ACNE. eww. What an ugly word to even say or think about. I have been struggling with acne for years and I know I am not alone in this battle. I want to document my journey through trying to heal my skin and I will keep updating this post as time goes on.
I have tried alot of different products, masks, home remedies, diets, etc. Nothing works. The only thing that worked for me was Accutane. I took it years ago while I was in high school. My skin was clear for a couple of years and over the past few years my acne has come back.
Check back often to see my trials and tribulations. Hopefully I will come across something that will make a difference.
**Jan 2012**
Right now I am trying what is recommended on acne.org. I am following it to a "T". I have tried to take a few pics here and there to track the progress. Personally I think it is getting better, but I could just be wishing and hoping, and seeing what I want to see. So please, let me know if you have tried this skin care routine and what your results were. Do you think it is working? Did it work for you?
It consists of:
a gentle cleanser, I am using Cetaphil
a benzol peroxide gel
a gentle moisturizer, again I am using Cetaphil.
I did not start taking these pics right away, which I should have, but I would say this is about a week after I started. On acne.org it does say your skin will be dry and will become more red, which it is, but overall I do have less blemishes, even within the short time frame of taking these pictures.
Have a great day guys! I will keep adding to this as I continue with this routine. I feel really hopeful about this, so I am keeping my fingers crossed.
Jan 1
Jan 6
Jan 11
Jan 13
Jan 30
**Feb 2012 **
I am feeling really discouraged with this treatment. At first I thought it was really going to work and make a difference, and now I've been using these products for almost 2 months, and I don't see as much of a difference as what I had hoped for. My skin feels good, but I still have new pimples popping up every few days, which I have read is a good thing bc the skin is renewing itself and pushing out all the bad stuff. Anyways, I will keep adding pics and updates as I continue. Have a great day!
Feb 8
**March 2012**
OK so I finally gave up on this benzoyl gel treatment. I have just been using a gentle cleanser and moisturizer for the past two weeks, and I've got to tell you, my skin feels great. I of course still have acne, but my skin is moisturized. Also about two days ago I went to a health food store and bought Bell Master Herbalist Help for Skin Disorders #60. It is a blood cleanser and purifier, which is suppose to help clear acne, eczema and psoriasis. I have just started with this program, so I will continue to update here, but also if it really does work, I will create a separate post dedicated to this product. Have a great day!
Mar 8
Mar 13
Mar 30
Mar 31
**April 2012**
Wow! Is it just me? Or can you see the difference in the last two photos from Mar 30 and 31? I have my fingers crossed that this Bell Master Herbalist is truly working. It is a blood cleanser, so it is supposed to heal your skin through bringing white blood cells to your skin.. as far as I understood. Maybe I am wrong but I know it is a blood cleanser, and who doesn't want clean blood?! Over the next month I will continue to add pics to see the progress of this natural remedy.
April 4
April 15
**May 2012**
So, Im not sure that this blood cleanser is really doing the trick, over the next couple of months (May-August) my skin got progressively worse, both in color and texture. My skin was terribly oily and I gave up on the pills shortly after taking these pics. Then in September, I finally had my dermatologist appt. ( that I had been waiting months for!) And what did she recommend? Accuntane. I knew immediately that I was going to try it again because I had great results the first time around. But I remember previously, when I was in high school, that I had taken it during the summer time, when it was humid and my now, going to be taking it over the winter time, when it is cold and the air is super dry, I didn't know how my skin would react to the dryness. Well, it was super dry, my lips were in so much pain, luckily no splits causing bleeding though. But now, It is June 2013 and I am happy to report that my skin looks and feels infinitely better. I took it for 6 months, upping the dosage each month. Now I am using Differin twice a week to keep my pores clean. I am very very hopeful that this will be a lasting solution to my acne.
Month 1 on Accutane
Oct 2012
**October 2012**
Month 1 on Accutane
I am wearing makeup in the pic. ANd you can see the texture hasn't improved any, but the oil glands have definitely stopped producing and although the texture of my skin isn't great, there are no new pimples popping up and the old ones are drying up slowly.
Month 2 on Accutane
November 2012
** November 2012 **
Month 2 on Accutane
Yes I am wearing makeup in this pic again. I seem to only have time to take pics when I am at work, so I apologize that you cant see the color of my skin. My skin is dry and red and my lips are peeling like crazy. You can see that the old pimples are still drying up and no new ones have formed. I am so happy to finally see some progress, after so long of dealing with acne, I feel relieved.
