Adult Acne Advice Needed!

[lizandjason]

I've been struggling with moderate acne since I was a teenager (I'm now almost 31). My skin looks great when I wear heavy makeup, but I am dreading going through another hot summer with a thick layer of foundation.

NOTHING has ever helped, except for Accutane which was SUPPOSED to work forever but only lasted 2 years. I saw a dermatologist recently who said I had cystic acne and that the only remedy was another round of Accutane, and I really, really don't want to go on that again (it is very expensive with the numerous blood tests and doctors visits and it is very hard on your body).

Anyone have any ideas? Thanks!

 

[starann]

I also have cystic acne. My dermatologist has give me clindamycin and minocycline for my acne. I take them daily for 3 months or so. I also have another skin condition called hydrinitis, which is basically SEVERE acne under my armpits. She actualyl gave me the minocycline and clinda for that, but said it would help to cystic facial acne....and it did.

She also gave me a cream called benzoclin....it was a topical that had a prescritpion strength benzol along with clindamyacin. That helped my chin, which is a huge problem spot for me.

They have offered me Accutane, but since we will be trying for another baby later this year, we have decided to hold off on that till we are far away from the baby making time!

Good luck!

 

[busyshrew]

I too, have cystic acne, mine is *definitely* tied to my hormonal cycle . I didn't want to go on Accutane either - I'm getting older and the last thing I'll need is to wither up my oil glands. I figure in 10 years I'll be grateful to have "dewy skin" .

I'm also on a low-dose daily antibiotic - tretonin (sp??) I think? plus a retinol cream and antibiotic cream. They work pretty well, with only an occasional cyst.

I think you have options other than Accutane, I'd check with your dermo.

 

[design_mom]

I have a clindamycin antibiotic gel that I apply daily under my make-up. (Tried minocyclin tablets first, but I was allergic.) My skin isn't perfect, but it's way better than it was before I started using the gel. Accutane scares me.

 

[MrsPete]

I know nothing about cystic acne, but I have both Rosacea and Exema, which I think are not all that uncommon. These problems began around my 42nd birthday, and they appeared almost overnight. I had three issues:

1. Reddening of the skin -- think sunburn, though I haven't been out in the sun. My "pattern" is redness on my nose, cheeks and chin. I do not have the redness around my mouth, which means that I have a wide white stripe around my mouth. Imagine a kid's Kool-Aid mustache . . . in reverse.

2. Horrible acne, which for me is on my jawline from the chin to my ears. NOTHING over the counter touched this acne.

3. Exceedingly dry skin. This is bad to some extent between my eyes and on the sides of my nose, but it is worst around my mouth and on my chin. The dry skin is so bad that I had "flakes" of skin peeling off (as if I were sunburned). I could moisturize my face and an hour later I'd have peeling skin again.

My dermatologist has been a godsend. He has me using two creams: MetroGel in the mornings, Finacea in the evenings. They're wonderful. With these two medicines, both the redness is in check, and I can completely cover it with light make-up. The acne is completely gone.

The dermatologist has me using a difficult-to-find over-the-counter soap, moisturizer, and sunscreen made by VaniCream products. They're not expensive, and I can find them only at Target. Although they're not prescription, they keep them behind the counter -- you just ask for them.

I avoid any facial product with an alcohol base, and I avoid excessive scrubbing (i.e., cleaners with microbeads).

This may or may not send up any red flags for you, but using the right products has made a world of difference for me.

 

[Skatermom23]

I swear by Proactive. I have been using it for 19 years now!!! Prior to that I tried everything available, both over the counter and from the dermatologist. Nothing helped and I was a miserable teen and my twenties weren't so good either. Proactive put a stop to it all. Every now and then I get lazy with cleaning my face and I can feel the cystic acne creeping back in....isn't it supposed to go away at some point? I just get back in the habit of using Proactive daily and it goes away! Now my DS18 has severe acne and he likes Benzaclin. It is a cream that works well for him, but boy is it drying and it stains horribly. I had to buy him his own towels etc because of it. Good luck finding something that works for you. I know how frustrating it can be.

 

[DisneyLover83]

Look into spironolactone, it has made all the differance in the world for me. It is only for adult female hormonal acne.

