Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with acne

Shampoo Causing Acne

Anonymous — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:23:30 -0800

I think I self-diagnosed that my shampoo has been causing minor to moderate acne on my forehead and near my front hair line for sometime. Should I substantially reduce my shampoo usage (and not smell as nice), or are there more natural shampoos I should experiment with? I am a man with short hair. I am a late 20's man with usually 1" to 2" hair on my head, pretty thick hair overall.

This past spring, from reading several older (and insightful) responses on Ask MeFi, I became enlightened that perhaps shampoo wasn't totally necessary as a daily part of my routine, and started experimenting doing it less and less. At first, I started doing it every other day, and ultimately decreased to about twice a week for most of the time, in total for about six months.

Not only did I notice the intended improved results in hair styling (and more naturally feeling hair), but unexpectedly I noticed a substantial reduction if not almost elimination of what had been persistent minor (and at times moderate) acne on my forehead and front hairline.

A couple months ago, I started dating someone, and inadvertently started shampooing much more often to smell better. After a few weeks, I started breaking out again and this has sort of continued for 6 weeks. Obviously there are other variables at play here like the hormones of a relationship, modified diet and exercising more, but I have a gut feeling I am on to something with the shampoo.

The shampoo I have been using for years is Head & Shoulders 2 in 1 dandruff shampoo + conditioner, varying scents but usually Ocean Lift. In my teenage years, I had moderate dandruff, and so I have always just used dandruff shampoo even though I am not sure if it is still an issue for me (the shampoo has always been effective against dandruff).

So, questions are:

Should I go back to my twice a week shampooing schedule (or stop entirely)? Ladies, do men experience hair smell issues with this? Are there other effective non-shampoo methods of adding a scent to one's hair?

Is there another shampoo I should be trying that might be more natural? I wonder if my acne is more of a reaction to the over-production of my hair's oils from the constant shampoo stripping rather than it is a reaction to a particular chemical in the shampoo.

Should I be trying just shampoo, with no conditioner?

Also, for people who don't shampoo or shampoo infrequently, what is the rule with pool swimming--is that a situation that one would shampoo after no matter what to purge the chlorine?

Bay Area Dermatologist Recommendations?

noahdubya — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:19:55 -0800

Can anyone recommend a good (for acne) dermatologist in the Bay Area (SanJose/SantaCruz) I've been able to keep my acne under control for what seems like forever. One year into a PhD program, and I think that I should be seeking some professional help. That, plus I have health insurance as a graduate student (yay). But, there are sooooo many MDs. Any recommendations?

Ack, I'm a teenage! (Cymbalta=acne?)

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:16:23 -0800

Anyone taking Cymbalta notice an increase in facial acne? I've been taking Cymbalta (60mg) for about 3 months now, it has worked wonders. However, for the last 6 weeks or so, I've had breakout after breakout of "whitehead" acne around my mouth/lips.

I've never had problems with acne my entire life (nearly 40), so this is wierd.

No changes to diet, but life is stressful (working 4 jobs - usually I only work 2 at a time).

Acne scar treatment (in Vancouver, BC)

lmm — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:55:43 -0800

Could anyone recommend a dermatologist near Vancouver, BC to deal with dense acne scarring? If you could share some first or second hand experiences of the treatment, that would be awesome too. I'm asking for someone else. I too have acne scarring from my teens on my back, but it isn't that bad (or at least I don't think so).

His however is located almost entirely on the back of his upper arms and is densely packed and dark. He says it's gotten worse over the past few years, and is looking to get the scars removed or at least lightened considerably.

A place in Maple Ridge he's talked to is asking for a $250 consultation fee which can be applied towards whatever treatment/procedure he takes up with them. I'm not sure what to think about that.

Could anyone share recommendations? Success/horror stories? (And a minor question: what sort of cost is he looking at?) Any input is appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Clear skin in the Emerald City.

Anonymous — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:49:00 -0800

Can you recommend a dermatologist in Seattle who is likely to prescribe Accutane when I ask for it? I am aware that the brand-name drug has been discontinued since it is no longer competitive with the many generic options, but I'd only buy generic anyway. I've been on Accutane before, and it worked fabulously, but I had to cancel the course due to emergency surgery.

I couldn't do another course before I moved to Seattle because I wouldn't have been in that city for the full five months. Now I'm in a new city and looking for a new specialist!

How to REALLy find a doctor.

cmoj — Fri, 29 May 2009 16:25:02 -0800

Looking for a (way to find a) good dermatologist in North Texas. The "recommend a doctor" feature on my insurance company's website, the local medical school's (UT Southwestern) website, and non-affiliated ones don't tell me anything at all, and when they do the rating seems to be based on how much time was spent in the waiting room.

