WTF skin?!
June 5, 2011 5:36 PM
Adult acne for dummies. I know NOTHING about acne. What could be causing mine and is there something medical I can do about it?
30 year old woman here. My pimples have gotten bad enough that I'm ready to call them acne (not knowing what a 'real' definition of acne is). I've never had clear skin, but over the last few years the pimples have been bigger and deeper than ever before. I can rarely get rid of them with only one attempt (ahem, squeeze), and this has never been the case before. Five years ago or so, I rarely touched the pimples unless they had big white heads. They would go away on their own. Now, they never do; they'll hang out forever unless I take action. They don't really form heads. Sometimes it's mostly water that comes out. They leave scars, or at least, red marks that last a long time. They are mostly, but not exclusively, in the T-zone.
They get worse once a month with hormones. I had little kitcat 9 months ago, and that seems to have changed the way my skin behaves a bit, but the problem predates this. Things were somewhat better when I was on birth control, but now I have an IUD and my skin is much, much oilier. I don't use moisturizer anymore at night because of this. That's helped marginally.
I use a really nice unscented Khiels cleanser, like cetaphil but better. I tend to think toners are just a gimick. I've used Proactiv in the past with some success, but it's so expensive. I know about the oil cleansing method and know generally how to take care of my skin.
What causes acne like this? And is there something medical I can do about it? Is there a prescription I can ask my doctor for? I'll probably be pregnant again in a year's time and I know meds like accutane are not going to be a possibility.
30 year old woman here. My pimples have gotten bad enough that I'm ready to call them acne (not knowing what a 'real' definition of acne is). I've never had clear skin, but over the last few years the pimples have been bigger and deeper than ever before. I can rarely get rid of them with only one attempt (ahem, squeeze), and this has never been the case before. Five years ago or so, I rarely touched the pimples unless they had big white heads. They would go away on their own. Now, they never do; they'll hang out forever unless I take action. They don't really form heads. Sometimes it's mostly water that comes out. They leave scars, or at least, red marks that last a long time. They are mostly, but not exclusively, in the T-zone.
They get worse once a month with hormones. I had little kitcat 9 months ago, and that seems to have changed the way my skin behaves a bit, but the problem predates this. Things were somewhat better when I was on birth control, but now I have an IUD and my skin is much, much oilier. I don't use moisturizer anymore at night because of this. That's helped marginally.
I use a really nice unscented Khiels cleanser, like cetaphil but better. I tend to think toners are just a gimick. I've used Proactiv in the past with some success, but it's so expensive. I know about the oil cleansing method and know generally how to take care of my skin.
What causes acne like this? And is there something medical I can do about it? Is there a prescription I can ask my doctor for? I'll probably be pregnant again in a year's time and I know meds like accutane are not going to be a possibility.
Things that helped my skin improve considerably - weight loss, substantially decreased sugar intake, very little alcohol, eating a little bit of coconut oil a few times a week, drinking more water.
I used to have very large, painful cystic acne that would leave lingering red marks and now I get the odd white head every now and then.
I clean my skin with water and a very gentle exfoliate every couple of days. I use a really, really creamy moisturizer in the morning with no perfume or anything like that in it. It is not specially designed for oily/combination skin - I've found all that stuff to be crap. If my skin is a bit dry in winter I'll put a tiny bit of coconut oil in it.
I have had absolutely no luck with any medicated stuff from the doctor.
posted by mleigh at 5:56 PM on June 5, 2011
I used to have very large, painful cystic acne that would leave lingering red marks and now I get the odd white head every now and then.
I clean my skin with water and a very gentle exfoliate every couple of days. I use a really, really creamy moisturizer in the morning with no perfume or anything like that in it. It is not specially designed for oily/combination skin - I've found all that stuff to be crap. If my skin is a bit dry in winter I'll put a tiny bit of coconut oil in it.
I have had absolutely no luck with any medicated stuff from the doctor.
posted by mleigh at 5:56 PM on June 5, 2011
Friends have had great and inexpensive results with the regimen described at acne.org. Less harsh on your skin than Proactiv, too.
I have only modest pimple problems, and mostly related to where my hair touches my skin. But I do find a spot treatment like this one from Neutrogena pretty good when I start getting a sore spot that will eventually become a pimple. I use it just in the forming stages, and every once in a while put a light coat on my t-zone, for good measure. Since you only use a small amount of it at once, it lasts for-EVER.
