I really need advice. I have had acne since 13. I am 19 and my acne is pretty much gone now. I am horribly scarred. I think the majority of the reason is tazorac and retin-a. Im a moron. They said apply a dime amount and i litteraly applied like a hand full. (keep in mind this was like 2 years ago) I was desperate! My face was blood red and peeling and i kept putting it on for a long time. Now i have no acne! but I look like a burn victim. And this is still like 2 years later. My forhead, temples, and cheeks look plasticy and wrinkly. I have been like this for a while! when i smile it is awful. Under those stupid hallogen or fluorecent lights i look horrible. My parents say i look okay because at home we have regular bulbs and i look better. I hate going outside because my skin looks like plasticy elephant skin. If i put on moisturizer or any cream for that matter i breakout! I don't know what to do. If I were younger i might heal because growing bodies are constantly shedding skin and growing new skin, but i know i defenitley stopped growing cuz im 19. I also have this deep wrinkle on my forhead. I don't want to do microdermabrasion or lasers or creams because im super sensetive to all that crap and i already look like a tomatoe. Anyway im on about every vitamin you can imagine, and essential fatty acids, and on a diet. I don't know what to do. The best years of my life are getting flushed down the drain. Has anyone had a similar experience, how did it turn out. Any advice! PLEASE HELP! THANK YOU
Try Cetaphol. You can buy it at Costco in a 2 pack for $14. Let me know if that works. Other stores carry it but Costco is the cheapest. Hope that helps.
if you are sensitive to moisturizers, do not use cetaphil. I also cannot use moisturizers because they definitely break me out. When I used cetaphil it broke me out the worse of all the moisturizers.
I have been using a mask called Aztec Indian Healing Mask every other day for five minutes (because I have sensitive skin). It has worked to smooth out my skin and it has started to fade the red marks. I use BP cream and I find I don't have to apply a moisturizer on a regular basis. I just use this mask. But make sure you use it with Apple Cider Vinegar. It feels good on the skin and works great. I usually apply it in the morning before I take a shower. Hope this helps. Believe me I was in the same boat as you with all of the creams that my dermatologist prescribed me. I am not sailing that boat anymore.
if you are sensitive to moisturizers, do not use cetaphil. I also cannot use moisturizers because they definitely break me out. When I used cetaphil it broke me out the worse of all the moisturizers.
I have been using a mask called Aztec Indian Healing Mask every other day for five minutes (because I have sensitive skin). It has worked to smooth out my skin and it has started to fade the red marks. I use BP cream and I find I don't have to apply a moisturizer on a regular basis. I just use this mask. But make sure you use it with Apple Cider Vinegar. It feels good on the skin and works great. I usually apply it in the morning before I take a shower. Hope this helps. Believe me I was in the same boat as you with all of the creams that my dermatologist prescribed me. I am not sailing that boat anymore.
was your skin also burnt or anything? What kind of creams did you use? If so how does your skin look now? Whats BP Cream? sorry for all the questions. It would be nice if you could tell me your story. Thank you.
Well, i was using tazorac and retin-a on and off. Then I totally stopped going to the derm. They are evil. lol well I was using every non pore clogging moisturizer you could imagine, and I still had bad acne problems. I stopped using the moisturizer for a while and my acne cleared up. My face eventually got back to normal in terms of its remoisturizing ability so now i don't use absolutley anything. Basically im on a diet of fruits and vegtables. I eat nothing that is processed and meat on occasion. I know it sounds like i don't eat much, but im used to it. It's just that its been like 2 years and i don;t see so much improvement.
At my school there are fluorecent/hallogen, lights and at work too so people must see my like that, right? Also when I go outside the sun probably makes me look worst cuz its even brighter.
I defenitley am giving my skin a rest, thats why I don;t know what to do. Any advice is Greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Last edited by moderator2; 02-24-2005 at 12:03 PM.
Reason: to remove a reference to a deleted post
It definitely sounds like your skin needs a rest, but in the meantime there is someting that can help rebuild your skin. It's called TNS by Skin Medica. It has natural growth factors, antioxidants, proteins, and collagens to help your skin rebuild itself. It doesn't cause any sort of irritation. The downside is that it costs about $125 for a one months supply. You can find it on ebay for a little less. One 0.5 ounce lasts one month apllying just a little every morning and night. Starting on the fourth month the cost goes down a little because then you only have to apply it once a day, therefore the 0.5 ounce lasts 2 months. The other downside is that it is kind of sticky and it doesn't smell very good. In my opinion, this would be one the most beneficial things you could do for your skin.