I got the (school) email address of the former head of dermatology at UTSW and current editor of some journal of dermatology and emailed him, asking. I figure he's about the best possible person to ask, but he hasn't replied, and I don't know if that might mean that he doesn't use the school address at all anymore or during the summer, or if that is the kind of request that doctors in that position get spammed with and would just ignore.

All I want is the best dermatologist, or even better, acne specialist who practices within a half day's travel from D/FW, TX. I have excellent out-of-network coverage, so all I want to know is who is the smartest doc out there. How do I find out? Does one of you know?

I don't want any advice about the acne. I've heard it, whatever you have to say.

Middle-aged acne?

Melismata — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:26:52 -0800

At age 39, I suddenly have bad acne on my back and neck. How did you make yours go away? Details inside. I've never had acne this bad before, and don't know what is causing it. It's not on my face, only back and neck. My dermatologist prescribed both tetracycline and an astringint (forget the name), and they didn't do a thing. I cut my hair. I never wear sweaters that cover the neck. I recently stopped resting my chin in my hands while at work. My diet has improved enormously in the past few years since I started watching my weight. And it's still there. It started before I took up the violin again (and it spreads farther than the location of the instrument anyway). I don't mind the back so much because it's not visible, but the neck is just awful. How did you get yours to go away, and what could possibly be causing it? Thanks.

Acne's not contagious, right?

Strumpf Marionette — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:35:50 -0800

Acne isn't contagious - so what is this? Skin condition details inside. My 24-year-old girlfriend has a skin condition that looks similar to acne. She gets red, itchy spots on her face and body. They are about the size of pimples, but I have never seen them filled with pus, like a normal pimple.

When she inevitably scratches them, they scab over and scar. She always has a few of these, and sometimes she has many of them. She's had this condition since I first met her almost 4 years ago.

About a year ago, I got a skin infection in my left arm pit. The infection consisted of pretty rapidly spreading red, itchy spots. After waiting for it to go away for about a week without treating it, I used a prescription antibiotic cream, and it cleared right up. I didn't think anything of it at the time.

Since the first infection, however, I've gotten several more, always limited to my left arm pit. Thing is, that's the side of my body where my girlfriend lies up against me in our "before we go to sleep" cuddling position. In this position, her chest is usually in contact with my left underarm. Each time I've gotten the infection, I've treated it with the antibiotic cream, and it goes away within a couple of days.

I plan to tell my GP, who is also my girlfriend's GP, about this at my next physical in a couple of weeks. I thought I'd see if anyone here had any ideas or similar experiences. The infections under my arm don't bother me much, but if my girlfriend has something other than acne - something that may be treatable - I'd love for her to get it taken care of. I know she hates the spots and the scarring. I love her anyway, but it would be great if she could put those spots behind her

Vitamin A cream a decent stand in for Accutane?

Anonymous — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 07:29:14 -0800

Acne and/or Rosacea problem. Vitamin A as a cure? I have an acne and/or rosacea issue. Background: I am late 20s and fair skinned and have ruddiness on my cheeks and redness in the crease where my nose meets my face. I also have a few blackheads and whiteheads on my nose and under my eyes respectively. And my facial skin has an overall dullness about it. But, the main concern for me is the redness.... because even when I'm having a great skin week and everything is clear and blemish-free, there's still a noticable uneveness.

Two things have fixed this in the past: 1) Accutane- I could only afford 2 months worth, but it worked like a charm and 2) pregnancy hormones (not at the same time as Accutane, of course). Those things are not repeatable right now, and nothing else has helped. I don't have health insurance or the discretionary funds to go to a dr. unless absolutely necessary, but I would like to know what I can do for this.... Food/ drink doesn't seem to be a factor for me. Although weather does (always worse in Summer).

What I'm wondering is, since Accutane worked, and it is concentrated Vitamin A, would a Vitamin A cream help? I'm using Neutrogena retional cream, but it's only helping a tiny bit... Has anyone had a good experience with a stronger OTC Vitamin A cream? If so, what's the brand?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Solutions for oily hair and skin?

cosmic osmo — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:07:29 -0800

Solutions for oily hair and skin? I have oily hair that begins to look unwashed after 16 hours and oily, breakout-prone skin.

