STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

lynnie · Chanel

has anyone gone from acne to totally clear? updated with new regimine

daiz519 · Dooney & Bourke

RE: has anyone gone from acne to totally clear?

lynnie · Chanel

what bc were you on? I was on othro tri-cyclen and while my skin was clearer, to call it perfectly clear would be a huge exageration.

NCshopper · Hermes

I went to a dermatologist that prescribed a bunch of different stuff. I used to have some mild acne on my face (usually just bumps on my forehead and chin) and pretty bad acne on my shoulders, back, and chest. My derm told me to change my birth control prescription and gave me prescriptions for a face wash, topical cream for the morning, and Retin-A. It runs me about $90 a month, which sucks, but I have near perfect skin now. My back looks incredible and I can wear halter tops and lower cut tops that I could NEVER have done before. Here's my regimen:

Birth control: Estrostep

Face wash: Rosaderm

AM topical cream: Finacea

PM topical cream: Retin A Micro

Hope this helps!

crystal · Kate Spade

i started breaking out in 6th grade & it was pretty bad. not just 1 or 2 zits, it was like u couldn't even begin to count them. i was teased endlessly & the breaking out lasted thru highschool. i tried many things ranging from OTC products to differin gel & other prescriptions but the only thing that worked was accutane. i know it's controversial, but it really works. dries u out like a mofo but it works! anyways, my derm at the time told me that once i was done taking it my acne could come back if i would've had it anyways.... make sense? like if i had never taken accutane & my acne lasted til 30 then taking accutane would only cause a hiatus. anyways, luckily it never came back & i've had clear skin since college (perfect timing!). i've actually been complimented on the clarity of my skin, but i must say it's nowhere near celebrity quality. i have "pinkness" & i'm a tiny bit freckly (barely noticeable), but overall my skin is pretty good & i never wear makeup.

ETA: NCShopper reminded me... I had it really bad on my back & chest too (i hated the beach when i was younger) but the accutane cleared that up too. my back & chest are so clear now u would never guess i ever had a blemish there! very rarely i'll get one pimple on my back or chest, but i attribute that to working out & then leaving my sweaty clothes on when i get home.

-- Edited by crystal at 13:11, 2005-07-12

rocky · Coach

Well it sounds like you only have mild acne, I had really bad acne and went on acutane. Now if I keep up a skin regimen, my skin is pretty clear. I think acutane is too extreme for you though. I did see an ad for this new face peel specifically designed to reduce redness from acne scars, it was a drugstore brand, I don't remember which one though. Other than that I think my best weapon is my toner. Really helps in between washing and moisturizing.

crystal · Kate Spade

rocky wrote:

I did see an ad for this new face peel specifically designed to reduce redness from acne scars, it was a drugstore brand, I don't remember which one though.

Ooh, is there any way u could find out?? i've totally got scarring & redness from my previous bout w/ acne & i would love something to alleviate that! TIA!

Starstuff · Kenneth Cole

crystal wrote:

rocky wrote: I did see an ad for this new face peel specifically designed to reduce redness from acne scars, it was a drugstore brand, I don't remember which one though. Ooh, is there any way u could find out?? i've totally got scarring & redness from my previous bout w/ acne & i would love something to alleviate that! TIA!

It's Neutrogena, and it's on sale at CVS for $12.99 this week

http://www.neutrogena.com/advancedsolutions/product_acnepeel.asp

Lilykind · Hermes

I started breaking out when I was 10 and at 19 I finally managed to beat the problem...not without a load of schoolyard trauma stories, but you know. I am SO MAD beccause I was doing SO WELL with my skin just a few months ago. When I went for a facial (at Fresh) in May, the facialist told me my skin was in awesome condition ...well-hydrated, healthy, glowing, very few signs of sun damage, good color, and she told me that it looked like I'd finished my fight with acne. And the she recommended products that weren't as good to keep it up

I was on BC (Yasmin, then Ortho Tri Cyclen later) which helped a LOT. I also swear by this cocktail...all thanks to the best Sephora skincare SA in the world, Eddie, who works out of Century City in LA.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple (gets gunk out but doesn't feel like my face is getting stripped, which is the problem with the Fresh cleansing balm)

BPO Gel 10% and Sulphur Peter Thomas Roth BPO gel 10% (I got the one without the Sulfur. The BP is strong but it never bleached my dark red sheets or my shirts at all.)

Shiseido Pureness Moisturizing Gel-Creme. My super expensive ($30 for a two month supply) but perfect mositurizer. This helped with the dryness that I always had from such strong BP but never broke me out. Plus it has a lovely light fragrance.

When my pimples were reduced to bits, I switched the BPO gel for DDF 10% Glycolic Toner.

Since I had clear skin...I started experimenting with other products (Fresh cleansing balm with lemon, Peter Thomas Roth 10% glycolic gel, Fresh Milk Lotion). That was the biggest mistake ever. Now I have a number of super-tiny bumps and a few pimples on my cheeks and chin. But honestly my skin is still for the most part very smooth and clear, sans fading scars from so much picking in my youth

I am going back to my old skincare regiment and I hope my face gets back to the way it was a few months ago. It really really kills me because I got so close.

