Adult acne solutions? Please help.

[gardenhoe]

I think you are all correct about it being cystic acne? He does have scarring from it from teen years. He has been under a lot of stress lately at work and I thought it might have something to do with it. Also, he has nervous habit of touching the pimples and I keep telling him he's adding bacteria to it.

I'll see if I can persuade him to see a dr about it again. He said he went many times as a teen and nothing worked. However I've told him they have more options today to treat it.

 

[sunlover13]

I agree, go see a Dermatologist. If he's embarrassed to go, he's not alone. My skin was terrible, just a few weeks ago. I tried everything and anything over the counter, including proactive, and nothing was working. I went to the Derm and started taking an antiobiotic, Doxycycline. It is only $5, my insurance covers the rest. I noticed a difference after just a few days. They also gave me some topical gels, but I think it is the antibiotic that is helping. As much as I didn't want to go, it was the best decision I made! I'm just mad I didn't go sooner b/c I wasted all that money & time on over the counter stuff that did not work. I strongly suggest that he goes to the Derm, especially if it is cystic acne. The only thing that is going to clear that up is an antibiotic.

Tell your DH good luck and he's not alone!

 

[tink1978]

I too have struggled with acne over the years. I am 29. Proactive did not work at all for me...in fact, it made my skin worse than ever!! I have not had any luck with much until recently. I am using the Neutrogena Deep Cleanser. It is a hand held vibrating facial cleanser. You attach cleanser pads to it and it pulls all the stuff out. I have had relatively few breakouts and it has even gotten all the blackheads on my nose and chin out as well. I follow it up with Dove Deep Moisture Moisturizer. It is the only moisturizer that does not give me breakouts. It's an idea, but I think that everyone responds differently to acne treatments and it's trial and error until you find the one right for you.

 

[jennobrn01]

I had cystic acne in my teens and was on every type of antibiotic treatment to no avail. Accutane was what cured me. It was wonderful! I remained mostly acne free for 10 years. Now that I'm 30 I've started to see some of the cystic acne return. So I am taking note of the tips on this thread to see if something will help. I'm on Yaz bc ( not an option for the OP's dh huh? ) and that has helped somewhat.

 

[jennobrn01]

I too have struggled with acne over the years. I am 29. Proactive did not work at all for me...in fact, it made my skin worse than ever!! I have not had any luck with much until recently. I am using the Neutrogena Deep Cleanser. It is a hand held vibrating facial cleanser. You attach cleanser pads to it and it pulls all the stuff out. I have had relatively few breakouts and it has even gotten all the blackheads on my nose and chin out as well. I follow it up with Dove Deep Moisture Moisturizer. It is the only moisturizer that does not give me breakouts. It's an idea, but I think that everyone responds differently to acne treatments and it's trial and error until you find the one right for you.

Tink1978, I have been looking at the Neutrogena vibrating facial cleansing products. What do you have the Wave or the Healthy Skin Rejuvenator?

 

[Jockaroo]

Have your husband research rosacea. It is a vascular condition that causes skin flushing, red blotches and deep pimple-like pustules. It typically appears in the 30s and 40s, so your husband could have this condition. Please have him research and look at photos of people with rosacea. If he would have this condition, the acne medications and acid-based exfoliating products can cause him more problems. Stress can cause really bad flair ups with rosacea. Rosacea won't go away, but can be managed and controlled with medical care. If he feels he may have rosacea, he will need to see a doctor. My family doctor was able to treat mine without seeing a dermatologist.

I am not a doctor, but a rosacea sufferer. I thought I had acne issues and tried treating "acne" for several years, but caused damage to my skin instead. Once I had the correct treatment and started treating my skin very gently, I saw improvements in 2-4 weeks.

 

[themilesfamily]

Proactive did not work for me AT ALL. The only two things that worked were:

1) Accutane to rid me of acne. This was an absolute miracle cure.
2) Glycolic facials (sometimes called skin peels or acid peels) to take away the scarring and prevent any future breakouts.

It's weird that I get complimented on my skin all the time now, as I had acne so badly growing up and into early adulthood.

Good luck -- acne is a horrible self-esteem killer. I'll never let my DD suffer through it the way I did.