Other things that might help: Don't touch your face with your hands, always wash make-up and sunscreen off your skin, avoid common irritants like avobenzone (a common sunblock ingredient) or bismuth oxychloride (a common mineral makeup ingredient.)
posted by Andrhia at 5:58 PM on June 5, 2011
I have only modest pimple problems, and mostly related to where my hair touches my skin. But I do find a spot treatment like this one from Neutrogena pretty good when I start getting a sore spot that will eventually become a pimple. I use it just in the forming stages, and every once in a while put a light coat on my t-zone, for good measure. Since you only use a small amount of it at once, it lasts for-EVER.
Other things that might help: Don't touch your face with your hands, always wash make-up and sunscreen off your skin, avoid common irritants like avobenzone (a common sunblock ingredient) or bismuth oxychloride (a common mineral makeup ingredient.)
posted by Andrhia at 5:58 PM on June 5, 2011
My acne was totally a hormonal event. Spironalactone was the only thing that worked. I think it's bad to take while you're pregnant though.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 5:59 PM on June 5, 2011
posted by otherwordlyglow at 5:59 PM on June 5, 2011
Deep cysts that don't go away rarely respond to surface treatment. If you squeeze without seeing a "head", you are likely to cause a rupture below the skin's surface that will make it worse. Antibiotics are a possible course. Some can't be taken while nursing, though. My skin has also gotten bad since I gave birth this year. I sympathize!
posted by Knowyournuts at 6:07 PM on June 5, 2011
posted by Knowyournuts at 6:07 PM on June 5, 2011
First, stop squeezing for sure. I know the temptation well - unless it's a very shallow, isolated whitehead, it will make things worse. If you feel you MUST do something to "help" a deeper pimple along, warm/hot compresses with a super-clean washcloth probably wouldn't hurt.
Seconding a look at diet. Dairy doesn't give me acne, but sugar and pasta and beer sure do. Eating lots of green vegetables and drinking more water also seem to help.
posted by Knicke at 6:08 PM on June 5, 2011
Seconding a look at diet. Dairy doesn't give me acne, but sugar and pasta and beer sure do. Eating lots of green vegetables and drinking more water also seem to help.
posted by Knicke at 6:08 PM on June 5, 2011
I had acne as a teen, and went on antibiotics for a few years that pretty much 100% cleared me up. Worked great for me and no side-effects.
I went to a derm recently for a couple zits, she prescribed a salicylic acid wash, and so far it's making my face break out like crazy. Apparently it works for some people though, so YMMV.
posted by queens86 at 6:11 PM on June 5, 2011
I went to a derm recently for a couple zits, she prescribed a salicylic acid wash, and so far it's making my face break out like crazy. Apparently it works for some people though, so YMMV.
posted by queens86 at 6:11 PM on June 5, 2011
Is the IUD a Mirena? If so, it does release a little hormone and for some people acne is a side effect of that.
posted by selfmedicating at 6:16 PM on June 5, 2011
posted by selfmedicating at 6:16 PM on June 5, 2011
Do you have any redness to the rest of your face? It could be papulopustular rosacea.
I would get wicked, wicked pus-filled whiteheads around my nose and chin, with the occasional pimple-looking thing on my cheeks.
I went to a dermatologist and she's got me using spironolactone, solodyn (both of which shouldn't be taken while pregnant) and then benzoyl peroxide face washes. It seems to be working - I haven't had a breakout in several weeks.
posted by Lucinda at 7:02 PM on June 5, 2011
I would get wicked, wicked pus-filled whiteheads around my nose and chin, with the occasional pimple-looking thing on my cheeks.
I went to a dermatologist and she's got me using spironolactone, solodyn (both of which shouldn't be taken while pregnant) and then benzoyl peroxide face washes. It seems to be working - I haven't had a breakout in several weeks.
posted by Lucinda at 7:02 PM on June 5, 2011
I got deep, painful cystic acne around my jawline after I gave birth. The dermatologist gave me a dabber-bottle of some liquid antibiotic which very quickly cleared my skin up beautifully. This was 20-some years ago so I can't really remember the name (clindomycin rings a bell, now that I think about it) but there is probably something similar on the market these days.
One non-prescription thing I've been using the last few years for occasional pimples is hand sanitizer. My diabetes also makes me prone to get painful cysts around my beltline, under my arms and other fun places, but if I catch one early enough with the sanitizer I can usually keep it from getting bad.
Someone is going to chime in and say that sanitizer will dry out your skin, but I use it all the time and it really doesn't. I'm very prone to get dry and flaky these days, but not in the areas I use sanitizer on. My hands, in fact, are so prone to dryness that pretty much any bathroom hand soap leaves them uncomfortable, so I use sanitizer instead which leaves them clean and soft.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 7:26 PM on June 5, 2011
One non-prescription thing I've been using the last few years for occasional pimples is hand sanitizer. My diabetes also makes me prone to get painful cysts around my beltline, under my arms and other fun places, but if I catch one early enough with the sanitizer I can usually keep it from getting bad.
