Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[squeakyReaper]

Need some help. I'm 19, have acne. My mom is [datanotfound], has acne. I've tried some astringent for a month, but like with flossing or not eating pie I give in to the easy side of the force.

I'm planning on nuking my acne in the new year. What advice can you guys give? I heard cycling through fresh pillow cases helps, but iunno.

[sonerohi]

What worked for me was a thorough regiment of Accutane. At the same time, that left me with recurring tummy aches, so it was a trade-off. Before I went to that severe a thing though, what got me results was a pretty superstitious program. Pillowcases replaced nightly. Changed undershirts around noon so they were always fresh. Benzyl peroxide soap. No soda. No chocolate. I kept a black handkerchief with me and wiped all of my face every once in a while; If the kerchief was able to pick anything up off my face, I exchanged it for a clean kerchief and scrubbed my face at the sink. Two hours direct sunlight daily, minimum. Plenty of orange juice. Didn't shower on Saturdays so my skin had a break from the scrubbings. Kept my hair very short. One, none, many, or all of these things might help. I never really did a scientific testing to see what worked to what degree; it was working well enough and success is success.

[ChairmanPoo]

A bit of warning, though: accutane is a vit A/retinol, which can be toxic. It should be administrated under medical suveillance. They'll tell you if it's worth it or not, too (side effects are not uncommon)

[lordcooper]

HFSO₃ would probably help

[Miggy]

I have/have had pretty severe acne.

I ended up being approached by my doctor (I was in his office for an unrelated issue, and he added as a comment) that I had it very severely and I should really do something about it. Waiting it out would leave my face in shreds.

First I was prescribed a 6 month dose of basiron + tetracycline. It helped, but not too great. It sort of repressed it but didn't get rid of it. A month after I stopped both the acne was back in full force.

Then I started on isotretinoin, prescribed by a dermatologist. I've been going for about 2 months now and I'm about a clear as I was after those 6 months of basiron + tetracyclin. And this is supposdly a permanent tonic, meaning that if I stop taking them, the acne won't come back. I'm set for another 4 months for a total of 6 months of isotretinoin (accutane), which will, by the looks of it, clear me up completely.

But yeah, it comes with side effects. It's not a question of it you have side effects, it's a question of how many. I have very dry lips. My skin is dry on my face and overarms and I have to smear them in moisturizers in order to not get rashes. But these should disappear once I stop the treatment, and it's not unbearable to the point where I'd ratehr have acne than go through this for 6 months.

[Eagle_eye]

Personally, I use benzoyl peroxide, and when I do remember to use it, it pretty much wipes out all my zits within a few days.

[DJ]

Changing pillowcases every night definitely helps. Washing your face 4-5 times a day can't hurt either.

[Knight of Fools]

I have to agree with everyone else here - A dermatologist (Preferable over just any doctor, I think) should be able to help you if you don't have severe acne.

If you've been able to fix it up in the past, though, here's a few general pointers: Don't touch your face, as the oils in your hands block the sensitive pores around your face and neck. Popping zits can also make them worse, so it's best to just to rub the zit with a cloth while you're cleaning it until it breaks naturally. I'm not an expert, but I don't recommend squeezing any part of your face to get a zit out because of all the nastiness that your fingers and nails can get into your skin. Deep, swollen zits can also pop right back into your face, causing all sorts of infections and general nastiness. Best to ask an expert on this one, though.

Changing your pillow cases would probably help. Wash your face regularly and after you go outside. Use a soft cloth with soap first (Preferably something geared towards acne, if you don't have any available go for the softest soap you can find), and an astringent on a cotton ball afterwards. Use a good facial moistener afterwards (I recommend Cataphil). You basically want to open up your pores by removing dead skin, clean the pores out, and seal them back up with something that won't block them up and cause more acne, but won't leave your skin feeling dry and irritated, either.

If a strict regimen like that doesn't start working after a couple of weeks, there's not a whole lot you'll be able to do without professional help.

[LordBucket]

I'm 19, have acne.

What advice can you guys give?

LordBucket's Guide to Forever Eliminating Acne:

Step 1

Buy two things: a new toothbrush, and women's shampoo. It will come in separate bottles, one for shampoo, one for conditioner. Throw away your men's shampoo. Never buy it again.

Take warm showers, not cold. Use the shampoo in place of soap. Wash your hair with it, your body with it, wash your face with it. Do not use bar soap on your face. Use shampoo suds. With a faceful of shampoo suds, scrub your face with your old toothbrush (Not the new one.) Brush your entire face, not just the acne spots. Brush your nose, your forehead, behind your ears, everywhere.

Do this every day.

Don't press hard. And don't try to do it all in one day. You're using the old toothbrush because the bristles will be soft. The goal is not to make yourself bleed. It's simply to clean your face thoroughly, and to gently remove the top layer of dead skin. Press no harder than you do while brushing your teeth.

Step 2

After getting out of the shower, go to the sink and wash your face with cold water.

Warm water from the shower will open your pores. That's the ideal time to clean them with the toothbrush and shampoo suds. The cold water will close your pores again. This will help prevent them from becoming clogged again.

Step 3

It may take a few weeks for the acne to clear up depending on how bad it is. Don't rush it. Allow it to take time. Don't try to speed it up by cleaning more often, or harder. Simply adopt these as new habits for the rest of your life.

Step 4

Never have acne again.

[squeakyReaper]

Will start applying that guide, heh.

On the switching of pillow cases, what's the process? Do I wash, dry or just alternate cases? Minor detail, but hey.

[Vector]

You need to wash your cases after you've dirtied 'em up, yes.

[squeakyReaper]

On an every night basis?

[LordBucket]

On the switching of pillow cases, what's the process? Do I wash, dry or just alternate cases?

Run them, along with your sheets, through the laundry once a month. Don't mix them in with other whites like socks.

[Vector]

On an every night basis?

Ah--get a supply of pillow cases.  Ideally, you'd use one side one night, the other side the next night, and then a new pillow case.

[Zrk2]

Aww, I thought this said General Ache Advice. My long, hot bath won't help you in this case.