It definitely sounds like your skin needs a rest, but in the meantime there is someting that can help rebuild your skin. It's called TNS by Skin Medica. It has natural growth factors, antioxidants, proteins, and collagens to help your skin rebuild itself. It doesn't cause any sort of irritation. The downside is that it costs about $125 for a one months supply. You can find it on ebay for a little less. One 0.5 ounce lasts one month apllying just a little every morning and night. Starting on the fourth month the cost goes down a little because then you only have to apply it once a day, therefore the 0.5 ounce lasts 2 months. The other downside is that it is kind of sticky and it doesn't smell very good. In my opinion, this would be one the most beneficial things you could do for your skin.
thanks for the info, does it clog your pores, cuz like i said anything i put on my face gives me acne. Whats your experience with it been like?
Thanks for the help.
I have acne prone skin as well and it did not cause any sort of irritation on my skin, but everyone is different. You could try it for a week or two to see if it causes any irritation, then discontinue use if so. I forgot to mention that TNS has Nouricel-MD which is a trademark of Advanced Tissue Sciences,Inc. They do research and find advanced products for burn victims. I think it is definitely worth a shot and make sure to stick with it if it does not cause any irritation. The best of luck to you!
I have acne prone skin as well and it did not cause any sort of irritation on my skin, but everyone is different. You could try it for a week or two to see if it causes any irritation, then discontinue use if so. I forgot to mention that TNS has Nouricel-MD which is a trademark of Advanced Tissue Sciences,Inc. They do research and find advanced products for burn victims. I think it is definitely worth a shot and make sure to stick with it if it does not cause any irritation. The best of luck to you!
Thankyou, i defenitley think it is worth a shot, just 1 more question have you used it? and if so for how long, and what have been your results. How was your skin like before, if you could just give me a quick history that would be awsome. Need all the help I can get, thanks again for the info.
Tracy- yes i did and still do use TNS for maintenance. I mainly use it for hyperpigmentation and fine lines and to prevent any further damage to my skin. It's a great product but will take a good 3 months to see improvements. I really think it can help you! And three months goes by so fast! Good luck!
oh man i have bad skin too, its bad, i over did it too, but u need to find out what pills do nothing but boost your immune system, and your metabolism, and your mood, stress, and sadness take a major toll in this, just keep your faith in God, because yea times get tough, but its only that bad because t.v. made us think that way. "f" tv.!! for the insecurities!!
If it has been 2 years, like you said, it sounds like you may have to see some kind of cosmetic derm. to remedy things. It sounds like you could use some sort of medium strength peel to get rid of the damaged skin. I would stay away from lasers too. I don't think anything that you could apply to yourself topically would really work. HTH.
sorry didn't respond sooner. Yes, my face was burnt. My dermatologist prescribed me a combination of antibiotics and retinoids that was not good for my skin. I had to take steroids at one point because my face was so irriated and red from putting Retin-A on my face. On several occasions, I have given myself a good chemical peel (that was not good) on my face. It took days for it to calm down. I am definitely still on the road to recovery. However this is what I am doing now:
Wash my face with Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser (it only has 0.5 % salicyclic acid in it, anything more dries out my face). Then I use BP (benzoyl peroxide) cream. Use only 2.5%. If you use 5 or 10% it will dry out your face and cause more problems. Every other day I use the Aztec Healing Mask before I take a shower in the morning. I think I still need to fine tune my routine a little, but I am definitely a lot clearer than I was before when I was listening to a dermatologist.
If you do go to a dermatologist, before you take their advice know your skin first. Know what your skin can tolerate before your apply all of the creams and lotions that they will recommend. If you have really sensitive skin a dermatologist may not be the answer. All they know how to do is prescribe antibiotics and creams. I always refused to take the oral antibiotics and my dermatologist was always disgusted because I would not follow their advice. I am sorry but antibiotics, especially in women, can cause a lot of problems. I don't want to do anything I can't come back from. Well, anyway hope this help.