I've tried all sorts of different strategies--gentle shampoo, shampoo for oily hair, regular shampoo, dandruff shampoo, "intelligent" shampoo designed to "balance" the scalp's oil production, expensive shampoo (Kerastase and the like) and regular drugstore shampoo, brushing my hair with a boars bristle brush to distribute oils away from my scalp. For my face, similar types of regimes--acne wash, gentle cleanser for sensitive skin, lotion/cream cleansers, foaming cleansers, oil-free moisturizer, everything. Still, my whole head ends up looking like a grease slick within 24 hours.

The only thing that has ever made a whit of difference was a course of Accutane I took as a teenager--it cleared up my cystic acne and made my skin and hair un-greasy for at least a year afterward. I would love to take a second round (as I know a lot of people have to), but my dermatologist says my skin isn't bad enough to justify the risk of serious side effects.

Is there anything I can do in terms of supplements or lifestyle changes? I already drink a lot of water and have cut out caffeine. I don't apply conditioner to my scalp. I don't mind washing my hair every day, but I'd like to be able to take a shower at night and still look like I've bathed recently by the next afternoon.

I'm a 22 year old female, I am not on hormonal birth control and this has been an issue for the last ten years.

Benzoyl peroxide ruining my clothing?

Loto — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 04:58:17 -0800

Those who use Proactiv, AcneFree and other benzoyl peroxide acne medications and lotions: how do you keep it from ruining your clothing? I'd like to switch to the full Proactiv or AcneFree "systems" (benzoyl peroxide works great for my acne) but I am really worried about ruining my clothing.

I currently use a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide wash in the shower so that I don't bleach anything... but I don't understand how people can apply benzoyl peroxide lotions and such in the morning and not worry about it bleaching their clothing all day. I've used the spot treatment stuff when I was a kid, and it always bleached something. Is the 2.5% too low to bleach clothing? Are there tricks? What if I work out and sweat, will the lotions run and bleach my clothing?

Pimple in sensitive area?

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 22:12:03 -0800

I have what seems like a flesh-colored pimple in a sensitive area. It's in my groin area (I'm a 25-year-old man) underneath some pubic hair, and it's probably half the size of a dime. It feels like a small lump that extends a little beneath the surface of the skin. I can't feel anything if I just touch it, but if I push it harder, then it hurts a bit (just as pushing a pimple might). It does not look as if it's pus-filled. I'm not sexually active right now and have not been for quite a while.

What worries me slightly is that it's been there for several weeks now without going away.

Anyhow, what is this likely? A pimple? A boil? Ingrown hair? Is it a problem or will it go away by itself?

Stress-related acne problem

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:47:35 -0800

Dermatology question. Whenever I get stressed, I get zits breaking out on my face and on my head. Is this normal? I'm a 33 year old male, so it's not teenager acne. I have noticed that whenever I'm having a stressful time at work, or if I've not got enough sleep, I get zits popping up on my face and a fair bit on the back of my head. Since I'm clean-shaven, the back side of my head looks messy. (Somewhat icky picture here if you're so inclined.)

Once in a while, when the stress is getting really bad (behind on schedules, employee problems, etc.), the zits pop up even in places like my butt crack, inside thigh, etc. (Those sometimes get large and painful, but go away in a week or two.)

Does anyone have experience with this kind of condition? I think it's been happening to me for about 4-5 years. I've read online that stress can trigger acne, but what can I do about it?

How do I prevent yeast infections while taking antibiotics?

Anonymous — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 08:29:41 -0800

Has anyone prone to yeast infections been able to protect themselves while taking antibiotics? I want to start taking antibiotics (doxycycline) to treat my acne. It's my last resort. However, I am extremely prone to yeast infections. Will taking acidophilus supplements be enough? How much to take? I have been trying many, many routes to treat my acne, and I would now like to try doxycycline. However, a few years ago I absolutely devastated my good bacteria balance by taking a few rounds of Cipro, and I've been extremely prone to stubborn yeast infections ever since. Right now I'm clear, and I would like to stay that way.

I'm going to be taking acidophilus both orally and vaginally, but I don't know if that's enough and don't want to risk it. Has anyone had any experience doing this and succeeding at staving off the yeast?

How can I improve my skin's appearance?

rainygrl716 — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:05:12 -0800

I'm sick of having horrible skin. I'm plagued with everything: acne, oil, dryness, blotchy redness, lines, large pores. Please help me improve my skin. I'm 23. As the title says I'm sick of having horrible skin.

I have oily skin in my t-zone with large, very visible pores. This past year my forehead seems to think I am going through puberty again or something because it has a lot of tiny little acne that just won't clear up. My forehead has two very deep, visible lines (creases) that I've had forever, but they bother me. I've also noticed that above my nose, where a person scowls, has lines now too that are sometimes very prominent (usually when I have been sleeping so I think I must be scowling in my sleep). Besides the lines and oiliness and acne, I sometimes get flaky skin around my nose.