 

[Tinker74]

I had cystic acne in my teens and was on every type of antibiotic treatment to no avail. Accutane was what cured me. It was wonderful! I remained mostly acne free for 10 years. Now that I'm 30 I've started to see some of the cystic acne return. So I am taking note of the tips on this thread to see if something will help. I'm on Yaz bc ( not an option for the OP's dh huh? ) and that has helped somewhat.

Hi Jenn...did you have any side effects from the accutane?...My DS15 has terrible acne and we currently trying a strong antibiotic from the dermatoligist..however no results after 3 months now..and we are getting desperate..Iam reluctant for accutane though as I've heard it can cause liver damage and depression /mood swings. yet it might be our only choice.
Iam just feeling so bad for DS..its a really hard thing for a teenager to deal with.
i myself did not suffer as a teenager ..yet when i was pregnant with DD 8 yrs ago I had terrible acne and have some scars from it..i really worry about DS scarring..

however my acne cleared up after dd was born and now i hardly ever get a spot at all.

 

[grinningghost]

Oh how I can relate to this thread!

I'm 43 now, and have suffered from acne and super oily skin since I was 11! I have tried every OTC drug available, as well as Rx antibiotics, creams, you name it. I've done the aspirin mask, clay masks, Milk of Magnesia mask - like I said everything.

I finally threw in the towel after all these years and went on Amnesteem (generic form of Accutane) - and I am in LOVE with it. Finally, at long last, my skin is not so oily that I can fry eggs on it - it's the answer to my prayers.

It may not be for everyone, but come on, after more than 3 decades of dealing with that garbage - it was time.

 

[themilesfamily]

Iam reluctant for accutane though as I've heard it can cause liver damage and depression /mood swings.

I thought I'd jump in to answer...hope you don't mind.

I did a course of Accutane and it was the best thing I have EVER done.

They do a blood test when you start the course of Accutane and once or twice during the course of treatment to make sure liver functions are remaining normal. If they see any unusual results, I'm sure they'd pull you off it.

As for mood swings, the only swing I had was a huge UPSWING and a huge increase in self-esteem when my acne went away. Until then, I'd always felt uncomfortable going places, talking to people, etc. I was so self-conscious.

I didn't notice any negative side effects while on this med. I had a great experience.

The only warning is that -- for ladies -- you absolutely MUST NOT become pregnant while on this drug. It can cause serious birth defects if you take it while pregnant.

 

[tink1978]

Tink1978, I have been looking at the Neutrogena vibrating facial cleansing products. What do you have the Wave or the Healthy Skin Rejuvenator?

I have the Wave. I was amazed the first time I used it!!! My skin has never looked or felt better. It was definitely worth it! I think it costs $14.99 for the Wave and then $7.99 or so for 30 pads. This is the first time that I have gone for more than 2 weeks without having substantial breakouts. I have only had one or two pimples pop up over the last month and they are gone within a couple of days. The weird thing is is that regular Neutrogena facial cleanser did not help me at all!!!

 

[Disneyglobegirl]

Check out www.acne.org - this is a great forum for info on acne treaments. Check out the messages boards.

http://www.acne.org/messageboard/

They have reviews of many over the counter and prescription products. What works for one person may not work for another so your Dh mayhave to try a few things before finding what works for him.

I would definately recommend your DH going to a derm to be checked out. I never had an acne problem in my teens - I started breaking out in my 30's. I have been seeing a derm with great success. I did take a low dose Accutane treament after trying many other things that did not work for me. The Acctuane cleared me up with no side effects but it is last resort type med because of side effects. It has been a year since I took accutane and I am still clear - I maintain with Retin A micro.

 

[KerriSue]

I have been using the Tea Tree Oil Face Wash from The Body Shop. This stuff has saved me. I have been suffering from adult acne (that nasty cyst kind) for years now. This stuff has saved my face.

 

[jennobrn01]

Hi Jenn...did you have any side effects from the accutane?...My DS15 has terrible acne and we currently trying a strong antibiotic from the dermatoligist..however no results after 3 months now..and we are getting desperate..Iam reluctant for accutane though as I've heard it can cause liver damage and depression /mood swings. yet it might be our only choice.
Iam just feeling so bad for DS..its a really hard thing for a teenager to deal with.
i myself did not suffer as a teenager ..yet when i was pregnant with DD 8 yrs ago I had terrible acne and have some scars from it..i really worry about DS scarring..

however my acne cleared up after dd was born and now i hardly ever get a spot at all.