I am horribly scarred. I think the majority of the reason is tazorac and retin-a.
Did you go out in the sun without sunblock while being treated with retin-a?
I don't know anything about the other one you were being treated with but I know that with Retin-A you are suppose to avoid the sun. Unless you are using sun block.
That could of been apart of the problem.
It is best that you go to a dermatologist to help you with the problem you are currently experiencing with your skin.
Last edited by Summer Girl; 02-21-2005 at 11:29 AM.
THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP GUYS, AND TO SYDNIESMOMMIE, i will defenitley try that oatmeal stuff. I appreciate all the help i can get, and you have all defenitley given me something to think about. As for the question about being in the sun while on retin-a, I actually live in new york where it is pretty much cold 8-9 months out of the year, so i am pretty sure that was not an issue. If anyone else has any suggestions i'd love to hear them. Thanks again.
Other people have said it already, but let me say that I am amazed at the healing ability of my skin. And I'm 21 so there's plenty of time for you I've found that diet is the biggest controlling factor I have over my active acne AND red marks, and even scars (including premature wrinkles from over-drying).
I used to have a deep wrinkle in my forehead and I always thought I was stuck with it And then one day my Grandma remarked on it and I felt awful - she wasn't being mean; she was clearly upset for me that, at 20 years old, I had wrinkling like a forty-year-old. So I resolved that the wrinkle was going to disappear. And a year on and I swear if I was taking photos (I wish I had now), I could see the improvements month after month!
Like I said, I have helped my skin rejuevenate itself through dietary improvements: basically reducing my intake of inflammatory carbohydrates e.g. sugar. If you have smile lines, these will be the first to be reduced by cutting out sugar from your diet. But you said you've already made changes to your diet. Do you think you could be doing any more? I find that if I don't get the correct balance between vegetables and fruit, the sugar in sweeter fruits can cause problems (although nothing as severe as refined sugar).
With respect to my deep forehead wrinkle, in particular, I have conditioned myself NEVER to furrow my brow. If I feel myself doing it I get very annoyed because I know it can't help. Furthermore, I subconciously perform stretching exercises on my forehead by pushing down my eyebrows (if that makes sense ). Whilst that does encourage a crease in the ridge of my nose, it doesn't seem to last (with that area having drastically improved due to diet as well).
Another factor that has helped my skin heal itself is good moisturisation. You shouldn't be afraid to moisturise! If you don't provide your skin with enough natural moisture it will compensate with excessive sebum production, as I am sure you are already aware. I am a guy but I still cleanse, tone and moisturise twice daily. I use the Simple range of products that can be bought in the UK.
When it comes to putting other things on your face, I would avoid it for the time being. I have come to learn that treating acne is more about taking things away than adding them to the problem. I desperately wanted a quick solution to my scarring, and last year I had three microdermabrasion treatments. I am sure they helped reduce some of my more pronounced scars and marks, but in the short-term the effects were horrible: at the end of the day they take off the top layer of your skin
I have also tried Epidermx with success. But for now I leave it in my toiletry bag because again, in the short-term, it leaves my face looking red, grazed, and generally encourages a fight-back from any active acne. Basically, it's taken me nearly eight years to realise it, but our skin behaves the way we want it to when we look after it the wat nature intended. I think you've already learned this lesson too, tracy
I appreciate that it's difficult to know who to believe, especially when different things work for different people. But in MY experience, we're in it for the long haul and it's far better to develop a long-term strategy than opt for the easy short-term solution. Trust me: when you start to see improvements, it doesn't matter how gradual they are, the temptation for a quick-fix disappears.
Last edited by Und3rc0v3r; 02-21-2005 at 04:14 PM.
Other people have said it already, but let me say that I am amazed at the healing ability of my skin. And I'm 21 so there's plenty of time for you I've found that diet is the biggest controlling factor I have over my active acne AND red marks, and even scars (including premature wrinkles from over-drying).
I used to have a deep wrinkle in my forehead and I always thought I was stuck with it And then one day my Grandma remarked on it and I felt awful - she wasn't being mean; she was clearly upset for me that, at 20 years old, I had wrinkling like a forty-year-old. So I resolved that the wrinkle was going to disappear. And a year on and I swear if I was taking photos (I wish I had now), I could see the improvements month after month!
