<p>"Neutrogena acne mark fading peel"</p>
<p>ill check that out.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I used to live in the North and now I live in the South and that helped my face clear immensely.
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wow...i went through the complete opposite...i live in the south and went to the north for college and came back with skin much clearer than it had been in years...i thought it might have had something to do wtih less humidity...?</p>
<p>proactiv worked for me (as long as i was actually using it)...i'm not a big fan of the three step thing, though b/c i got lazy after the first step...</p>
<p>have you tried neutrogena's acne wash? it works well...i only have to wash my face like 1-2 times a day, and it's not very drying either</p>
<p>as far as food and acne, what i've heard is that the reason certain foods cause breakouts is b/c ppl can't keep their hands away from their face, so residue from the foods that's left on your hands gets to your face...anyone know if that's a legit statement?</p>
<p>I used to have moderate acne when I was 14 and 15, and the doctor put me on Retin-A Micro plus an antibiotic, doxycycline. It worked perfectly and my skin has been clear ever since (the last 2 or so years)! The Retin-A is also effective at clearing redness and preventing scars (I have none), but it can be drying so make sure you pair it with a moisturizer. As for the doxycyline, it's a small pill you take once a day with food--very simple. The only problem is that once you stop taking it, your acne can return, so I still take it even now.</p>
<p>When I was 16, almost 17, I also went on birth control. Since my skin was mostly clear by then I didn't notice a big difference, but I did notice that the occassional zit I used to get before my period totally stopped and my skin felt less oily and more "adult".</p>
<p>For the redness, I recommend Cortaid or another product with hydrocortisone in it (prescription, if you can get it). Hydrocortisone reduces redness and swelling in the skin, so it's great to use on acne--not to clear it, but just to reduce the visibility and annoyance of a zit you already have.</p>
<p>I use Neutrogena Acne Mark Fading Peel because it's an excellent exfoliant and whether or not it helps with scarring, it leaves my face feeling soft and looking radiant.</p>
<p>I couldn't go to the doctor in high school because my parents were too busy arguing over stuff so I couldn't get it taken care of until I left. I finally went in November and he gave me Retin A micro, anti biotic pills, and some benzoyl peroxide. It has cleared up my face a lot but I need to go into lazor surgery because my face still has a lot of scars. I might even go on birth control pills if that does anything about the greasiness.</p>
<p>My son used Accutane for a few months. He had really painful cysts and acne on his face, chest and back. It worked like a miracle drug for him, and 3 years later he is still acne free. He also had a lot of redness/scarring (not the deep pitted scarring but mostly surface scarring). His dermatologist said the Accutane would help with the scarring and it did. His face looks like it did before the acne. </p>
<p>Accutane does have a lot of bad side effects and you have to get blood drawn every month to check liver function. The only problem he ever had was very dry lips. He still uses chap stick, but it's not really a problem. He didn't want to use Accutane because it is such a serious medicine and he doesn't even like to take over-the-counter medicine. However, after 2 years of being treated with everything the dermatologist had, including oral and cream antibiotics and other creams, he gave in. He's very glad he did. </p>
<p>p.s. Proactive didn't help him at all. Maybe it works better on acne that is not as severe.</p>
<p>firewalker...for the red spots (inflammation left over after the acne lesion is healed), ask your doctor if you can try NICOMIDE. It is also available generically.</p>
<p>Proactive did not work for me at all.</p>
<p>I think trying to keep skin moisturized does not work at all b/c it keeps the skin oily, so I use alcohol based products to dry things out, and that works pretty well if i clean my face often.</p>
<p>Jessica simpson suggests proactiv. (this statment is not officially endorsed by jessica simpson--i just saw it on a tv commercial)</p>
<p>As someone who has done extensive research due to having pretty stubborn acne for many years , here is what I have found. I have used all medications on the list except accutane.</p>
<p>In order of effectiveness, top to bottom:</p>
<p>Oral Retinoid-
Accutane (Roaccutane in the UK)</p>
<p>Topical Retinoids-
Tazorac (Tazarotene)
Differin
Retin-A (tretenoin)</p>
<p>Oral Antibiotics-
Tetracycline
Monocycline</p>
<p>Topical Antibioyics-
Clindamycin</p>
<p>Over-the-counter medication-
Benzol Peroxide (Neutrogena on-the-spot, Proactiv)
Salicylic Acid </p>
<p>Personal Opinion and Experience - Only accutane guarantees results. I have never heard otherwise. Every person I've met who's used it and everyone online who writes about it has praised its efficacy. All that suicide bs was because some senator's son killed himself while on accutane. Taking the oral retinoid DOES, however, tax your liver. </p>
