Anyone know a cure for acne?

[alexlad05 10]

I suffer from really bad acne. Can anybody recomend any tips for how to help clear it up as it makes me so depressed when it is really bad that i dont leave the house. And yes i have been to my doctor and he says to drink lots of water, and eat lots of fresh foods and keep my face clean. I do this every day in the hope it will disappear but it doesn't change at all. He also gave me some tablets but they didn't do a thing. Please help, any tips at all would be great!

[GazB 10]

There's definately medication that will help.. Creams and tablets!

 

Loads of water is good for spots, as is good food (stay away from take-aways!!).. Do what the doc says as well as washing your face a few times a day with some decent face wash and take the tablets.. Should do the trick. Also, the sunbed is good for clearing spots!

[jondh98 10]

Hi alexlad,

 

I suffered from bad acne up until my early 20's,when I also started to get cysts around my ear lobes. After various creams and tablets and much hassling of Dr. I was referred to dermatologist at the Hallamshire. I was prescribed Roaccutane(a lot of pros and cons and well worth researching as it has been linked to suicides etc). After a couple of months big strides were taken and after a complete course(I think around 5-6 months) the Acne and cysts were non existent although the occasional spot rears it head. Acne can cause distress and lack of self confidence, if your doctor is not offering any useful practical advice ask to see another in the practice. If nothing else antibiotic cream/tablets should be prescribed to try and reduce the acne.

[missrabbit 10]

Hey Alex, i have always had really bad acne and i went to my doctor who told me the same as you have said. She gave me cremes and tablets but they never made my skin any better. I was then put on Dianette. This will not help you as it is one of the many varieties of the pill. I took this and it cleared up quite alot, but then i went on holiday and i didn't want to wear a bikini cos i still had really bad acne on my back. I was being stupid cos i finally got some sun to my back after being fed up of wearing jumpers on holiday. By the end of my holiday all my acne on my face and back had cleared up totally and never came back.

[nick2 10]

Originally posted by GazB

Also, the sunbed is good for clearing spots!

 

But the UV light can cause other problems so it might not be a good idea.

 

You could also try the Chinese Herbalist on Chapel Walk, I think they have 2 branches in Meadowhall too.

[feargal 21]

Sunbeds can be dangerous if you are taking antibiotics - the tablets/lotion make your skin very senstitive to UV and you'll probably burn much quicker.

[JonJParr 10]

Originally posted by alexlad05

I suffer from really bad acne. Can anybody recomend any tips for how to help clear it up as it makes me so depressed when it is really bad that i dont leave the house. And yes i have been to my doctor and he says to drink lots of water, and eat lots of fresh foods and keep my face clean. I do this every day in the hope it will disappear but it doesn't change at all. He also gave me some tablets but they didn't do a thing. Please help, any tips at all would be great!

 

Hi Alex,

 

As someone who also suffered quite badly from acne but have since grown out of it I did try lots of different things including drugs. I was first prescribed Tetracycline (which did nothing) and then Roaccutane (which was terrible and had so many side effects). There are lots of different products out there on the market but I've not found anything better than Clinique Anti-Blemish range. It is quite expensive but if you buy the Anti-Blemish Foaming Face Wash (£15) or soap bar (£9) and couple it with Oil Free M-Shave (£9.50) then you may find that you see improvements.

 

Shaving can make your skin even worse and make it raw to touch but the M-Shave should see to that. Also remember to change your blade every week - a lot of spots are caused by ingrown hairs caused by blunt blades. I usually use the M-Shave first and then wash my face using the face wash in the shower. I can't 100% say that my skin now being fine is attributed to Clinique because I'm now in my twenties which is widely accepted to be the end of puberty and acne but it may just help you out.

 

A bit of advice though: ditch the drugs. They don't work and can lead to depression, suicidal tendencies (Roaccutane), white flaked skin and cracked lips (really really sore!).

 

You need to couple the Clinique routine with a good diet. Cut out the crisps and fast food. Eat lots of fresh vegetables, red wine once or twice a week (seriously I find this really improves my skin), fresh meat and fruit. Avoid processed foods which have lots of hydrogenated, saturated fats.

 

I really hope this helps mate.

[Cyclone 10]

Originally posted by feargal

Sunbeds can be dangerous if you are taking antibiotics - the tablets/lotion make your skin very senstitive to UV and you'll probably burn much quicker.

 

any evidence for that or is it just an urban legend?

[x_LoUiSe_x 10]

ive had bad acne since i was about 10, im now 20 and its no better.

 

i went to the doctors when i was about 12 about it and over the course of about 5 years i went through every drug and cream i could get, and nothing worked.

 

i used to get like you do, depressed and not wanting to leave the house but now ive learnt to overcome that.

 

i met a really nice guy who loves me for who i am and we have an 18 month old daughter.

 

spots ruined my teenage years but im not gonna let them ruin the rest of my life.

 

keep yer chin up, u might find sum tablets or cream that'll work for you and u might even grow out of it. i think most people who have bad acne when they are young tend to grow out of it.

 

even if you dont its not the end of the world like i found out. im really happy now and just hope you can be happy too.

[Avalon 10]

Hey Alex

 

Firstly if you dont mind me asking - how old are you?

 

You should not be getting yourself down about this! I know plenty of people who have had bad acne and they have been just as popular and happy as anyone else.

 

I had a close friend who had pretty bad acne at one point during his teenage years. He tried EVERYTHING to get rid of them - eventaully he found out that just washing his face with clean HOT water - no soap - and sitting in a sauna helped a great deal. This cimbined with tablests (Tetracycline?) cleared his face up in a couple of months.

 

I too had bad acne, and the doctor gave me some foul smelling cream to get rid of them which thankfully worked! There are lots of facewahes and special soaps etc out there to get rid of spots, but im not convinced about the effectivness of them?

 

Let me know how you get on.

A =)

[feargal 21]

Sorry - forgot to quote and now it's too late!!

 

Cyclone - No, I mention it from painful personal experience! Also, my dermatologist told me to avoid sunbeds when taking any antibiotics... and this was backed up by the disclaimer in the sunbed place. It might just be on sensitive skin (aw poor me!), but I wouldn't recommend it.

[JonJParr 10]

Originally posted by Cyclone

any evidence for that or is it just an urban legend?

 

It's absolutely true Cyclone.