 

[Green Tea]

I had it too. I started out with the separate antibiotic cream and Retin A. Now I use each night one that is a combination of the 2: Ziana. It is working great.

 

[damone]

Forget expensive treatments. Just follow this and call me in the morning:

http://www.acne.org/regimen.html

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

I swear by Proactive. I have been using it for 19 years now!!! Prior to that I tried everything available, both over the counter and from the dermatologist. Nothing helped and I was a miserable teen and my twenties weren't so good either. Proactive put a stop to it all. Every now and then I get lazy with cleaning my face and I can feel the cystic acne creeping back in....isn't it supposed to go away at some point? I just get back in the habit of using Proactive daily and it goes away! Now my DS18 has severe acne and he likes Benzaclin. It is a cream that works well for him, but boy is it drying and it stains horribly. I had to buy him his own towels etc because of it. Good luck finding something that works for you. I know how frustrating it can be.

I swear y Proactic as well. I use the MAXIMUM STRENGTH formula. I also use the Proactiv foundation...it is a great makeup!

 

[iwrbnd]

Look into spironolactone, it has made all the differance in the world for me. It is only for adult female hormonal acne.

ME TOOO!!!! Everybody I know that can't clear their acne up has had wonderful results with Spironolactone! I take it every day (for 20 yrs now) and if I go more than a week without it I start breaking out!

It's a diuretic but a side effect of it is it blocks testosterone which is usually what makes "older" () women break out.

Good luck!

 

[Sleepy]

Look into spironolactone, it has made all the differance in the world for me. It is only for adult female hormonal acne.

I take this, but for PCOS, rather than acne. Actually, gaining clear skin was a super extra surprise on top of the other wonderful things this drug has done for me.

The reason it is for females only is because it blocks androgen, a male hormone. Any woman on this med can NOT take it if she is planning to become pregnant. If she is carrying a male fetus, it will cause many hormonal problems for the fetus. They also give this drug to men who are preparing for a sex change operation. Pretty potent stuff for a simple water pill huh?

 

[Hedy]

ME TOOO!!!! Everybody I know that can't clear their acne up has had wonderful results with Spironolactone! I take it every day (for 20 yrs now) and if I go more than a week without it I start breaking out!

It's a diuretic but a side effect of it is it blocks testosterone which is usually what makes "older" () women break out.

Good luck!

I third the Spironolactone suggestion. It's done wonders for my PCOS acne. Other than that, I swear by Mario Badescu products. They're not cheap, but they are the best stuff I've used (differin did nothing, Retin-A made me too dry, I couldn't stand Duac's bleaching) in 15 years of acne treatments.

 

[lizandjason]

Look into spironolactone, it has made all the differance in the world for me. It is only for adult female hormonal acne.

This sounds really interesting, I'm going to check it out!
I've used Proactive maximum strength, Acne Free max strength, topical everything...they did NOTHING. So I'm thinking that it is definitely hormonal.

Thanks for all of the great advice, everyone!

 

[Green Tea]

Spironolactone is also prescribed for women with facial hair.

 

[disneyismyname]

Another PCOSer here! I use Spironolactone and it works wonders for my acne!Nothing else worked! I went off it for a while and the acne came right back! So I'm staying on it till I want to have a baby!
I also use Clinque's 3 step acne system as well. Its a great combo!

 

[landshark]

Back when I was 18, Benzaclin was the first thing my doctor prescribed for my acne. It actually did work well barring the bleaching of every colored towel I ever came into contact with.

OTC stuff does nothing but make my acne worse, even when I stick with it for awhile. Tried tetracycline pills for about a month before I quit those--was getting acne in places I'd never had it and there were way too many rules to remember when taking it. Dermatologist prescribed Ziana a few years back and that made my skin peel/get red/itch like crazy (really attractive...) as well as giving me cystic acne.

At almost 26, I've gotten lazy with the Benzaclin and typically don't use it beyond spot treatment.

 

[lizandjason]

Spironolactone users...any side effects?

 

[DisneyLover83]

Spironolactone users...any side effects?

Yes, it is a diuretic so you'll find yourself drinking a lot of water and visiting the ladies room more often Other than that I have not noticed anything.