The only side effect I had was headaches for the first couple of weeks. Accutane is a strong drug. I had to sign waivers and agree to be on birth control. I also had liver function tests done once a month as Accutane can be hard on the liver. I do know the side effects can increase the longer you are on the med. I only had to be on Accutane 4 months. The results were miraculous! I had such self esteem issues with my acne. Being on Accutane was so worth it!

 

[grinningghost]

I thought I'd jump in to answer...hope you don't mind.

I did a course of Accutane and it was the best thing I have EVER done.

They do a blood test when you start the course of Accutane and once or twice during the course of treatment to make sure liver functions are remaining normal. If they see any unusual results, I'm sure they'd pull you off it.

As for mood swings, the only swing I had was a huge UPSWING and a huge increase in self-esteem when my acne went away. Until then, I'd always felt uncomfortable going places, talking to people, etc. I was so self-conscious.

I didn't notice any negative side effects while on this med. I had a great experience.

The only warning is that -- for ladies -- you absolutely MUST NOT become pregnant while on this drug. It can cause serious birth defects if you take it while pregnant.

I totally agree with your post. The only mood problem I'm having is BEING IN A GOOD ONE!!!! There's nothing worse than suffocating in your own oily skin and dealing with zits as a middle aged woman - I only wish I had started years ago.

 

[jennobrn01]

I have the Wave. I was amazed the first time I used it!!! My skin has never looked or felt better. It was definitely worth it! I think it costs $14.99 for the Wave and then $7.99 or so for 30 pads. This is the first time that I have gone for more than 2 weeks without having substantial breakouts. I have only had one or two pimples pop up over the last month and they are gone within a couple of days. The weird thing is is that regular Neutrogena facial cleanser did not help me at all!!!

Thanks! I think I'll give it a try!

 

[PlainJane]

Hi Jenn...did you have any side effects from the accutane?...My DS15 has terrible acne and we currently trying a strong antibiotic from the dermatoligist..however no results after 3 months now..and we are getting desperate..Iam reluctant for accutane though as I've heard it can cause liver damage and depression /mood swings. yet it might be our only choice.
Iam just feeling so bad for DS..its a really hard thing for a teenager to deal with.
i myself did not suffer as a teenager ..yet when i was pregnant with DD 8 yrs ago I had terrible acne and have some scars from it..i really worry about DS scarring..

however my acne cleared up after dd was born and now i hardly ever get a spot at all.

I know, you didn't ask me, but I just got off accutane. While I never had any of the severe side effects, I did have really bad joint pain the entire time I was on it. My brother also took accutane, but he never had any side effects. In the end it was worth it to me, but it is not a decision to be taken lightly.

My brother has been off it for several years, and he gets a pimple every once in a while, but before he had horrible acne, so a pimple every once in a while is a huge improvement. Only time will tell with me, but so far my skin is nice and clear.

The only warning is that -- for ladies -- you absolutely MUST NOT become pregnant while on this drug. It can cause serious birth defects if you take it while pregnant.

On a side note: For anyone with younger teenage girls, I know, some parents are apprehensive about their daughters going on birth control when they're only 13. You don't have to go on birth control, but you do have to sign a statement saying that your primary form of BC will be abstinence, and that you will use condoms as a backup.

Like, themilesfamily said, the consequences of getting pregnant on this drug are devastating, and if you want the piece of mind knowing your DD is on BC, the doctor will be fine with that too (I think most would actually prefer it).

 

[katie26]

Proactiv didn't work so well for me, though I think their sulfur face mask is truly fantastic. My acne tends to be cystic, and I keep it mostly under control with a combination of birth control pills (obviously not so helpful for your husband! ) zinc supplements, the occasional sulfur face mask, washing with Cetaphil and then using Peter Thomas Roth salicylic and glycolic acid gel.

Even with all that, I break out every now and then, but a quick trip to the dermatologist for a cortisone injection (covered by insurance) gets rid of the pimple almost immediately. It's tough to take the time to get there, though - wish they sold the syringes of cortisone OTC!