I take a multivitamin, plus fish oil, plus b-complex, plus a calcium supplement, plus I drink a lot of green tea. I drink a lot of water. That is mostly all I drink. I rarely drink any soda.

My current skin regime is to wash twice a day with a mild soap. I moisturize at night with Oil of Olay but I have tried Burt's Bees products in the past without any improvement of my skin. I also use a moisturizer with sunscreen in the day. I was toning with tomato toner by Burts Bees that I had success with but I decided to give me skin a break these past couple months and cut out makeup and toning to see if my skin would improve. I also cut back on the moisturizer to see if my skin was being over processed or something. It hasn't improved one bit and the acne seems to be getting a lot worse.

What bothers me the most: the large pores and the lines and acne on my forehead and scowl region. My skin isn't radiant or glowing or anything great like that. It is dull and looks terrible and marred with so many problems. What products can I use to change that? What can I add or remove from my diet? Any tips or suggestions?

Im getting acne(?) on my arms, whats wrong!

freddymetz — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:36:56 -0800

Im getting acne(?) on my arms, whats wrong! Im 17 years old, and zits on the face aren't a big deal for me. But over the last year or so theyve started spreading out just under my neck, on my shoulders and upper arms (i included a pic to be helpful and more precise :p)

My main question is, what caused this? Im probably looking for a cause like wearing sweaty t shirts or the sort. Could something like that have caused it? Or not enough oxygen to the arms?
I THINK it gets worse in summer but im really not sure.

Plan B = Acne side effect?

BlackStrapMolasses — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:53:27 -0800

Plan B = Acne Breakout? I took Plan be about 2 weeks ago, and am now having terrible acne. Granted, it's summer, and I'm under a lot of stress, but I've never broken out this badly. They seem like serious zits, too, really deep and large. Acne is listed as an uncommon side-effect, but I've also read that some folks have have had REALLY bad break outs, long term. I'll be making a Dr. appt. soon, but has this happened to anyone? If so, what's going to become of me?!? Do I just have to wait it out, or is there something that I can do?

Hey Pretty Mama, Why You Look So Funky?

mynameismandab — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:57:29 -0800

Ladies with acne/bad skin/facial hair: Do prenatal vitamins help? Is there anything I can do? This is very embarrassing for me to talk about. I'm in my twenties, and I have my dad's horrible skin and his mother's genetic predisposition for facial hair. I am treating both with regular trips to the dermatologist--she has me on Solodyn and Ziana for acne and Aldactone for a hormone imbalance. I also have laser facial hair removal.

But now that I want to become pregnant, my OB/GYN is telling me I have to discontinue my derm rx's and stop having laser done on my chin. I'm getting married in November and I really don't want my skin to erupt in the massive blemishes that have plagued me since I was 10, and I would really hate to be the bearded lady on my big day or when I give birth to my first child.

Will the prenatal vitamins help with either of these problems, or is all hope lost for a pretty mama wannabe?

CLEAR SKIN CALLED, it said screw you

madmamasmith — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 03:07:10 -0800

well. i have searched and searched and there is alot out there , but i am looking for something specific. this question is about BLACKHEADS. I have had blackheads since i was a teen, when i was 20 i started getting zits too. Here I am 26 and my skin is the worst it has ever been.i have blackheads on every inch of my face and my face and scalp feel like an oil factory. I am a vegetarian, i dont eat crappy but i dont eat buckwheat cakes and organic chard everyday either maybe once a month i get drunk and maybe once a week have a soda, i do drink a couple coffees a week and my diet consists of alot of texmex but alot of organnic veggies too, i dont take vitamins cuz im really poor right now but in the past i have tried evening primrose, multivitamin, iron,birth control pills,,,i have used every face wash known to man as well as retina and other topicals, and now after 10 years of no noticeable difference i just use oatmeal soap and witchhazel. i was using jojoba cuz i heard that would help but it didnt but neither does lotion. basically i am freaking out, what do i do? i have the most sensitive skin so i scar really easy. i am too oily. i do everything u r supposed to ; drink water, change pillowcases, hot showers, all natural skincare,,,,help me please. I cant afford facials evryday but i did use to get microderms once a month to no avail as well as chemical peels that actually scarred me really bad. are there any remedies that anyone can suggest that have worked for you? home remedies, pills, liver cleanses? im so desperate, i hate looking in the mirror, dont lecture me.....just tell me if anything has worked for you

Do commercial colon-cleanse products actually solve the myriad of problems they claim to?

