mild acne

[stinger70]

Cant seem to shake this off. I've read just about everything on the subjects, been to doctors etc and it never changes. When i was like 17 it was bad and allover my face, then it cleared up a bit, and then for probably the last 3 or 4 years its just been steady. Follows a pattern where every week i will get a breakout, always around my chin, with the odd spot down the side of my face where it meets the neck. Then after a few days it drys up, and a couple of days later the process starts again. Nothing i have ever done has had any effect on it, from benzyl peroxide, drinking loads of water, eating crap or eathing healthy....it still follows the same pattern week after week year after year. Also started taking milk thistle tablets recently, to support liver function which has helped a lot of people, but has made zero difference. Its not serious enough to go on accutane, for a start they wouldnt prescribe it and i dont think the side effects are QUITE worth it for this level of acne. But it seriously pisses me off and makes my face feel dirty and sometimes itchy. What else can i try, i dont think im ever going to grow out of it

 

[Luke Banks]

You should consider:

-Cutting out all dairy products. You may be partially lactose intolerant causing you to break out.
-Change your pillowcase every second night or even wrap your pillow in a towel to absorb all oil while you sleep.
-Change up your shaving method. Get a different aftershave/shaving cream/maybe even switch to a safety razor.
-Dont touch your face. Ever. Dont even rest your chin on your hand while sitting at the computer.
-Getting more sunlight if you spend a lot of time indoors.
-What products do you use and how often? You should be using a good scrub/cleanser and moisturizing every time you shower.
-You say you have been to doctors but have you been to a specialized dermatologist?

 

[corneliusparky]

That sucks man, I'll offer up what has worked for me. I'm not a big believer in western medicine for this type of thing so YMMV

Usually irritation in the skin reflects either liver or colon imbalance. Im guessing you are mid 20s so unless you ate like utter crap from childhood (alcohol, junk food, tons of meat with zero fruit and veg, dairy) then your colon is probably fine. But if the colon is bad then working on your liver or anything else won't help much. I can recommend a basic 30 day detox if you want, pretty simple...about 40
bucks.

If the colon is fine then the liver is the likely culprit. The liver basically detoxs the body and it is impacted by a ton of things...diet, sleep, stress, environmental toxins. I've always been healthy but didn't start feeling and looking better until I did a couple of things in concert:

1. Get good quality sleep (in bed by 10, up at 6)
2. Meditate daily (sleep better, able to manage stress better). Probably unneccessary if you are naturally chill.
3. Stop eating foods that obviously don't agree with you ! It's bloody amazing the things people eat despite the signs their body gives them.

All this can be quite difficult. It took me many years before i got frustrated and finally made some changes. Good luck.

 

[corneliusparky]

Oh and you have to eat well for months before that will have any positive impact on your skin. For it to show up in the skin that means it most likely has been effecting you for much longer. In fact, if you start eating well, your skin will probably get worse for a while...it's trying to detox.

Finally, I guess we haven't talked skin care. My skin care regimen is pretty simple. Sweat at least 3 times a week. Don't over clean your skin, don't use harsh cleaners. I take a warm washcloth and scrub my face with medium intensity (you want your skin to be able to breathe). Then, when my face is still wet I apply either coconut or sesame oil (just get it at whole foods in the cooking oils area). I don't like putting fragrance and petroleum derivatives on my skin. If you have oily skin then get a quality lotion like Aubrey or jurlique. But if your skin is oily it is either diet or skin that needs exfoliation.

 

[AFG34]

check for food intolerances

as an experiment, avoid gluten, dairy and sugar for one week.


also, http://curezone.com/cleanse/bowel

 

[Monaco]

I find that my acne activity connects to how often I wash my sheets and blankets. I often get one or two under my ear on the jawline and didn't figure it out until today that the most contact I get in that area is my blanket. Gonna wash it tomorrow!

 

[BBSLM]

cutting out dairy got my skin from about 90% to 100% clear. kind of sucks because i ******* love dairy and was getting about 100g of protein per day from it.