In Reply to: i am about to see a dermatologist and want to know about different types of acne treatments posted by Lee Ashley on July 19, 1999 at 22:44:59:

when i was fifteen i had about the same problem as you--and once i got my bangs to grow out and got them off my face, my condition significantly improved. something else i discovered after high school was birth control--it controls the hormones that cause acne, so for one glorious year i had lovely skin...then it all came back, and i'm currently trying to get rid of it again. i've been using pro-activ for the last two weeks, and it seems a little better, but not much. my skin is highly sensitive, and definitely combination, so retin-a isn't an option during the winter (my skin is way too dry), but when i was using it before it worked great. something else my doctor told me to do:
use a very gentle cleanser only once a day--anything harsh or more frequent than that will irritate your skin and make it worse. wash before bed, and just rinse your face off in the morning. i know you think the greasies will get you, but i promise they won't.
use a good moisturizer twice a day-neutrogena is one that i've used for years. the balancing moisturizer is really good.
don't use noxema products. my doctor didn't know what specific ingredient it was, but noxema products are known to irritate skin, even if the skin wasn't known to be sensitive.

also try antibiotics-of course they require a prescription, but they have helped me in the past.
and of course, pay attention to your skin-what worked for some of us won't work for everyone, and you just have to find what works for you. give any new treatment a whole month (yeah, i know it's a long time!) before you decide it didn't work because i've had to try things twice (the first time i only gave it a few days) before they've worked for me. hang in there-- you'll find a good treatment!