Acne help needed please.
First let me tell you some stuff about my history.
I think it was in 2002 when I was prescribed Roaccutane, which worked
great. In 2003 I started to get breakouts again so I went on the old
wash at night with Panoxyl wash and then use Acnegel 10 twice a day.
This worked ok until I noticed that my breakouts were becoming harder
to control. I went back to my GP who tried me on various things -
Benzamycin and then Dalacin T. Neither of these worked so he referred
me to a dermatologist about a year ago, who I first saw in October
2005.
The Dermatologist put me on Retin-A at night and Duac during the day.
He prescribed me Minocin MR tables - 500mg once daily and wash with
Dermol 500 lotion. This was the worst thing ever as it appears that I
have some kind of an allergy to Clindamycin, contained in Duac, and it
brought me out in very red swollen areas that I needed to apply
hydrocortisone to clear up. I went back to the derm and he said just
use the Retin-A twice a day. I did this for 3 months and it made no
difference at all and the Retin-A was proving to be very irritating for
my skin.
I went back to him for my review appointment and he told me to stop
using the Retin-A and put me on Nicam Gel for individual spots. He
said for me to moisturise with the Dermol at night and to continue
washing with Dermol twice a day.
It came to about March of this year, about 2 months after I'd stopped
using the Retin-A and I was getting ALOT of little small whiteish
pustules. I'd go to work clear somedays and come home with LOADS of
the wee things - perhaps about 10 on each side of my face. I had never
noticed these before.
I went back again for another review appointment in July 06 and
mentioned these - he gave me Panoxyl wash. My skin simply cannot
tolerate using this wash nightly and I've tried working up slowly from
once a week for a week, twice a week for a week, three times a week for
a month and this is as far as I got because it causes me to get very
red, ithcy areas around my mouth.
It's these small whiteish pustules that I keep getting. I don't really
get big spots anymore, just loads of these small things nearly
everyday. I have tried using Brevoxyl, as it seems to be a little less
harsh on my skin than Panoxyl, and it works to a certain extent. Thing
is, I can't use it daily as it causes me to break out with red itchy
areas - I'm guessing that I'm now super sensitive to benzoyl peroxide,
maybe something to do with using Retin-A?
I'm posting here because I need to know if anyone's experiencing these
little spots? LIke I said, I've never had them come in as great
numbers and as frequent as this before. Could it be the after-effects
of Retin-A? If I didn't have these spots everyday my skin would be OK.
I get them around my beard area mostly - I've tried not shaving for a
few days and still got them. I sometimes get them on my forehead but
very rarely. I get them where I have facial hair mostly, but they're
not limited to that particular area of my face as I also get them on my
temples.
I'm 26 now and really desperate to get my acne cleared up - I think I'd
do anything that my dermatologist told me to do and I'd pay alot of
money if I was guaranteed clear skin.
If anyone can offer me any advice on this matter, it'd be greatly
appreciated.
-After three three years of trying one useless (or irritating) thing
after another, why don't you insist on another isotretinoin course.
That's basically what I did. In my particular case, I am so sick of
acne returning after the isotretinoin course is over, I am simply going
to follow my course with a low-dose course for an indefinite period
(which is something I did from 1998-2000).
- take a look at my other post from yesterday about simply soaking
your face in a sink of warm water for 60 seconds, twice a day. I've
been testing it this past week, its been the fastest miracle i've had
in my history of acne!