Anonymous — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 11:01:37 -0800

Do commercial colon-cleanse products actually solve the myriad of problems they claim to? Some background:

I'm a 33 yr old male, programmer. I play sports a couple times a week, but am fairly sedentary in general. I don't eat as well as I should. I am chronically fatigued, high-stress and plagued by persistent adult acne.

I also don't have regular bowel movements, and because of my sedentary nature, I often don't get up to have a BM even when I should.

If you've seen advertising and marketing for commercial colon cleanse products, you'll know that they promise to cure all these things by getting rid of excess internal bacteria. I don't want to sound like a complete rube here - I realize advertising is full of empty claims. But is there some legitimacy to the cleanse approach? Has anyone in my situation had positive experiences?

Help me look my best at my wedding

desjardins — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 07:44:44 -0800

What's the best way to treat or hide a mild case of adult acne on the shoulders without going to a dermatologist? I'm wearing a strapless dress for my wedding and I have a mild case of acne (and scars from previous blemishes) on my shoulders. I rarely have breakouts on my face. I have 4 months to make it go away, or if it won't, figure out how best to cover it. Birth control is not an option, and my insurance won't cover a dermatologist for this kind of thing. My diet is fairly healthy (about half my meals are vegetarian). I rarely eat junk food, but I probably don't drink enough water. I don't drink or smoke; my only weakness is caffeine and that's only 2 times/day. I'm 33 years old, FWIW.

High SPF sunscreen for acne-prone skin?

HotToddy — Sun, 25 May 2008 12:33:48 -0800

Sunscreen SPF 30 or higher that won't make me break out? I am exceedingly acne-prone. Everything makes me break out, including every sunscreen I've ever tried. Unfortunately, I am also prone to hyperpigmentation, so I need a high SPF sunscreen. Right now the best one I've found is Olay Complete Defense SPF 30 for sensitive skin, but I still break out from it. Clinique City Block is pretty good but makes me look too chalky, plus it doesn't seem to give total protection. Do you know of one that won't make me break out but also doesn't look too greasy or chalky?

Best mineral makeup to use for acne/dry flakes combo?

laroodles — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:04:12 -0800

Acne plus dry flakes -- should I make the switch to mineral makeup? I have acne including purple/red scars on my cheeks and am looking to make the switch from liquid foundation to mineral powder makeup (i.e. Pur Minerals or Bare Escentuals). I try to avoid makeup for obvious reasons but when I need/want to use something, I would ideally like coverage that does not highlight the fact that I have dry, flaking skin.

Any advice on the best mineral makeup for my predicament before I head to Sephora? I have looked at MakeUp Alley and previous AskMe threads on the subject of makeup for those with acne. I would also appreciate any tips acne sufferers have on eliminating dry flakes.

My skincare routine - Proactive x2 day, moisturizer (also Proactive) x2 day.

Butt acne. Help me make it stop!

Anonymous — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:48:49 -0800

OK, so it's getting warmer and acne is making its annual reappearance. On my butt. How do I get rid of it?? Some background: I'm female, mid-30s, I don't have acne anywhere else on my body or on my face. I have a healthy diet (no sugar or refined foods), I exercise, I bathe daily, change my clothes daily, sleep naked, change the sheets weekly, wear cotton underwear, I am not overweight. I've tried the following with almost no success: exfoliating daily in the shower, over-the-counter acne creams, witch hazel, talcum powder. It appears mostly close to the folds in the skin (i.e. where the butt meets the thighs, or near the, er, crack). It disappears almost entirely in winter, comes back as it gets warmer. It's not really severe (i.e. no whiteheads or blackheads, just . . . bumps), and I will not go to the doctor or take any kind of systemic meds for this. But it is unsightly and annoying and I'd really like to get rid of it.

Has anyone out there dealt with this successfully?

What do you think of the Obagi Skin System?

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:49:13 -0800

Has anyone had experience with the Obagi Skin System? I went to see a Aesthetic/Laser Center today to see what could be done about my skin, which is damaged from my old bad habits of sun, booze, and cigarettes. I also had severe acne as a teenager, and have the scars and occasional flareups now.

The doctor recommended the Obagi Skin System - either by itself or in conjunction with some laser treatments. She said it involved Retin-A and hydroquinone. I've used Retin-A before, with decent results.

I've found some reviews online, but don't know quite how real they are. So I'm wondering - was it a sales pitch, or does the system really work?