-- Edited by Lilykind at 14:48, 2005-07-12

lynnie · Chanel

Lilykind- how often do you wash your face and apply the bp gel? Twice a day? I have one that is 2.5% bp and it works really well but I get SO dry, and its just 2.5%.

Rocky- you are right, my "acne" is too pathetic to warrant accutane. You guys would laugh if you saw what I call acne if you have had really serious problems. I basically just want glowing skin and I am jealous of everyone with "perfect" skin and just want to know what it would be like.

Lilykind · Hermes

lynnie wrote:

Lilykind- how often do you wash your face and apply the bp gel? Twice a day? I have one that is 2.5% bp and it works really well but I get SO dry, and its just 2.5%.

I wash my face twice a day and I gradually built up my tolerance to the BP. I started out using it once a day and then when my skin was used to it, I started using it twice. I have never needed to use it more than twice a day.

I definitely wouldn't use the 10% in your case...I think someone is literally pumping oil out of my face. But you might really like the Shiseido moisturizer in conjunction with your 2.5% BP...it will defintely help with the dryness but it won't clog your pores or make you feel icky and oily.

daiz519 · Dooney & Bourke

lynnie wrote:

what bc were you on? I was on othro tri-cyclen and while my skin was clearer, to call it perfectly clear would be a huge exageration.

I was on Alesse, then switched to Mircette, then switched to Levlin--my skin was pretty clear on all three bc.

I wouldn't say PERFECTLY clear because every now and then I would get a little whitehead or something but it was a lot better. I mean now that I'm off of it, my skin doesn't seem as 'glowy" and I'm not only getting small whiteheads but these painful ones under the skin and much more of them. I guess to me that is perfect enough compared to what I'm dealing with now.

crystal · Kate Spade

Starstuff wrote:

crystal wrote: rocky wrote: I did see an ad for this new face peel specifically designed to reduce redness from acne scars, it was a drugstore brand, I don't remember which one though. Ooh, is there any way u could find out?? i've totally got scarring & redness from my previous bout w/ acne & i would love something to alleviate that! TIA! It's Neutrogena, and it's on sale at CVS for $12.99 this week http://www.neutrogena.com/advancedsolutions/product_acnepeel.asp

ah, thanks sooooo much! i have no clue where a CVS is or if we even have them in cali, but i'm sure i can find it at target! thanks!!

kealoha · Kate Spade

I had moderate acne (multile, tiny bumps w/no discoloration) primarily on my forehead until I was 21. Despite being on BC, the only thing that helped was beginning a skin care routine b/c I never used one until then. I started using Clarins & got facials regularly & w/in the first 3 months, my skin cleared up.

I think the biggest factor would be to eat well & drink lots of water. Although I get the occasional blemish, this helps me out a great deal to maintain clear skin. As far as topical products go, toner is something that I can't live w/out b/c it really gets rid of the excess residue the cleansers don't remove. Additionally, I do home microdermabrasion & mask 2x/week.

One thing I found that works is to change my pillowcases weekly & to dry my face w/a clean face/wash towel for each use. If I don't use a new one, I pat dry w/a paper napkin like Brawny or Bounty. Sounds strange, but it really helps minimize flare-ups & prevents new ones from emerging.

Good luck!

lynnie · Chanel

RE: has anyone gone from acne to totally clear? Updated with new regimine

daiz519 · Dooney & Bourke

hey lynnie--you can get birth control free at planned parenthood! When I went all they asked for was a donation if able to make one. So I donated $20 and they gave me a whole year supply of bc.

lynnie · Chanel

daiz519 wrote:

hey lynnie--you can get birth control free at planned parenthood! When I went all they asked for was a donation if able to make one. So I donated $20 and they gave me a whole year supply of bc.

Did you have to have an exam? Also- once I went they said I couldn't get anything if I had insurance. I was younger and scared to use my parents insurance, so I just didn't get any =/ Although now, I'm not even sure I have insurance anymore because I just graduated

daiz519 · Dooney & Bourke

lynnie wrote:

daiz519 wrote: hey lynnie--you can get birth control free at planned parenthood! When I went all they asked for was a donation if able to make one. So I donated $20 and they gave me a whole year supply of bc. Did you have to have an exam? Also- once I went they said I couldn't get anything if I had insurance. I was younger and scared to use my parents insurance, so I just didn't get any =/ Although now, I'm not even sure I have insurance anymore because I just graduated

lynnie--I actually didn't have to have the exam when they gave me the birth control but they did encourage me to get one soon (I had one less than a year before I went in for the BC at school). I was in the same position actually, I had just finished school and could no longer get student health. Just be honest with them over the phone--say I just finished school and I don't think I have insurance anymore because of that. I said something to that extent. They had me fill something out. I talked to a doctor/Nurse/nurse practioner (i can't remember which) for awhile and she gave me a year's supply. It was awhile ago so I don't remember ALL details but they didn't give me any problems. PM me if you have any questions.