in the North and now I live in the South and that helped my face clear immensely.</p>
<p>DD tried Proactiv; no improvement, tried Acutane - cleared up acne right away but she had a bad reaction to it. DS tried antibiotics; no improvement, tried Acutane - cleared up Acne - but also had strange reaction to it and had to discontinue. DS stopped drinking milk, increased his water consumption (does not drink pop or juice), and takes zinc his skin has cleared up by 75% and the scarring seems to be decreasing. I think there is a great variation in what works in different people, just keep trying until you find something that feels right. Good Luck.</p>
<p>hopkinslax, my acne is actually not bad at all right now. It's not even all that noticable on my face except a few acne scars here and there. However, if I were to leave it as it is without taking any medication, then in a matter of weeks it could easily get moderate or even heavy again. So thank god for this medication that actually works, lol.</p>
<p>ive used proactiv before and it worked really well for a little bit and then just seemed to looes the effect....i also used differin and it worked for a little and likewise lost its effect</p>
<p>the thing with acne i think is that your face just gets use to the medication that you put on to it, regardless of the ingredient and it may work at first but then it doesnt after a few weeks or so</p>
<p>i think the secret is just to use something for a month and then switch, yet this could get crazy expensive</p>
<p>polkadot_heart...i live in ny by the coast.</p>
<p>BHappyMom...i pretty much live off of dairy and white bread (bad i know). i try to drink as much water as possible but the dairy is definitely a must for me. the 2% low fat milk is a godsend. i actually do think that water is the key for most cases of acne. </p>
<p>when i first had acne, i used neutrogena and that didn't do too much so i tried out clearsil. i didnt break out too much while using it but i stopped this summer for a month or two and it all just started coming back. i don't mind the whole one zit a day thing but looking at the scars ****es me off. </p>
<p>adconard---thats like my biggest fear. i get the medication, it works, and then i go off cuz i dont feel like refilling the prescription or paying the bill and then it comes back.</p>
<p>zits are normal. what a cliche phrase. thanx for all of the suggestions btw.</p>
<p>As long as my acne is light and there aren't too many scars on my face, I'm happy. Although I will always take medication and whatever else I can do to decrease it.</p>
<p>Accutane works for the majority of cases and is a truly amazing medicine. After six months, it causes permanent reduction in sebum production from sebaceous glands - therefore your acne won't come roaring back once you discontinue. Be forewarned, Accutane causes birth defects in a growing fetus so your doctor will absolutely require that you have verified birth control before he'll prescribe Accutane.</p>