Someone is going to chime in and say that sanitizer will dry out your skin, but I use it all the time and it really doesn't. I'm very prone to get dry and flaky these days, but not in the areas I use sanitizer on. My hands, in fact, are so prone to dryness that pretty much any bathroom hand soap leaves them uncomfortable, so I use sanitizer instead which leaves them clean and soft.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 7:26 PM on June 5, 2011
If I use On The Spot twice a day when I feel an acne cyst forming it usually takes care of it quite well.
The other thing that seems to help a great deal: change your pillowcase often.
posted by Glinn at 7:59 PM on June 5, 2011
The other thing that seems to help a great deal: change your pillowcase often.
posted by Glinn at 7:59 PM on June 5, 2011
Go see a dermatologist. There are tons of options, and many of them are not super expensive.
posted by radioamy at 8:05 PM on June 5, 2011
posted by radioamy at 8:05 PM on June 5, 2011
Get thee to a dermatologist. As someone who's dealt with problem skin for decades, some of us just aren't helped by cleansing products, suggestions about diet, etc. I tend to bristle at comments like "you should just drink more water, that cleared up my skin!" Maybe that helps someone with the occasional pimple but not someone with chronic cystic acne.
Prescription antibiotics and topical ointments with salicylic or Retin-A could help.
posted by emd3737 at 8:09 PM on June 5, 2011
Prescription antibiotics and topical ointments with salicylic or Retin-A could help.
posted by emd3737 at 8:09 PM on June 5, 2011
I've been on every acne treatment available (even two rounds of accutane...ugh). However, this is the one that works for me.
It's expensive, but it SERIOUSLY works.
posted by guster4lovers at 9:06 PM on June 5, 2011
It's expensive, but it SERIOUSLY works.
posted by guster4lovers at 9:06 PM on June 5, 2011
Sorry for the double post, but this is a better link and much cheaper than I've previously seen it.
posted by guster4lovers at 9:09 PM on June 5, 2011
posted by guster4lovers at 9:09 PM on June 5, 2011
If your IUD is a Mirena, it could be causing your acne. That happened with me. Acne was a significant side effect in clinical trials.
posted by Dilemma at 9:20 PM on June 5, 2011
posted by Dilemma at 9:20 PM on June 5, 2011
That sounds a lot like cystic acne; hormonal, T-zone, no head, and the "water" that comes out may be lymph, not sebum. Cystic acne happens when an oil gland overproduces sebum, swells, and then ruptures below the skin. Then the sebum gets trapped and can't drain out onto the surface of the skin, which is what's supposed to happen (see a more detailed description here). The cleanliness of your skin doesn't have much to do with it, because that won't prevent the oil gland from overproducing in the first place.
I had bad cystic acne from ages 18 to 27 or 28. I highly recommend the treatment method described in the article I linked above. What specifically helped me was using a chemical exfoliant regularly (like, really every day, never skipping!). I prefer 2% BHA (a.k.a. salicylic acid) in lotion form, but you can also get it in gel form, as you're having oiliness issues. Regularly exfoliating ensures that any trapped sebum has a clear path to the skin's surface, and improves the shape of the pore over time, which can help prevent it from getting so swollen in the first place.
When I do have a breakout, I make sure I use a product that contains 2.5% benzoyl peroxide, which will kill the bacteria in the pore that causes acne.
Toners aren't necessarily a gimmick, but they are not the same thing as astringent (which is evil stuff). A good toner will absorb antioxidants into your skin (reducing environmental damage) and will help replenish the moisture barrier between skin cells. I also find toner to be very valuable for removing any last bits of makeup that my face wash doesn't take off. If you find that the oiliness of your skin starts going down, you might consider using a toner as a light moisturizer (during the summer, I only need a toner for moisturizing, whereas in the winter I need a real lotion for dry patches).
posted by neushoorn at 2:28 AM on June 6, 2011
I had bad cystic acne from ages 18 to 27 or 28. I highly recommend the treatment method described in the article I linked above. What specifically helped me was using a chemical exfoliant regularly (like, really every day, never skipping!). I prefer 2% BHA (a.k.a. salicylic acid) in lotion form, but you can also get it in gel form, as you're having oiliness issues. Regularly exfoliating ensures that any trapped sebum has a clear path to the skin's surface, and improves the shape of the pore over time, which can help prevent it from getting so swollen in the first place.
When I do have a breakout, I make sure I use a product that contains 2.5% benzoyl peroxide, which will kill the bacteria in the pore that causes acne.
