What to do with acne?

Dermatologists Help..or anyone thats had acne.I dont know what to do?

• Hey I am an 18 year old guy, I have been dealing with acne most of my teen years, since I was 12, It started off with little bummps and just gradually got noticably worse, I have been on antibiotics for acne since I was 14, many different creams,lotions soaps etc, nothing seems to be working. My skin has cleared up a little since my early teens, but still it is bad, and i feel i have some scars . I have quite bumpy skin and lumpy skin if that makes sense. The antibiotic has definitely worked, but from my last blood test, my doc didnt like what she seen and is gradually weaning me of them as I am showing liver problem signs. I find the best regimen for me is to was my face 3 times a day with soap with dead sea minerals and to use a dead sea cream, it seamingly just really helps my skin quality a lot, but im still just not happy with my skin. My skin is still full of acne and its not clear, and im coming to a last thether with my skin, I feel very insecure about it, and it makes me feel really ugly. Im trying to figure out, what would be my next best move to clear myself of acne. I will do anything and pay anything, Im currently paying 60$ a month on medication and 300$ a year on creams and i still have acne and problems. I think my diet is very good, I drink 2 litres of water a day, I eat healthy foods, but i hear milk and cheese and chocolate are bad things, 3 things i do eat, not obseseivly, but i take small amounts of it, like a glass of milk a day and a chocolate bar. is this bad. What am I doing wrong, why do I still have such bad acne while doing everything that seems right, i feel im cursed with ugliness with my skin. I really hope a dermatoligist reads this, I will be going to one soon, but i like to get more than one opinion, what is the best option to get rid of this?? I have some photos of my skin a few mins ago below, http://oi41.tinypic.com/2f0byw4.jpg this is of my cheeck, so you can see its very red and has some small black heads http://oi40.tinypic.com/64ed5i.jpg http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=21j25xl&s=5 this is my nose, it has a blackhead problem, and i dunno how to fix that http://oi39.tinypic.com/1zezfig.jpg my forehead isnt so bad, but its got stuff too :S http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=1zx2wwl&s=5 redness of my skin I hope someoen can help me out, just wish I didnt have acne, and wish i could just sort it out

• Answer:

  I'm not a dermatologist, but I've been seeing one for 2 years now and I've learned a lot, so hopefully I can help some. :) First of all, are you taking oral antibiotics (pills)? If so, what kind? I've been on doxycycline for a while and it helps but I'm still not clear. My dermatologist recently put me on solodyn (I think is what it's called?) which is a recent drug that he says he's seem really good results with. But it's really expensive unless you can get some kind of discount, which luckily I did. However both of these things are prescription, and if you're having liver problems you should probably avoid them. The best advice I can give is to just see a dermatologist. They do actually know what they're doing and it's the most targeted, effective help you'll get. As for products, most of them either have benzoyle peroxide or salicylic acid. Benzoyle peroxide might help you; it's usually pretty good for minor surface acne, but it won't do much for the deep acne which leaves scars. For that you need an antibiotic. It can also really irritate your skin, so be careful if you use it. (FYI proactive uses this. Proactive really isn't as special as it claims to be - lots of products use the same ingredient - it's just well advertised.) As for salicylic acid, it doesn't really work. It's a pealing agent, so it will peal the top few layers of skin. This can help with scars that aren't very deep, and it helps with small surface acne, but not much else. And it's pretty irritating and drying. I would definitely suggest using a moisturizer if you use this. And make sure it's non-comedogenic. CeraVe is good. That's great that your diet is so good! :) Diet does effect your skin, and dairy products like milk and chocolate do tend to have a worse effect, but I wouldn't worry about it so much. Although it is different for different people. Some people can eat 10 chocolate bars a day and be fine, but others (like me..) are especially sensitive. So maybe just take note if you drink a lot of milk or eat a lot of chocolate if your acne gets worse, and then be sure not to do that again. :) Probably what is the main contributor to your acne is genes, which unfortunately can't be helped. :/ But it may also be hormones, which means that hopefully in the next few years you should clear up some. I would really suggest seeing a dermatologist though. :) I hope this helps, and I really hope you can get clear skin soon!! ^^