Like I said, I have helped my skin rejuevenate itself through dietary improvements: basically reducing my intake of inflammatory carbohydrates e.g. sugar. If you have smile lines, these will be the first to be reduced by cutting out sugar from your diet. But you said you've already made changes to your diet. Do you think you could be doing any more? I find that if I don't get the correct balance between vegetables and fruit, the sugar in sweeter fruits can cause problems (although nothing as severe as refined sugar).
With respect to my deep forehead wrinkle, in particular, I have conditioned myself NEVER to furrow my brow. If I feel myself doing it I get very annoyed because I know it can't help. Furthermore, I subconciously perform stretching exercises on my forehead by pushing down my eyebrows (if that makes sense ). Whilst that does encourage a crease in the ridge of my nose, it doesn't seem to last (with that area having drastically improved due to diet as well).
Another factor that has helped my skin heal itself is good moisturisation. You shouldn't be afraid to moisturise! If you don't provide your skin with enough natural moisture it will compensate with excessive sebum production, as I am sure you are already aware. I am a guy but I still cleanse, tone and moisturise twice daily. I use the Simple range of products that can be bought in the UK.
When it comes to putting other things on your face, I would avoid it for the time being. I have come to learn that treating acne is more about taking things away than adding them to the problem. I desperately wanted a quick solution to my scarring, and last year I had three microdermabrasion treatments. I am sure they helped reduce some of my more pronounced scars and marks, but in the short-term the effects were horrible: at the end of the day they take off the top layer of your skin
I have also tried Epidermx with success. But for now I leave it in my toiletry bag because again, in the short-term, it leaves my face looking red, grazed, and generally encourages a fight-back from any active acne. Basically, it's taken me nearly eight years to realise it, but our skin behaves the way we want it to when we look after it the wat nature intended. I think you've already learned this lesson too, tracy
I appreciate that it's difficult to know who to believe, especially when different things work for different people. But in MY experience, we're in it for the long haul and it's far better to develop a long-term strategy than opt for the easy short-term solution. Trust me: when you start to see improvements, it doesn't matter how gradual they are, the temptation for a quick-fix disappears.
wow thanks for that story, it definitley makes me feel a lot better, but i think guys bounce back better than girls, either way it still gives me hope, i wanted to know, after you have read my story, do you think microdermabrasion is for me. You told me it got rid of your scars and all. Don't you think that is what helped with your forhead wrinkle? what other kind of scars do you have? like i said, if i moisturize i breakout, and i have tried everything. If you were me, would you do microdermabrasion. I want do it but i just can't find the courage. It would kill me to see my skin get worst, even if it is just temporary. I know one person who said they got 70 percent better after doing microdermabrasion, and others who say it has done nothing for them. Do you have pockmark scars? Sorry for all the questions, and thanks for telling your story.
As for the question about being in the sun while on retin-a, I actually live in new york where it is pretty much cold 8-9 months out of the year, so i am pretty sure that was not an issue.
Actually, It would factor in. It doesn't matter how cold or hot it is. You are still outside in the sun.
I live in New Jersey and work in NY (We have the exact same weather. When it rains in NY it rains in Central NJ that is how close we are.) My doctor wanted to put me on Retin A and he said I can not be out in the sun without sunblock. He said that as long as I was being treated with it, I would need to wear sunblock when going outside.
He told me even if it was a cloudy day, I would need to wear it.
I didn't want to do it since it seemed to "risky" in my opinion.
Re: PLEASE HELP! SKIN RUINED "NEED ADVICE" 
Re: PLEASE HELP! SKIN RUINED "NEED ADVICE" 
have you used it? and if so for how long, and what have been your results. How was your skin like before, if you could just give me a quick history that would be awsome. Need all the help I can get, 
thanks again for the info. 
Re: PLEASE HELP! SKIN RUINED "NEED ADVICE" 
And then one day my Grandma remarked on it and I felt awful - she wasn't being mean; she was clearly upset for me that, at 20 years old, I had wrinkling like a forty-year-old. So I resolved that the wrinkle was going to disappear. And a year on and I swear if I was taking photos (I wish I had now), I could see the improvements month after month!