Toners aren't necessarily a gimmick, but they are not the same thing as astringent (which is evil stuff). A good toner will absorb antioxidants into your skin (reducing environmental damage) and will help replenish the moisture barrier between skin cells. I also find toner to be very valuable for removing any last bits of makeup that my face wash doesn't take off. If you find that the oiliness of your skin starts going down, you might consider using a toner as a light moisturizer (during the summer, I only need a toner for moisturizing, whereas in the winter I need a real lotion for dry patches).
posted by neushoorn at 2:28 AM on June 6, 2011
Definitely see a dermatologist, but I'm going to sound off in support of the dairy theory. If I don't do any dairy except for cheese, I get the odd whitehead here and there, but they tend to be pretty superficial and resolve easily. But if I go on an ice cream or yogurt kick, I get pretty deep, cystic acne for a week or so afterwards. Can take quite a while to clear up.
There's some science to support this, but it hasn't been rigorously tested, mostly because there's no placebo for milk.
posted by valkyryn at 5:28 AM on June 6, 2011
There's some science to support this, but it hasn't been rigorously tested, mostly because there's no placebo for milk.
posted by valkyryn at 5:28 AM on June 6, 2011
IANAD, but I did find that taking beta-carotene supplements did improve and control my acne. My doctor didn't mind when I told him about it. Accutane is a fat soluble Vitamin A derivative that's just more potent. Vitamin A used to be the standard treatment for treating acne, but it's too toxic to be taken at high doses. Although I started with one pill of beta carotene to eight pills of beta-carotene, I found that it was controlling my acne at the expense of drying out the skin around my fingers.
posted by DetriusXii at 7:14 AM on June 6, 2011
posted by DetriusXii at 7:14 AM on June 6, 2011
acne.org's regimen is the only thing that has ever helped with my (irritatingly random) acne into my 30s. I don't even do it very regularly anymore - doing it for a few months has fixed my skin.
posted by getawaysticks at 7:21 AM on June 6, 2011
posted by getawaysticks at 7:21 AM on June 6, 2011
I agree that it does sound a lot like cystic acne, which I suffer(ed) from. I definitely think you should see a dermatologist. What helped me was getting on a round of antibiotics, using tretinoin gel each night, and getting a cortisone shot into my existing cysts. Those cotisone shots were lifesavers! The cysts that took months to clear up would disappear within a day -- and then over time the other prescriptions made it so that the cysts (more or less) stopped occurring. Don't squeeze or touch your pimples anymore! You'll only cause scarring and the treatment options for fixing acne scars are very expensive and not necessarily effective.
posted by pinetree at 4:23 PM on June 6, 2011
posted by pinetree at 4:23 PM on June 6, 2011
Buy 7 pillowcases. New pillowcase every night. Try it for a few weeks. I bet you'll see a difference.
posted by geekhorde at 11:21 PM on June 6, 2011
posted by geekhorde at 11:21 PM on June 6, 2011
This answer comes late, but it might help others.
I had similar issues, basically acne from 18-19 till now. I'm 29. Not super severe, but annoying enough. I've tried a bunch of things, with more or less (less than more) success, and have been on a good, unusual track for the past month. Now I'm trying to see what changed in my diet or sports activity:
- I realized I cut quite a bit on the dairy side.
- I drink more water, less tea and gave up on coffee.
- More importantly, I go for runs, 4-5 times a week, 5-6 miles every time.
I think physical activity is the key: you sweat and let a lot of the bad stuff out, I could almost feel that after reaching exhaustion on the treadmill or outside. Maybe it's just bullcrap and it could be something else entirely, but so far, it seems to work for me. Not having a super clear skin, probably never will, but it's been decent for the past month.
Good luck!
posted by peterf12 at 10:11 PM on April 16, 2012
I had similar issues, basically acne from 18-19 till now. I'm 29. Not super severe, but annoying enough. I've tried a bunch of things, with more or less (less than more) success, and have been on a good, unusual track for the past month. Now I'm trying to see what changed in my diet or sports activity:
- I realized I cut quite a bit on the dairy side.
- I drink more water, less tea and gave up on coffee.
- More importantly, I go for runs, 4-5 times a week, 5-6 miles every time.
I think physical activity is the key: you sweat and let a lot of the bad stuff out, I could almost feel that after reaching exhaustion on the treadmill or outside. Maybe it's just bullcrap and it could be something else entirely, but so far, it seems to work for me. Not having a super clear skin, probably never will, but it's been decent for the past month.
Good luck!
posted by peterf12 at 10:11 PM on April 16, 2012
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posted by restless_nomad at 5:47 PM on June 5, 2011