<p>The second best on the list is the only other medication I would recommend. Tazorac is gentle (all relative) on the skin and works well for all types of acne. I would highly recommend against oral antibiotics. As you've all taken bio, you're aware of bacterial immunity arising from mutation. The last thing you want on your face is some super evolved p. acnes. </p>
<p>Next, acne fluctuates with your hormones, and as it is winter season, you're acne is likely to be at its peak. I would recommend limiting how much you masturbate (ejaculation causes zinc loss; zinc plays an important role against inflammation). It also increases DHT, a more potent form of testosterone which can only cause you more cystic acne.</p>
<p>Foods to avoid (control, not eliminate from your diet):
Seaweed
Turkey
Seafood (excluding fish)
Peanuts
Dairy (inc. chocolate and milk)</p>
<p>Foods to go for:
Oats
Veggies
Fruits
White meat
Fish
Eggs</p>
<p>Hope this helps. No matter what you decide to do, understand that acne is temporary and will go away sooner or later. Some are genetically blessed with perfect skin and others aren't. There's no ideal or easy way to fight acne. Take medication if you so desire, follow a healthy diet, and don't think about it/check in the mirror too much. Gluck</p>
<p>I had the worst acne for a while, about 7-9th grade (I'm a HS senior now), but my doctor (not derm., just regular dr) prescribed Benzaclin (which I saw mentioned on the last page) and it has worked wonders for me. I can put it on once a day(at night) and skip a day or 2 every now and then (like if I want to wear a light green, pink, purple, blue shirt because it discolors them), but like that other person said, it's gone in no time. However, I would definitely reccommend that or the other one like it on the list mentioned earlier, it has cleared me up so well.
Also, hopkinslax- I have/had hyperhydrosis as well, but I think mine was based a lot on nerves/insecurity, but my doctor gave me something called Drysol which works wonders, and IMO once it starts working you think less about hte problem and can eventually stop using it. I think I applied it less than 10 nights and I was fine. If you don't want to go to the dr's or ask about this, there's a product called Certain Dri that I think you can get in the deoderant sections of Wallgreens or any drugstore most likely.</p>
<p>sorry guys...i got lazy in reading everyone's posts...but here's my advice:
i have a friend whose dermatoligist prescribed her something...i can ask her the name of the medicine later...but basically she applied it all over her face before going to sleep, and yes it did work in clearing the acne..BUT...it left like open holes on her skin...where the pimples would be...so be careful about using such strong medication....i went from using the apricot scrub stuff, to oil of olay face wash, to now neutregena deep clean cleanser...it works pretty good....basically you have to find the type of cleanser that works on your skin...i also use the neutregena moisturizer, which is really light-weight, and works well...i would highly recommend them to everyone, but then again, everyone's skin is different...also, be sure to drink lots of water and fresh fruits and veggies. the affect doesnt show right away, but seriously what you eat can be shown on your face. like maybe after a couple of months, the effect of eating healthily will show up....hope this helps u alll</p>
<p>I suggest getting on some pills that a doctor can give you. I am on Minocycline. I don't even have to wash my face with that and I get better results that all the topical care in the world.</p>
<p>Despite the fact that tanning causes skin cancer, I was tanning regularly last summer for about 4 months. I can attest, just by looking pictures, that my acne was nearly obliterated compared to how it is now that I don't tan anymore.</p>
<p>Skin cancer and wrinkles v. acne...let the games begin</p>
<p>Tanning may have helped, but it could be that being rosy and tan just obscured any redness you had from acne. Skin cancer is NOT worth it. Also, I wouldn't look forward to leathery wrinkled skin :(
Besided being possibly deadly, it is completely contrary to the good looks you are now seeking. And once you have enough skin damage to cause cancer, it just keeps recurring over and over again. </p>
<p>You might consider topical self-tanners as an alternative.</p>
<p>proactiv is okay, but expensive...i didnt have bad acne, but just areas here and there...my skin cleared up when i stopped using all those chemicals and prodcuts.now ij ust use a cleanser/scrub..its was mainly due to shaving with a blade...now i shave with an electric razor and my skin is fine...a good cleanser/scrub alongwith moisturizer is all i need</p>
<p>also drinking lots of water really helps</p>
<p>I find that drinking more water, and staying away from the soda helps a lot.</p>
<p>Try Acne.org </p>
<p>Good info on different treatment options. </p>
<p>Benzoyl peroxide is good but can be too irritating in the usual 10% drugstore strength. You can get lower strengths by prescription, sometimes in the stores and online. Acne.org has online links.</p>