Acne and Treatment
I am an 18 old male and have had mild acne for about three
years now. It may or may not be relevant, but I have red hair and a
light complexion (the kind that acne looks for to walk by while
waiting in a dark alley ). When I first started getting irritated
by the breakouts I began using over the counter medications, but to no
evail. The breakouts either appeared the same or got worse. I
continued to try different OTC medications up until about ten months
ago when I decided to see a dermatologist. He told me that I may have
been applying too much which would over-dry my skin and my body would
counteract by making more oil (sebum?). He prescribed me Tetracycline
(oral antibiotic) to be taken 2 times a day, Benzomycin gel in the
morning, and Azelex at night. I tried this out for about 7 months and
tried to make every dose of the Tetracycline (as instructed), but I
found it hard to work my eating schedule around the dosages.
Tetracycline requires that you not eat an hour before or two hours
after taking it. I don't know about some of you, but I like to snack
at different times of the day, and I can't look at a nice meal and
have to wait two hours until I can endulge. During the time I did
take it, it seemed to work moderately; taking away the redness and
preventing some whiteheads. As of now I am still using the Azelex
cream and have read up on how vitamins can help. I read that a
combination of 8,000 IU of vitamin A (animal form), 25 mg Zinc, 50 mg
B6, 200 mcg Selenium, 200 IU of vitamin E (natural form), and 1,000 mg
of vitamin C could help acne sufferers. I know it seems like a lot
but most of these are needed anyway for a healthy lifestyle. This
combination is suppose to reduce the production of sebum.
I just started it about three days ago, and I while let you all know
how it comes along in the future.
I have always heard that redheads are prone to acne. Who else in
this newsgroup has red hair? Why don't more people with a decent tan
or naturally dark skin have acne? Does anyone know how topical
medications should be applied (by the use of cotton ball, or
fingertips)? Has anyone else tried using a similar combination of
vitamins? If so, what were the results?
It doesn't really matter whether medications are applied with a cotton
ball or the fingertips. Astringents and other liquids are best applied
with a cotton ball, but for creams and most lotions, the fingertips are
fine. The tetracycline schedule is a problem for everyone, especially
young men with healthy appetites . The medication must be given ample
time for the body to absorb it. Tell your dermatologist about the
problems with the oral medication and your eating schedule. Most
prescribe tetracycline because it is the most economic and works as well
as the more expensive "cycline" drugs in the class.
Dark-complected people *do* have acne with about the same frequency as
light-complected people. Your complection shows the irritation more,
perhaps, making the problem seem worse.
As for the vitamins, be careful. Some combinations can be toxic. Vitamin
A can cause illness and poisoning if too much is taken. It can also make
you more sun-sensitive (as does Tetracycline). Consult your dermatologist
about the combination of vitamins you are planning to take and make sure
they will not interfere with the regimen he/she has prescribed. Certain
ones of the B vitamins can actually cause an acne breakout.
As for the matter of a tan - tanning is extremely bad for the skin, and
some people break out with sun exposure. (I myself suffered hundreds of
tiny whiteheads on my face this weekend after and afternoon at the flea
market)
Make sure you are storing your Benzamycin in the refrigerator, as it can
lose its efficacy quickly if stored on the shelf of your medicine
cabinet.